Our amazing travel agent ended up getting us a trip to San Diego! Not only is that where R is originally from, but he also did his USMC Basic Training there. I've never been, so it fits that we ended up here. We are both loving it! We've been to Sea World, La Jolla, Qualcomm Stadium (bought lots of Chargers gear), on a histour tour of San Diego, and our favorite so far, Coronado.
We have plans to meet up with R's family here...I'm looking forward to meeting them!
Today we found out that Hurricane Rina is expected to hit Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun in the next day or so. That being said...our flight to Cancun has been cancelled. Boo! I talked to the airline today, they said that the next flight would be sometime late next week, because there are several flights cancelled and rescheduling everyone's flights would take time.
SO THANKFUL, in this situation, that we have a travel agent. I called Megan and she is working feverishly to find us another place to go to on vacation. I think the choices are South Carolina or Florida. We've already planned for time off of work, and have planned this vacation for months and months...that both R and I are ready to get the heck outta here! :)
Team BLUE....in honor of the baby boy that was placed with us for Foster Care. We got the call a week ago (7.22.11) that there was a 6 week old boy who needed to be placed in a foster home for permanency.
Just a few days ago, R and I had talked about not quite being emotionally ready to start Foster Care, and decided that we might need to wait a little longer before accepting a placement. Once I heard this precious baby's story, there was no way that I could say no. Of course, I called R and he agreed. We picked him up that very afternoon at 3pm.
He doesn't have much hair - the hair he does have is very light. His eyes are blue, I hope they stay that way. He has the chunkiest cheeks I've ever seen, you just want to kiss 'em. He is such a sweet, calm, beautiful soul. In the week that we've had him, he's captured our hearts. We are so grateful for this opportunity to play a prominent role in his life for as long as the Lord allows us to do so!
We have decided that we are tired of waiting for GIFT licensing. We also have not approved of SIRM's new RE's "bedside manner". Neither R nor I are a fan. We don't want to be babied, but we also do not want to be belittled. We have chosen to go with another RE in the area. We will meet him in the Fall. We want to enjoy our summer as much as possible.
I came across this video a few days ago. I was having one of those rough days and I was searching for something that would speak to me. It didn't take long for Jesus to put that "something" in my path.
I used to be continally annoyed by the people who say "Children are a blessing". I'm certainly not contesting that they absolutely ARE a blessing from God, but do I think that God is "blessing" those women who choose to neglect or abuse their children? Absolutely not. Nor do I think that I am not being blessed, because I'm unable to have children of my own.
I wanted to share this...I listen to this song nearly every day as a strong reminder that I AM being blessed by this trial. If nothing else, to grow closer to my Saviour and to learn to trust Him. I would take that over a child any day. Because if I don't have a close relationship with Him, I wouldn't be the parent I need to be anyway.
Listen and Love!
We pray for blessings We pray for peace Comfort for family, protection while we sleep We pray for healing, for prosperity We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering All the while, You hear each spoken need Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops What if Your healing comes through tears What if a thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You’re near What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom Your voice to hear And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love As if every promise from Your Word is not enough All the while, You hear each desperate plea And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops What if Your healing comes through tears What if a thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You’re near And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us When darkness seems to win We know the pain reminds this heart That this is not, this is not our home It's not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops What if Your healing comes through tears And what if a thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You’re near What if my greatest disappointments Or the aching of this life Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy And what if trials of this life The rain, the storms, the hardest nights Are Your mercies in disguise
It’s pretty clear by now that we’re headed down the path of foster/adoption. We plan on fostering children who are “legal risk”, and hope to adopt either through foster care or through an adoption agency within the next few years. We’ve had serious concern about the path we feel led down brought to our attention by those we love. I’ll premise my epistle by saying that we still plan on pursuing IF treatment when it becomes available –just because we’re hoping to adopt doesn’t mean we’re relinquishing treatment. We want more than one child in our home! That being said, we both think it’s worthwhile to give some insight to, as my mom famously says, “the method to our madness”, and we hope to do so in the most gracious, caring way possible.
The decision we reached was not something that happened quickly. We’ve done serious soul-searching and have lengthened out the licensing period for over 1 year. We did not want to enter into this part of our lives without knowing that it is definitely where we should be. We know that there’s a chance the birth mother will decide not to go through with the adoption or the foster child we’ve had for 2 years get placed with family members that have suddenly appeared. What I’ve described will hurt, it won’t be easy. We feel that doors have been opened, ones that we couldn’t open on our own, and we’ve decided to continue on another part of our journey.
