Katie | All the Little Grubbs

A New Year

Foster, foster care, gratitude, Jonah, Katie, marriage, memories, Parker, Theodore January 5, 2021 Leave a comment

As a whole, humanity seems extremely happy to put the year 2020 behind them and move into 2021.

Personally, I feel the same! Some really great things happened in 2020 but the high amount of stress and anxiety has overshadowed it all.

I began walking for exercise in 2020. When our first required quarantine began in March, I decided to try and start walking for exercise and it turned out it was more needed for mental health than anything else!

I had some very consistent walking months, started gaining strength and losing weight. Then we got a call from DCS and our year turned from confusing and stressful to a chaotic mess.

Our little Chatterbox showed up from being up all night in the ER and DCS office. She had on some clothes that the DCS office had on hand that were too large and the wrong season. She slept for hours on our couch where the DCS worker laid her.

I didn’t have anything for her. DCS had sent a bag of random items that a local church or non-profit had made into an essentials bag. Unfortunately, there were no clothes, no pajamas included.

I had been planning to go with some friends to lunch and shopping that day. Instead, they went without me and did some shopping for me since I didn’t have another adult here to stay home with Chatterbox.

Another positive of 2020, has been seeing how people are willing to love on Chatterbox (and us by extension). They’ve sent her clothes, gifts and brought us meals during some rough patches. If it wasn’t for Covid, I’m sure I could have called on them to babysit.

My kids continued to meet milestones!

Foster was able to get his license and become the proud owner of his first car.

Katie started high school and participated as a member of the local public high school cross country team.

Theodore broke his arm and showed just how tough and resilient he really is. He was cracking jokes almost immediately.

Parker has bonded with Chatterbox and will do anything to help her laugh and feel better. His soft heart is evident.

Jonah has shown that ART is life. He’s creating from the moment he wakes up until the very last moment his eyes are open. He received 7 blank sketchbooks for Christmas and he couldn’t have been more excited.

If I had to pinpoint one thing, though, the most positive from 2020 would be how much closer Chris and I have become as a couple. And how much stronger our marriage is. The stretches of time he’s had at home have been beneficial for all of us. I’m very grateful to be married to my best friend. Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of our first date. I’m so thankful for the past 20 years and plan to savor the next 40+ together.

Christmas 2019

daddy, Family, Foster, gratitude, holiday, Jonah, Katie, Lego, memories, Parker, Theodore, Uncle Anthony January 3, 2020 Leave a comment

Christmas break has been just the right amount of slow with small spurts of busyness. It’s been full of sweet surprises and moments and laughter. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with this family of mine!

Thanksgiving 2019

Family, Foster, gratitude, holiday, Jonah, Katie, memories, Parker, Theodore January 1, 2020 Leave a comment

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Ms. Debbie’s daughters (Becky and Amy), Bethany’s family and my family attempted to get a quick photo shoot in for a surprise Christmas gift for Debbie and Al of all 10 grandkids. We had to pull it off quickly on Thanksgiving day because some of the family members were in from out of town, the weather was chilly and there were 2 four-month-old babies involved.

I’m glad we took the time and money to do this and look forward to ten years from now when we can re-create it (possibly with some great-grandkids!).

Then once we yelled at our kids to smile and stop squinting and “act like you like each other” for a few minutes, we headed to Aunt Diane’s and Uncle Walt’s for Thanksgiving dinner and time with family.

I didn’t take any food pictures or family pictures that day, but I should have! Aunt Lele and Uncle Mark and Cousin Megan, Jordan and little, sweet Rylan were in from out of town. We don’t get to spend nearly enough time with them since they moved to Nashville several years ago.

I am so thankful to Aunt Diane and Uncle Walt for always opening up their home. The Grubb family traditions are my favorite parts of the holidays.

