Friday, November 29, 2013

What Do You Think I'm Trying to Say...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Get the message...don't let it just be one day...
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Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your days are filled with love, laughter and truly being thankful for whatever is around you...family, friends, food, a Macy's day parade tradition that makes you cry if you miss, and lots of love!

Thankful for KANAKUK Kamps and YOU!

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Monday, November 25, 2013

What I Wish I Could Tell My Teenager Self about...FAMILY...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Wouldn't it be incredible if we could look back on life and go back to our teenage self, college self, young mother self and tell us some valuable things that we needed to know at the time. Before you get all emotional that I am going to tell you all these valuable things...make sure we are defining valuable correctly. Valuable may just be simple tips, funny ramblings or deep theological statements. Prepare yourself. Today I thought I would post on what I would tell me teenage self about FAMILY...since Thanksgiving is just around the corner...

1. You are not Queen of the World...Your mom and dad and siblings were not put on this earth to revolve around you. Stop acting like they were. Go help your mom, make your bed, play with your siblings, and lay in your dad's lap and let him draw pictures on your back. You are a PART of the family.

2. Enjoy your mom...I was such a brat in high school. Don't get me wrong I was nice, polite and looked like a "good girl." But honey child to my momma I was a brat. She should have slapped me cross the head at least 3 times a day for my tone, my attitude and my all around mean spirit to her. It was just not nice. Moms and daughters during teenage years just battle...quit seeing your mom as an idiot and see her as the first person who would lay down her life for you and wants nothing but the best...even if your thoughts are different than hers. Sit down and talk to her, listen to stories and just be with her.

3. Learn from generations past...have you ever asked your grandma to tell her story? What she was like in high school? What was her favorite gift for Christmas when she was your age? How did she meet your grandpa? Oh such great questions and ones we must ask to the generations before us. Sit at her feet or your grandpa's feet and really listen. Be engaged with slow conversation, be aware of this life well lived. Just be with them...

4. Your siblings are your future best friends...what if we quit seeing family as forced and started to see them as our best friends. I love my brothers and come holidays they are the only folks I want to be with. Their family. PERIOD. Laugh with them, join in on video games to connect with them, play games (like board ones, or outside ones...not ones on your silly phones!)

5. PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE with your family. Oh, girls, please don't be those girls that misses being with their family b/c you are facebooking about how much you love your family and instagramming silly pictures of your family every other second...that means you are just on your phone the whole time. Make a pile of phone during the holidays (honestly I make our Kanakuk Institute "adopted" students do this when they come for dinner at our house) and take one pic and be done and be with them!

So there are 5 little tips...they might not go down in theological doctrine but I wish I would have known them (except #5...it was for your generation as I didn't have a cell phone till college).

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Friday, November 22, 2013

Please Learn to Cope...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Coping is like a soap box for me (I do know what coping means but not the phrase "soap box"...hmm, interesting?).  I, being a licensed professional (joke!), think I can solve the world if this generation could simply learn and execute how to cope...

Please don't get all huffy and start snorting like a rhinoceros about how it's Jesus...for me and this blog that is given. We need Jesus, grace and love...desperately. But even great kamp kids come through every summer and I walk away from conversations wondering why are they coping with _____ (fill in the blank) but doing the strangest and most illogical form of harm, thoughts or lifestyle choices. I mean horrible...sometime honestly so odd that I have to watch my facial expressions to you all...I get scared by it. I get all, "Jesus, come back please!" Somehow I think that coping has been lost in dealing with life and teaching this generation to do so. My mom tells me about some of her interactions with parents these days in the education world and it baffles me...truly! It's somehow never the child's fault in anything with papers, tests or quizzes...Have we yanked all chances for our child to cope with failure or hurt or not getting what they want...

