Just because it's fun...

I really do love to decorate. I don't nearly have the time, money, or creativity to do it very well...but it sure is fun when I finally give it a try! Last weekend I attempted to give Bekah Jane's room a face-lift. My friend Selah came over to help me and we had so much fun with this little project! And the end result has secretly made me so happy! Sometimes when the whole house is in chaos, I'll just go stand and look at her pretty wall. =) Here's the before and after:

BEFORE: Cute, but not really working for me. I painted these stencils about a year ago and have never loved the feel they gave the room. I couldn't decide between sticking with a vintage-inspired room for Bekah Jane's or branching out and going with a more something more vibrant and funky. Lack of focus did not serve me well, and I think I ended up with a sort of confused room.

AFTER: Sticking with what I know and love! This quilt-inspired backdrop for her bed turned out so stinkin' cute, if I do say so myself!

Buttons smattered in random corners add such a cute little touch! (PS: Some of the buttons came from my Grandma's collection)


A sweet little shelf with special things like my sister's baby shoe and my mom's baby book:


Knobs I got on clearance at Anthro! Score! (Dresser was free from a friend!)

I will post pics of the babies' nursery soon too! I've added a few fun things in there lately too, and I'm thinking it's about as done as it's gonna get! (It only takes me 2 years to finish a room...haha!)

It takes a village.

Ok, time to talk a little more about foster care. I struggle with how much to say on this blog, because I want to be real and specific about our experience...but I also want to protect C from ever thinking that HE is a problem. So, I will say it like this: This situation is HARD. Harder than we ever could have imagined, for reasons we never dreamed would apply to us.

You know how people tell you labor is hard? And after the 800th person tells you their birth story, you're like "yeah, yeah, I get it"? And then you actually go through labor and you're like "Oooohhhh....NOW I get it!" Nothing can ever really prepare you for that experience, until you go through it yourself. I'm sure you see the analogy here. We were "warned", we were prepared in every way you probably can be prepared to enter the world of foster care, yet we've still been brought to our knees by the difficulty of this challenge.

When you bring a newborn home from the hospital, everyone knows you just had a baby and wants to help ease the transition of adding another to your family. Bringing a child in through foster care is a bit different...it's confusing to others, I think. Are you babysitting? Is he staying? Oh, he's so cute...you must be loving it! But I don't think people typically think of it as a major family adjustment. I will say this: In our experience, bringing home a baby from the hospital and the ensuing crazy weeks that follow is way, WAY easier than adding a child to your family through foster care. I don't say that to advocate birth over adoption, not in any way. (And, admittedly, we got off pretty easy in the happy newborn department.) I just want to share perspective as you encounter other families in your church/social circle/whatever that bring in kids to their home that are not their biological children. Think of the care families need when they have a new baby, and add an extra measure of prayer and support on top of that. =)

Here are some of the amazing ways people have rallied around us to help carry our load:

• In the first couple of months, several families brought meals which was a HUGE help. I honestly don't think I cooked for the first two months we had C. The very idea of making dinner with everything we had going on sounded ludicrous. (Thankfully, that is no longer the case and I am back to making 3 meals a day, most days!) This is one of my favorite examples of how a simple gesture can be a huge blessing: One day back at the beginning, a lady from our church called several times and I never picked up because I was so overwhelmed with caring for C and the others. When I finally checked my messages, I was blown away by her words: "The Lord put you on my heart this morning to bring you dinner tonight. Please call me back to let me know if that's ok. I'm just trying to obey what God tells me to do." The Lord meets our needs! And he uses his people to do it! Her act of obedience not only eased my physical load for the day, it boosted my faith that God was caring for us. Isn't that beautiful?



• Another gal from my Bible Study offered to come by my house once a week for a few weeks to help with laundry, dishes, meal prep, whatever. I cannot even explain how amazing this was. She was like an angel sweeping her way through my home, without a hint of judgement at the mess she was stepping over, and getting right to work without hardly stopping to ask for directions. She'd leave a clean kitchen, dinner in the fridge, and a load of laundry in the dryer. THEN, she would pray over each room in my house before she quietly slipped out the door. God bless Sarah.



• Several people have called on their way to the grocery store or Costco to ask if they can pick me up anything. This is like calling a prisoner and asking if you can bring them anything in jail. Ok, that's a bit dramatic...but you get the picture. My answer is almost always YES! Between loading up my 4 preschoolers and braving a trip to the store or having an angel drop off a gallon of milk at my door, I choose the angel! What a gift. (These days it is not so daunting to run to the store with the kids...but it's still convenient when my mom offers to pick up something for me!).



• My dearest friends have all lightened my load by faithfully praying, sending me encouraging text messages, vacuuming when they come over for a play date, and folding laundry as we chat. They've also offering a non-judgemental ear as I pour out my frustrations, concerns, and weaknesses.



• Several families from our church have offered to babysit for us for dates, doctor's visits, etc...and we are so thankful! It takes 2 babysitters usually to watch all 4 of the kids, so when a family offers we are especially thankful because they all pitch in to play and help!



