Snow Storm Jonas 2016

and no I didn't name the darn thing, if so it would have had a much different name.....

Started with freezing rain and ice at 5:00 am, then switched over to snow around 7 am and continued to hammer down on us for the next 24-30 hours or so.

I think we ended up with 12-13 inches of snow on top of layers of ice. We have been stuck inside since Thursday night. I ended up missing two days of work, and Brian missed one. He was able to get out and go to work today. Looks like the kids are going back sometime in April.... Just kidding! I hope soon, real soon.

Splash 2016

Haven is back in the full swing of cheer. She is so fun to watch, we just love her facial expressions. She is becoming quite the little cheerleader, she can now do her backhand spring and is learning to be a base slightly. So far we have traveled to Nashville, Lexington, Morehead with many more events yet to come. Good Luck Splash!!!

It's been Two Years

Let me just start by saying that this is one of my favorite photos of Hadley Caroline, this was taken in our living room by my sister Crystal. I'm posting this a few months late, but that's my style sometimes.
       On November 25,2013 this little doll rocked changed our world for the better! I will never forget the first time we laid eyes on her, both by photo and in person. We have been so completely blessed to have this girl come into our family. It's not been the easiest road to travel down, but I'm glad we chose it anyway. We have had challenges, which all families do, but we have conquered them with love, lots of patience some days, time and energy. Nothing is easy when raising children, and that can be said about biological children, adopted children, foster children, and even children with special needs. I catch myself sometimes thinking Hadley is more like me then any of my other children. Hadley likes things her way and her way only (who does that sound like Brian?). Hadley is strong willed and determined and never backs down, a trait I both love and hate. She has come out of her shell in many ways, one being that she lets me love her the way that most moms love on their children. She is more clingy to me then she used to be, and for that I am grateful. I would be lying if I said there are no fears in adopting a child. I try to keep my fears locked up almost all of the time but every now and then I will catch one trying to make it's way to the surface. A spirit of curiosity takes over. I wonder what her China mother is doing, if she's thinking about her. I wonder if Hadley will one day resent the fact that her biological mother is not part of her life. I sometimes worry so much about her future teenage years and rebellion that I want to run away. Then I hear God whisper so softly in my spirit "Child, be not afraid. These fears are all on the devil. Stay the course for I am with you always."
     Hadley has come so far in her physical abilities too. She was just discharged from both PT and OT through her preschool because she has met all of her goals. Hadley has improved in speech too, although she is still not articulating words, she is making lots of sounds. I just know it won't be long before she is talking. Hadley is also getting more accustomed to wearing her implants with little fuss now in the morning when we put them on. It's been almost one year getting to this point though. We just met with her educators at school and if things keep going the way they are now she will be moving to Kindergarten next year. I am not ready for that. Back in November we started taking Hadley to Lexington every other Friday for additional speech therapy through the Lexington Hearing and Speech Center, and Mrs. S is wonderful!!! Oh how I long for the day that Hadley is able to talk, and make herself heard. I know there are days she gets so frustrated not being able to communicate what she wants to.

I can't wait to see what God has in store for her, I'm sure it will be out of this world.

I love you so much sweet Hadley Caroline!!!! I'm so very blessed to get to call you mine.

Family Fun Day

Here we are (minus me) at the skating rink for our family fun day. I took the picture, and no I DIDN'T Skate. I'm to smart for that!!! Just kidding Brumley people, I'm to scared that I'll fall and break myself. I really don't want to be in traction this year, or ever for that matter. I did watch and I have to admit that some of those Brumley people can skate...

and some of us, well we just like to watch....

The older boys played laser tag while the others skated. It was a good day, and even better that nobody got hurt.

Hagan's 10th

                Hagan is now in the double digits, I just can't believe it! Where did my baby boy go?
This little red head is the funniest thing in our house, besides his mamma of course. There's not a day that goes by that he's not cracking us up. He is stubborn, smart, and very sensitive. He would kill me if he knew I put that last part in there.

We had a small family gathering, dinner and then cake and ice cream. I'm not so sure this will go down in his favorite birthday book, because he was very moody that night and he ended up pouting more than laughing.

He asked for a bike, and that's what he got. However, he wasn't to amused at the Nike pull over we got him. Go figure! I'm done trying to please children all the time, I even told him I would take it back but that seemed to upset him even more. New prayer for the War room "Lord, please help me show my children a spirit of contentment! I want to lead by example, so place a spirit of contentment in me." I hope that next year we have a better party all the way around.

Cookies and hot coco for the big man......

Everyone is quite and asleep in the bed.......

Then they wake up at the butt-crack of dawn to tell me Santa came..... Gotta love Christmas morning the best day of the year. I love hearing them tip-toe down the stairs, scoot around the living room and identify the piles of presents. The things I hear them say "Oh my Gosh, he came, he came, he came" then they say "and we weren't even that good this year!" at least they know they've misbehaved.

Looks like Santa was good to them this year too.

Hunter's 19th

So we celebrated this big guy's 19th birthday one week before Christmas. I'm dealing with the fact that he is growing into a semi-independent young man. He made it through his first semester at college, and well I'm dealing with that too. If you would have asked me 19 years ago what the hardest thing about being a parent was, I probably would have said things such as; going without a lot of sleep, the financial worries of raising a baby, finding reliable childcare, and at that time I would have been doing that all by myself as a single mother at the age of 18. Now if you ask me I would have to say; watching him drive off to college every Sunday afternoon, worrying that he will thrive in school and in his life, and praying that God protects him from all of life's troubles. Being a parent is the hardest but most rewarding job in the world, something you can't take lightly. I am so proud of this young man! Some days I look at him and think "Wow, I got something right in life" and I am so grateful that God has blessed me with a wonderful husband who is the only father Hunter knows. Brian has been such an amazing father for our children, a great example for them to follow.
Hunter is majoring in Criminal Justice in hopes to one day join the FBI. He is starting his second semester as a freshman at the University of the Cumberlands. Hunter is also excited to get the opportunity to play the sport he loves, football in the fall. We couldn't be more proud of him.

The Christmas tree and the parade

The tree, a little big but so pretty!

Over 800 lights to make her glow!

New Family ornaments for 2015: Our annual Family ornament, One from my trip to New York, and One from Greg and Angelica from their trip to Nashville.

Decorating the tree.

Time for the Christmas Parade

This year Haven participated in the Somerset Christmas parade with Pep & Pizzazz for the presentation of the Nutcracker, and Brian and Hagan participated with the boys scouts