Why yes, that is my handsome soldier and fat-cheeked first baby. 
It’s hard to make out in this picture but there is a shiny, yellow lovey laying on top of him. It’s frayed and worn and not too shiny anymore but he still sleeps with his lovey every night. The thumb sucking didn’t stop until he was six.
This snowsuit worn by Foster his first winter walking was the same one that my little brother wore when he was one.
Shortly before his first birthday, Foster loved climbing in and out of this rocker. The rocking chair was Chris’s when he was little.
Category Archives: Foster
Be still my heart…
Just a few more days…
In just a few more days my first born will be 8 years old. I have a lot of pictures I want to scan in but my wireless router is not working and my awesome printer/scanner is wireless. Sooo… anyway, looks like I might have to just write about him for the next few days and hope that the pictures will come soon. Since I know my mom loves them. 
I am his mother so I know I am extremely biased but here are a few things I love about Foster:
- His love of God and His Word
- His tender heart and sensitive spirit
- His gentleness
- His sense of humor
- His patience
- That he is a thinker and therefore gets distracted easily
- His willingness to help others
- How he so easily forgives
- His appreciation and love of books and reading
- His fascination with Legos
- His hatred of any form of potatoes (except French fries)
- His love of hunting and fishing and being outdoors
I could go on and on. Foster isn’t perfect, but he was an easy baby, a cute, fat toddler and a bright, inquisitive pre-schooler. I am so glad I am homeschooling because I can’t imagine missing all that time with him every day. Right now Foster talks about becoming a wildlife biologist, a missionary, and “someone who goes to China and convinces them to stop slavery”.
Some things that we would like Foster to learn at this point in his life are how to stick up for himself when being bullied and how to stay focused on the tasks he should be doing.
For now these are a few pictures I have handy…
Wordless Wednesday: California
Foster, Katie and Theodore on our family trip to California – June 2011
Scout Sunday
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| Foster reading to Theodore from Theodore’s Bible |
This was Boy Scout Sunday. Foster wore his uniform to church. I love how some of the older gentlemen light up when they see his uniform. They enjoy telling him of when they or their sons were in Scouts. Foster has really enjoyed being a part of Cub Scouts. His goal is to become an Eagle Scout. Chris and I plan to do everything we can to help him achieve that goal!
“I think that American leadership is vital to peace and prosperity and the advancement of democracy in the world, and that requires having strong leaders. And I don’t think there’s any organization in the world, certainly not in the United States, that better prepares young men for leadership in this country than the Boy Scouts of America–in teaching leadership skills, in teaching values, in teaching importance of standing up for what’s right.”
Bob Gates, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
H.C.I.N
A little over a year ago, Foster found out that one of his fellow cub scouts and family were in the process of adopting two children from Ghana, Africa. Since then he has it on his mind all the time how he can help orphans or any child in need. He, Katie and Theodore also talk a lot about the homeless and how they can help them.
Over Christmas, instead of buying gifts for us, Chris and I told the kids they could use their piggy bank money to give to Habitat for Humanity. They were so excited, they drew a great picture and took their money to the main office. Foster told his daddy he wants to go to the work site and actually help build the house.
It seems that Foster is always thinking of ways to earn more money to put in his H.C.I. N. fund. His Grammy helped him come up with the name Helping Children In Need. He puts all his spare change and money he gets others to donate in the jar. He helps neighbors with jobs and just basically asks people to give. He brainstorms about how to raise more money, bake sales, lemonade stands, car washes, etc.
I love him for the passion he feels about other children who are in need of the basic things he and his sibling take for granted, like clean water, food, clothes.
It does my heart good so see how God has worked in him and how He will work through him.
His 8th birthday is coming up soon. In some ways, he is all boy, running, yelling, pretending he is Davy Crockett, teasing his sister. But in many other ways, he is tender-hearted, kind and patient. He loves God and His word. He often sets an example for me to follow.
Mother Lion
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| Foster age 7 (at Aunt Lele’s house) |
For January, we have had a few really warm days this week. My kids LOVE playing outside. Foster has had 2 of his neighbor friends come over and jump on the trampoline and wrestle and chase and do all that fun boy stuff with him the past couple of days. It makes me really happy to see him happy, hanging out with his friends. But today, when we got in the van, he started to tell me that his friends had been calling him names, being really rough with punches, spit on him, kept his shoes from him after I told him to get ready to go, and blocked him from coming in the house. He is not a tattle-tale kind of kid. So when his lip was quivering and his eyes starting to water, I knew it had to have been bad. I felt like a mother lion. All of a sudden I had this surge of anger, I wanted to go over and let those boys have it. I tried to remain calm and asked Foster if he would mind if I called their mom. Surprisingly, he said that he thought I should. I told him they need a chance to teach them not to act like that. I hurt for him, they are 2 of his closest buddies. The phone call was well-received.
When I took Katie to a all girl birthday party this evening I remembered another “mother lion” moment in my past. I was on the other end of things though.
