Multitude Monday

116. "One Thousand Gifts" is Ann Voskamps book that finally came to my mailbox this week! It is where this list idea came from but I have never read the book! I've only visited her amazing website www.aholyexperience.com I'm only 32 pages in, but her book is incredible! I want to buy it and send one to each of you. But...that is not going to happen...so buy it! It's $9.23 on Amazon. After it's second week it is on the USA Today's top 10 list! It is life changing. So here is the continuation of my list that helps me "find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties".

...to be continued (when I finish the book)!

117. cute, super excited kids in the swimming pool learning new skills at swimming lessons.

118. answered prayer

119. my big girls that call me when they need someone to be proud of them

120. daddy going to the store to buy 1000 craft sticks and making a stick city with the kids

121. Weight Watchers Snicker ice cream bars

122. continued perspective

123. a handy husband

124. Ronnie Freeman - I love this song. Take a minute to listen... 

125. cute 7 year old girl with two front teeth missing

126. encouragement from sisters in Christ
127. HuHot Mongolian Grill - new restaurant on North Academy
128. Daquiri Ice on a sugar cone from Baskin Robbins
129. Bierworks - new in Woodland Park!
130. date night with my husband that included 127, 128 AND 129!!!
131. new bikes and warm weather to ride all over town

132. zoo pass and warm weather to enjoy the zoo and learning all about the elephants while they got fed and trained!

133. pizza and big slide at Boriello Brothers with great friends!!!
134. memory foam
135. driving home from swimming lessons, dark, snow-packed roads, -1 outside, listening to three little angels in the back of my suburban singing praise songs. Actually brought me to tears. That's the good stuff.

Check back next Monday for another installment of One Thousand Gifts. God IS Good!

Dinosaur Party!

Several times a week at dinner Josh and I receive hand made invitations to a party happening either in the boys room or Ellie's room. Sometimes it's a board game party. Sometimes it's a carnival with games. Sometimes it's an animal party involving many stuffed animals. This night it was a dinosaur party that included a puppet show with sock puppets they had made that day (that looked nothing like dinosaurs) and...

the professional reading of a self-authored and illustrated book about dinosaurs...

and then actual dinosaurs...

Flashback Friday

Ellie's Dedication at Church
January 2004
My Gram gave Ellie this beautiful Christening gown

Wipeout!

We have enjoyed watching the show "Wipeout" in the last year or so. My kids think it's hilarious. We watch it online. On Sunday Josh took the kids to WalMart and bought two things: Wipeout for the Wii. And 1000 popsicle sticks. They were bored. Well Wipeout game for the Wii is super fun and everyone loves it. But last night the kids and Daddy thought they should actually be the Wipeout contestants. I love my husband and his willingness to really get down and play with the kids and humor them and pretend with them.

Toothless

Ellie lost both of her top front teeth this week! She is 7 1/2. Late bloomer I guess. Seems like much more of a milestone than I thought it would be. No more cute little baby smile. Cute without any teeth though! This girl is growing up so fast. She is an amazing young lady. Looking forward (as long as it doesn't go too fast) to watching her grow and become something great.

My Girls



Brittney's Baptism at Camp Elim ~
 Proud Day for this Foster Mama



I cherish the phone calls from my girls. They call when they need a mommy to be proud of them. I'm getting my driver's license! I'm going to college! I got a job! I love love love that I am the one they want to call. And I hate hate hate that I am the only one they have to call. It's hard enough to spend years and sometimes a lifetime in and out of fostercare and in and out of stranger's homes. So many expectations and so many changes and so much inconsistancy. And then to be expected to get out there and be successful on your own without a family and a mommy to lean on. I am 37 and talk to my Mommy almost every day. Some of these girls have no real friends and no real family and they are just out there. As a foster mom there is no requirement that you have to maintain contact with anyone after they leave your home. And a lot of times that is the case. I try and be there for the girls and I LOVE to stay in contact with all of them. One of our girls is in college in California. One of our girls has her CNA and is working and going to school to be a dental hygenist. One of our girls is getting her driver's license and enrolling in college. One has kept a great career job for over a year. There are success stories. There are more stories that aren't successes. Our motto as foster parents is: love them unconditionaly and give them everything I can while I have them and hope and pray that something I did or didn't do or said or didn't say has a positive lasting effect on them. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to love these girls and let them go. Thank you for the contact I get to have with some of them. And thank you Lord for each of them.

(I took this last night ~ after this post was published) Anna and Julia call each other sisters. Julia came by and Anna was here. Fun for them to catch up.



