Friendly Face-Robin

I haven't done a Friendly Face post in a while, so I thought it was time to get that pedestal out once again. I like writing these posts, because it gives me an opportunity to let that particular person know how special he/she is to me and how he/she has impacted my life for the better. This post is going to feature my friend, Robin. Robin is my self declared hairbow wearing, holiday decorating (I mean ALL holidays), Republican voting, gardening diva...she doesn't wear hair bows anymore (which I'm going to have to admit I'm REAL glad about); but she did all through college...heehee....that still makes me giggle. Her house is always immaculate except when one of her little guys paints all over the carpet or throws 2 dozen eggs on the floor. She always looks beautiful and is always smiling (see that picture...she always looks that good). She can cook up about anything and serves the most amazing food anytime I've been to her house for an event...whether it be to meet our new pastors or a children's birthday party. She is ORGANIZED, and those of you who know me know I crave ORGANIZATION! I love her, because she is able to laugh at herself or a situation right after she just got through crying about it. Robin gets really excited over little things, and I love that about her. She knows she is so blessed and doesn't take that for granted. She is not afraid to ask for help, prayers or guidance; and she is always willing to offer those things in return when needed. She is so very thoughtful and generous and does everything with gladness in her heart. She is very involved with the youth, children and adults at our church; and we are blessed to have her leadership and love.

Robin and I became friends about 6 years ago at church. She and her sweet husband started coming to our Sunday School class, and I started to get to know them in a casual way. We discovered that we were both expecting babies about the same time, along with half the other people in our SS class, I mean it's not called 2x2 for nothing. Things continued on...we had our babies a few months apart, then that's when the BIG change occured....Robin and Steve had decided and planned for her to leave the corporate world and be a SAHM. They already had a daughter, who at the time was about 11 years old; but Robin had always been a career woman. In fact she met her husband at work, because she was his supervisor (I think I got that right). Once she left the career world, we began to spend more time together, mainly at church Bible Studies and children's functions, etc. Over the last 5 years, we have become the dearest of friends; and we have both each had another child (she another boy, me another girl). Our children are friends, my Addi Jo is now in youth with her Ashley; and Ashley is just like her mama. She is very funny and sweet, and she looks out for my little 6th grader. Her young boys are dear friends with my young girls. Our families are friends.

Robin has gone through a lot over the last few years....some very serious illnesses within her own family involving her daughter and her sister, the loss of her very loved grandmother, and battling with her daughter's biological father over relenquishing his parental rights; so Steve (who is her dad in every meaning of the word) could adopt her. We celebrated as that just occured over the last few weeks. It was truly such a long road and so painful for Robin to watch her daughter suffer so much and endure so much for so many years. Thankfully now Ashley shares the same last name with her brothers, her mother and her (in every meaning of the word) dad. Robin truly is the most upbeat person I have ever met and genuinely such a caring person. Her children have tested her to her wits end (as children will do), but she is always able to laugh about it later; and she doesn't even mind when her friends laugh about it either. No matter what, she treasures these wonderful little men and beautiful young lady that God has lent her. She embraces motherhood with all she has and lives her life to raise her princess and princes to love their FATHER! Robin makes a difference in anyone's life that she touches. I plan on Robin being one of my friends that grows old with me, so Robin....I hope you plan on that as well.

By the way, tell Ashley she knows it; and she needs to admit that we are cool "old" ladies!