Here’s what Jada and Georgia were up to in the play room while I was taking a shower! 

BABY POWDER!!!  What a mess!

Poor Georgia…

My little munchkin is 3 already, I can hardly believe how fast she has grown.  We had 3 fun days of celebrating.  First with her little friends, then with Mommy and Daddy and Family on Sunday.   Scott and I celebrated with her becoming a “big girl” and convinced her to say goobye to the beloved binky!!! (after many weeks and months of preparation/talking it up)  WAHOO!!!  Although, as I tied the binky to the balloons and let Jada release them into the sky, I felt a little sad.  My baby is not a baby anymore and it just hit me right then.  So far, without too much withdrawal she has done great!  I worried about her taking a good nap yesterday at her grandparents, but they said she did just fine.  So, Kels I will be praying for you on Thursday around 1:00pm that Jada doesn’t give you too much hassle. :) 

Jada had a lot of fun celebrating with everyone she loves!

Weird title I know, but it will make sense in a minute.  So, many times I have been embarrassed to tell people where I went to High School/grew up when they ask.  I always smirk and say, Parkrose…  home of the Broncos… Lately, I have been thinking about that a lot.  My church has recently started a campus in Parkrose.  Since that has happened I have seen a lot of positive great things going on, but I cringe when they talk about the community and the people there.  The view most people have is that it is a drug addicted, prostituting, crack smoking, gang banging, meth smuggling ghetto.  Yes, that is all true, but there is more to the community than that.  There are really great people who live there.  People who are trying to make a difference in their community and reach out to their neighbors.  I never thought I would say this, but a part of me misses our little white house in Parkrose. We had such great neighbors, and yes we had bad ones too.  But we all looked out for each other.  One time our small little neighborhood made the news because we helped bring down 2 drug  houses together.    I’m not saying I want to go back, but I’m feeling not as ashamed I guess. So what if I grew up on what some may think is the wrong side of town.  That’s where I came from and who’s to judge my character based on where God placed me in this world?  I think I turned out pretty good.  

 Sometimes I have to laugh at where we live now with our HOA rules and the glares and frequent pull overs from HV sheriffs because my husband drives a beater ‘87 Camry. I

 don’t like the car either, but give me a break!  Total combined, both Scott and I have been pulled over in that car 6 times!  And none have been for a traffic violation.  I love where we live, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes the whole suburbia thing just gets to me.   So really it doesn’t matter where you grew up or where you live, but who you grew up to be and what you live for.  Yeah that’s right, I’m a Bronco.

So it’s been a LONG while since I’ve posted anything.  There’s a lot of reasons why I’ve been absent from the blogging world, but too much to go into.  Alot has changed in my life since June.  I’ve started a new job, which has been wonderful and weird at the same time.  I love my job at my church, yet it is sooooo different than what I am used to doing.  I’m pretty good at accepting change, but I still am adjusting to my new role.  God has changed me in many ways in the past couple years, but the biggest most apparent change has been my trust, faith and reliance on God.  Not only with the big stuff, but down to (what I think) the little stuff.  Over the past month I have seen God move people into Children’s ministry at my church.  And not just any people.  Really awesome, super qualified, excited, motivated people!  Not once have I had to beg or twist anyone’s arm to teach a Sunday school class, or help with an event at church.  Don’t get me wrong there is always a need for more help, but God always provides what we need.  I cannot tell you how great it is to be able to rest in the fact that God is in control and will provide what is needed to carry out his work.  Now you may be thinking, “ of course God is working in the churches, duhhh!”  I honestly can tell you that I did not have the trust/faith in that completely when it came to ”filling holes”(finding teachers) for bible classes.  I guess I subconciously thought that the task was too little for God.  NOT TRUE!  So, I’ve learned.    

Peace out…

This past Tuesday would have been my mom and dad’s 36th wedding anniversary!  So, it inspired me to go through some pictures.  I always enjoyed looking at my mom and dad’s wedding pictures as a kid.  It was hard to imagine my parents so young and with no kids.  I don’t know if that’s just a kid thing or what, but I was always so interested in their lives before they had us.  And boy did we hear a lot of stories… especially from my dad.  He would tell the same crazy stories over and over, but I never got tired of listening to them.  Somehow I kind of felt a part of the stories the more I heard them I guess.  They had some great adventures and fun times.  I couldn’t wait until the day I would be married.  (I feel so blessed to have such a great husband).  So here are some pictures to look at in honor of my parents.