• Basically, my mom is amazing and wonderful and I would die without her. Everything she does is helpful and encouraging...so if you want to be a support to foster families you can just ask her what she does for us! =)



• On that note, a couple weeks back my entire family gathered in our living room to pray for us and for C (some joined us via Skype, but we were all there!). Plus our pastor and his wife joined us. That was an awesome night of encouragement and renewal for us.

Orphan care is a community effort. Every believer has an opportunity to care for these kids, either directly by fostering/adopting or indirectly by caring for the families that bring them into their homes. Thank you, thank you for being a part of C's life and helping us care for him! We cannot do this alone, and by God's grace and provision we don't have to. Is it hard? YES. Do we have any regrets. Nope. Sometimes, hard is exactly where God wants you.

First Day of School!

Today Ezekiel started kindergarten! We are officially homeschooling this year, and I'm excited about starting this adventure with my little man. We had a great first day! Started with an outing to Bagel Me with Grandma to celebrate. Then we read "Harold and the Purple Crayon" and used it as a launchpad to cover math skills and language arts. We climbed a ladder in our living room to learn the word "perspective", then turned the bed sheets into hot air balloons and practiced counting by 10's as we jumped off the bed. I decided to call it a day when Ezekiel turned to me and said "Mom, I love school!" Quit while you're ahead, right? Ok, so not the most rigorous day of academics but, hey, it's kindergarten!

Just for posterity, here is what Ezekiel has mastered going into kinder (can't wait to see what he learns this year!):

• All his letters and sounds. Can write most of them, but not very neatly.



• Reads and writes his name.



• Counts to 20 on his own (sometimes skips 17), can count to 100 with prompts along the way.



• Counts to 100 by 10's (ok, he learned this yesterday).



• Sounds out letters and can read short words with help.



• Can do simple addition and subtraction...loves numbers.



• Has way more knowledge than I do about every animal on God's green earth. He knows their habitats, if they're herbivores or carnivores, whether they are aggressive or friendly, if they are nocturnal, whether they're predators or prey, and the list goes on and on! Definitely a strength for Ezekiel!



• Not great at holding a pencil properly, so that is a big goal of mine as we start out the year. Of my "reading, writing, and arithmetic" goals, I think writing will be our most challenging.

Sick day.

I hate to miss church on Sunday morning, but I sure loved the special time I had at home with my sickie today. I found myself wishing that everyone who loves this girl would have such an opportunity to soak her up one-on-one. Isn't it funny how you really see your kids differently when you can spend focused, undivided attention on them?

So, yeah, Bekah Jane seems to have the flu. And while it ain't pretty, she was sure fun to hang out with while Grandma came and took the others to church. I think she must be on the mend already, because she was in a great mood and we just played our little hearts out. The imagination in this girl just amazes me! She is so FUN!

We played school (which she takes very seriously, I might add), we read books, we did Tangrams (remember these??), we did puppet shows (about the puppets going to school, of course). We ran away from the "Space-O-Saurus" dinosaur she created after building a rocket ship with her tangrams. And I thought we'd be spending the morning snuggling on the coach watching princess movies. Boy, she had me fooled. =)

I know it doesn't do it justice to just write out the funny things she said -- cuz you really got to hear her cute little voice and the way she mispronouces words -- but it will bring back the memory for me!

• I showed her our pantry I organized last night and she walks in, turns around slowly, puts her hands over her heart and says, "For me?!" And then, "It is so...(searching for a compliment)....Soft." She proceeds to rub her hands over the shelving saying "mmmm....feels nice." Thanks, daughter, I love my soft, clean pantry too.


• When we were playing school with the puppets, the puppet teacher asked the students what they wanted to learn about. One of Bekah Jane's puppets answered "Jesus!" So the teacher asked "And what did Jesus do?" I'm pretty sure it was the walrus puppet that randomly said "Jesus made carrots!"


• There was a while this morning when Elijah was awake and interferring with our tangram activity. Bekah very politely asked me, "Mom, can we just put him on the counter??"

You know, sometimes sick days are the best kind of days. =)

(Now that she's not vomitting on me anymore, that is.)

Bad Hair Day (and other fun facts about Bekah Jane)

Today was the day. The day I've dreaded ever since I realized my daughter would have beautiful, long, silky soft blond hair. Yep, she chopped it. Butchered it. Hacked it. Ughhhh! And she actually seems proud of herself.

Admittedly, my reaction revealed a teensy bit of pride I have in my baby girl's beauty. It was definitely more about me than her, since I happen to love doin' up her pretty little head (in all fairness, I thought she loved it too....but apparently she would prefer a buzz cut).

Like any good mother, I rushed her to a kiddie salon to see if they could salvage this mess. (I actually told the stylist "I only have ONE girl...please save her hair!!" Hmmm...perhaps a little dramatic, in reflection.) Wow, are those people experts. Turns out they do such damage control on a daily basis. Honestly, it was pretty bad and they managed to find a cut and style that just might get us through the next few months!

In other news, here are a few fun facts about this one girl of mine:

• She mixes up words in the cutest way. She calls daddy's uniforms "unicorns" and polka dots "coco-nuts" (as in: I want to wear my coco-nut jammies, mom!).



