Millions of Miles

Remembering 2017

2017-12-31T14:50:00.001-05:00

We were driving in the car a few weeks ago and Sadie piped up, "Man. 2017 feels like a scooter to the ankle." I think I said something like, "Amen, sister”. I've been overwhelmed with the "bigness and heaviness" of this entire year. You know how you can just feel in your bones when you are in transition? My bones feel transient right now but there is an unknowing of what...

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15 Years

2017-09-07T12:06:00.002-04:00

Today marks 15 years since 2 starry eyed kids said “I do”. Kamron and I had no idea what we were in for when we committed our lives to each other way back in 2002. I’m not sure anyone ever does. Our first dance on our wedding day. September 7, 2002 This 15th year… well, it’s been trying… interesting… brutal and beautiful. This is the year I came...

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Big Ol' Hodgepodge

2017-05-04T10:46:00.000-04:00

So many things are happening around these parts. It's been so long since I updated this little ol' blog I thought that maybe a person by person play by play and highlights reel (and a reality check) would be in order! First things first... I know that so many people are wondering how our daughter is doing in residential treatment. That's a really hard question to answer. The...

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Unwrapping Christmas

2016-12-28T14:44:00.000-05:00

By this point, I am usually so ready for all the Christmas things to be over. Sometimes I fight the urge to take down the tree on Christmas night. The integrating of the presents seems to freak me out and I have a hard time with all the new things laying in boxes. My mind races about where new things will go... what needs to be returned... who do we awkwardly need to ask for...

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When You Need Help

2016-11-19T13:19:00.000-05:00

This is probably one of the hardest posts I've ever written. I've thought about it at least a hundred times in my head and every time I've sat down to type out the words, they don't come. The words don't make sense. Probably because my heart doesn't seem to make sense right now. And while I know that we don't owe anyone an explanation, I think there is freedom that comes...

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And Now She's A Teenager

2016-11-16T21:50:00.000-05:00

Dear Sadie, Today you became a TEENAGER. I can not for the life of me figure out how this is possible since I don't feel a day over 23. This morning I was remembering when you were born. You were a stubborn little thing and I was pretty convinced you were never going to decide to take up residence outside the womb. I waddled into the hospital at 41 weeks pregnant for an...

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Happy 10th Birthday, Noah!

2016-10-31T21:17:00.000-04:00

Dear Noah, Today you are TEN! A DECADE OLD! Oh my goodness. Cue the tears. Ten feels like a huge milestone. You had a big year. More important than anything else that happened this year- you gave your life to Christ. One Sunday afternoon in July, you asked me some questions about knowing for sure that you'd go to Heaven. Daddy and I prayed on the front...

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A New Thing

2016-08-02T20:05:00.001-04:00

A new thing is happening! Doing something new is hard and scary and oh so exciting. So, deep breath... One of my most hilarious friends, Rachel Webb, and I teamed up and started a podcast! It's so strange because for a looooong time I've been writing words here on the Internet and now I'll be speaking them. Ignore the Kentucky twang if it's at all possible. (It's not possible)...

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Happy 8th birthday, Miles!

2016-07-18T11:04:00.000-04:00

Dear Miles, Eight years old! Holy moly! What a year you've had. Lots of things changed this year. You crossed over to feel like "one of the big kids". We made the decision for you to go to a new school this year so you could get a little extra help and you blossomed into this super responsible kiddo. You were diagnosed with epilepsy and that changed a few little...

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So I Don't Forget

2016-06-21T11:43:00.000-04:00

Summer, oh summer. It's in full swing. It's been so long since I've posted, I was worried I'd forget the spring entirely. So here's a giant smattering of all the things that probably only the grandparents care about. YOU'RE WELCOME GRANDPARENTS! Miles went through this phase where every time he looked at the ground he would find a four leaf clover. He deemed himself...

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We Almost Lost Him

2016-04-13T13:10:00.000-04:00

I carried my son's unresponsive, lifeless body through the doors of the emergency room and put him in the arms of a trauma team. I know I was running, but my body felt like it was in slow motion. It was such an odd feeling... life rushing and flashing before my eyes and also slowing down to a crawl as we tried to rush to the hospital. It was the worst moment of my entire...

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Big Apple Birthday

2016-03-19T12:58:00.000-04:00

My main squeeze is turning 38 today. We are rapidly approaching the time where we've been together for half of our lives. Weird. Last weekend, I pulled off an epic birthday surprise. I am THE. WORST. at surprises. Never invite me to a surprise party- I will blow it. Birthday Boy For me to keep something a secret and actually not give it away is a pretty big deal....

