Anniversary

August 24, 1969-This was the day my parents said their wedding vows. Yep-40 years ago today my parents stood before their friends and family and vowed they would stay together-for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poor, til death do them part-and they have. My parents gave me a lot of gifts over the years from cabbage patch kids to bicycles to basketball goals and so on, but the greatest gift they have ever given me was the example they set on having a godly marriage and keeping those vows they said at the age of 19 and 21. Has their marriage been easy-no! My dad served in the Navy and was gone for months at a time, they have taken care of sick parents in their own home, and have dealt with my mom's own cancer battles. These are just 3 of the obstacles they dealt with in their marriage-the point is they dealt with them together. My dad was the spiritual leader in our house that lead the prayers, sunday school lessons, and FCA groups. My mom was the "behind the scenes" servant that made us all look good. Without a doubt, my parents were the ultimate team. My dad was coaching-my mom was cheering. My dad was teaching-my mom was serving. My dad was leading-my mom was following.

So, to my mom and dad: Thank you! It is my prayer that Chris and I are able to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary with as much dignity, grace, and love that you all have shown to each other.

And to you, reading this blog I would love to be able to pray for your marriage so if you have anything specific I can be praying about for you and your husband-please let me know. I have a passion to see marriages thrive-yours and mine!

Old Navy

Hello Friends,

For most of us, school has started and that means another year of being the wife of a coach. For those of you who are wives of football coaches you won't see your husband for the next few months. As you prepare your family, yourself, and your marriage for the ups and downs of the upcoming season, let me share with you a story that will make you feel like you are not alone when the the world seems like it is crashing down on you or at the least, give you a good laugh.

I picked my kids up and we were going home and I saw the Old Navy store. I remembered I had a gift card from my birthday and I kept seeing those commercials for the $19 jeans and thought it would be no big deal to just run in and see what they had.
Let the tale begin. . .

All three kids were doing great. I had found some jeans to try on (first mistake) and we went to the dressing room. While in the dressing room, Chloe said she had to go to the potty. The restrooms were right next to the dressing room so I hurried and put my clothes back on and took her to the restroom. I went back to the dressing room to finish trying on the jeans (second mistake) and Chloe said, "Mom I have to go poo-poo." OK-here we go. I put clothes back on and took everyone back to the bathroom. We made it! Thank goodness. We headed back up to the front to get the one pair that didn't make me look like I was still 6 months pregnant (third mistake). We waited our turn in line and I gave the sales associate the jeans and as I was giving her my gift card, Chloe starts holding her bottom and I saw the panic her face and then it happened. . .
right there at the check out sat a pile of diarhhea at the feet of my little girl, and then the tears came. It was at this time that I had two choices: freak out or step up. My husband would have been proud because I went into Head Coach mode and praise the Lord for other moms who were willing to help out with the other two kids while I dealt with My Chloe.

I scooped her up (poop and all) ran to the restroom, stopped an associate and asked her to bring us some clothes that Chloe could change in to, cleaned her up, and then spent the next 30 min cleaning up the trail that we had left along the way.

Our quick trip into Old Navy turned into an hour and half later and nobody wearing the same clothes they went in there with. I got everybody loaded into the car to leave (vowing never to return to this particular Old Navy again) and I sat there, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. And then I heard a quiet voice in my head that said "You did it!" "You're right," I said out loud to myself, "I did it!" Whether this was God's intention or not, the lesson was learned. I was just prepared for the upcoming season as a new head coaches wife with 3 kids. I can do it! And so can you! Lets do this year together!

Rain

I need to get you caught up on the second half of our crazy summer. Right after Case was born my husband took his first head coaching job. We would be moving. . .again:) Even though the thought of selling a house, packing boxes, and moving with 3 small children didn't exactly leave me jumping for joy-where we are going did. He is actually starting a football program at a Christian School in Oklahoma City which is where our church and my job is located. We had been praying for a head coaching job for 2 years and God lead us here. Even though we followed God's lead we are still dealing with some stresses: head coaching duties, starting a program, not being able to sell our house, and commuting with our children.
My husband left the house this morning at 5:30am for his first practice and it was pouring down rain. And as I laid there listening to the rain, I couldn't help but think "Oh I hope our cellar isn't leaking." I drifted back off to sleep and then talked to a friend of mine later this morning and her house flooded. God used these little moments to teach me a life lesson. When it rains if there is any weakness in the house it is exposed. In our house it just happens to be our cellar and in hers it was her roof. When it is warm outside and the sun is shining everything looks strong, but it is when the rain comes that the weaknesses are exposed. The same happens in life-when things are going great our faith looks great, our relationships look great, but it is when the storms of life come that our weaknesses are exposed. Do we really believe God when he says He has plans to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11)? Is our faith really that strong? Are our relationships able to thrive? Well, the storms are here and I say YES! For when I am weak, Christ is made strong. Jesus bring the rain and let the Roberts' family walk on water!

