July 2026

Taylor invited the kids to go with Nora to see Toy Story 5. This was her first movie at the theater. 

We started off the 4th of July with a trip to Planet Fitness. The girls and I went to get a workout in together. 

Brinley was spraying water out of Landon's water bottle from the 2nd story window and he was trying to catch it in his mouth while standing on the ground. I got the silly idea to toss marshmallows down to him. The third one I surprised him with an egg that I dropped out of the window. He initially tried to catch it with his mouth and then slapped it away at the last second. He told me he thought I threw a rock. Probably not the best idea. I am glad that it didn't injure him in any way. 

Finished book number 13 for the year. 

Took an afternoon family walk and then at night went down to the end of the subdivision to watch the fireworks. They shot off one bottle rocket that ended up flying too close to us. The kids were ready to leave after that. 

I have really enjoyed being out in nature this year and seeing the sunrise and sunsets that God paints. 

A co-worker gave me some zucchini and I knew exactly what needed to be done with it. Turned it into some zucchini bread. 

Landon was going to be gone for his birthday at church camp so I told him we could go get pizza and snow cones one day before he left. This is what he normally likes to do on his birthday. Goodfellas is something he has gone to get the last 8 years. 

I heard about a special on Monday nights that kids could get a bucket of range balls for free. Landon went and hit an entire bucket. I tried to read a little while he was having fun. Who am I becoming - that I carry a book with me wherever I go.

Finally time to drop him off at church for camp. This is the last time that I will get to see Landon as a 12 year old. Where has the time gone?

Brinley was not very happy I took her picture on the way home from softball practice.  

Book #14 was a good one. Lots of interesting tips and advice on how to improve your habits. 

Since Landon was gone to camp - I decided to go to camp as well - Camp KCA. I always have a wonderful time while at camp. It is so much fun to see all these kids running around and playing. 

Landon wasn't allowed to take his phone with him to camp. This was the only view we got of our son on his 13th birthday. A dark Facetime video and he could barely hear us because the counselor's phone was all busted up. The call was just about 2 minutes long - so we didn't really get to hear about his day. Just wish him a happy birthday. 

Took both kids to the driving range. Brinley only got through half of her bucket before she got a blister and said she didn't want to do anymore. Landon was trying too hard and getting frustrated that the ball wouldn't do what he wanted it to. 

Since we missed his birthday we had a make up birthday. It started with beignets for breakfast. 

Then we picked up his friends Tate and Channing. They had lunch at Chick-fil-a and then we headed to Countdown Games to try and break out. Brinley went into the game with them, but she tried to just let the boys get out on their own. They were successful.

Landon had never told us anything that he wanted for his birthday. So, we had no idea what to get him. Jennifer got him some books and a Lego set of Groot. We also let him go to Kroger and pick out 13 things that he wanted. I was so surprised with some of his choices. We also took him out to Malone's.

Brinley got hit in the face with a softball at practice. She had her facemask on, but it still shook her up quite a bit. The next morning she complained of headache, dizziness, and nausea. I knew it was a concussion. The doctor's at work said we needed to get her checked out, so we brought her to the ER. They said it is no longer recommended to get imaging, so there was not really any purpose for her to come in. She could do activity as tolerated. Her concussion made the word "pickle" became extremely funny to her. 

Brinley felt well enough to go to youth group that night to participate in the food fight. I can't tell from this picture if she won or lost this fight. 

Landon decided to not participate in the food fight. Instead he decided to go to Chick-fil-a and use his new debit card. He went and got a order of fries and a water. Said it was the best tasting fries of his life. Apparently he doesn't know yet that things he doesn't pay for usually taste better. 

June 2026

June started with me walking downstairs to find the bananas peeling themselves. It made me laugh so I had to snap a picture of them before I threw them away. 

Our anniversary was spent dropping Brinley off at the church to go to camp. She made the decision to skip her 8th grade promotion/graduation to attend camp. I pray that she always chooses to pick God over things even when it isn't the traditional or easy decision. 

Brinley requested pictures of her dog while she was away at camp. I snapped this one on the last day of school when we took Landon to get a celebratory snow cone. 

Probably the best picture that has ever been taken of this wild dog. 

Jennifer and I went out for a lunch date. She doesn't like it as much, but Big Kahuna is one of my favorite spots in town. 

McKinley and the family went on a trip to celebrate their anniversary. That meant that I got to go spend some time with Lexi. She is always happy to see me when they are out of town because that means she gets lots of back rubs. 

Landon's arm is still hurt so he started summer baseball off with just being a hitter. For a kid that only bats and runs the bases he sure does know how to get dirty. Jennifer is not a fan either because that is the only uniform they have right now, so she has to clean it for the next day. She had to wash four times to get all the dirt off. 

