The Robitaille Family

July 2014

The weekend before the 4th of July, we went to Leesylvania Park and watched the Fireworks. We brought some pizza for dinner, played on the playground and hung out at the park until they started.

Penn State - New Student Orientation

Renee and I drove up to Penn State for two days of Orientation. It was a lot of information packed into a short period of time. It was so surreal...unbelievable that my baby would be leaving me to go to college!!!

Best Ice Cream!! This helped us absorb all the information they were giving us ;)

Renee meeting the Nittany Lion!

WE ARE....

July 4th

As always, we started our morning with the Dale City Parade - the kids made out with sooo much candy!! They had a blast!

Best part of the parade!

During the parade, there are lots of political staff giving out stickers...Jasmine learned the hard way not to put them on her leg and sit out in the sun!!

Fireworks in front of the house with the whole family!

Date Night!

Jake and I thought it would be fun to have a date night with the babies. So one Friday night, Jake took Leah out for their date and I ventured out with Matthew!

Jake and Leah got all dressed up and went to dinner at the Potomac Shores Golf Club. After dinner they went to play putt-putt and went to the batting cages. Leah started off really well, even hitting a few balls...before she got nailed in the chest (which Jake has on video) :( Best part, she got back up and started swinging again! Daddy's Girl!!

Matthew and I had dinner at Melanie's house, I (we) had a race the next day so she invited us over to "carb up"! After dinner, Matthew and I went to Sweet Frog and he got to top his ice cream with whatever he wanted!! AND he ate it all (I was shocked!)

Tribal Quest 2014

For the second year in a row, we ran the Tribal Quest down in Fredricksburg, VA! This is a 5 mile obstacle course through the back hills/waters of no mans land. This year we did a timed heat...which wasn't as crowded, so we didn't have to wait in line for the obstacles, which means I didn't have time to catch my breathe...EVER! We are not sure how many teams went in our heat, but we figured we came in 5th or 6th (they only track1st - 3rd). We started as a team and finished as a team, you couldn't move to the next obstacle unless all of your teammates were together. Good Times! (I say that now)

Me, Jake, John and Melanie

...a little blurry, but I love the tribal paint! They have kids at the start of the race that do tribal body paint. It generally doesn't last until the end of the race, but there is still a bit of it on our faces.

We finished!!!

The next day, this picture was in the local paper.

Presidents Cup, Region 1 - Greenville, SC

Jasmine had the opportunity to play with another team (FASA) down in SC for the US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup Finals. In May, she had to make a decision - she could either go to prom or go to the semi-finals in Slippery Rock PA...if she didn't play in the semi, she could not play in the final...per the tournament rules. - She took the gamble, played with the team in PA, they won and made it to the finals in SC! They didn't win the title, but she had a great time meeting new people and exploring the area.

First 18 hole Golf Course...with Dad!

Jake promised Matthew that if he had a good week at school, he would take him on his FIRST 18 hole golf course (Matthew would refer to it as a "golf tournament"! ...they were not on the course too long when the skies opened up and it poured rain! They had to cancel for the evening, but Matthew thought it was the best thing ever...

June 2014

Jake and I started off the month at our Managers Meeting down at Wintergreen Ski Resort, we had a great time with our co-workers for 2 days while the family pitched in to take care of the kids. I had to break out my referee shirt for a very competitive corn hole tournament. All of our managers went head to head to crown the best two teams. It was a lot of fun...unfortunately, me and my partner lasted until the semi-finals and then we got destroyed!! So close...next year!!!

Renee's Graduation Party

I had to rush home quickly on Saturday from the Managers Meeting for Renee's Graduation Party! Jeanine and Matt, Memere, Pepere, Don, Grandma, Renee and Jasmine were so awesome to have almost everything ready...I don't know what I would have done without them! Thank you!!!

Renee and Kayla...they have been best friends since middle school!

Renee, Tanya, Jasmine and I

Uncle Pat, Pepere and Memere

I have taken pictures of Renee, on the first day of school, since Kindergarten! I had to put this collage together for her party...she might have been slightly embarrassed! I can remember taking each and every picture...

Renee and all her parents with her graduation cake...which came out perfect! Little fun fact - the same lady made MY graduation cake, 20 years ago! Another fun fact...what do you do when you need the cake at an angle and its HUGE.....

.....you have Jasmine hide underneath and hold it up! Good Job Jasmine!!

