So.... this will be my last update until I'm settled into San Antonio. I go there this Wednesday/Thursday, and then come back to spend Labor Day weekend with my husband and the Freas. I then leave out Monday afternoon Sept 3 until Sept 18th! I cannot comprehend being away from Jonathan that long. Sure we've gone it, but not happily! I know he'll be there for 2 days minimum (4 max?) in the middle/end of that time, but it's odd me being the one initiating leaving. I am accusom to the military sending him away! Once I arrive in San Antonio on the 3rd, I'll being every 2-3 day trips into the doctors there, and I'll be updating this site with interesting news I get. Specifically, when we get dates for Retrieval and Transfer I'll post those. Those are very important days!!! I am so grateful to be in a city with doctors I know (and like) and to be surrounded by dear friends. I am already making plans for Starbucks trips, tubing trips, sushi, lots of authentic Mexican, RiverWalk time, all that lovely San Antonio life with dear people! I would ask for prayer that we can see God's plan unfolding, that we'd experience grace for any good or bad that comes our way, that we realize and can proclaim (with our lives) the glory of God, and that we find Joy. True Joy is not to be found apart from Christ. Lewis said, "The very nature of Joy makes nonsense of our common distinction between having and wanting." True joy is not found in achieving pregnancy or having a child of our own - that is just a shadow of the real Joy. They are the "Island in the West" (a nod to Pilgrim's Regress) leading us to search out the fountain of Joy - Christ! So for now we wait, some more. I'm happy to receive phone calls/emails wile I'm in Texas too, don't be afraid of disturbing me! I'll close with a picture of us from our Florida trip. We LOVED it! Our time was just so wonderfully restful and fun!!! Tons of beach time, great seafood every day, and our final day (Sunday) we booked a 4 hour deep-sea fishing trip! It was super exciting and we caught a bunch of red snapper (6-8 worth keeping, bunches of more smaller) and Jonathan got a King Mackrel! They put up a great fight and when you gaff it & pull it up to the boat, it kicks around and blood spurts everywhere: it's so thrilling! That trip was well worth it and so now not only do we have a great trip in our memories, we have fish in the freezer. :) I forgot my camera the fishing trip, but they would have made great pics! Here is us on the beach though!
Today marks 4 years that Seth & Karen have been married! It's amazing it's been that long, and yet it feels like 4 years isn't so long! I thought I'd do a quick picture recap of their lives together.
They met on June 16, 2001 at Jeremiah & Lisi Forshey's wedding. Seth was smitten immediately and came quickly into our lives. He formed a fast friendship with Stuart, honestly was Stuart's best friend. It was so cool. He got to know our family that year, and by summer '02 he'd asked Dad if he could court Karen. Karen had a committment to serve the Lord in singleness that wasn't up until Jan 03, so Seth waited and just got to know Karen. Alas the day arrived and they began courting. Seth was the first person to break into the Graydon family's togetherness, and at times we really had a hard time with this new addition to our family. We all made mistakes and had some hard times, but we grew together! Poor Seth... at the time the Lord of the Rings Trilogy was coming out on video, and we woefully referred to what was happening as "The Breaking of the Fellowship." Dad and Mom have done an excellent, tremendous job building family love, loyalty and deep friendships. It took time for some of us to grow enough to embrace a new part of the family - but we did, joyfully! (Let it be noted Suzanne set & still sets the prime example for us of welcoming each new person into the family.)
They became engaged on April 6th, 2003! Planning the first Graydon girl's wedding was SOOOOOOO fun! My beloved sister included us in everything! I was her Maid of Honor and got to make their wedding cake!!! Their reception was the prettiest I've ever been to. They moved into a home 10 miles away, so we saw them a wonderful lot that first year! Seth truly was one of the family and has an amazing sense of humor, is eager to talk of spiritual things and has a living active Walk, can fix just about anything, works swiftly and is always chipping in, no matter the job (he washes dishes almost as much as the girls do - go see, family dinners, Thanksgiving, you name it - he's there!). He is a true friend to many and has a compassionate heart.
Of course... 4 years of marriage has brought 2 beautiful little girls into their lives. These little girls are the light of everyone's lives! Karen is the most naturally joyful mother I've ever met and she serves Seth and the girls happily day in, day out. She makes time to talk to me weekly and loves those around her. Seth & Karen are perfect fits. So this is a Congratulations on their anniversary!!!!
Officially Courting!!! :)
Engaged!
8/23/03 Married!!!!!!!!!!!
6/6/04 Enter Katrina Joy Robinson! 
5/20/06 Enter Shiona Joy Robinson! 
Still very much in love! 
One Big Happy Family!
Well, we're off for a 4 day trip to sunny Florida! When we return home I'll post some pictures and a recap of highlights. This is a very welcome vacation for us two!!!Just already feels over even though it's only halfway through; it has extraordinarily been busy (for us)! We are extremely excited about our wonderful friends, Doug & Kristin, and their 3 girls, driving down from Charlotte to visit us for Labor Day Weekend! I have eagerly been awaiting visits from friends!!! They have been faithful and fun friends even when we've lived 1000 miles away. I have stayed with them I think every time I've visited Charlotte. Their home is always open and welcoming to so many people. I don't have any pics of the whole family on my computer, but here's Kristin & the girls.... & Jonathan & I with the girls. I can't wait!
Our last night in Charlotte before we moved (after Kristin rounded up people to help me clean on move-out day!), we stayed at their house, that's what this pic is, our last morning there.
While in church this morning, I was having thoughts about how being in need actually increases our spiritual awareness. Yesterday we caught the end of a shark program and the guy on there was going out (in a normal swim suit) to some 4-foot water where many sharks were swimming around. He was trying to prove that sharks weren't predatory toward humans, that if they attack it's because we made them feel unsafe. With a badly scarred leg from a recent shark bite, he mentioned how he now goes out hungry, to keep his senses acute.I guess when we were singing "Blessed Be Your Name" this morning, I realized times of suffering, pain, and darkness keep our spiritual senses acute. I know when I have a glaring need in my life, I am much more purposeful about times in the Word and prayer with the Lord. I recognize and know my need much more readily. Trials in life remind us this in not our home, and they remind us we're put here for more than earthly pleasure. Clearly there is something Eternal more worthy than all this. I Peter 1:6-9 tells us, "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."I sang: "Blessed be Your name, On the road marked with suffering, Though there's pain in the offering, Blessed be Your name. Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise, When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say, Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your glorious name." I thought how singing this at times in church is easy, and other times it's hard. Sometimes a song like this takes faith to even say the words. How often at CrossBridge in San Antonio the church sang this and I could barely choke it out, tears just pouring rapidly. Today, in what feels like the calm before the storm, I sang - knowing soon I'll be tested on calling Him blessed and praising perhaps in darkness. I hope I'm ready. I find myself thinking more and more about IVF next month, religiously checking the blogs of my current friends doing IVF to see whether theirs failed or succeeded - as if that had any bearing on us! I find myself unable to grasp how I'd feel if it were a complete failure. So I just pray for a ready heart.