• I mentioned to her today that we might change C's name if we adopt him. Her response? "Oh good! I will call him Ezekiel! That is a GREAT name!" Ummm...think we already used that one.



• Tonight at bedtime I asked her what she was thankful for today. Her answer cracked me up: "Meat."

My book list!

Over the past year I have read some amazing books that have transformed my life, some subtly and some so profoundly it's as if they were written just for me for this exact time in my life.

Because I love to know what other people are reading and recommending, I share with you my year-of-transformation book list (I am not including fictional books. While those are wonderful too, it's the life-changers that I want to recommend!):

Radical by David Platt
I hardly know where to begin with this one, other than to say: Read it!! If you want to be challenged to think beyond our consumer-driven society and pursuing the "American dream", get a hold of this book and buckle up for a thought-provoking and convicting look at what Jesus means when he calls us to follow Him and make disciples of all the nations. What does it really mean to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Him? (And, no, he is not advocating that everyone move out of the country and become missionaries in a foreign land!). I read this book last October and God used it as the catalyst to a major turning point in my spiritual walk. Of course, that may have nothing to do with the book and everything to do with how amazing God is...but I still think it's a great read for every believer!

Wrestling With an Angel by Greg Lucas
This is a short book, written by a father about raising his severely handicapped son. While it is tender and inspiring, it is also a beautiful illustration of God's grace in our own lives. How, in our broken and disabled state, Christ loved us enough to lay down His life for us and sacrifice everything to make us whole again. I actually just re-read this one, because -- in ways that certainly aren't obvious -- the story parallels some of our experiences with little C. Not the physical challenges, but some of the heart issues this father faces and comes to terms with. And certainly in the way that God uses this boy to draw his parents' hearts to Jesus.

Adopted for Life by Russell Moore
Not just for those "called to adopt", this book beautifully describes how adoption is an amazing, earthly representation of God rescuing us from our former life, adopting us into His family, and giving us a new identity in Him. (Plus, great practical ways you can "care for the orphans" whether you're bringing them into your home or not!). I may be biased, but I think this also is a must-read for every believer.

Without a Word by Jill Kelly
The autobiography of Jill Kelly, wife of NFL Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. Oddly enough, this is another story of how God used a severely handicapped son to completely transform the hearts of a family. I don't know why the Lord led me to two books with such similar themes, but they both are amazing...and not just for the inspirational story. In fact, that is absolutely secondary to the overriding theme of the gospel weaved into both of these books. It is heart-warming, tear-jerking, convicting, inspiring...and somehow not even about this family at all. It all comes back to the sovereignty of our Lord, and the overflowing grace and mercy He lavished on us while we were yet sinners.

The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan
Truth be told, I didn't read this book for the first time this year. Probably for the 3rd or 4th time. But it still counts. Ahhhh....I love this book. I always say after reading it, "If I could just live THIS out, everything else in life would just fall into place." Not because life would get easier -- not at all --- but because I would be following God's design for abundant living in Him. This book UNPACKS the idea of Sabbath rest -- not just on Sunday (while that's certainly a part of it), but as an ongoing way of life. I love how Buchanan writes...it's restful just reading his stuff, before you even apply it!

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
I am slowly working by way through this book - about 3/4 of the way through it (and got distracted by the next book I am going to highlight!), but I already know it's on my short list of "best of's". Basically, it's about developing a heart of gratitude. And allowing your gratitude to overflow into a heart of worship throughout your day, in every circumstance. It's discovering how we can be content with much or with little, and how to give thanks regardless of the joy or trials in our life. Completely based on scripture, and written from the heart of a stay-at-home mom with like 7 kids living out on the farm! Love the perspective she offers!

Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson (mother and daughter)
I have one chapter left in this book, and I cannot stop talking about it. It is my new all-time favorite parenting book (I also love "Don't Make Me Count to Three" by Ginger Plowman on heart-oriented discipline). Such an amazing outline of how to infuse the gospel into our parenting. How to show our kids their need for a Savior and to use every day interactions to point them to Jesus. Duh....this is what we want! But sometimes it is so hard! These gals are practical, real, and all about the gospel. This is not a "how to raise perfect kids" book (which focuses on the externals, really just a desire to glorify ourselves rather than God)...this is about faithfully parenting our kids in a way that shows them their sin, God's boundless love that conquered that sin....and then trusting that salvation is of the Lord!

So...what are you reading? Anything great that you can recommend? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Elijah's "Over the Moon" Party!

So much to post, so little time! But I don't want to skip over these great pictures Heidi took at Elijah's first birthday party. His theme was "We're Over the Moon for Elijah!" so we used all kinds of fun space decor...right down to moon pies for dessert and moon sand party favors. Fun! We had a great afternoon celebrating our adorable one year old! Thanks to all for making his birthday special!
Hiked-up shorts and man boobs...only cute when you're one!

Elijah took a little break from the party to hide in the stack of diaper bags and drink his bottle.


Daddy praying...thanking God for this gift that we wanted and waited for!

Some of the fun decor:

Silly sister...