When I was in middle school I had a TON of slumber parties. I’m not sure why my parents indulged me with them, maybe because my brother hadn’t come along yet and I was still an only child. They would allow me to invite 8-12 girls at a time! I was not in the “popular” crowd in middle school. I was, however, only one level lower, which meant that I could still invite the popular girls and they would come as their own clique. I also invited girls who were actually my friends, some from my huge neighborhood or from my classes. One particular party, the “popular” girls got to my house and asked if a girl named Katie would be there. I told them yes. The problem was they didn’t like her. The next 15 minutes was a blur, it all happened so fast. The doorbell rings and one of the girls answers the door. Katie is there. The girl yells at Katie “THERE’S NO PARTY HERE! GO HOME!” laughs, and shuts the door in her face. Just a few minutes later the doorbell rings again and I answer, wanting to tell Katie that I am sorry and explain what happened. Well, it wasn’t Katie. It was her mom. She started yelling at me and the main thing I will always remember is her saying “I AM LIKE A MOTHER LION WHEN IT COMES TO MY CHILD.” I thought then that I understood what she meant. I didn’t. Not then. But I do now.
Relationship
Chris and Foster have spent a lot of time together the past couple of weeks. Foster has gone dove hunting a couple of times with him. When Chris was working on his truck for over a week Foster was out there by his side trying to “help”. I am glad they have a good relationship right now and want to encourage and support that anyway I can. One way that is important is to have daddy involved in the daily discipline even when he’s not right there. And I don’t mean the “wait until your father gets home” scare tactic way. Yesterday, Foster made a bad choice. And instead of giving him his consequence I told him I needed to talk to his daddy and then we would decide and get back to him. When Chris arrived home, I told Foster to tell him what had happened and they went to a room alone to “discuss” it. Chris and I did settle on a consequence. But I think even more important was the conversation he was forced to have with his father. Chris said when Foster first came to tell him he started by saying “this isn’t an easy thing for kids to have to tell”. And with age and worse offenses it won’t get any easier but when you think of a parent-child relationship you are not just training them for their relationship with you. We are training them to know how to be in a relationship with God. It’s never easy to go to God, your heavenly father, and say “hey I messed up really bad today” but it’s important. How can we ask for forgiveness if we don’t admit what we did wrong first?
Foster’s Five
“It’s hard to believe!” That’s what most people say around a child’s birthday. And it’s true, it really is hard to believe my firstborn son is 5 years old. We had a low key homemade birthday this year. It turned out to be a good idea since Chris and I both had a stomach virus the few days before his birthday and then Theodore, Katie and Foster were sick by the time Saturday rolled around. Foster was just getting sick but he was a little out of it all day. I know he enjoyed decorating the cake and all the presents he received. He’s such a special kid. I never realized what a gentle and sweet spirit someone could have until I met Foster Owen Grubb. Of course, I am the mommy and so I am very biased but your mom is supposed to be your #1 fan right?
One of Foster’s best gifts came from Papaw. It is a REAL gun, and Papaw made him a case (with a lock) to display it in. Chris can’t wait to get him out in the woods and let him shoot. It’s so funny because when I was younger I was really into the ANTI-gun stuff. I always swore I would never have guns in my house or around my kids. Boy how things change. God blessed me with a husband who is a hunter and is from a family of hunters so that I could see the other side of the coin. It’s not the guns that can hurt kids but the carelessness of the adults in their lives. Foster has already gone on 2 dove hunts with Chris and went on his first deer hunt this winter. And SAFETY ranks first priority. Foster also received a tackle box and some lures so he’s ready for fishing, too.
I struggled for the 2 weeks before his birthday. I think I cried every night when I tucked him in. I tried to explain to him that Mommy has seen him grow and change so much. From the time he was in my womb, to starting to crawl and walk, to talking and running, and now as he learns so much every day. It’s hard to believe he’s just a short time from reading and he can ride a bicycle without training wheels. He can count to 100 and write his name. And he’s growing spiritually, sometimes all I need is to hear him pray and I feel so much closer to God. I wasn’t crying and having a hard time because he is growing so fast but because I feel so blessed. Blessed that he made it to 5 without major illnesses or broken bones! Blessed that he is happy and healthy and smart! Blessed that he asks a million questions a day and would rather you read him a book than anything else. I am just so blessed by getting to know this person and I thank God for him. The depth of God’s love I felt, of course, before I had a son but after I have had my firstborn son for these 5 years and then to think what I would do to protect him, it sheds a whole new light on what God sacrificed for me.
He sent HIS firstborn SON to die for me and my wretched, selfish ways.
Thank you God for my sweet, little boy and for the hope that is in you through your Son Jesus Christ!
It’s our house…
One of the lastest interests for everyone at our house is to make a “house” out of all the pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, etc. that aren’t nailed down. When I unloaded the Christmas tree from this box they were very excited. Foster and Theodore were in the “house” as Katie did most of the running and loading of all things soft into their new home. The funny thing is the box lasted much longer than I thought and kept everyone entertained for a least an hour, even little Theodore had a blast. Nothing beats a cardboard box, soft stuff and an imagination.
Foster’s first hunting trip (take 2)
Foster and Daddy with one of the deer they shot on Foster’s first deer/turkey hunt. Chris got two deer and no turkey, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He shot one while Foster was asleep beside him in the blind and Foster didn’t even wake up. Foster helped him “track” the deer by following the blood trail and that was definitely a highlight of the trip for him. Foster hung in there, even with temperatures in the teens at times. I truly believe he would follow his Daddy anywhere. I know it’s not as easy to take a 4 year old on a deer hunt but he is giving his son a priceless gift by making those memories. I hope I remember to tell my husband what a good daddy he is today! Foster spent all weekend after Thanksgiving asking when he gets to go again. And I used on of those all time classic parenting answers ” I don’t know, you’ll have to ask your daddy…”
All the Little Grubbs 