I, by no means perfect, have already started to tell the littles (the ones that can understand me at this point) that they don't always get what they want. I continue and say "you should learn this about life now." The ways the enemy is showing you all to cope is just scary and horrific and harmful and filled with LIES. When you get left out, you take to drama queen role and get all crazy gossip girl. When you get a bad grade, you manipulate it to miscommunication of teacher student role or the teacher doesn't like you. When you get a broken heart, you don't go get ice cream and listen to Celine Dion (not that I did that, ever, really) but you desperately, and that is not a good desperate, hit the tweet airwaves and beg for him to come back or threaten that all life is lost for your soul.

Desperate souls need desperately a Savior to make them not weird desperate. Quote that folks...it's deep. To cope with hurt, fear, anxiety, loss, or whatever comes our way means we do it with authenticity...we lay in our mom's lap when a boy breaks our hearts and we cry. We tell our friend that is hurt our feelings to be left out on Friday when she invited everyone but you over and however she responds we move on in forgiving her whether she asks for it or not knowing she maybe isn't the friend you thought...side note: move on means you can still smile at her and be around her but you don't unfriend her publicly on instagram and unlike all her pics. See healthy coping versus unhealthy.

Please know I am not speaking to deep hurt from sexual abuse, loss of a parent, or deep scars. I worry that this generation puts not getting 200 likes on their new profile pic in the same category of these deep wounds because of the coping issue in our world. I always tell folks I think we all need some good counseling (not like the weird life coach stuff where they tell you to do whatever you feel and stupid statements like that) but good someone ask me great questions and remind me of Jesus, His love, His grace and His story for my life counseling.

Please...learn to cope. Learn to fail and do it well. Learn to embrace the bumps in your story and know that they hurt for a bit but they do heal. Learn that a bad day does not equate to a horrible life. It's just a bad day...

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Fall and Us...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Fall...you are a beautiful time. Your leaves turn these brilliant colors like fiery oranges and reds and yellows that make the sun look dull sometimes. It's like everything is sparkling without any glitter somehow. I wish the above picture is what my walkway to my door looked like and Jesus, I wouldn't mind if this was the walkway to heaven when you return or I'm brought home...just sayin since you are preparing the place for us now...

Anyways, fall is such a great picture of us. Weird to connect to a season right? Maybe not so far fetched. Fall is a time for the leaves to burst into color but what's happening is that they are dying. The leaves are dying, they fall, the may or may not get racked into piles and bagged up or jumped into and the trees for a bit go inward to restart, regrow. The winter is bare limbs and renewal for the tree. Sweet girls/friends, this is our life at times. Times when leaves on our branches in our own lives need to die. Parts of us that the Lord needs gone or refined somehow. For most of you it's probably only one or two branches...heck, for this momma it's like the whole tree on some day (okay, okay, most days!). Oh, but shouldn't we long for our Maker to want to allow those parts to die...so that He can make us brand new with bursting healthy green leaves in our lives. I would guess if the trees could talk they would wonder why they couldn't just say all orange and red and yellow as it looks beautiful to all the eyes and cameras that behold it and instagram them...but I would also guess the Maker of those trees has to remind them (yep, the Maker and the trees are now in conversation...He's God, why not?) those leaves are dying. Though beautiful...dying. Don't hold onto the outwardly beautiful junk in your life...let the Lord, your Maker, renew your branches in your life...and spring will burst forth with a new creation (and I don't just speak of "salvation-new creation"). I pray I'm being made new each day...bring on the bare branches!

Let the beautifully-dying leaves fall in your life...

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Monday, November 18, 2013

FREE Thanksgiving Printable...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
FREE PRINTABLES...those 2 words are like sweatpants and chevron...meaning I love both of them, oh, but not together (visual: chevron sweatpants...a bit much. probably. okay, whatever I'd own them). Anyways, click HERE and you can go get a free printable for your phone, wallpaper for computer, or to print. I love this!

Don't forget the message...GIVE THANKS y'all!

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Wow, The Best Hot Cocoa Mix...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Okay, I have made this and yum-dilladeedee it is good! So here is the info...(I know it's a bit Christmas to think of making Hot Cocoa but I think just fall makes sense for a cup of yummy hot cocoa!)