Family Pictures

Hello Friends,

First of all I have had a request to show a picture of our new addition (I will get the pictures changed of our family sooner or later:)). You all have shared in this incredible journey with me so here is Case Graham Roberts. Thank you so much for your encouragement and prayers. In the Bible, Hannah said these words and I feel the exact same way: "I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord." 1 Samuel 1:27-28. May you look at these pictures of Case Graham and be reminded that "God is faithful, even when we are faithless." (2 Timothy 2:13) Praise the Lord!

Still Here!

Hello Friends,

I realize it has been 2 months since my last post and I hope you are still there. As my husband would say "there are no excuses", but there has been a few things going on-so lets get you updated. First, we have a beautiful baby boy-Case Graham Roberts!!! Yeah!!! He was born on Friday, May 22 at 10:30AM. He weighed 7lb 7oz. (I loved this) and was 20 in. long. He was the missing piece to our family and now our family feels complete. We took him home and I must admit going from 2 to 3 kids threw me for a loop. I think I was naive in thinking "its only one more." Well, that one more was kicking my tail and he was a great baby.
I was starting to get the hang of things when Case was 3 weeks old when Case started getting sick. I had taken all three to FCA camp for the day and while we were there Case threw up, and I mean a lot and he didn't stop. I knew something wasn't right when it would hit the wall behind me. We took him to the Dr. and I wanted them to see what he was doing so I fed him in the waiting room and sure enough he performed right on schedule. After witnessing what he was doing and feeling on his belly, the Dr. said "I am going to send you on over to the hospital and we will probably have surgery tonight or in the morning." My heart sank. Tears started to flow. And I managed to get the words out, "What is wrong with my baby?" She assured me it was a simple procedure, but he had Pyloric Stinosis. This is where the muscle between the stomach and intestine grew too big that it wasn't letting anything go between the two; therefore, since it wasn't getting through it was coming up. The positive was I had heard of this because my husband had it when he was a baby. The negative was I heard horror stories from my mother-in-law about my husband when he was a baby.
We went to the hospital and they started an IV immediately because he was so dehydrated. If you have ever had a child with an IV, you know it is heart wrenching. He was just so tiny with all these tubes and he is just looking at you like "what are they doing to me?"
He had surgery the next morning and it went perfectly. He handled it like a champ, probably better than we did. Four days letter we were finally heading home:) Praise Jesus!
All that to say we are the proud parents of a now healthy baby boy who brings us so much joy! This is only the first chapter of the missing two months. Stay tuned for chapter two!

Passing the Test

As we approach the end to another school year I keep hearing about tests: Semester tests, final tests, 9 weeks tests etc. Well, there has been one test that we take many times in our lives and that is the testing of our faith. Yes, God tests our faith throughout our entire lives. I feel like I am being tested in my life right now. Tested if I trust Him, Tested if I believe Him, Tested that I have complete obedience to Him, Tested that I completely depend on Him. And if I were to be completely honest with you at the point in the test I am flunking miserably. In my life right now I am extremely pregnant and having more false labor than I ever had with the other two. My husband and I have been praying about where God will take us in the realm of coaching because we just feel that God has something He wants to do through us. We are growing increasingly weary, frustrated, and impatient.

I read this verse today in James 1:2 and it says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers when you face trials of many kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perserverance and let perserverance have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." And I am reminded once again that God won't work through you until He has completely worked in you. I am far from being "perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
So today I will try to pass the testing of my faith and "consider it pure joy" that I am having another baby and that I have an incredible husband who feels the same calling as I do and that I serve a God that no matter how hard I plead and beg for Him to move now-he will not waiver and will never be late.

PS. Don't forget to sign up as a follower at the bottom of the page:)

Imaginary Friend

Hello Friends,

We have a new addition to the family! No, it is not the baby we have been waiting:) His name is Buster the dog. Buster eats with us, plays with us, rides in the car with us, and does about everything with us. He is the perfect family pet, however, we have never seen him because Buster is the imaginary friend of our 4 year old son, Cale.

We love watching the imagination of our little boy run wild and I have found out that imaginary friends run in the family. My husband had an imaginary friend named Mickey growing up that would play baseball and football with him. I love hearing stories from my mother-in-law about Chris and Mickey.

I can honestly say there have been times that I have felt like God is more like my imaginary friend rather than the creator of the universe. There are those times where you just don't feel Him, see Him, or hear Him. Every person goes though those times. The great thing is that God is the same whether I feel Him or not. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:13 that God is faithful even when we are faithless. Praise God!

There is an Indian legend that says when an Indian boy wants to make the transition to a man he must sit in the woods on a tree stump for an entire night without opening his eyes. No matter what he hears or how scared he might get, he can not open his eyes. For those who pass the test, they open their eyes to find that their father was sitting right next to them, protecting them the entire night. Although they did not feel their father-he was there. Although they did not hear their father-he was there. Although they did not see their father- he was there.

You may not feel, hear, or see God, but I promise you He is not imaginary-He is there!

P.S. I now have a follower list where you can add your name at the bottom of this page. I would love for you to sign up so that I know my husband is not the only one who reads this blog:)