Katie turns 13…and 14

birthdays, Katie, memories November 23, 2019 Leave a comment

14th…

13th…(a party year)

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Lego Fun

children, Foster, growing-up, Katie, Lego, memories, Parker, siblings, Theodore November 9, 2019 Leave a comment

Homeschool Year 10 – A Day in the Life

blessings, children, choices, faith, Foster, God's goodness, gratitude, homeschooling, Jonah, Katie, memories, Monday Memory, motherhood, parenting, Parker, priorities, siblings, teenagers, Theodore July 30, 2018 Leave a comment

I have an app on my phone that causes me to have the competing emotions of happiness and sadness daily. You may have heard of Timehop? After beginning our tenth homeschool year last week, a few pictures from 7 years ago came across my screen. 2011. Foster was in 2nd grade, Katie in 1st grade, Theodore was almost 4, Parker had just turned 2 and I was 7 months pregnant with Jonah.

I think there were about 6 pictures but I found myself analyzing everything. The place we lived at the time, the school books they were working in or toys they were playing with. It was a homeschool day-in-the-life but I wanted more! I wish I’d taken a picture of myself with my ginormous belly. I barely remember those days. I remember them but I can’t transport myself back to feeling the same, when I only had one child who was beginning to read and still had someone in diapers. When I had fatigue and hormones and very little patience. When we were still adjusting to the loss of Chris’s mom and the fact that his dad was about to remarry. When Chris was new to his job at the airport and our purse strings were pulled extremely tight. Scraping by to feed and clothe and house a family of 6 (almost 7).

It’s the looking back that affirms our choices. We can ponder and speculate all day long the “what-if’s” of life and try to feel confident in what the future will hold, but the looking back reassures me that while at the time it felt too difficult to be good, that God did honor our choices and is continuing to care for us and give us an abundant life. If someone had said to that tired, overwhelmed, burned out, struggling momma that she’d be mentally and emotionally strong enough to become a foster mom, I’m sure she would have said you were crazy. Or that she’d have the courage to homeschool her children through high school! At that time I was still trying to figure out how to get someone from reading c.a.t. to reading chapter books. Oh the stress!

Today I stalked my children and took some day-in-the-life photos. In another 7 years, I’ll be able to look back and praise God for what He was doing, what He was teaching all of us on those days.

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Katie turns 12

gratitude, Katie, memories November 24, 2017 Leave a comment

My girl! She’s growing up. This past year she has changed a lot, I feel like the teen years start early for girls. She’s had all the emotions and feelings and some friend drama sprinkled in. She’s asking bigger questions and digging deeper to find answers. She cries a little easier, especially if she thinks she has disappointed her daddy or I. She snaps a little faster if someone is hateful or rude to her. But she is still so kind and patient. She is smart, eager to learn. She loves Science and World Geography and she tackled a 2000 piece puzzle and completed it in 2 weeks. I’m so proud of her and can’t wait to see all the amazing things she will do.

Katie turns 11

children, Family, friends, Katie December 14, 2016 Leave a comment

My first little baby girl turned 11 years old in October. She has continued to be thoughtful, kind, giving and loving. She loves to laugh. She’s been changing and becoming a little more sensitive (pre-teen years here we come). What makes her such a good helper now and what will make her an excellent leader in the future is that she MUST know what is going on. She tends to eavesdrop on adult conversations so she can have all the information and then likes to quickly pass on the info to her brothers and friends. She has requested that she have her own planner she can write in and one of her first questions every day is “so, what’s on the schedule for today?” She likes to plan ahead and make cards for others (I think she made 40 Christmas cards to hand out to different family and friends). Her enthusiasm for life is contagious! It was her turn this year to have a party so we had a family dinner and a friend party. Nothing Pinterest worthy, but she said it was the best one yet.

Cross Country 2016

body image, children, Foster, homeschooling, Katie, spinal fusion, sports, Theodore, weight loss December 12, 2016 Leave a comment

TBT: Ghetto Pool

blessings, children, daddy, Foster, GSMNP, Katie, memories, parenting, Parker, siblings, Summer, Theodore, Throwback Thursday May 5, 2016 Leave a comment

This throw-back Thursday is dedicated to the ghetto pool and the years where we were basically drowning in littles. Good thing we have some pictures because it’s pretty much a blur.