Adoption Day (2)

This is a continuation of last night's post when I was too tired to wait on our slow computer to download pictures.  So, here are a few more from the day:

All 4 Humphrey men

Can you tell there were people on both sides taking pictures?

Mimi and Pa joined us for the event

Celebration Dinner

Drew and his sidekick (Pretty much wherever Drew is, you'll find Jeremy)

Dad and the "L-train" as he calls Lucas

Since everyone was having pictures in twos, Ian insisted on his picture with Pa

And this one is for you, Aunt Linsday.  Brenna loves lemons, even though they caused a pretty hilarious face!

(4 posts at once so keep reading if you care to see more pictures!)

Meet Jeremy

Jeremy recently turned 10 and is in the 4th grade.  He is a loving, sweet, sensitive boy who wants to help and loves to please.  He has great organizational skills and can't stand it when things are in disarray.  He loves to read and draw, play with Legos, trucks, the usual boy stuff.  He loves music and has a nice voice.  He has become such a good brother to Ian (who adores him) and is always concerned about him.  Jeremy has been counting the days until "we go to see the judge" aka the "adoption hearing" and is trying to wrap his head around the fact that he has a new forever family and it's really forever this time. 

A few photos from the past few months: 

Welcome to the family, Jeremy!  We love you!!1

Meet Lucas

Lucas is 6, but only for a few more days!  He is one active little guy and I do mean little.  At (almost) 7 years old, he weighs a whopping 38 lbs and wears size 4T and 5 slim.  He has a gleam in his eye that gives his orneriness away but he's as cute as they come!  Pretty much his full time mission at home is to make Ian laugh and he does it quite well.  In fact, so well that they both get in trouble sometimes for craziness at mealtime instead of eating.  The 3 of them can be found with Lucas on Ian's lap and Jeremy pushing the wheelchair as they race through the house, playing the "Awesome Guys."  And, awesome is exactly what they are!

A few photos from the past months:

Welcome to the family, Lucas!  We love you!!!

Jeremy and Lucas HUMPHREY

Now that I can actually post pictures, I have many to share!

This was from last Easter when the boys were gathering Easter eggs (in Wal-Mart sacks instead of baskets-what kind of Mother does that???)

 Humphrey men all dressed up for Luke and Laura's wedding in May

 Mother's Day 2011

 Fun trip to visit Troy, Lindsay and "Wivia" in July

 Corky's Bar-b-q in Memphis

 3 Crazy Boys!  (That is Lucas under the bag/hat)

They are good to entertain Ian while he is on his wedge :-)

Drew, giving Jeremy and Lucas (and the monkeys) a "horse" ride

First day of school at Cole Elementary.  Aug. 16, 2011

 Jeremy and Lucas with their case worker, Danielle, after the hearing (suckers were compliments of the judge)

 This was the 2nd time we met the boys (late Feb or early March)

For all of you who have prayed for and supported us, THANK YOU and please don't stop now!!!  We know that many challenges lie ahead and more importantly, we know that our God, who brought these boys into our family, is sovereign and faithful and merciful and grace-giving.  We give Him all the glory - great things He has done!!! 

New Humphrey Men

It's official!!!!  Jeremy and Lucas are now Humphreys and we couldn't be happier to finally be able to introduce them!!!  I'm too tired and our computer is too slow to post more, but I plan to do lots of updating tomorrow.

Judge Daniels, Tom, Angela, Ian, Jeremy and Lucas

New Pets

These 3 lovely young ladies have been gracing our yard every day for awhile.  They don't seem to mind if we are outside with them and I've even had them walk toward me while I am snapping pictures on more than one occasion.  We all love having them around (especially the boys), although I would prefer they leave my hostas alone.  :-)

Changes

Until now, J and L have been in the same school since they began school, so today was a big change for them.  They started at Cole (where Ian attended last year) and although they've been there twice to see it and meet a few people, they were pretty nervous.  J was very quiet  and L kept asking me to just take him home, but my spies tell me they did great.  I have no doubt that they will love it, just like Ian did!  This community is so very blessed to have a small school like Cole, where the staff love on all the kids and the crazy, fun principal knows their names.  I wish I could post the traditional "first day of school" pictures of the boys but we have to wait a few more days.

Ian, on the other hand, was pumped and ready to go to school if it means he gets to ride the school bus!  He has also changed schools and is going to Wea Ridge Middle School.  Technically, he skipped 5th grade and moved right on to 6th grade!  :-)  We feel very blessed to have had his teacher work with him all summer so she is familiar with his communication device, how to motivate him, how to communicate with him, and she knows how ornery he can be! 

We are looking forward to a great school year for all 3 boys!

Waiting anxiously for the sound of the bus!

 There it is!!!

Going up.....See ya later, Mom and Dad!