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All The Christmas Things

2015-12-27T10:55:00.000-05:00

I find that the older I get, the more emotional the Christmas season makes me... and the more exhausted too. This year was one of the loveliest on record. It was full of all of our favorite people. It was full of traditions. It was full of wonder and amazement. It was low on expectations and very low on crazy behaviors for the kiddo in our family who struggles with...

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Random Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar (With Free Printable Advent Cards)

2015-11-29T15:54:00.000-05:00

Every year since my kiddos were toddlers, we have done what we dubbed "The 12 Days of Christmas Kindness". We did 12 days of service projects together as a family to help get us in the spirit of Christmas and to help combat the inevitable "gimmes" that the kids get around the holiday. When they were really little, they loved doing this. It was really fun for them. We...

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Happy 12th Birthday, Sadie!

2015-11-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

Dear Sadie, Happy birthday, love! Today you are 12. It's the last year before the teen years- and yes, I've already had all the tears about it. So here's the deal. This was the year of Sadie. For real, you conquered life like a boss this year. I'm just ridiculously proud of how you spread your wings and yet managed to stay true to yourself. You overcame a lot...

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Happy 9th Birthday, Noah!

2015-10-31T12:10:00.000-04:00

Dear Noah, What a year. Every year I wonder what in the world I can say about you that hasn't already been said. You are one of the great joys of my life and that joy just multiplies times infinity every year. You are the sweetest, most caring, most in tune with people's feelings child I've ever met. You just ooze compassion. You notice everything and are always quick...

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Life in Facebook Posts

2015-10-05T13:46:00.000-04:00

All the things we've been doing for the last MONTHS according to Facebook posts. I always have good intentions of blogging regularly. Yes, I do. Those fall apart. Dear children's babybooks, this is as good as it gets. July: Love. (from our annual Fourth of July bash) ***aside*** Kamron shaved his head. Seriously. I still can not figure...

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Happy 7th Birthday, Miles!

2015-07-04T07:28:00.000-04:00

Dear Miles, Happy 7th birthday! You are so stinkin' loved. This year you celebrated five years in our family- we can't really remember what life was like before you were here. I'm sure we must have been really bored because you keep us so entertained! Some highlights from your last year: *You started and finished first grade. *You played baseball on a team with Noah and...

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Hey, Weary Foster and Adoptive Moms- I See You (and God sees you, too)

2015-07-02T07:31:00.000-04:00

***This was originally written as a keynote speech for the Together In The Trenches retreat for weary foster and adoptive moms. *** Parenting is a tricky thing. It is the best of times and the worst of times. The most joyous thing imaginable and also the hardest thing imaginable. It is taking tiny little humans and helping them grow and become all that they want to be....

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So Many Things

2015-06-19T15:28:00.000-04:00

It's strange watching your kids grow up. There are so many times where I look back on the days when they were babies and I think, "WOAH! That was so much work!" That work just shifts around as they get older. It takes on a new life as they grow and get "their own lives". My kids now have their own activities and friends and clubs they are in that have absolutely nothing to...

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Glimpses of Hope

2015-06-17T12:53:00.000-04:00

We are coming off of the hardest six months of our lives. Truly, disasters compounded daily around these parts for months on end. Back in the late winter, my darling step father was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and we were all devastated. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and trying to get used to a chronic pain condition. We had a child who ran away more...

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Five Years With Miles

2015-02-23T10:02:00.000-05:00

Five years ago this month, I was stepping off of a plane in Kinshasa, DRCongo. Despite a plane ride that took up an entire day, my excitement of being in that beautiful country to meet my son for the first time overrode any feelings of tiredness. My precious friend, Cami, went on that trip with me. We made our way through the airport. We had been warned that the Kinshasa airport...

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Getting Back To Basics

2015-02-09T19:50:00.000-05:00

Right before the New Year, I had a long talk with myself about this here blog (that often gets very neglected). I tried to set goals about how often I would write here. Those thoughts were lofty and then somehow I settled on a goal that just said, "Write some". Perhaps I should take some goal setting classes, no? Lately, though, I've been reading through my early posts with my...

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A 30 Day Connected Kid Challenge (30 Connection Building Activities)

2015-01-29T10:51:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I lose my mom mojo. I usually find that this happens when one of my relationships with my kids is struggling. I know I'm not the only one riding the struggle bus in infinite circles right now. I love moms. I talk to moms constantly. I find that a lot of moms just get cooked- smoked all the way down to the filter. We have a million things on our plates....

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Mornings

2015-01-22T08:28:00.000-05:00

He bounds down the stairs every morning the minute he hears the coffee maker come on and leaps right into my arms. His little cheeks are soft on my cheeks and his sweaty little hands wrapped around my neck hold as tight as they can. "I love you so so much, Mommy." And then I melt. Every single morning. Noah is my my morning person. Sadie could sleep all day long if...

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