Jennifer read this book when we started the process of becoming foster parents. She suggested that I read it too. I think that it opened my eyes to a lot of things that I hadn't even thought of being issues. I pray daily for any child that gets placed in our home that we can share the love of God with them and that we can help this family during the difficult time that they are going through. 

Beautiful sunset on the way home from a baseball field. God paints the most beautiful pictures. 

I moved some things around in the house and finally got all my puzzles put together. Here is my collection of jigsaw puzzles. 

I went and volunteered at Kid's Cancer Alliance summer camp. I got to see the most beautiful sunset while I was out playing basketball with one of my patients. 

I also finished this puzzle while at camp too. 

Landon had a tournament in Louisville. The final two teams playing in the championship were both from Lexington. The other team was quite a few guys who we have played with on other teams as a pickup player. We lost in the championship, but it was a good weekend of baseball. Landon's arm was feeling better, so he finally played in the outfield. The cutoffs came out further into the grass and he would run in the ball and short toss to them. It was good to see him out there catching fly balls. 

Brinley and I embarked on a journey of a lifetime. We signed up to go on a mission trip to Honduras. Jennifer and Landon dropped us off at the Lexington airport at 5 am for our flight. We had one connecting flight to catch in Atlanta. 

We arrived at the airport in San Pedro Sula and boarded a school bus with some local guides. We stopped to eat lunch at Power Chicken before heading to the compound where we would be staying. Since Brinley was the only girl on the trip we got to stay in our own building together. It was a very nice set up. It was a three bedroom house with a kitchen and living room. We stayed in one room together with bunk beds. The most terrifying thing was the showers. They referred to it as a suicide shower. There were exposed wires above your head which was how the water was heated. I tried not to get my hands anywhere close to them while in the shower. I brought some games and a puzzle along with us. Brinley put the puzzle together all by herself on the very first night we were there while everyone else was playing cards. 

On Father's Day we had a fun stop at the only Starbuck's in Honduras. It had just been recently built and we stopped in for a treat. Brinley was so excited to get her refresher. I don't get anything at Starbuck's so I instead pulled up the game changer to see how Landon's game was going. I have not missed many of Landon's games over the years - mainly because I am typically on the coaching staff. Well, when I pulled it up Landon was up to bat with 2 outs and losing by two. This boy hit a walk off over the fence home run to win the game. I was so pumped! Then I was a little sad that I missed it. Then I thanked God that he allowed me the opportunity to watch it on my phone live. I was so proud of this little guy. What an awesome Father's Day. Brinley was a little upset about it because I have always told her she would be my power hitter. I told her if she continues to work, she will hit some over too!

We did a scavenger hunt in the supermarket. It was interesting seeing all the USA brands and then all the foods native to the area. It was also difficult seeing all the prices in lempira instead of dollars. 

We toured the Lifeline school where they provide education to the local children. The school is free for children until 6th grade, but then the family has to pay for the rest of their schooling. I believe they said it was about $10 a month, which doesn't seem like much except these people live on about $2 a day - which makes it much more costly. The rooms are all open air and they have done some beautiful artwork on the walls. The principal took us around and told us the names of the teachers. Later we took a prayer walk and went to the classrooms praying over the students and teachers. 

We also got to tour the clinics that Lifeline also built for the community. They have a doctor's office, dental clinic, optometrist, and pharmacy. 

Brinley didn't want to play soccer with me and the students. Instead, she met some of the students from the school and talked with them. Some of the students could speak some English, but other times it was difficult to communicate. 

Brinley showing off the Lempira that we got exchanged so that we could have money to spend while in Honduras. This is the way she decided to showcase her bills. 

We took a long two hour bus ride to visit another church that Lifeline had helped to start. The countryside was beautiful on the drive. I was just so thankful that the roads were paved. Some of them close to the compound were so full of potholes that it was a very bumpy ride at times. Brinley was excited to be listening to her music on the drive. I spent most of the time asking questions of our Lifeline leader Nate. He had been to Honduras on many different occasions so had lots of insight into how the culture works. 

This was the church that we went to visit. It was actually the back of the preacher Carlos' home. They invited 13 American strangers into their home. They were so nice and we even kicked around a soccer ball in the sanctuary.  

The church - which was built on to the back of the preacher's house. Pictured here is Nate, our leader for the week - he works for Lifeline. 

Carlos had been ministering to lots of people in the community. He took us to some rice fields where one of the men who he has been trying to get to come to church works. I had never seen rice fields before, but it looked like very hard work. They have to walk in the muddy/water filled fields barefoot because their boots get stuck in the mud. They also only work from 6 am until noon because after that it is too hot to be out working. 

He also showed us the rest of the property and his livestock. He also planted a whole field of corn that he and his family would eat. Honduras has such warm weather year-round that they can plant crops twice every year. 

Carlos also took us to some other families in the community. Through our translators we were able to hear their story. We were able to share some Bible verses with them, encourage them, and pray for them and their family. They were all very welcoming for 13 strangers to come into their home and talk with them. This was such a powerful part of the trip because I struggle with opening up and sharing my faith with others - especially strangers. Everyone was so welcoming and I felt like they were so nice and thankful that we were there. 