Encouragement

I just had to write a quick post about the encouragement that our family has received over the last 2-3 months.  I'm really not sure we would have survived thus far without it.
 Some of the many ways that we have been encouraged:

• My mom calling to say she is coming to do whatever she can for the day (she ended up doing all my ironing and staying with the boys so I could have lunch with a friend)
• Both of our parents loving on the boys and taking them for boat/tractor/gator rides
• Our older kids listening patiently and offering encouragement, support and prayer
• Drew and Elizabeth coming on short notice more than once so we can get away when we thought we would pull our hair out
• Lindsay and Troy allowing us to invade their home and their dear neighbors allowing us to invade their backyard and pool
• Extended family who love on the boys, play games with them and send them hurling through the air into the water
• A dear friend who texts me scripture to encourage me - several times a day!
• That same dear friend who brought meals on two different occasions
• That same dear friend who came and stayed and even put the boys to bed so we could stay out extra late
• Another dear friend who showed up with kids to play, clothes to share, and a meal, too!
• Many wonderful friends and family who commit to pray for us daily.....and do it!
• The person who cuts my hair praying in the middle of a haircut because he saw firsthand what the typical chaos is like
• Our pastor and his wife bringing DQ blizzards after the kids are in bed, just to encourage us
• Our good friend/therapist taking time to come for a home visit, not to mention numerous phone calls, e-mails, etc.
• Young women volunteering their time to go with me to Ian's appointments for the purpose of watching J and L or playing with them for 3 hours while I attend a case conference
• Friends who send encouraging notes/cards out of the blue
• A pediatrician who let me call him at home to talk through medical issues
• A church family who has embraced all of our boys and make a point to draw them out
• Friends and family (some of whom the boys have never met) who remember their birthdays
• One of Ian's paras from Cole who entertained them for 4 hours and then asked if we would let her do it again!

OK, so this didn't end up as quick as I thought.  I could continue, but you get the picture.  We are being ministered to in amazing ways and feel blessed, humbled, thankful, encouraged and loved.  You all know who you are and we love and appreciate each of you!!!

Survival Mode

I have been reminded multiple times during the last few days that I haven't done a great job of updating the blog this summer.  So......I shall offer some excuses:

• Ian has been a busy guy this summer - Physical therapy every week, speech therapy most weeks (to learn to use his communication device), trips to Crossroads (to get and evaluate the communication device), Pete's Pals, Camp WACK, Camp Mephibosheth, ESY (extended school year), and doctor's appointments.
• We had our basement remodeled which has been a very big blessing, but we are still getting it all sorted out and put back together.
• Tom ended a job of 20 years and started a new one.
• We took a trip to KY and one to TN.
• We added two boys to the mix.  This one should be listed first but I left it for last so I could explain.  J and L moved in on June 4 and life hasn't been the same since.  We are all learning to be a family but to be honest, it's been a challenge.  God is stretching Tom and I in ways we didn't know were possible and humbling us greatly in the process.  We have complete faith that this is God's sovereign plan for our family and that He alone can give us the patience, wisdom and grace to endure and even enjoy what lies ahead.  Looking back over the last 2 months, we realize that God has allowed progress and also realize that we have a long way to go.  He is faithful!! 

So, I feel like we've been in "survival mode."  Just trying to get to the grocery every week, get 3 meals a day on the table, keep the laundry done, keep the house relatively straight (haha!), get everyone to all of Ian's appointments, etc.  Doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary, but trust me, it's been a challenge.  School starts in 8 days and perhaps I will have more time to blog when that happens.  In the meantime, I have 3 case conferences to get through (we've already had one) and need to train the people who will be working with Ian. 

And....2 weeks from today, we will be able to post pictures of the new Humphrey men!

New Beginnings

Last Friday marked the end of 2 decades that Tom has worked as a Quality Manager (among several other titles) for IMMI in Westfield.  This company that was founded on Biblical values has been a blessing in our lives for these last 20 years.  Many of the wonderful folks there have watched our first 2 kids grow up through pictures and Tom's stories.  They cheered us on and supported us through Ian's adoption.  And even now, many of them continue to pray for our family as we add 2 more boys with "special needs" of their own.  So, it was with very mixed emotions that Tom told them all good-by last week.  We will both miss so many people from there.

And, this morning, marks the beginning of a new era for us.  Tom began work as a Quality Manager for Donaldson in Frankfort and his commute has gone from 39 miles to 9 miles.  I'm not sure what he's going to do without a 45 minute commute both ways and I seriously mean that.  Over the years, he has used the time to pray, prepare for the day ahead and decompress at the end of the day.  We feel very blessed that he has this new opportunity so close to home!

It should come as no surprise that I couldn't find a picture of Tom without someone else in it.  This one was taken shortly after Ian came home and boy, has he changed (Ian, that is!!!)  Tom is as handsome as always!!