The Best Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 20 SERVINGS OF HOT CHOCOLATE
INGREDIENTS
  • 3 cups nonfat dry milk powder
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1½ cups cocoa powder, dutch-process or natural
  • 1½ cups white chocolate chips or finely chopped white chocolate
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
  1. Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl. Working in two (or more) batches, depending on the size of your food processor, pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the chocolate is finely ground. Store the dry mix in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
  2. To make hot cocoa, put 1/3 cup of the cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup of hot milk. Top with whipped cream or miniature marshmallows, if desired.
Recipe Source: from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from 
Cook’s Country

Be awesome & Love Jesus, 

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com
 

Friday, November 15, 2013

Holiday House and Wedding...

Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
This weekend will be a fun one! I will heading down for Mom and Daughter time as my mom (as per tradition of the last 3 years) spoils the pants off me (not literally cuz a girl needs pants, especially an 8 month preggo one...not that an unpreggo woman doesn't need to wear pants...in general pants needed). It's a fun few days with lots of taste testing of dips and yummies! Oogling over clothes overpriced for our target budget and spoiling of 3 littles that will remain unnamed. It is so fun! My favorite find has been this caramel dip stuff (that's the official name). Praying it's back as it makes the easiest monkey bread ever...pour caramel dip stuff, add pulled biscuits, add more caramel dip stuff, bake, insert your whole face into the monkey bread and devour!

Then it's back for a K2 wedding of sorts...Cole and Ellie will be tyin' the knot forever! Woohoo!! Shay and I adore Cole Wardell as we have walked through several years of life with him and can't wait for these 2 to say 'I Do.' It will have lots of fun K2 folks there so I'm sure the reunion will be so fun too! (side note the picture below makes me laugh as there is a bird/quail thing on the mantel. just their furry friend, I guess).

Go have a great weekend friends...with people! Real people, not your likes on Instagram...


Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Thankful Jar...

Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
I realize we are almost half way through November and I honestly meant to post this sooner but thankfulness can come at any point...right?

Okay, so I want everyone to put on their crafting hat and make a thankful jar, give thanks vase, whatever you would like to call it...

You just get crafty, cut some paper and each day everyone in the family writes down something they are thankful for...funny, sweet, detailed, big picture...just whatever their little hearts want to.

Go little Marthas...

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Monday, November 11, 2013

Check This Out...

Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
I mean c'mon...this is exciting! Here's the deal...this year let's make "bringing a friend to kamp" mean something. How about you get a new kamper to sign up for Kamp and we will sponsor a teen to Kids Across America. It's a total win-win! Seriously...go get someone to sign up...

Here are the deets...(yeah, I'm trendy and relevant...okay, I'm really not)

You bring a friend to @kanakukk2, we'll send a teen to @KAAUKNOW. Have friends use the code K2KAA2014 when registering.

Go...do this. It's only awesomeness that can come from it.

Be awesome & Love Jesus,


kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Enjoy...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Just a quick simple word for the day...enjoy! Enjoy today...what that could mean?

1. enjoy your crazy hair that you wish looked like ____ (fill in the blank)
2. enjoy your mom squeezing your neck as she drops you off at school
3. enjoy your lunch that is more than some kiddos get in a week
4. enjoy your teachers that are trying to teach you something
5. enjoy your spirit that the Lord has specifically knit in you

Enjoy today sweet girls!

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Friday, November 8, 2013

Headphones...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
I mean I love walking to beats just as much as the next mommy of 3 also very pregnant person. I mean I have swag and I can see how headphones helps in the swag department...

My hubs was traveling a few weeks ago for kamp and called and was blown away that literally everyone on college campuses always have headphones on...always. He said athletes, girls, guys...everyone. He laughed saying he felt like a loser b/c he didn't have headphones. We both thought about this later and it didn't sit well...not in a stomach flu kind of way but in a deep in my soul kind of way.

