When Things Don't Work Out Right...

Curly arrived at our house last Thursday. She was sick and kept pretty quiet, though she seemed to have fun with the kids that evening. Friday was busy, so there wasn't much time for normal interaction until the evening, when my mom watched the kids for my birthday date with Hubby. We ended up picking the kids up a little early after a text that she was being mean to the other kids. I hadn't seen anything major, so I figured she was just tired and sick.

Saturday was my birthday, and I woke to Bubba screaming in pain. I hurried out of bed to find Flower Girl holding him. She told me that Curly had thrown him into FG's footboard. I was alarmed, but not extremely concerned. Unfortunately, the injured list kept growing throughout the day. She was obviously a hurting child, lashing out toward others both verbally and physically, often completely unprovoked. With six other children in the house, we knew we couldn't let it continue. Hubby emailed her caseworker Sunday afternoon, explaining the situation.

We're currently waiting to hear when she'll be leaving. Hopefully she'll be placed with her brother, in a home where they are the only children, or at least the youngest. Disruptions are disappointing, but we're confident that we've made the best decision for our family and the children in our care.


81. my children's love for each other
82. a protective little brother
83. the great staff at our doctor's office
84. the opportunity to help my sister through THREE days of active labor, and in the end
85. welcoming my new nephew into the world!
86. free childcare via my awesome mom for my birthday
87. beautiful weather
88. baby breath and
89. open-mouth (baby) kisses
90. comfort in the chaos

{Happy Homemaker Monday} November 21, 2011

{Happy Homemaker Monday}

The weather in my neck of the woods: Beautiful! Seems like "fall" weather is finally here!


Things that make me happy: my morning tea & blog time, kids playing nicely together, a sneak-peek of our family pics taken Saturday {thanks, Jenn!!}


Book I'm reading: God Is the Gospel by John Piper

On the menu for dinner: bean & cheese burritos


On my to do list: school with Sissy, doctor appointment for Flower Girl, cleaning out the sisters' room, and a thorough house cleaning

New recipe I tried or want to try soon: Baked Potato Soup - had this Wednesday night at life group--yum!


In the craft basket: A dress I bought on clearance that needs to be shortened & my nephew's birthday shirt {still!}--see a pattern here?!

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days: We adjust fairly quickly to the challenges handed to us. At first, 6 kids seemed really hard, but it became normal. Just having 4 in the house seems so easy & quiet!


On my mind: my brother {Happy birthday, Paul!} and his sick wife, and looking forward to this weekend!


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

 Mark 5:24-34 

 A large crowd followed and pressed around him.  And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

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50. a phone call from the sisters!

51. a quiet evening as a family of 6

52. seeing friends & family at my brother's birthday party

53. a sweet old friend coming to take our family pictures {for free!}

54. a relaxing Sunday afternoon 

55. pizza for Sunday dinner, courtesy of my parents {no cooking!}

56. family seeing Budders like he usually acts during the week, but on a Sunday

57. silly, innocent questions about anatomy from my 3 year old

58. my messy 12-passenger van (because it runs! & I can transport my whole family & then some!)

Goodbyes

We are preparing again to {possibly} say goodbye, this time to the two sisters. This has been a challenging placement, and at times their upcoming departure is a bit of a relief. I look forward to a break in the quarreling and lying, a break from needing to constantly be aware of the location of certain members of the family. Budders especially has taken quite a beating (unintentionally!) from {well-meaning} older sisters lugging him around.

Yet at the same time, my heart aches for these girls. I hurt knowing the abuses they've suffered. I've rejoiced at little victories: prayers at family worship time, a sibling play date, growing relationships, hurt hearts confiding in us. I know a little about where they will be going, and while I would not willingly send my biological children there, I rest in the knowledge that God is in control. He is good, and He cares for them more than I ever could.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31

42. good conversations with friends
43. watching my sweet hubby attempt to sew Barbie clothes!
44. siblings reuniting after weeks apart
45. lunch with Hubby mid-week
46. {free} bikes!
47. reading that I'm the "most important person" in Flower Girl's life
48. {hopefully} getting answers from the doctor for Sissy
49. friends & coworkers giving us clothes for the girls

I'm Baaack!