We did a little painting at the clinic - with a fresh coat of green paint. We were also supposed to do a daily devotional every morning before going out to whatever task we had planned. I snapped a picture of Brinley while she was doing hers one day. I also brought a couple of gloves and a softball with us. We played pitch and catch a couple of times and even played with a couple of the children that lived at the compound. 

This was my absolute favorite picture that I took on our adventures. I'm not even sure if these two girls were able to communicate, but I know that they both have joy and a smile on their faces. 

On a bus trip - some more of the beautiful scenery. We even spotted a Chiquia banana warehouse. The middle picture is of the banana trees - the bags that were in the trees are covering the bananas so that insects and animals don't eat them. 

We went to a school and talked to the kids about our careers. Eli talked about wanting to be a barber - actually cutting his dad's hair. Daniel talked about being a paramedic - he did CPR with a balloon. I did a talk about being a nurse - I brought stethoscopes so that the kids could listen to one another. Brian talked about being an engineer - he had the kids do a project trying to build the largest spaghetti tower. We all had a lot of fun teaching these kids. After this we headed to the site where they are building a new school. We prayed over the completion of the building and all the students and teachers that will come in it over the years. 

We went to have lunch at La Plaza Tacos. This is a business that Lifeline has helped to set up with a church in the community. It assists women who have fallen on hard times and gives them a place to live and a job to get back on their feet. The food was delicious. The kids all signed their names on the side of the building. 

Then the ladies took us inside the kitchen and taught us how to cook tostones - which is a fried plantain and some fresh pico de gallo. It was really simple to make and tasted delicious. 

For a little fun we headed to the beach in Omoa. Brinley and I didn't want to swim so we just walked up and down the beach and she picked up some seashells. We ended up running into someone from back home in Kentucky. She said she noticed my UK Healthcare shirt and talked with the guys out in the water. 

This was so crazy to me. A pizza kiosk - where you could just pull up and grab a pizza. They didn't even make the pizzas - they were delivered and just put in a hot box until someone bought it.

Our last full day in Honduras we were supposed to go on a hike with the seniors at the school to the Coca-Cola sign. However, we found out that you had to get tickets in advance and our leaders had not gotten them. So, we improvised and redid all of our career talks with the older students.

After the career day talks, we played some games and hung out with the seniors. Brinley and I played volleyball, while all the boys played a highly competitive game of soccer. They had even brought their cleats with them. I struggled playing with the elementary aged kids - so no way I was joining to play with them. Brinley got out her polaroid camera and took a picture for these girls. They thought it was great and all wanted one. Their names were Alejandra, Stephanie, and Bailey. They told Brinley that she was beautiful. 

After a trip into San Pedro Sula to pick up some souvenirs we headed back to the school one more time to do an English learning class with some students. We sat at a table with Bitia, Astrid, Keren and Maycal. I was so impressed with how well they knew how to spell and say English words from the games we played with them. Again, Brinley broke out her camera and took some pictures of the kids. They all enjoyed getting to take one home. Unfortunately, she ran out of film and couldn't give one to each kid. 

These two ladies kept us fed every night. We got to try a lot of traditional Honduran dishes. I could not thank Dana and Maria enough.

The last night in Honduras we had our devotion and then we all found a spot to talk with our children. We had a written them letters to give to them. I tried to read it to her, but I got too emotional and I couldn't. Brinley is a wonderful young lady and I have made so many mistakes as a father, but I just wanted her to know that I love her no matter what she does in life. This trip was an amazing God filled week meeting where we got to meet our brothers and sisters in Christ in Honduras. I am so thankful that I got to experience it all with Brinley. 

Some of the places in Honduras were unreal that it was living conditions for some people. The top picture is of a river that ran through San Pedro Sula - it was the foulest smell I had ever smelt. People live along this river and people and animals scrounged around looking for anything useful. The roads were mostly dirt when you got out of the city and full of lots of potholes. There were so many roadsides stands where people bought their food and drinks. I have never seen more Pepsi and Coke signs in my life. 

These people all became like family to us. Keren was our interpreter. She sat next to us almost at every meal and it allowed me to ask questions, which I love to do. Annette was our interpreter in training - she was more shy and didn't talk as much. Then we had our drivers Alex and Antonio. These men were a lot of fun and kept us safe while away from the compound. Lastly little Alex who loved to try and scare me. He really wanted to throw with Brinley and I every time we got out there to throw. 

On the plane ride back to the United States I finished reading a book for the second time. It is called Radical by David Platt and it was the catalyst that started me on the journey to go out on a mission trip. 

Got home and the kids wanted to see this movie called Backrooms. It is quite possibly the worst movie I have ever seen in theaters, but the kids enjoyed it.