A Chinese Tea Party

Myah Papaya is FIVE!

she talked about having 'breatast' in bed all week...
fun! a blimp-she had to wait a whole five years to see her first one!
the boys were clapping for the blimp!
grandma betty & grandpa dwain drove in friday afternoon, yea!
having fun outside w/ lots of fun new things from gma/gpa!
wouldn't you say that ethan definitely got MY skin color, not daddy's?!
funny grandpa!
after dinner, we did myah's cake and ice cream and gifts here at home.
super cute M from gma/gpa gordon
BEAUTIFUL dress (w/ matching dress for a doll!) from my friend romelda, THANK YOU!
gift cards, books, jammies, gumballs, clothes, princess perfume from eli...
and an art easel! this girl will be spending hours at this thing, i'm sure!

the Montgomery Biscuits, yes, the Biscuits...hmmm...

today: kids' day at the montgomery biscuits baseball game...
intentionally got there late (pretty warm out today) so the kids would last to the end of the game...got in, sat down, got sunscreen on everyone and what?!!! it was barely ten minutes and they were already calling the kids to line up to run the bases...ha! now that's pretty good timing! oh and on the plus side, since we got there at the bottom of the 7th, we got in free! can't beat that!
here's eli waiting for the base-running. can you tell he's shy/scared? he's got his fingers in his mouth...awwww, sweetie boy!
cheering/singing/dancing right along w/ the fun loud music!
guess he'd suck his fingers if we took the paci away???
always good music at a pro game! (or AAA in this case)
in the shade and clappin along...
what a dude!
myah took off (and left eli) to run the bases...
so unlike him! he was walking, fingers in his mouth, awww...
that's better, yea daddy!
givin big Mo a high-five!
eli-still having to look over his shoulder; keeping an eye on big Mo...
each kid got a free coke once they rounded home. big fun for the kids!
look mom!
oh yum!
okay, so when did this little boy get so big!?
super cute face, couldn't resist taking a zillion pix!

fun days, fun days indeed!

ethan just walked up behind myah, grabbed onto her shirt and began following her. eli joined in and wah-lah, much fun was had!
ooooh! is that a basketball star in training? mmmm, could be!
oh, i definitely think so! and ethan could play guard!
i see a lot of cousin mason here!
yes, Lord!
i love my guitar shoes, thanks mommy!
myah wants to be a mermaid teacher when she grows up, i think she'll own a floral shop!
what kind of a bush is this anyway? so pretty! she runs out to it first thing, anytime we are outside!
eli often says, "look at me, please!" (esp when i'm driving) ha! anyway, of course this was followed by him jumping off the top of the sand box!
making sure the bug he smooshed was dead!
leanin into the turn just like a pro, whoa buddy!

THE REASON WE HAVE HOPE...

"...sweet Savior I heard what you said, 'Father forgive them, they don't understand..." Jesus, you willingly gave your life so that we would be free. While on the cross, you hung, dying a death you did not deserve-and yet you asked your Father to forgive those who were murdering you...

As a mother, it brings me to tears and makes my gut hurt to even attempt to fathom what our Heavenly Father must have gone thru as His son prayed, asking if there was any other way for this plan to play out; without Him having to be crucified...praying and sweating literal drops of blood. can you even imagine hearing your child, tormented and grieving what was about to come-and asking you if you could change it somehow????

in the bible we are told that our ways are not His ways and our thoughts are not His thoughts...i believe this was written for such tough questions as this...

but the beauty of this story is that Jesus, willingly went to the cross. willingly was bruised and beaten and killed for YOU and for ME! O Heavenly Father, my heart hurts for Yours on that dark Friday, about the 9th hour, when you had to turn Your Holy face from your one and only Son...Almighty God, i praise you and weep for the beautiful plan You orchestrated. For me, for all mankind. To save us from our sin.

Jesus, sweet Savior, i give You my life. My all. You paid it all-all for me. All, even when you were blameless and Holy and innocent. Thank You, precious, spotless lamb of God.

For it is written that on the third day, an angel of the Lord sat upon the stone that was rolled away from Jesus' tomb (don't you imagine he was about to burst just waiting for Jesus' followers to show up?!!!) and said, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? HE IS NOT HERE; HE HAS RISEN!..."