Look at those chops!

Yesterday we got to go down to Salem to visit my mom, sister and her two kids (and dog).  Here are some pictures of the fun times!

Jada & Monet

Paxton

Jada & Bella (their new dog)

Wheeeeee!

Jada & Grammy

These last couple of days Jada has had friends over.  Here are some pictures of all the fun they had!

CHEEEEESE!

 Pretty toes…                                                      

Exercising to “Fit Kids” video.  Go Tyson!

Jada and “Mr. Boy” (as referred to by Jada this morning).   

At the zoo…                                                      

Hi Mr. Penguin!

Yesterday for Father’s Day we had Scott’s family over for a BBQ.  Grandma gave Jada some ladybug stickers and thought it would be a great idea to put ladybugs on every body’s noses. 

We looked pretty funny!

Okay off the subject of ladybugs…. Today was my last day of work as a “teacher”  I feel a huge sense of freedom, yet sadness as well.  I know God has called me to do other things, and I am so excited about it and have been looking forward to this day soooooo much!  But, I feel a little sad at the same time.  Teaching has been my career for six years.  I’ve always identified myself as a teacher and like knowing that I am impacting children’s lives for the better.  In my new position at Church, I will have the impacting children’s lives part, but the teaching part will not so much be  a part of it.  Part of me is excited about that, yet I have to say that I will miss having a whole class full of kids that I am teaching.  I’ll miss the “light bulb” moments, and anticipating how the kids will react to what I have planned for the day, the daily routine of a classroom and most of all the moments that I get to talk to students about their lives.  

 God has changed me over the last year and has kept me the same too.  I have always had a passion to reach out to kids.  God has not changed that part of me.  He has changed my perspective on how He might like to use me to do his will.  I’ve faced some difficult times this year teaching, God has stretched me and has provided  a job that will fit what I have to offer to do his will.  I am so excited and thankful to God.  I truly feel that He has rescued me from the position I was in.  However, if it were not for the difficult time I had this year teaching, I would probably not have accepted his calling to work at my church.  I’ve always had a strong passion to reach out to kids in the public schools, that was my mission field.  God has shown me that He can use me in other ways too.  So, I guess you could say this ladybug has spread her wings and landed on a new leaf. 

Wow, it’s been a really long time since I’ve blogged!  So much has happened, I’m not sure what to write about.  So, here are some cute pics of Jada and her buddy Brior.  Aren’t they so cute?  On the day that I watched him this week, Jada like usual helped me put him down for his nap.  Usually she sings a song and blows him a kiss, but this time she gave him a big hug and kiss and told him, “I love you sooo much!” :)

No more monkies jumping on the bed!!  

Weird title I know…  I was listening to my Alison Krauss CD and the song, “In the Palm of Your Hands” started playing.  (One of my favorite songs)  The chorus goes:

I’d rather be in the palm of your hands though rich or poor I may be

Faith can see right through the circumstance, sees the forest inspite of the trees

Your grace provides for me…

It touched me deeply and I decided that I am going to start focusing on all the positive things going on in my life.  I discovered there are a lot!! 

1. I have a great husband and sweet little girl. 

2. Speaking of sweet little girl… Today Jada climbed up on my lap and gave me a big hug and said, “Mommy, I love you very much!”  She must have known I needed that.   I am so proud of her.  She is learning things so quickly and becoming such an independent little girl.  One of her newest accomplishments is riding her big girl bike!  Here is a picture of her on it with her new helmet. 

3. I got a new job that I am soooo excited about.  I will be working at my church as a Children’s Ministry Assistant. 

4. My mom is moving back to this area, so we will be able to see her more!

5. Summer is near!  I can’t believe it is going to be 90 degrees this week! 

6. I’m going to Kah-nee-ta to soak up the rays this weekend with two of my best friends!

So, it turns out I have a lot to be happy and excited about.  God is doing amazing things in my life right now.  He is making me stronger and I am going to focus on the “big picture” (forest) instead of focusing on all the little/big frustrating things that are happening (trees).