Jeanine and Renee

Who needs friends anyway??? Alicia smashed a piece of Renee's graduation cake in her face!

Jen, Don, Jeanine and Grandma

Pepere, Renee and Memere

Coley, Brian, Renee and Little B

Dinner on the deck after the party - thank you to everyone who came down to celebrate Renee!

Renee's Graduation Day

June 9th 2014 - Jiffy Lube Live Pavilion

The day has finally came - Renee's graduation...the crew waiting for the ceremony to start!

Leah practicing with her graduation fan

...Matthew has a long way to go.....

The stage!!

I have to document this story!! A little history... Jackson, the boy in the brown went to day care with Leah and HE LOVED HER!!! They are destined to be together when they are grown up...haha! His mom, Mrs. Stalter, was Renee's 11th grade English teacher...by far, Renee's FAVORITE teacher EVER! At the end of the school year, last year, her husband landed an awesome job in California and they had to move. So, Mrs. Stalter, was bound and determined to come to graduation to see her last graduating class walk across the stage - she flew back from California with two small children to be at the graduation ceremony!! She has family in PA and drove down to VA that morning. I knew they were going to be coming, I have been in contact with Mrs. Stalter...but Renee and Leah did not! Well, I take that back, someone blew it and the news got out to the high school students, but Leah did not have a clue that she was going to be seeing Jackson! I asked Leah while we were sitting there, if you could see anyone that you haven't seen in a while, who would it be and she said "Jackson"! Little Jackson stole the show that day. He showed up at the end of the isle of graduation with flowers in his hand for Leah...he walked through all the people in the row and handed them to Leah. It was the cutest thing you have ever seen and the look on her face was priceless!!! They were so happy to see each other!! I walked the kids and myself out of the row to meet Mrs. Stalter and give her a big hug!! She said they were on the way down from PA and Jackson said "I cant show up at graduation without flowers for Leah...I haven't seen her in a year!" She said she had to pull over and buy them!! Those two are the cutest!!

...well back to Renee - here she is receiving her diploma from her principal...

...and a big hug from her Athletic Director, Mr. Sterns!

The happiest kid on the planet...

...a quick "high five" from her Honor Society leader, Mrs Regan!

...and up go the hats!! They did it!! Class of 2014!

Renee with her sweet diploma...

Big hug from mama...I could not be more proud!!

...and a proud grandma!!

Our amazing girls...

Through all the craziness...we did it!!! ...and just to clarify, we are standing on a slope, Jake and I are not midgets!!! and Tavon is not that tall!!! haha!

Proud Memere and Pepere

Jeanine and Renee

AND...Mrs. Stalter and Renee!! She came over to the house afterwards...Renee was beside herself!!

Matt Wilson

August 19th, 2981 - June 12th, 2014

As many of you reading this are aware, the Finch Family has had a rough summer! Matt, Jeanine's boyfriend, passed away in June, three days after Renee's graduation. Matt was 32 years old and came down with a severe tooth infection that quickly took his life while being treated at the hospital. It is something that no family should ever have to go through He was truly a wonderful man and put a huge smile on Jeanine's face...probably because he was a good cook too - YUM! He will be greatly missed. Please continue to pray for us, Jeanine and Matt's family!

Matt was a great artist, here is a sketch he did of himself

Jeanine and Matt in Florida

Matt and his parents - Sheila and Rick

Kayaking in Georgetown

Shortly after Matt's funeral, his friends and coworkers put together an amazing gathering to celebrate Matt's life! Wonderful food, lots of bourbon and cigars! Cheers to you Matt. Jeanine and I with Matt's older brother, Christian and sister-in-law, Jenn (with two "n" 's).

Playing corn hole at Renee's Graduation Party. He was our "go get it" man...balloons, cake, hammer, nails and anything else we might have forgotten at the house...and was happy to do it!

**********
May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields,

And until we meet again,

may God hold you in the

hollow of His hand.

Father's Day

Jake woke up on Father's Day and ran 6.2 in honor of John Sinko, who passed away from cancer in May of this year. Each year, Mr. Sinko would run the Father's Day race in Fairhaven, MA, Jake's hometown. This year, Mr. Sinko's children and all of his dear friends ran with "Team Sinko" t-shirts on. Jake could not make it up to MA, but ran for him in VA. He will be greatly missed!