Spring and Challenger Update

We are certainly enjoying the spring-like temperatures here in Virginia!  We have  been busy with spring sports starting.  The huge news around our house is that Challenger baseball is coming together.  My cup runneth over thinking that in a few short weeks children that would never get the opportunity to play ball will be taking the field!!

Our fields are being upgraded now to accommodate wheelchairs and to make our entire field handicapped accessible!  We have been blessed by God and by some awesome community boards, non-profits groups, and some awesome individuals to raise a significant amount of money to upgrade our fields!  If you are local and want to become a buddy to a special needs child to assist them on the field, please come to the volunteer training Monday, March 30th at 6:00 at First United Methodist Church.  God used a conversation I had last summer with a Little League official to start the ball rolling on this endeavor! 

 

Last week was Dr. Seuss week at Hope and David's elementary school.  Hope loved all the dress up days and all the fun and learning. 

 

Saturday Hope was invited to a birthday party for a school friend to see the movie, Cinderella.  The girls dressed as princesses and Hope chose to wear Cinderellas wedding dress from her birthday last year.  The Cinderella movie is awesome and it is truly one of my favorites movies ever.  Disney rocked this one for sure!  We had a full girly day with some friends at the party and then at a stop off for some pizza. 

While the  girls were doing the princess party, my boys went shopping for baseball gear.  They came home with new cleats and this air soft pistol.  I am not a huge gun fan at all, but they are loving shooting at a target with a gun that really could not hurt them.  This picture of David cracks me up!

Even Hope had to get in on the action!!

 

This week we have really enjoyed the sunshine.  We hit our favorite spot, Hungry Mother park for some sunshine and outdoor play. 

 

Somehow this little girl found her way to the creek and accidentally "fell in" ":)

 

We are looking forward to fun on the horizon.  Baseball is starting for all three of our kiddos-Kyle playing travel baseball, David playing Challenger, and Hope playing Tball!  I never dreamed this time last year that David would have an opportunity to play baseball here locally in a league made just for him.  Only God could have orchestrated something this beautiful for our boy. God never ceases to amaze me with His blessings!  

Happenings

We have really had an action packed last few days.  Last Friday we had a snow day again (and we so hope it will be our last one) so we headed to Radford so the wreath queen, GG, could help me make a spring wreath.  My thought is that if I start decorating for spring the snow will stop and the sun will come out! 

I painted this cross last Easter and used my Cricut to put the words on it using vinyl.  This year with GG's help, I made it into a wreath using burlap, those purple flowers and I made the polka dot bow to go on it.  We had a fun crafting day with three generations-my Mom, me and sweet Hope.  Hope loves a craft store just as much as I do!!

 

Saturday morning was a fun morning spent with friends at a birthday party.  This picture is hilarious and terrible, but Hope had fun with some old preschool pals at a party where there were two bounce houses! 

 

After the birthday party and then a quick wedding shower for a friend, I loaded the church bus to head to Johnson City with some friends to see Chris Tomlin! My friend Sarah drove us and she did a great job! 

 

Before the concert we had reservations at Bonefish Grille which was amazing.  This was my lobster bisque soup that I loved.  I am already planning a return visit soon to this yummy place! The fellowship was sweet and the food was awesome. 

 

I adore Christian concerts.  There is nothing better to me than spending an evening worshipping with friends.  Mike is not a concert kind of guy so I often go with friends from church. 

 

Chris Tomlin rocked the house! The music was amazing and we danced, praised, and sang our guts out.  I jokingly said the next concert I will wear tank top and shorts we got so hot!  Between the fellowship on the bus, the yummy meal, and wonderful worship it was a great Saturday night. 

 

Sunday was just as busy and I was dragging from my late concert night!  I came home after midnight which was really after 1 a.m. because of daylight savings time.  I am a little old to be out past midnight:) After church, David had his upward game.  He loves it so  much. 

Sunday was youth day at upward and all the youth did jobs to help the game day go smoothly.  Mike and Kyle refereed David's game and I was watching Kyle out there with his Dad wondering where the time has gone? 

 

We couldn't miss Dave in those hideous neon green socks!  Dave has his own fashion style:)

 

The youth even did the halftime devotional and here is my sweet youth reading his part. 

 

After church and upward basketball David and Hope headed to church for musical practice.  The kids are putting on a musical for Mother's Day based on Shadrach, Meschach and Abendago called It's Cool in the Furnace.  They are so excited!  (GG and Pops if you are reading this, put Mother's Day on your calendar)!

 

After the musical practice Mike came and picked up the little kids and Kyle and I stayed at church for a mission tip meeting.  It blessed me to think that church offers our family so many opportunities to serve and learn.  I am so thankful that children and youth are seen as a priority at church. 

 

Kyle and I stayed for a mission trip meeting and I am not sure who is more excited-me or Kyle?! We were originally headed to South Dakota to serve on the indian reservation.  Because time was short and the funds needed were large, the group decided to put that trip off until next year.  So this year, we are headed to Clarksville, Georgia to work and serve in a Hispanic community.  We will be doing home repairs and....... providing a bible school to the children!  My Spanish is rusty but my heart is open and ready for this.  Kyle is unsure what to expect he is just excited and a little nervous.  Kyle will have Spanish 1 next year so what a great opportunity for him! 

 

 

Back to Life.... Back to Reality!

After our extended two weeks "snowcation" we are excitedly pulling out the backpacks and lunchboxes to head back to school tomorrow!

We have gotten on each other's nerves, but we have made some awesome memories with friends and here at home.

 

One day last week we met some friends at Bounce Bristol.  Dave has more fashion sense than any of us!  He is such a character.

 

We certainly miss our Jonas friends.  They are nearby in Bristol thankfully.

Hope picked out her sports shirt from Daniel and Pam and wore to jump!  She had a ball bouncing around in that place and of course we had some chick fil a for lunch:)

 

 

Mike was gone for several days last week and the kids missed him so much.  I love that our little reader had to show off her reading skills to her daddy when he got home. 

This past weekend has been full of awesomeness-lots of basketball, awesome church service, Salsaritas with my best girl and shopping!  We were holding hands walking into Hobby Lobby and she said "Mommy I love it when we are just girls together doing girl stuff!"  She is truly such a joy!

 

Love this special group of basketball players.  We may not always win the championship, but I love these boys and our Hornet family so very much.  What a joy to see them all blossoming into men right before our very eyes.  We have been together as a team since they were early elementary school and they are all very special to our family.  I often joke that Mike resembles a lunatic when he is coaching but it is because he has such a passion for the game and adores these boys like his own.  We know that we WILL miss this time with our Hornet family when high school ball starts down the road and AAU tournaments will be a distant memory.  These boys and basketball have brought my man so much joy. 

 

A photographer was at the tournament this weekend taking photos and I bought a few of them.  It is hard to take good pictures in a gym and I was thankful that he captured my son doing something he loves. 

 

Tomorrow it is back to life, back to reality for us all.  I just got off of the phone with Mike's brother's family in Shreveport.  God is up to some exciting things in the Robinson families and I can't wait to see what plans he has for us all.  Jeremiah 29:11 is my go to verse for when I want to control situations and not wait patiently for God's awesome plan to be revealed.  For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

 

I am so thankful that in the unknowns and question marks in life, God does have a plan for us.  I just need to sit sit, or chillax as David says, and let God be God.  He is so capable of anything beyond my wildest dreams.  Amen.