End Of The Year 2011

Definitely been behind on the blogging, so let me catch you up to speed on what the Rohrbough's have been up to lately...

Thanksgiving (x2)

Mike and Soobin Kim hosted this year and it was so much fun to get together with the second year residents again!

The lovely Kim family: Mike, Soobin, Madeline, and Joshua

The spread!

Hunter cutting into the turkey, sporting his Movember stash :)

Rae-Ann and Billy Grimes (Billy is a first year resident @ Madigan) also hosted Thanksgiving with several friends and had us over...but for some reason I didn't take pictures :(

Wear Blue: Run to Remember

In the past I have mentioned the Wear Blue: Run to Remember Group. This amazing group exists, "to create a living memorial to the service and sacrifice of the American Military." Every Saturday at 9 am, rain or shine, this group of individuals gather in Dupont WA to read off and remember the names of the fallen and run in their honor. I had the honor of volunteering at a race some of the members ran in Seattle a couple of weekends ago. It was an extremely moving experience and one that I was honored to be a part of. This group chooses a number of different races to train for and participate in each year in the area. At each race where members participate they also have volunteers who go and set up photos and hold flags on the sidelines so that every race participant can see and be reminded of the sacrifice our military men and women make. I had the honor of holding SGT Ray's flag.
The huddle up and handing out of the flags.
Before the race got started I walked down to look at the pictures of the fallen. It was very unbelievable to look at the faces of these individuals and realize that I was older than most of them. Living in a military community has opened my eyes to so different things. I cannot explain my admiration for the individuals who put their life on the line to protect our country. I have also met a number of military spouses who absolutely blow my mind with their strength, sacrifice, and patience.

If you would like to know more about this group you can visit their website, http://www.wearblueruntoremember.org, or check them out on Facebook.

Projects

I have been inspired to get crafty with little projects and I decided to start with the living room.

Pretty boring, huh?
But with tons of help from my crafty neighbor, Carole, viola! We made all new pillow cases and hung some pictures and an old crate on the wall. Still a work in progress, but we like the addition of COLOR!!

Here is a close up of one of the pillows. It was inspired (and completely copied) from my friend Sarah. I saw hers and stole the idea, changing the name and date of course :)
Speaking of projects, this is our Christmas gift from Carole. Isn't it amazing?! It is by far my favorite!



Small Group Tacky Christmas Sweater Party

No Christmas season is complete without a tacky sweater party, right?

Here are our tacky outfits, courtesy of the Seattle Salvation Army
My sweet friend Carole and I Eli rocking the sweater vest (Sarah's grandmother's sweater vest to be exact)
My handsome husband got voted best outfit! He would be proud to point out that those sexy red pleated velvet pants are women's size 14, by the way...
Some Christmas Carol Charades. Mary-Hayden scoring some points for the girl's team
The men
The ladies
Sterling decided that his Halloween costume was WAY cooler than our tacky sweaters.
Family Medicine Christmas Party

Dr. Edwards, the family medicine residency director at Madigan, hosted the program's Christmas party this year at his house. This is the view of Mt. Rainer from his back deck. Seriously...from his porch! Breath-taking!

CR decided to wear his tacky gear to this Christmas party too...but he was ONLY one dressed this way...
...and finally we'll leave you with a picture of our tree. We only put up our small one this year since we are traveling back to the East Coast to visit family.

Merry CHRISTmas to you and your family!
Love CR, Tara, & Tyson

Happy Halloween!

Hello all,

It's definitely October in Washington. Lots of rain, some beautiful colors in the leaves, and some more rain, but we love it all! This has to be my favorite time of year - the smells, the food, the warm clothes, warm drinks, the possibility of snow, Thanksgiving, Christmas, this list is endless.

This past weekend we traveled down to Helvetia, Oregon to the Roloff Farms, you know, from the show on TLC "Little People, Big World"?! I was a fan of the show and always thought the family was fun and funny. So...I had CR and our good friends Lindsey and Chris Wagner join us for the last weekend of the season at the Roloff Farms. It was a good time, even if the other three laughed at how much Roloff knowledge I had :)

If you have NO idea what I'm talking about here is the website - http://therolofffamily.com/farm/pumpkin-season

Here are some pictures from our time there:

It was Pirate Day @ the Roloff Farms

I was VERY impressed with the different pumpkin carvings

R for Roloff OR Rohrbough :)

Lindsey and CR decided to check out the birds, which if you know me, I was no where near them. Chris decided he had no interest either - thanks Chris!

Teepee's and Apple Cider

The Pumpkin Patch!

I had no idea we weren't taking a serious picture...

