The Backyard My New Favorite Room

My favorite room in the house right now, is not exactly in the house.  My favorite room is just out the back door.   At different times there are places I enjoy more in our home.  The past few months it has been the backyard. It is my new favorite room. Our family has always enjoyed the outdoors whether it be at a ballgame, working in the yard or playing in the yard.  So, it is no surprise that the backyard would be the place I find myself most these days, with the people I love most.

An Addition to the Family!

Yes, our family is growing!  God is again blessing our family with a child, this time a grandchild.  I can't imagine what having a grandchild will be like but, the GRAND on the word child must be for a reason.  Our beautiful daughter Briley and her amazing hubby are expecting in October.  So the love keeps growing.

The proud parents

Briley and Matt recently went for an ultrasound to find out if they were having a girl or boy.  We decided the weekend before that it would be fun to tell the family all at one time.  We gathered at Briley and Matt's house anxiously waiting to hear. I threw together some fast decorations with pink and blue not knowing which color to use, so we had to have both.

Which will it be?

Of course there was a difference of opinion.  Would the announcement be that it is a girl or it is a boy?  There were those of us that thought it would be a boy and those that thought it would be a girl.  Who would be right?

                              The Boy Team                               

The Girl Team



Briley uncovers the cupcakes to reveal what they are having.  Matt's face says it all and the little girls get what they want IT'S A GIRL!

It's A Girl

Then the party begins!  Celebrating this new little life.  A life of a little girl who I know God already has a purpose for in this world. 

I know this because 26 years ago in the same month as this little one is expected God blessed Barry and I with the most amazing gift.  Not only did we receive the gift of being a parent for the first time, but a gift of a daughter so precious and so special.  A daughter who has loved, encouraged, challenged and most of all made me want to be a better person because of the person she is. 

Unexpected tears the last day of school.

Summer fun! Having the girls home all day, spending more time with the family, staying up late, swimming and more swimming, being with friends, just some of the things we are excited about this Summer.

We have been talking all month about the Summer ahead and getting out of school for Summer.  Kenley is so funny because she gets excited, yet confused, not really knowing what all of this talk of no school is about.   Kenley has told us that in China they did not get out of school for the Summer.  I am guessing that living in the orphanage and going to school there, the schedule was the same each day, each week, each month.  So this is something new for her.  Just another new experience in her little life.

As the last day of school quickly approached and I tucked Kenley in bed the night before her last day of school, something very unexpected happened.  Tears!  It was like any other night we prayed and then I told her of the plans for the next day, her last day being in kindergarten.  I was telling Kenley to be sure to tell Mrs. Decuir, her teacher thank you for being such a good teacher this year and to give her a big hug tomorrow.  I told her that it would be her last day of kindergarten, she would have a new teacher when she returned to school in the fall, and she would be a first grader!  As I talked, I was so excited and proud but, she cried.  She cried!  I'm smiling a big proud Momma smile, excitement in my voice and she is crying.  Not just tears slowly running down her face but a terribly sad cry of loss.  It broke my heart and I knew that in my excitement for all Kenley had accomplished so quickly, she was scared.  There was now another change, another unknown for her.  I explained to Kenley that all the children at her school would go back next year to a new class and a new teacher, this seemed to help calm her.  I told her she would still get to see Mrs. Decuir, in the hall at school next year and at church on Sundays, her sweet smile returned.  We wiped away the tears, hugged and as I left, I cried.  How could I have known that she would be so upset?  That feeling of being in way over my head came. Wow what a mistake I had made, I am sure I will make more but I am learning.  God is showing me and teaching me, not only things about myself but, about Him and even about others.

One thing I knew as I walked out of Kenley's room that night was Mrs. Decuir had made a big impact.  In just four short months, this little girl loved her teacher.  Not only loved her but was scared she was losing her.  God blessed us with just the right teacher for Kenley this year.  A patient, kind, caring, accepting, structured, loving, teacher and  I could go on.  She was a perfect fit, just what Kenley needed.  So thank you Mrs. Decuir thank you for giving of yourself, for taking on this challenge.  The challenge of a child who not only didn't speak English, but who had never had parents, who didn't understand anything of western culture, knew nothing of our southern manners of yes mams and no mams, a little girl who had lived the same routine for five years and had moved across the world to a place that couldn't be more different.  What a remarkable job you did and Kenley's reaction that night as we tucked in was evidence. 

So, in what I felt was such a mistake in my parenting God showed me some things.  Things I needed to be reminded of, that He has chosen many to be a part of my childrens lives, many for many purposes, His plan is perfect, something I know, but He wanted me to see it and what can be done in someones life in four months.  So, I look at what a difference was made in Kenley's life in such a short time.  I don't know about you but, I'm challenged.  Thanks Mrs. Decuir for the challenge :)  With love from the whole Brasher family, you have made quiet a difference in our little Kenley's life, and Mom's too.

Easter!

As we prepared to celebrate Easter, Kenley's understanding was something we had to think about.  Tatum and I love movies, Kenley is quickly learning to love them too.  The girls and I went to see the movie HOP which came out a few weeks before Easter.  We enjoyed a fun Easter Egg Hunt, spring games and enjoyed being with friends at the park and the girls had Easter parties with a hunt at school.  During all of the fun things that children enjoy about Easter, the egg hunts, the Easter Bunny, we were certain to bring it back to the reason we really celebrate, the celebration of what Jesus did for us.  This year Tatum had more questions than ever, she was really looking for what Jesus went through and why he would do this for us.  I've answered her questions honestly,  we have read in God's word, we have had weeks of great Sunday morning drama at Sunday school that has brought the Bible to life.  We even watched The Passion, fast forwarding a little bit when it was just too hard to see the cruelty Jesus suffered for us.  So, in Tatum's desire to know more, Kenley has heard. I am unsure of what she understood, but she heard.  What an exciting thing for her to hear for the first time, even if she doesn't completely understand, she has been told about the love of a man who loved her so much he was willing to die for her, for us all, and now He Lives!

Our Easter break started with a girls day.  What started as Kenley getting a hair cut quickly turned in to a day for the little girls to be pampered.  Tatum was on a roll.  Kenley's haircut then, Tatum insisted that they both needed feathers in their hair (a new offering at the salon).  Then Tatum decided pedis and manis were needed, which was followed by Smoothie King, then her favorite place to eat Pizza Inn (we invited Dad to join us for dinner, Mom was in need of financial help after such a big day, ha ha!)

Hunting eggs the Easter Bunny hid.

Ready for Sunday School in the Chapel.

He is Risen Indeed!

Happy Easter - Love, The Brasher's