August Update!

If you're reading this, you're probably wondering what on Earth has happened to the Jones family that they cannot take a moment to update their blog. Excuse #1 - KYLIE. This was a lot easier to keep up with before she started walking, better yet before she was born. excuse #2 - full time jobs. Tre and I both employed!! Praise God! Tre is teaching 6th grade Math at Sugar Creek Charter School. He loves the school, loves the people he works with, and is still getting used to the math part. I am teaching 4th grade Reading and Writing at Grace Covenant Academy. I also get to teach Bible to my homeroom. It is quite the adjustment from Nashville, but I really enjoy the people I work with and feel that I will grow to love the students and families.

So I will stop with the excuses and apologize to those of you who are trying to be faithful readers. All in all, we are doing really well. We are meeting new people through work and even have some plans in September!! Don't make fun, that's a big deal for us. Kylie is growing DAILY! I cannot believe how much she is walking, laughing, attempting to talk, and just all around growing! She is still very petite, but big in personality! She is adjusting to home care and the mom that watches her now laughs when she tells me stories from the day. I can sense a relationship already forming!

My sister and her family are back safely in South Africa. It was so great to see them over the summer. The Lord is clearly working in their lives and in their ministry. It's amazing to me to see the sacrifices that they are making to serve Him in such harsh conditions. They of course are soaking up every minute and love their new lives. Please continue to pray for them as life is not always easy.

Hope to update again soon,
Lauren

The Collins Family

We have had a great week with Sarah, Casey, and Kieren! It has been fun to hear stories and watch them share about their ministry in Cape Town, SA. I am so proud of them and all they have allowed God to do in them and through them. Sarah and I both hope that Kylie and Kieren can be close, even if they live far away. We were constantly encouraging them to play together and learn how to share. There were moments of sharing, stealing, and hording, but they also were able to laugh and play together. Kylie has been such a wonderful addition to our little Jones family, but to sit back and look how the Lord has blessed the "Collins" family!! Did He know all the plans He had for us when Sarah became a christian in Lakeland, Fl so many years ago? Did He know what He was doing when my family moved around so much? Or has He just used our lives and circumstances for His glory? We serve a creative and wonderfully loving God. I am so thankful that He was able to take a family that was caught up in material possessions, money, and most of all ourselves, and form us into people that He could actually use. Now we still love our family shopping trips, but we have changed and grown a lot since God began to reshape us over 10 years ago. I am so thankful to be a part of a family that loves and serves the Lord in so many ways. It's not always easy and it's hard not having everyone so close, but I am thankful for the GREAT love that we all share!

She turned ONE!!

It's crazy to think that this time last year, Tre and I were still in shock of the birth of our daughter. Kylie's due date was July 18th, but she surprised us all on June 24th. I can remember waking up that morning, my water breaking, driving myself to the hospital, and her birth. I remember ALL the visitors (thanks for coming), I remember feeling like my body went through the biggest shock of my life, and I remember watching Tre hold her for the first time. I remember the sleepless nights and wondering what the first year would be like. Well, now that I can look back . . . it was NOTHING like I imagined, but TEN TIMES BETTER!! Having a daughter has been one of the coolest experiences I have ever gone through. The feeling of being a vessel, used by God to house and care for another human being. The love that continues to grow and the sacrifices I am so willing to make on her behalf. The natural ability for me to become a mom, words just cannot describe. Yeah, there were moments that were painful, exhausting, stressful, and challenging. But they have all been worth it. Kylie has only brought Tre and I closer in our marriage and our little family of three so much JOY! I feel so blessed to have a healthy, beautiful baby girl. I look forward to many more days ahead.

Now that she is one, she is almost a toddler! So crazy!! She EATS all the time, and LOVES watermelon!! She can pull up to a stand and walk while holding on to something else. She can climb a flight of stairs, but cannot go down. She LOVES baby dolls, baby faces in books, and babies in real life. She loves to splash in the pool whether it is filled with water or plastic balls. She is very intense and has moments of complete focus. She loves to giggle, laugh, and scream! She is such a happy girl :) She can make a fish face and spit with her tongue. She is just awesome! I'm sure you can tell we are big Kylie fans.





