Buzzs Bunch Day at VT

There are just those days when you know that God smiles down upon you and blesses you. Today watching our David participate in the first annual in Blacksburg, "Buzz's Bunch" day at Virginia Tech my heart was full of thanksgiving. Buzz Williams is the new VT basketball coach and he and his players and staff opened up their practice facility for a day of hoops camp for special needs kids.

Here is Coach Buzz with his very sweet wife Corey. They did not just come out to the camp say a few sweet words and then hide out, they were on the court with these kids the whole time. They are truly the real deal.

This young man, Seth Allen is also the real deal. He is a red shirt Junior new to VT, and David just loved him. The camp provided lunch for the entire family and Pops, who went along to cheer on David. Seth came and sat with us at lunch which of course, David loved.

At the end of the camp, the players sat at a table and the kids came by to get autographs. David and Seth took a selfie on Seth's phone!

During the camp, the kids rotated around to lots of different stations. They were all fun, but David's favorite was the dunking station! These players were engaged and encouraging to these kids. There were lots of high fives, fist bumps, and cheers throughout the whole day!

After David would make a shot he would perform his little victory dance that the players caught on to and did with him!

Before lunch Coach Buzz had the players surround the campers and touch as many of them as they could. He said the most beautiful prayer over these children thanking God for making them just the way that He did. I was just so happy watching my cancer warrior, hoops loving dude, enjoy every single minute of this day. Our family believes in God's perfect plan for each of us, and though we would never have chosen for our child to have a disability, or fight cancer the way that David has, we know that His plan is perfect.

David and Kyle with Coach Buzz! Kyle was welcome to jump in and participate in the camp, but I think he is mature enough to get it now that these precious opportunities for David are for David only. Heaven knows David has been to millions of Kyle's AAU hoops games over the years so it was cool that for today David, and David alone, was the star!

I was impressed with the enthusiasm the players brought to this day. Coach Buzz has done this day for the past five years at Marquette, but this is new to VT. These players jumped in and were totally engaged with these kids.

They took a huge group picture of all the campers, players, and staff. As we left, Coach Buzz was signing the pictures that were taken at the beginning of camp as a souvenir for the kids. The campers also got a tshirt when they arrived and a drawstring bag to keep up with all the goodies they got at each station. David certainly loved him some Seth Allen today!

Kyle was very shy and definitely was loving watching his brother shine on the court. He did really want his picture with the two tallest players on the VT team!

During the stations the campers and families were taken into the locker room for a tour. The players showed them their lockers-very cool!

The entire day was amazing-from the warm welcome of the players in the parking lot to the goodbye autographs from Coach Buzz and the players, our David loved every single moment. It was awesome! At this point to me, it does not matter if these players win one single game this season-they proved today they are true winners with class. Well done Coach Buzz, staff, and players! The Robinson's loved our day with you!

Life Lessons and VBS

Another wonderful week of VBS is in the books and I am sad that it is over. I thoroughly enjoyed my week in the Critter Cafe with Kilby, my Kyle, and his buddy Riley.

There is nothing like witnessing a room of almost 100 kids praising God and singing their hearts out.

VBS is a wonderful social opportunity for David! He had some dear friends there with him like Caroline, Jocie, and Kelsey.

Kyle really got to fine tune his worship board skills this week working it for opening and closing each night. He trained his buddy Riley on how to do it also! The youth has been there each night helping out as needed. They are awesome! There leaders Glenn and Jackie have both had surgeries in the last two weeks and they were not able to be there with the youth. Without their guidance the youth rocked it with maturity and class. I was impressed.

I love that my kids are blessed with christian friends. In this day and time church activities and God often get pushed to the backburner. I am so thankful that my kids have good friends at church. I am also thankful that I get to serve in Chilren's ministry. It is an honor to teach children about Jesus. Yes I am tired and I have seen my husband very little this week, but VBS was. so. worth. it!

Kyle and Riley helped with a closing skit tonight! It was so cute!

I have learned a lot this week. I have relearned some bible stories and memory verses this week with the kids. I have spent time with precious people that I do not get to spend much time with due to the craziness of life. I have enjoyed fellowshipping with church friends and serving snacks to tie in with our bible lessons. I simply loved every moment of it.

Besides the bible lessons and memory verses, God taught me a huge lesson tonight. I was present when someone got very upset over something that was huge in their world. I was convicted that I must love bolder and praise others more. I was smacked in the face that we ALL have our insecurities, and our own issues and demons we fight. When we are called to love others like Jesus wants us to do, we must smile more, appreciate others loudly, say thanks when a job has been done well, and encourage each other more. This young person reminded me tonight that we are here to love as Jesus loves us. Amen.

So Worth It

It is Wednesday morning and I am dragging.  I have a post-vacation hangover and we are in the midst of Vacation Bible School at church.  I am working in the Critter Cafe along with an awesome friend, Susan Kilby. We get to reinforce the bible lesson with their snack! 

Our theme for the week is Weird Animals-where Jesus' love is one of a kind.  A local animal rescuer has blessed us each night by bringing a different weird animal for the kids to experience.  The first night it was a large tortoise!  Here is Hope bravely touching him!

Posing with the big tortoise.  Hope has loved VBS this year because it has been a preschool reunion of sorts.  She and David both are loving every minute of it.

They love rotating around the stations, but their favorite is the opening and closing in the sanctuary each night where they sing and dance to all these great VBS songs.

Last night Mr. Handy brought a Burmese Python for the kids to experience!  Yikes-it was a twelve feet long!  The kids loved it so much. I can honestly say I have never taken a selfie with a python. 

Sweet friends! 

Kyle as a youth helper has run the worship board for opening and closing and has helped me in the critter cafe. 

Getting their praise on!

Our mission project for the week is to raise money for clean water in India.  The kids can bring in change and then they can put a blue balloon in the "well" hoping we will fill it up by the end of the week.  The beginning of the week the well had brown paper in it to signify "dirty" water and now through the change from the kids we are changing that brown dirty water to clean water for kids in India.  Here is Hope putting her change in the bucket and her balloon in the well.  It is amazing how digging for a well for a village in India can be so life changing because they will no longer have to travel to get clean drinking water. 

Hope making her Weird animal in the critter cafe!

Last night Mr. Handy brought a Burmese Python to VBS!  Ginger and I got brave and held him!  WOW!  I was trying to be all brave, but it totally freaked me out that you could feel him constricting around you! 

 

Hope even got brave and help hold Reggie the python!  This is one of my favorite weeks of the entire summer!  VBS you are exhausting, but oh so worth it!