fun downtown with kenzie and luke

Today JP and I picked up MacKenzie at daycare and met Angela and Luke at the movies. Cherrydale has free kids movies Tuesday thru Thursday at 10:00 in the morning. We went to "Alvin and the Chipmunks." Unfortunately we only lasted an hour. JP and KiKi knew about the video games in the lobby, so they had to "potty" every few minutes. After the third time of taking them out, we left! Too bad, because the movie was really cute! For JP's first time at a movie, I thought it went well.

We went to MacDonald's for lunch and then back to the house to play for a while. When the kids got bored playing, we took them downtown to the kids area and played in the water. That was a hit!

When we looked, and the room looked like this, we thought it was time to move to another activity!A four year old, a three year old and a two year old....at this point Angela and I are wondering if we are CRAZY!!

We had an awesome time! Drying off/pottying and changing clothes afterwards was the hardest part!

sunday morning

You know church is going to be good when you really don't feel like going. You know the feeling. The alarm goes off and you begin to list in your head all the reasons why it's okay to stay in bed. God wants you to get your rest, right? Despite our pathetic attempt at arguing, the Holy Spirit would not let us stay in bed. I literally peeled myself out from under the covers and reluctantly made my way to the shower. There is nothing worse than water in your face when you are still half asleep. I was cold even though the water was hot. Can you hear the bitterness in my words?! I seriously was no where close to wanting to wake up!





Again, this is when you KNOW God's gonna ROCK, because satan was trying his best to keep us home this morning. He didn't win.





From the moment we walked through the doors of the church it was good. JP loves going and practically runs to his room. By the way, when we showed back up to retrieve him, he kicked/screamed and threw an all out two-year-old tantrum because he wanted to stay! How awesome is that??!! Everything from the music, to the sermon was awesome. The preacher said one thing that I really felt I needed to share. He was talking about how God is always with us. ALWAYS. Even when we don't feel Him.

It almost seems impossible to feel God when the pain is so intense. For example:

• You are diagnosed with cancer.
• Your spouse gives up on you and leaves. Now it's just you and your children.
• Maybe you've lost a child. Or two.
• A parent dies.
• You lose your spouse.

In all of these circumstances God is STILL with us. How are we suppose to understand this? This is where faith jumps in. Unfortunately we are not always called to understand. We are called to believe. God uses our unbelievably painful circumstances to ultimately bring glory to His name. We are such a small part of a VERY BIG picture! The pastor went on to remind us of how God has already told us the ending to the story. WE WIN!! Period! We win! If we are children of His, we get to spend eternity with Him! We win! Sure, here on earth, God may use our hurt to fashion and shape us. But, in the end, we are winners! I don't know about you, but that makes my problems seem so small!

The Friday Jesus was crucified, to look around, it seemed like everything was falling apart. But that's not true. Even in the midst of what appeared to be horrifying circumstances for Jesus, God was there and had everything under control. Sunday, God proved that by raising Him from the dead. This illustration brings me to my favorite comment of the whole day. Where are you in your life? It may feel like Friday, but Sunday's coming!! (How cool is that?!)

I don't know who reads this blog. Maybe I'm even talking to myself. That's okay to. I need to hear this stuff!! Please know that God is always with you. Even as I write those words, it sounds so cliche. Especially to those who are hurting right now. However, it is true. Even if you don't want to believe it. Ask God to show you His face. To reach out and touch you. He will. I can't explain how, but I can tell you from personal experience that He will.

"...and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20

kids say the darndest things

All of you know that we have always told JP where he was born, etc. Well, recently we began reading Steven Curtis Chapman's book. "Shoaey and Dot." It is a children's book that he and his wife wrote about their first daughter that they brought home from China. I strongly recommend it.

JP is so sweet reading it with me. He can almost recite the entire book! The word adopted/adoption is all throughout the pages. So, I have been explaining to him (in an age-appropriate way) what the word means. Now, he will tell you that adopted means that God gives you a mommy, a daddy and a family.

Today I was sitting in the recliner and he ran up to me and jumped in my lap. He grinned at me really big and said, "Mommy! I am 'adockted' from Guatemala!" He was so excited! So was I! I love him so much and I am so thankful that God allowed him to be "adockted" in to our family!!

john 8:1-7

"...at dawn He (Jesus) appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around Him and He sat down to teach them. The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. Now what do you say?...' ...But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. When they kept questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, ' If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.'"




I am saddened by some of the comments I have heard and seen today regarding Mark Stanford's admission of adultery. I am certainly not justifying his actions, however let's not forget that, like the rest of us, he is just a man. And right now he is a man who is under a lot of pressure and could use our prayers. My personal prayer for him is that his plea for forgiveness is genuine and sincere. I am praying for his wife and children and the rest of his family involved.

Again, I am not condoning his choices or his behavior. But I cannot help but be reminded of how many times God frowns on my choices and my behaviors and yet STILL loves me and encourages me and shows me His grace, mercy and forgiveness! I am thankful for that!

Let's put down our stones...

laziness & baby coleman

Well, we are having a great summer so far. Although, we are VERY VERY stress-free and L.A.Z.Y! It has been wonderful. The first two pictures below are of me, JP and Scott hanging out around the house. JP and Scott are watching a movie in his room together on Father's Day. So sweet.
Baby Coleman is growing like a weed. He is very sweet and smiles all the time. JP actually likes him now too!! lol He kisses him when he sees him. It's cute.

seven years ago today...

Happy anniversary to my very best friend. We have certainly been through a lot together in our marriage. A little bad, a whole lot good! However, through EVERYTHING, we've worked together. Thank you for loving me unconditionally and in spite of me! You are a wonderful person and I love you more than you know. You are an amazing daddy to our son, and I look forward to having more children one day with you.

I'm ready for chapter eight in this crazy journey called life!

happy father's day

Tyler, Molly & JP

VBS & Victoria Elizabeth

I sent JP to his first ever Vacation Bible School last night. I was nervous. He's never really been in any kind of an organized classroom before with other children. He did a great job! His teachers (one of whom I already knew, thank you Jessica!) loved him and said that he did a great job. I was so proud of the way he behaved and participated. My mom and I snuck in at the end while they were doing their little program. I won't bore you with EVERY picture I took of the back of his head, but he sat on the pew like a little angel the entire time! That's my baby!!
This is the excitement from getting the candy I brought him afterwards.

Today we went to visit Kathi and her boys. You will see the Lightening McQueen Mickey Mouse hat they brought him back from Disney Land, California at the end. The other surprise for him was that they now have a kitten. Any one who knows JP, knows that he has ALWAYS loved cats. Unlike his mommy and daddy! The kitten's name is Victoria Elizabeth and JP was precious with her...

my little fish

a few pics from the lake