Honduras, Here I Come!

Okay, I have GREAT NEWS! By the true grace of God and an amazing blessing from an awesome family in our church, I am going back to Honduras this summer!!! It is a very sudden change, but everything seems to be falling into place and God has blessed this whole situation. Originally, a friend from church was supposed to go, but because of scheduling conflicts, he can't go now. He and his wife have graciously offered for me to go in his place. I am so excited! I am not sure what God has in store for me this time around, but I can't wait to see. Please pray for me on this trip, that I am effective in helping to spread the word about our amazing God. Oh, how big he REALLY is. I am amazed by Him and all he has in store for us. Please pray for my family too; Rob will be on a trip with the youth group that same week, so the kids will be with our friends. And please, pray for our sweet, sweet friends that they enjoy their week and that my children don't drive them crazy for the week that Rob and I are gone. :)

I plan to blog every day that I am there. I want to be sure that the family that is sending me is able to see the work that THEY are doing in Honduras. So if all goes well, I will find a steady Internet connection and keep you posted on all the fun things God has in store for us. I leave July 10 and return July 17, so be on the look out for updates and follow me to Honduras!

Here's to Him!

We are celebrating Father's Day with Rob over the phone today...not much of a surprise, considering he is rarely here to celebrate anything. The good news is, I will pick him up from the airport today! Hooray!!

Rob is the best father I could have ever asked for. Obviously, we are a blended family, but inside our walls, you would never know it. Rob loves Mekyla as if he were there the day she was born. She is truly, his little princess. He and Xzayvier share, what I call their "nerdiness" because they love their comic books converted to movies, legos, action figures and anything else that gives them an opportunity to just be a kid. And Kreid, oh sweet Kreid has just rocked Rob's world. Rob was not able to be there when Xzayvier and Mekyla were infants, so it just melts my heart every time I think of him with Kreid. I know he cherished every moment with him as a baby. You can tell that Kreid has a special connection with his daddy, like no one else. Each of the kids do, they have their own special connection with him and no matter what he's doing or where he is, he has the ability to just switch gears to meet them right where they are. These kids adore him...and I do too.

Happy Father's Day, Rob, you're an amazing father who deserves all the spoils that come with this day. Until tomorrow...it's trash day and then it's back to work, mister! :)

Splish Splash - AHHH

I took Mekyla and Kreid to the Splash Park on post yesterday. Thankfully they have a big dry park too, because Kreid wanted NOTHING to do with getting in the water. Big chicken!

 

Don't be fooled by this photo, he did NOT get in the water. Notice no water is going behind him. As soon as it would start, he would jump and run away.

 

Yes, this is Kreid, ALREADY trying to pick up chicks. UGH!

 

Kreid was trying to find the helicopter, or "hullatopta" in his words.

Diaper Cakes and the Winery

Need an explanation for that title? Ha! Of course. This past Saturday was a busy one for me. I helped to throw a baby shower for our FRG (Family Readiness Group) and had plans with friends later that night to meet up at Jazz on the Lawn, held at the local Winery.

We have a baby shower every spring for those ladies who are expecting or have had a baby recently. This year we celebrated NINE new babies! What a fun time to share with these special ladies.

Here's a photo of the adorable diaper cakes that Michelle (my FRG Co-leader) and I made. We were so excited to give them to the girls.

 

 

Each "cake" had a core of diapers, wrapped with a receiving blanket and topped with ribbon, tulle, and either a wash cloth or wrist rattle. They were completed with a ribbon wrapped around them and baby's initial. They were SO fun to make!

 

From the baby shower I ran around like a chicken to get supplies and pick up the kids for our evening plans, where we met our friends at Jazz on the Lawn. So we spent the evening listening to fun music and sweating! WHEW it was a hot one, but it was great to spend time with Amie, Josh and their boys, Michael and Jayden. All-in-all, a fun weekend!

And off to the Winery we went.

We even had a little critter friend come to visit us.

 

My little crazy guy

Jayden and his adorable little face!

 

...and handsome Michael

 

And, of course, Mr. Cheesey :)

Fabulous Birthday Girls!

Two awesome girls, who just happen to be great friends of mine, are celebrating their special day today. So I thought I would wish them a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Gina is a dear friend of mine that I met here in Clarksville. Strangely enough, we played on the church softball team together and wound up attending the same conference just a few weeks into the season, not realizing we were both going on the same trip. She's been a wonderful friend and mentor ever since.

Happy birthday, Gina! You are such an amazing woman and frankly, that is the understatement of the year. I am inspired by you and I couldn't be more blessed to call you my friend. Enjoy your special day to the fullest, sweet friend!

Kari has been my "bff" as you call it in high school, since our freshman year. She has always been there for me and has played a major role in my life for the last 15 years. I love her dearly and can't even put it in words what she means to me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KARI ANN! I hope you have a super-fantastic birthday. Mekyla gets it right every time she asks, "is Diddy (Mekyla's adorable nickname for Kari, for those of you who don't know) like your sister?" "She sure is," I always reply. It's hard to believe that almost 15 years later, you are literally like another member of our family. I am so thankful for your friendship and for all that I have learned from you. I could not be more thankful for the role that you play in ours and specifically, Mekyla's life. I am amazed by the strength of your bond with Mekyla. She literally thinks you hung the moon...I do too. Now if only we could do something about Kentucky being right in the way of us being "neighbors" again. I love you, 233. I wish you nothing but the very best today and always!

Now, let's take a stroll down memory lane...

 

High school photos, probably 1998 or 1999. We go waaaaaay back.

Kari, you are the best friend I've ever had. :)

And of course, you and your baby bff. ♥ 

WE LOVE YOU, DIDDY!!!