Her first birthday party was a huge success. It was fun to decorate the kitchen with balloons and signs and make her cake. It was funny because she didn't know what to do with the cake and the icing was so sticky. After a few bites that Tre fed her, she realized that it was delicious and went to town. About an hour later, we had crazy baby crawling all over the place with high pitch shrieks (her first sugar high). Opening presents was an interesting task as she loved her first one so much that she didn't want to open anything else. She has way too many new toys and is on sensory overload. The only thing that was missing was YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Well it is hard to believe that Kylie is now 1 year old. It blows me away how fast this past year has gone by. It truly seems like yesterday that we were sitting in the hospital room holding our little hairy burrito baby for the first time. We had a great day yesterday, but the real celebration is going to be this weekend. We will post some pictures of the "birthday girl" and the cake that she will be wearing.

Sorry it has been so long, life has really been keeping us busy.

God Loves Me

I had the privilege of sitting in my dad's Disciple I class this morning for Sunday School. We were discussing the book of 1 Corinthians. It was so much fun to hear other's opinions and perspectives on the same scripture, but in the middle of it all I heard something else. It was God reminding me that He loves me. A thought so simple, but so important to remember. You see we were trying to figure out why Paul was so confident when he was talking to the church in Corinth, when my dad brought it back to the point Paul was trying to make. It was then that God reminded me of His GREAT Love! All the little things in our lives don't matter: what I wear, how much money I make, how good of a job I do, ect. I worry about all the little things in life, who is right and who is wrong, but in the end - it doesn't matter. God wants us to know that He loves us, so he cares about the things we care about. I love Kylie with all my heart and long for her to know that she is loved and cared for. Therefore, I will sing, dance, play, and look goofy in public all for her to know that she is loved. God cares about me more than I care about Kylie, and in the same way he hears my prayers about the little worries I have in my life because he cares.

The last week has been absolutely crazy. Tre and I took the teens to Nashville for TNT @ TNU. It was an AMAZING trip!! We were in constant motion attempting to watch our teens perform at all of their events. I, being only one person, was unable to watch every teen at every event. But when I saw them, I was so proud! They have grown so much this year and it was fun to watch them knowing that their heart was performing for the ONE who mattered most.


This weekend, Tre and I drove to Charlotte, NC to watch my dad graduate from seminary. Riding in a car for 10 hours while Kylie had a slight temperature was not very enjoyable. However, to watch my dad receive his "hood" and degree made every mile worth it! Kylie earned brownie points beyond her comprehension as she smiled and played with my parents every day. It has been nice to visit and relax with them.

As I look back over the past week, my life has been a whirlwind. However, I am so thankful for the truth that I was reminded of this morning. God loves me. He loves me through my weaknesses and strengths; he loves me through it all. The best news is that He loves you too!

A New Step!

Kylie continues to move around the house! We have begun chasing her and telling her no when she gets into things that she doesn't need to be in. Today she began another milestone . . standing up. She has been leaning on things, but today she figured out how to pull herself up. Since then, she has done it several times. Here is a video of her new skill!!

Spring

So even though the pollen here is crazy and has completely covered my car, I am in love with Spring! The weather is absolutely perfect . . not too hot, but not too cold. I have enjoyed several afternoons in the new park and walking in my neighborhood.

We had a wonderful Easter weekend here in beautiful Clearwater. Again, the weather was perfect and we started the day with a breakfast in front of our church! We had a wonderful time at church celebrating our risen Savior. My favorite were the cardboard testimonies. Melissa, one of our teens who is in remission, walked across the stage for the first time to share how God has transformed her life. I'm not sure if there was a dry eye in the room. We spent the afternoon with half of Tre's extended family! It was a great time to eat and visit. Of course, the highlight was the egg hunt. Kylie wasn't quite sure of everything, but once she could put an egg in her mouth she was content.

We leave you with a glimpse of Kylie's first dance moves!