Stefan's Baptism

My grandson, Stefan was baptized on Saturday April 18th in the same font as his mother, Kendy. Friends and family arrived. Kendy started tuning Stefan's violin for the musical number he was to play as part of the service, when to Stefan's surprise and thrill his violin teacher Mr Beck took the violin from her and tuned it. It was Mr, Beck's birthday but he had still come.

We began by singing one of Stefan's favorite songs, I know that My Redeemer Lives. After a heartfelt prayer by his Aunt Jane Arriscorreta, Stefan played his violin accompanied by Megan Gygi, his friend Harrison's mother. He did a marvelous job of playing Johanns Brahms Waltz. I spoke on baptism. I began talking about my own experience on the island of Oahu and put a lei on Stefan as my Mom had done to me on that special day. The beautiful white and green Azalea lei was made by his mother. After kissing each adorable cheek, I explained that the white represented the purity of forgiveness provided by our Savior thru the ordinance of baptism. The green leaves represented how this can give us eternal life. I talked about the importance of repentance and of living a life of service as a member of God's family, God's church.

Stefan was baptized by his father, Luis Arriscorreta. Afterward Britt signed the words of the song Footprints in the Sand, Marty gave a moving talk about the gift of the Holy Ghost and shared his own conversion story, along with his own baptism some 30 years ago. We closed by singing another of Stefan's favorite hymns Called to Serve. Stefan's aunt Alejandra poured out her heart in a sincere prayer of closing.

We held a reception that evening in celebration of this occasion. Kendy made Kalua Pig and there was a white chocolate fountain with tropical sweets to dip in it.

Stefan was confirmed on Sunday by his grandfather, Marty Robbins. After the confirmation Stefan arose with a big grin on his face and headed straight for me. His eyes clearly read "Look grandma, I did it!" I smiled and motioned him back up where the men of the circle stood waiting to shake his hand.

Later Stefan gave remarks regarding baptism in Primary as part of Sharing Time. He said " I was baptised by my father yesterday. When you are baptized you are born again.....

into the family of God. I know that most of you in here have been baptized also. (thoughtful pause) and that is all I have to say about that. "

Dynamic Entrance

We were sitting around the living room 7:30 in the evening in our little apartment in Provo, Utah on February 20th, 1981. The phone rings. "Mom it's for you" I call to my mother, Olive, who's been with us for the past three weeks awaiting the birth of my fourth child, now overdue.
"Bill is in Salt Lake for a bite to eat and I am going to meet him there before he heads off to Elko, Nevada in the eighteen-wheeler. I'll only be gone for three hours at the most so don't have the baby while I'm gone." and she left. Marty left shortly after to tutor in the Physics Lab, where he attended Brigham Young University. The kids Kendy, Casey, and Brice were watching a movie so I took a quick shower. As I dried off, I had a contraction, then 3 minutes later, another. I began to feel panicked and grabbed the phone book to get the number for the Physics Lab. It took some doing but finally I got a hold of Marty and told him the situation. He flew home; I don't think speed limits existed in his mind at that moment. The neighbors took the munchkins and Marty got me in the car and flew to the MedArt Birthing Center, running two red lights! Good thing too, because after I got out of the car I had a pain, walked to the door, had a pain, walked a few steps, another pain. After they laid me down the doctor had only time enough to put on gloves and say "the baby is coming," which I knew. The nurse didn't make it, the old Dr. Broadbent assisted the young Dr. Broadbent. It was quick and the pains never really got too extreme. I felt like dancing after she was born but they wouldn't let me. Old Dr. Broadbent asked what we were naming her and I told him Brittney. "Brittney Nicole" he suggested. We loved it. 10:36 pm Brittney Nicole Robbins had made her dynamic, yet not very painful entrance into the world. .


My poor Mom arrived back at the apartment to find noone there! The neighbors came over and told her I had had the baby while she was gone. I tried to mind my mom but being a mom took over.

Three in the Hospital within 30 days!

From my journal October 20th 1981
"Kendy had a doctors appointment this morning. She went in 4 weeks ago for her year-old check up and there was a concern she weighed 15 lbs. 2 oz, well below the normal range. This follow-up visit showed her at 14lbs. 6 oz. Dr. Auxier insisted I take her to the hospital for tests and observation. Testing from the first visit showed a high level of nitrogen in her urine, a sign of kidney malfunction. At the hospital, they weighed her again, 14 lbs. 9oz. This was 1:30 in the afternoon. She ate a regular dinner of milk and baby food. They weighed everything."

That night many prayers were said by friends and family in Kendy's behalf. Two close friends, elders of our church, came to give her a special healing blessing. The disease in Kendy's body was commanded to leave and she was blessed to begin a normal growth pattern. I wrote, “It was a powerful and sincere blessing and I felt a lot of faith was in that room.”

Oct 21^st entry: “This morning at 6:00 am Kendy weighed 15lbs, 9 oz! I couldn’t believe it and had the nurse weigh her again. The doctors couldn’t believe it and had her weighed on another scale and sure enough it read 15 lbs. 6 oz. She gained an entire pound in less then 24 hours. I knew it was the blessing and prayers and that she was healed.” That day they continued to do numerous tests and kept her for observation for 5 more days before releasing her to go home.

Nov. 14^th , 1981

I am admitted to the hospital. My second baby, Casey, is born.