I remember (I won't start talking about how I walked to school in snow with no shoes "back in the day") when I was in college I loved walking through campus and actually saying HI. "Hi" to friends I knew and wait for the shocker, "Hi" to strangers. Not in a stop and talk and get creepy kind of way but in a very normal social interaction way.

I know this is a soap box but I just want to keep fighting the war on real life people interaction. I seriously get nervous with how technology has changed everything that the one area it has really screwed up is the real life connection. I remember just last night wanting to thank a girlfriend for bringing me food while I had a little stomach bug and I thought oh, she loves instagram I bet she would love it if I could tell the world about...WHY? That's not a knock on her. I texted just her and it meant just the same b/c she is my dear friend. But WHY did I have the thought of desiring to share that with people that weren't involved...like that makes it more real or tangible or legitimate.

Drop your headphones...walk through your campus or hallways with no earphones and smile at a new face or say hello to a teacher in the hallway between classes. Don't lose humans...

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Why Kamp is More Important Than Ever...

Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
I know that some of you are shrugging your shoulders because, of course, I think that Kamp is so important...I work here, we love this place. But really I think even if I didn't do this, work here, that I would still be saying this...so why?

My husband just texted me this morning that K2's enrollment is looking pretty good. It was fun and exciting to think about all those little beds being filled with hearts that just need a refuge. Teen culture is saturated, so so so saturated, with pressure, social media, school, and just life. To come to a place that, most of the time at first begrudgingly to the teenager, takes phones, iPods, iPads and all the technology that is consuming them. It's breeding this shallow culture that doesn't know how to say HELLO when introduced or if they do that that's about as far as they know to go. Kids need Kamp. For adventure, for social interaction, for the love of Jesus, for, yes, even the trial of making new friends or being new to something...Kids need Kamp.

As I type this my heart is totally torn because I am already that momma that is dreading the day when my littles aren't so little and kamp is reality...I pray I come back and read this...whenever that age is (this post is mostly directed towards junior high and high school aged kiddos).

Remember most of you will not go to the NBA, WNBA, NFL, or any other professional athletic field...so why 5 basketball camps, why 3 soccer intensives...why? Build into the character of who you are...the woman you desire to be in the blink of LIFE we have here....You need Kamp!

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Monday, November 4, 2013

Slow Down...

Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Autumn (or fall...whichever you prefer...i say fall because Autumn is someone I know and works for Kamp so it would be weird to talk of a season with her name...both are precious though!). Anyways, I love this picture (couldn't find original but just all over Pinterest). It just seems slow, cuddly and cozy with each picture. My favorite thing about fall is the tension to slow down. I know most of the time "tension" is not necessarily a good word but I love the tension of when we need to slow down our hearts and just look around to see moments of wonder and glimpses of our Savior. Fall brings so many of those for me...fall bucket lists, pumpkin patches with the littles, hot cocoa, popcorn family movie nights (a movie for us is a Disney Jr. 1 hour special of Sofia or Jake and the Neverland Pirates but I'll take it), sweatpants day (currently having one of those after all 3 littles have been throwing up this week...too much? sorry), scarves, boots, hoodies, fall leaves that are brilliantly colored, and just the coziness of the season.

Enjoy it girls and go snuggle your daddy...or momma...or brother...or little purse dog...

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Friday, November 1, 2013

Mini Caramel Apples...

Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
I would like to pop all those little caramel apples into my mouth right now...yum!

One of my biggest pet peeves in making caramel apples (I honestly think I have done this only 1 time but still a big pet peeve from that 1 time...bahaha!) is that as you eat it the first round of apple is all that has the yummy delicious caramel. Well, have no fear I ran across these little nuggets of heaven and wanted to share so you can make them to so we can all be over that pet peeve. Is that how you spell "peeve," seems odd?

So click here for a link to a gal's recipe (and great hints on how to make sure the caramel stays on the apples).

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com