My Newest Epiphany

I read several other blogs. I was reading a blog from family friends yesterday. They post every day or so about random things happening in their family. Sometimes there are pictures and sometimes there aren't. I really enjoy it. I asked myself ~ Why don't I do that? Why do I think that I have to have some amazing great epiphany in order to post something? Sometimes I have a lot to say and sometimes I just don't. I had an opportunity to speak to about 40 women at Bible Study this week about being a missionary in your own home. The realities of being a foster/adoptive parent. I realized that people just love to hear stories. Stories of what life is like as a foster and/or adoptive parent. People are curious and just want to know. So I guess it's okay to just tell stories. They do not have to be epic. Just stories. Here is my story for this very moment: Isaac has now run over 2 miles in my living room playing with the Wii Fit. Isaac goes to preschool in the afternoon. We typically do a little reading together and work on letter sounds and writing letters in the mornings along with a little laundry and down time. While I write this Isaac is running and running and running. It's pretty cute. Huh, maybe nobody cares that Isaac just ran his little bitty booty to the ground but that is my story and it's my blog. Oh - It just occured to me I should take a picture. Everyone loves posts with pictures. I hope you enjoy my new posts.

Multitude Monday

107. Woodland Park Public Library (and seeing Uncle Steve's face as we walk in)

108. opportunities to witness

109. amazing friends

110. an invitation and fun night out with girls from Mom's of Twins club

111. McGinty's Irish Pub ~ In Divide!

112. that I have the privledge to serve on Jury Duty (but didn't have to)

113. my husband who loves me and my kids very much

114. meeting new gals in my Wednesday morning Bible Study
115. fresh snow and little 4 year old boys that want to go play in it the second they see flakes!

Tune in next Monday for another installment of Multitude Monday. God IS Good!

Flashback Friday

Isaac in Ouray ~ May 2007

I miss my babies a little ~ but I miss summer a lot!

Multitude Monday

 

 

93. snowflakes

94. answered prayer used to witness to someone who needs to see God in a big way

95. really truely amazing friends who offer to watch my children in a pinch

96. my big house that God amazingly provided. I love that when God provides the opportunity to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless, I can.

97. grandpa taking boys to breakfast

98. craft time for Ellie and Grandma

99. baking bread

100. Amish friendship cake

101. Isaac snuggles

102. 1:1 time with my Daddy

103. when Kenny compliments himself in the third person for good manners, "nice asking Kenny!"

104. when my kids play dress up and put on shows for me.

 

105. this picture of Isaac brushing his teeth...He was holding the two minute timer

 

106. God stirring in my heart...

 

Check back next Monday for another installment of Multitude Monday. God IS Good.

Flashback Friday

Isaac (7 months) and Kenny (6 months) ~ January 2007

Kenny is thinking, "Seriously? Just my luck! This guy?" This picture was taken a few days after Isaac and Kenny met. Kenny and his bio mom came to live with us when Kenny was 6 months old. It was my job as the foster mom to teach her to parent. To work on parenting skills as well as actual bonding and attaching skills. What are bonding and attaching 'skills'? Doesn't really seem like those should be labeled skills. They just naturally happen right? No. They don't. Kenny's bio mom was 13 years old when she had him. There was no natural bonding happening. Nor was this child being cared for in any consistant way. I tried. I really did. I failed. Poor Kenny spent the next 7 months being bounced from her to me and continued to be cared for somewhat inconsistantly and not bonding with either of us. She fought hard to be moved to a foster home closer to her biological mother. So they moved in August. Six weeks later the caseworker called and asked if we would consider adopting Kenny. We immediately said "YES" of course. I'm not even certain I asked Josh! We got Kenny back mid September. We cannot imagine our life without him. He brings so much humor and energy and life into our lives. He and Isaac do not really know they are not twins. Just like any other mom of twins it's a challenge to figure out how to do life and make decisions based on what is really best for each one individually and to seem fair about it so they don't think you like one more than the other and it goes on and on. Our life is blessed with that kid. And he makes me laugh and want to cry almost every day! I love you Kenny.

Multitude Monday

86. fun weekend in Sterling with my extended family

87. my new Zune ~ music really speaks truth to my soul and I love that I have access to anything I want anytime. I also love singing kids praise music in the car with the kids. I love it!

88. date night with my hubby ~ We went to Il Vicino downtown and to Narnia. Very fun night. Thanks Anna for babysitting! Our first date was at Il Vicino in Salida, Colorado 4 days after we met.

89. seeing the fruits of my labor this week. People read my blog and people care about what I have to say! Wow! I pray that God continues to use this blog as a tool for a ministry for kids that need loving parents.

90. snow

91. my sweet spirited Ellie Bellie ~ I love that girl so much.

92. how my God provides little reminders that He misses me and wants to engage in relationship constantly.

Check back next week for another installment of Multitude Monday. God IS Good!

Flashback Friday

Ellie Marie - 2 Months old - December 2003