November 17th “I took Casey to see Dr. Auxier ( he routinely sees the baby on their 3^rd day of life). Casey was asleep as the doctor listened to his heart beat. He listened for a long time and then said, “I will need to see him in a week,” and walked out of the room. I was dressing Casey when Dr. Auxier walked back in. “I’ve been thinking of what to do. You might have noticed I spent an unusual amount of time listening to the heart. His beats were only 60bps while he slept, they should be 120. I know you have been through so much but this is a serious concern and you will have to admit him into intensive care for a heart monitor and testing. He may have SIDS.”

At the hospital the heart monitor would sound an alarm when ever Casey’s heart beat would drop below 80bpm referred to as bradycardia. It would happen frequently. During the night he had aphnea, which is when he stops breathing for over 15 seconds. This condition is usually in premature babies and they outgrow it by the time they reach normal birth age. Casey was two weeks over due.

The same elders came and gave Casey a blessing. Again it was powerful and there was a command of healing. Although it wasn't as immediate like Kendy, Casey’s monitor stopped going off less frequent. Finally Casey was released on November 22^nd with a home monitor. This home monitor recorded his heartbeats and would alarm for any bradycardia. It only went off because of bad connections not for bradycardia. First comes the trial of our faith and then the blessings.

Artwork of Anita Robbins

The Artwork of...

A glimpse of time -...

By Compiled by Marti...

Book Preview

Cooking for Ten!

The house was wildly busy and messy for the past two weeks. I have been cooking and cleaning for ten! We had enormous yummy dinners and treats.
We played a lot of fun games including chiming out Christmas carols on pipes. Kendy brought some great game ideas. We had a gift bow that was always on someone’s back and that meant they were IT and had to tag someone else with it without them being caught doing it. We played a game where there were wrapped boxes in boxes. We went around rolling dice and when you had doubles it was your turn to unwrap but you had to do it with oven mitts on. The last box was very small but it had 10 dollars in it. Lucky Luis got that.

I made pajamas for all the boys and bought a pair for the girls that we all wore on Christmas morning. The girls were in pink stripes and the guys in gray.

Marty gave me an incredible present. He gathered all my artwork digitally and compiled a book he wrote about me. It is full of about 150 pieces of my art. He actually had three books done for me, a paperback, a hard cover and a hardcover with a dust jacket. I was in shock and awe when I opened it. Reading it brought me to tears.

Christmas morning both Bret and Britt opened a present they had gotten for each other. It was a baby outfit that had on the emblem for the Boston Red Sox. We teased them that it meant they were having twins someday.


Because I did the painting of the Great Wolf Lodge they gave me a complimentary room that slept 6 so the Arriscorrettas and Brice and Angelina stayed there. They were able to enjoy the water park that is adjacent. Stefan really enjoyed the rides. It was a fun filled two weeks. It was sad to see everyone go but we have great hopes for all of them and the things they will do in 2009.

One night at dinner we discussed what would be different in our lives in a year from now and what about in five years. It was a great thing to think about. What we do now matters so it needs to be a planned pursuit. I’m still contemplating but I do know I want to do better art. I would like to feel healthier and have things more simplified and organized. I would like to do more things with Marty.

In pursuit of truth.

Many ‘educated’ individuals have been swayed to believe that there is no God and that everything can be explained away in some scientific theory. But the fact that they are referred to as theories is telling in itself. There have been many theories that as scientific study continues change. Light is an example. There is still many debates as to whether light is a particle or wave and most text books refer to it as both because it has properties of both. There are still many theories as to how the earth even came into existence.
Besides scientific ‘truths’ there is also philosophical ‘truths’ that through out time have changed as society dictates. What is an accepted truth has sometime become an exposed lie. Even religions leaders have gravely mislead the masses at times. There have been massive suicides, witch-hunts, and other disasters when people have relied too heavily on people for answers. Truth must be sought after through the spirit. Through the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things. This does not take away the responsibility to study and learn. Sincere prayer is a key element besides study and pondering.
It is vital that we pursue truth in order to find it. Truth is not something that we get without effort but honest effort is rewarded.

Creating Bands with Calloused Hands

We were enjoying the sights and smells of the market area in Cozumel. As we walked along the shops, the keepers would earnestly urge us to enter their place. We were hungry and looking beyond the shops to a restaurant further down. We walked quickly sparsely noticing the street vendors but one man caught my eye. I recognized at once his unique life's challenge because my son had a dear friend with a similar condition. The lower half of his body was as if an infant while the upper body develops more normally but still with complications. He gets around by either walking on his hands or in a wheel chair. He created wrist bands with these multi-tasking hands. They were rough calloused hands and strong. I stood silently looking at the bands of many colors, thinking about how he had created his own small business on this street corner. There was no roof or door, just a corner but you felt you were in his place. Instead of holding a sign begging for money he had created a nice product for sale. He had a compact display unit that unfolded he could put on his lap to wheel home at the end of the day. He had a tool box with supplies to make new bands and offered to make one with what ever lettering I wanted. I could scarcely imagine what a day would be like to be him but I wasn’t thinking about that it was my son’s friend that came to mind, Curtis. Curtis lived across the street and would spend a lot of time on the shoulders of his bothers or on his skate board, his preferred means of transportation. As an adult he too found a way to make a living. He worked in Las Vegas in a magician show where he was part of an act where they sawed a man in half and the top half would walk off on his hands. Our daughter Kendy went to the show and although she had no former knowledge recognized Curtis and visited with him backstage after the show. It was that same year that Curtis died of complications in surgery; he was barely in his twenties. The major striking similarity of both these men was their warm smiles and determination to make their own means of income.