HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROLAND!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROLAND
By guest blogger little sister-in-law Emily
[Robin, will you please find some photos to add to this post when you get back next week?]

Check out our Mom's blog for some WONDERFUL photos and sentiments about R&R.

To talk about Roland, I have to talk about myself. Big surprise, I know (ME MONSTER!). But I’ll also include much about Robin.

When I was little (under 6) I had decided that when I grew up, I would marry my sister Robin. This seemed natural.But while at Ricks, Robin met this basketball hunk Roland.

Problem? No. No problem, in fact—I had decided this would be even better. I would marry Robin and Roland. Perfect. We could all live together and in the evenings we would color in my My Little Pony coloring book. A perfect life.

To hear Robin tell her story about meeting Roland is better (way better) than any romantic comedy you’ve ever seen. Partly because this is Real Life. A Real Life romance—and, how many years later(?) (happy anniversary today!), they are still happily married, fun, beautiful, nice, energetic, loving, warm, lovable people with 4 children who are a testament to their goodness. But all those adjectives seem kind of flat without any examples, so here are a few stories I’ve thought of.

Robin tells a story about meeting Roland at a disco/dance club in Rexburg. First of all—have you seen pictures of these two in the early 80’s? Wow. GLAMOROUS. They both had feathered hair to die for.

According to Robin—and I just want so badly to tell this story right, but it is so much better listening to Robin tell it…maybe I shouldn’t tell it. But it was something like this, “Dear God, This Man Is Going To Break My Heart, There Is Nothing I Can Do To Stop It” and a passionate combination of love-at-first-sight, and oh-no-this-is-going-to-hurt.

Luckily Robin withheld final judgment, and allowed herself the risk of being hurt—and instead (wave magic wand): HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Married for 20 + years.

They were married in the Salt Lake City Temple, and my mom and my sisters and I were dipping pretzel sticks in chocolate for the reception food.

After they graduated from Ricks, they moved to Boise. Roland played basketball for the BSU team—and he was a local celebrity. Seriously! It was so much fun to be around him because people adored him. He was a star basketball player (insert B&W photo of gorgeous Robin hugging sweaty hunk Roland on the basketball court here). We loved Roland, not just for his mad B-Ball skills, but because he was nice and funny. And he was friendly to everyone.

I have memories of walking on Roland’s back in their new apartment, listening to James Taylor.

Roland introduced our family to James Taylor. Now James Taylor is practically a member of our family. Of course, James doesn’t know this. But he plays at all our family get-togethers, and in our individual homes, cars, iPods, college dorms. He plays through Hannah and Joe: live concerts at the cabin. He often plays in my kitchen for me while I do the dishes—isn’t that nice? Thank you Roland for giving us James Taylor.

I think the James Taylor side of Roland just reveals what a romantic and tender guy he is. Don’t be fooled by his tall stature and commanding presence. Roland gets things done. He is The Man you want on your team. He is ‘Da Man’ (who listens to James Taylor no less). As in ‘you Da Bomb’ ‘you Da Man’!

Roland is also very strong. He could beat someone up if you needed him to. He used to be a bouncer as a side job. I think there is some great story about bouncing for Tina Turner, but I’m not sure…ask him about it.


Roland also likes to blow things up. Harmless things, like Watermelons. And harmless Coffee Cans (which turn into flying shrapnel of sharp jagged metal). But my Dad is just as much to blame for that. I have only seen my Dad run that fast for shelter twice in my life—once after he and Roland lit the M80 under that coffee can (no, we don’t drink coffee), and once during an earthquake.

There is also a story about fire crackers and Mexico and…well…it might be too fresh to laugh at just yet. But it is a good one.

It might be accurate to say that Roland likes danger.



Roland likes Motorcycles. And thanks to a motorcycle and other events that conspired that fateful day, R&R didn’t end up moving to Australia where Roland was going to play Professional Basketball.

Roland likes rafting down dangerous whitewater rapids that are so dangerous you have to get out of the river and portage your raft around some of the rapids that would otherwise KILL you. And he talked Joe and me into doing this with him? That is because Roland is also very trustworthy. And reliable. And a person just feels safe around Roland. Yin and Yang.

Roland also likes bicycles. He takes his boys and a few others to Moab each year to bike Slick Rock and other trails. CRAZY! My Joe always has a good time on those trips. Roland makes things happen.

When I was home for a summer in-between moves for my husband’s PhD, Roland put me to work (a bone fide job) and put time into teaching me the new skills I needed to do that job well.

But here is the sappy part: when I was younger, and through my teens, my dad wasn’t around much (cue the tragic violin), and my loving brother lived out-of-state, and so Roland was the family man and role-model in my life. I feel a strong affection for him as my big brother. And I know that I’m not the only one.

Throughout their life together, various family members have been significantly touched and changed by Robin and Roland’s love and influence. Some of these family people have lived with them for periods of time, others have lived nearby and found refuge in their home and friendship.



To begin a short and incomplete list, I think of the kids he coaches, neighbors, friends, his church-family, family in Boise, family in CO, co-workers, and so many more who love this man.

Happy Birthday Roland. There are so many more stories to tell.