We did see Matt Roloff
And Amy Roloff

Later that day we went to a Halloween Party in Olympia thrown by an attending in the Family Medicine Department.

Rae-Ann (Hans from SNL), Jenny (Alice in Wonderland), and Erin (a 1920s flapper)

The Porter Pirates - adorable!

Steve Jobs and Death (is it too soon?)

Popeye & Olive Oyl

Hans, Alice, and Franz :)
Tomorrow is Trick-or-Treating! Enjoy all of the candy!

Summer 2011

Hello friends and family!

Suffice it to say it has been WAY too long since we last updated our blog. Where do I even begin??

Since we last wrote (which was June 3) I quit my job at the Youth Center on McChord Air Force Base. It truly was a great job with lots of fun kiddos but I just felt like I needed to be "home" with family during a rough time. If you remember our earlier posts, CR's older sister, Angie, was diagnosed at the end of March-early April with Stage 4 Breast Cancer for the second time, mind you she's only 34 years old. As soon as she called to tell us this news, I knew I had to go home. I wasn't happy being 3000 miles away with so much going on with someone we love so much. It took me three months to decide what that would look like, but after lots of talking and praying CR and I decided I would go from July 9th (my last day at McChord was July 8th) and stay through Labor Day weekend, possibly longer. Going into it I was open to do whatever was needed of me from Angie, the kids, and CR's parents.

I had no idea the journey this summer would take me on and I can honestly say...it changed my life. When I got to WV it felt like home, even though CR wasn't there. The East Coast Rohrboughs and Fowlers welcomed me with open arms into an already crowded and mid-renovation house. In the 5 weeks I was there, a wide range of emotions encompassed me as I saw a person I loved dearly battle something out of her control. In the midst of that I also experienced an extreme a feeling of humility as I heard her cry out to her Savior knowing He was the only one who could help, heal, and be right there beside her 100% of the way. I experienced overwhelming joy as I played with and spent each day with my niece and nephew who are in every way a reflection of what God calls us to be in innocent children. I think what touches me most is the peace that came with seeing how God reigned in that place, in the hearts of my family. They know who is in control and have NEVER wavered from that promise and Truth.

While in WV I was able to see Jonah compete in his first Triathlon - he did great! Kora showed off some of her newly learned dance moves - super cute! We went to Sandcastle, a waterpark in Pittsburgh. I got to see and have fun working on the Fowler's new house which is going to be such a sanctuary for them! I had the amazing opportunity to be crafty with my oh so talented mother-in-law. I got to spend time with my family in KY which is always a blast! Got to shoot some hoops with my brother Preston, who is truly a cool cool kid. This list is endless. I was blessed beyond measure in the five weeks I spent back "home". Why is it we always go into situations excited for what we can bring to the table and come out learning so much more than we bargained for? Oh the ways of God :) Here are some pics of my trip back to the East Coast:

The Fowlers in their new home!

Jonah getting ready to jump in the pool @ the triathlon

Angie and Ty on the boat

Jonah and Kora before setting off to Sandcastle Water Park

Even just looking back at these pictures I miss them. I could type all night and still not be able to express what my summer was like. It truly mended, rebuilt, and solidified relationships in so many ways and I give all of the credit to Christ. I learned so much!

Lastly, the most recent development since I posted last is that I have a new job! I did a phone interview while I was in KY visiting my family and was offered a part-time position at Centralia Middle School in Centralia, WA. It's about 30 minutes south on the Interstate and after 3 weeks I must say I LOVE it! The staff is amazing and everyone has been so welcoming. I am truly blessed, folks.

I know it seems short and I think I'm making it that way because I know I could go on forever... It was definitely a summer that I will never forget! That's all we have new in our lives. Off to the Family Medicine Retreat this weekend - will post again soon :)

Thanks for reading!
Tara

Graduation Day

Happy Graduation from R1 (or intern) to R2, CR!! I am incredibly proud of you and excited for you. Your hard work each and every day is paying off. I love hearing how much you are learning and how many lives you are touching each day. I am honored to be your wife and hope you always know how much I love you :)

Congrats also to Hunter, Tyler, Mike, and Brian - We could not have asked for a better group of friends to spend these three years with!

At home getting ready. It was super hard keeping Ty off this spiffy suit (a.k.a. ASU's).

The boys with the babes - CR, Brian, Hunter (with Cormac), Tyler (with Joshua), and Mike (with Madeline)

CR and Tyler

Us

The wives - Me, Morgan, Soobin (can you believe these two just had babies 7 weeks ago??)

Mount Rainier was visible today and gorgeous!!