So sorry it's been awhile since I've posted. We're getting used to having 6 kids in the house & 3 big girls in school. I never imagined how much work it is having children in public school! We spend almost as much time going over their homework as I do schooling Sissy! Not to mention the time spent walking them to school and picking them up again in the afternoon. Needless to say, my days have been rearranged quite a bit, which has resulted in my lack of blog posts. (Because while I love writing, I'd much rather be reading with my kiddos!) So I am trying to find a new time to blog, and I think I'm back on track. For now I'll just leave you with some of my recent "gifts":

24. 5 small prayer journals--getting used!
25. Hubby's flexible schedule (able to help out in our 2nd grader's class!)
26. cameras (to remember)
27. 3 girls thankful for their new family
28. busy case workers who communicate well
29. catching a busy case worker (who doesn't communicate so well) before she went home yesterday
30. wonderful friends who offer to photograph our family for FREE!
31. siblings reuniting by phone (hopefully in person soon!)
32. Sissy scoring 100% on a 1st grade reading test (Does anyone know of a good online reading test? I'd love to know how she's measuring up to her public school "peers")
33. God providing a great memory verse for a scared Flower Girl
32. everyone participating in family worship last night

Sanctification

On Wednesday we welcomed two sisters, ages 7 and 9, into our home, officially doubling the number of children in our house in less than a week. Sissy went from being the oldest to having 3 big sisters. Budders now has 3 girls he really doesn't know trying to lug him around (and running him to me every time he cries! Yikes!). And Bubba and Sissy are both having to adjust to older kids with different senses of humor and pet peeves. They are altogether adjusting very well, and I am proud of the love that they are showing their new sisters.

The big girls are adjusting to life in a new house, new authority figures and rules, new younger siblings who {sometimes} annoy them. They are learning new routines, attending new schools, making new friends, and missing friends and family.

I won't try to pretend that this is easy. Foster care is definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done. I am adjusting to a {much} high noise and chaos level. I am learning trying to figure out which fights to pick. I am struggling a bit watching Sissy and Bubba get exposed to things I have tried so hard to shelter them from. I hate watching them feel left out or picked on or talked down to. I am having to draw the line regarding what words, music, et cetera we will allow in this house, resulting in disappointed girls (and losing some of my fun-mom-ness). I have had moments when I miss "just us." I have thought What are we doing? But I have also watched these girls come a long way in this short time that we have had them. And I am {learning} to love like Christ. Sanctification. It's what this is all about anyway.




16. FG's first prayer!
17. family worship on a full bed
18. a hug from my 9 yr. old {this is a BIG deal!}
19. 7 yr. old's {first} prayers
20. FG asking to be baptized!
21. my awesome mother-in-law-- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAREN!!
22. hours of giggles
23. not having to worry about dinner after school this week--thanks to my awesome MOPS friends!

{Happy Homemaker Monday}

The weather in my neck of the woods: HOT--I wish that cooler weather stayed around. And I'm hoping it comes back soon. We can't wait to get back to our tradition of family walks in the evenings. 


Things that make me happy: hearing my kids laugh & play together, cool mornings, choosing to be the fun mom 


Book I'm reading: The Connected Child by Dr. Karyn Purvis


On the menu for dinner: chicken tacos


On my to do list: enroll Flower Girl in school, portion & freeze my chicken, 2 playdates & laundry--a busy day!


New recipe I tried or want to try soon: Homemade Gummy Fruit Snacks


In the craft basket: A dress I bought on clearance that needs to be shortened & my nephew's birthday shirt


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you'd like to share with the readers): Lately I'm lovin' the tuts over at Infarrantly Creative!


No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days: While we know (in our heads) that God is always working, we need to expect it, watch for it, know it with our hearts. 


On my mind: missing some dear friends this fall season, wondering how long Flower Girl will be with us, and if her sister will be able to join our family


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

Romans 8:5-9 "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds onthe things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you."

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7. mornings with friends at the park
8. napping babies
9. cheap chicken!
10. Hubby's flexible schedule