HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Happy Holidays!!!


From the Robinson family in Crystal Lake, Illinois, our new home since June 2006. Jeff started a new position at Hexion Specialty Chemicals in January. He was commuting 70 miles each way from Carpentersville, IL to Racine, a couple of times a week, until we moved the first of June. It was great having our family back together for the new home adventure. We are just over the Cheddar Curtain (Wisconsin State line) and are now 57 miles southwest of our old homestead of Franksville, Wisconsin. Please don't consider us FIB's (I'll tell you what that means, if you don't know) and I don't think we'll EVER cross over to the darkside of being: Bears, Cubs, White Soxs or Bulls fans! We are in good company most the time! We have found a lot of other Greenbay Packer and Wisconsin Badger fans!

Sly "COOPER" Robinson is almost a year and half old! He enjoys sunning himself, sleeping and eating! We consider him a CatDog! He swats at toys and chases tennis balls, sleeps on the steps and is quite playful! He still has difficulty staying in the yard... there are soooo many new smells!! Plus, he likes to go visit many of his new friends: Cosmo, Kramer, Charlie, Zelda, Buddy, Charlie and Oliver!

The kids are off to a great school year! Both are at the same school, Hannah Beardsley Middle School. Here's a picture of them in downtown Chicago. We decided to take a day trip and find out what the excitement of the Windy City was, taking the Metra train and having lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in the basement level of the John Hancock building. When we got home, we were exhausted from all the walking and feel like we are true suburbanites!

Kai is in 8th grade and playing house hockey with the Crystal Lake Leafs Bantam Team. He plays defense and got his FIRST ever penalty playing a tournament Nov. 18 in Holland Michigan. He seems to enjoy playing his Baritone and is in band and Jazz band. A kid at heart, he can watch a serious Military documentary and during commercials flip over to the cartoon network and laugh histarically and some 'potty' slapstick joke. Remember this: His future goal is to be an architect! Mmmmm.... think it's for the money, not the artistic achievement of creating!

Holly is in 6th grade and has fit into the cool social scene at school. She is fighting us all the way, and for the moment is still playing flute and piano. This year we are going to try something new, club volleyball. It does appear that volleyball clubs create championship girls teams around the area. She is a true "tweener".

The family got to enjoy a relaxing cruise to the Bahamas this summer. We have gotten to the point where mom & dad can't 'entertain' the kids and the cruise didn't have enough for them to do! Yikes~! Well, I guess sitting by the pool reading a book with a nice fruity drink is NOT the fun the kids had in mind! I'm still waiting to win the lottery! Don't know how that will happen if I don't play. I am thankful we are all well! We have laughs every day, sometimes at the expense of a child's actions or our own silly pratfalls! Keep this blog as one of your 'favorite' sites to visit. I try to update my Creative Greetings often. Every once in a while, something else fun sneaks in!

We wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, 2007!!!

The Robinson's