Both R and I can understand the negative scrutiny of the foster care system and all parties involved. When I think about where my predisposition about foster care youth came from, television and movies pop into my head. I have seen numerous movies where foster care youth have been portrayed in a negative light, whether it is troublemakers, bullies, or even drug addicts. I’ve never had a personal experience with foster care, and I have never known anyone in foster care, so I was really basing my own opinions on the closest thing I could relate to: the media. The media has sensationalized the view of many foster care adolescents establishing stereotypes amongst the general public. Even news related material that tend to focus more on negative stories related to foster care youth versus positive stories contribute to the overwhelming amount of stereotypes that these youth face daily. Some of the biggest hurdles these children will face come from this stigma society places on foster care. Misinformation and ignorance (as well as focusing on said “horror stories” from the news) have led to negative stereotypes about foster children, foster parents, and the foster care system. The majority of these kids have been given a label that tends to identify them as "not good enough" or "second class." But we know the reality — these kids are as loved by God as any child.
More than 800,000 children pass through the U.S. foster care system every year. Think of all the children who come to see themselves as unloved, and presumably unlovable. Even the fortunate ones, who are adopted, face problems - they cannot trust adults, believe that they are loved, or understand what a permanent place in a family means. Many adoptions are actually disrupted when these children lash out and display belligerent behavior. Growing up in foster care means existing in constant limbo. Natural parents who don't come through and foster parents who are not "for keeps" breed a deep-seated insecurity. Foster children often expect to be rejected - even after adoption.
I’ve read several books about adoption and foster care lately, hoping to educate myself. In one such book, John Piper so eloquently puts it, "adoption … is greater than the universe … Adoption was part of God's plan. It was his idea, his purpose. It was not an afterthought. He didn't discover one day that against his plan and foreknowledge humans had sinned and orphaned themselves in the world, and then come up with the idea of adopting them into his family. No, Paul says, he predestined adoption. He planned it."
Throughout Scripture, God emphasizes His love and concern for orphans and widows. He cares for them, fights for them, protects them and places them in families. God has called us to care for orphans and the fatherless. Foster Care/Adoption is evangelism at its core – bringing the mission field home, where children are loved, cared for and discipled to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Caring for the fatherless and adoption is at the very heart of God. As believers, we ourselves have been adopted by God and now have an incredible opportunity to experience His joy and prayerfully consider making “one of the least of these” our own child. We hope you understand our decision and will join with us -- just two people, who have been given an "incredible opportunity" to make a difference.
...to Playa del Carmen, Mexico! We're staying for a week at a small resort. We definitely don't want the "family" crowd, but we don't want the "party" crowd either.
This is what we have to look forward to...(I think that part of our treatment $$$$$ was well spent!)
We finished our last class this week. We've learned so much...although, we're still not sure if we want to be foster parents just yet. Since they're still waiting on our background checks, we have a while to decide, and we can say no at any time. We'll meet with our social worker so that we can decide a few things before they ask to place a child with us.
I still the state is far too involved, but I realize that they're the ones responsible for these poor children and, in turn, they have to be overly involved. I think that if we choose to do this....I'll be thankful for their resources.
Pray with us...that we'll make the right decision for us.
Hurray....we are taking a trip with our treatment money!! We're speaking with a travel agent and hopefully getting all the details together soon. Since we'd rather not go until Oct/Nov, it'll give us something to plan for and look forward to all summer. I must admit that I was skeptical at first, we talk about many things that we'd love to do or like to be within 1 year; however, they rarely happen. Both R and I agree that this will be good for us, and I'm definitely excited!
I refuse to say "Happy" New Year, although I cannot contest that it is a new year. R's car is a piece of junk, even though it's only 3 years old. Eight months ago the engine blew up...on a 2 year old Jeep, what?? This time...apparently it's the heater core and anti-freeze was spewing onto my legs from under the dashboard. With the news we got a few days ago about treatment, and now the sickening smell and anti-freeze, and the fact that we're down one vehicle -- this does not constitute happy. As far as I'm concerned we can skip 2011, and go right to 2012.
