Babyland General

Yesterday we made a girls only trip to Babyland General in Cleveland, GA: home of the Cabbage Patch Kids! We took my niece, who is 3, for her first visit. My Mother-in-law, Sister-in-law, niece, and girls all went with me. We had such a fun time. My niece even got to name a brand new cabbage patch baby: Lucas Xavier. (someone else named the middle name). I loved seeing my niece enthralled in the imagination of Babyland General.

Christmas 2011

We are so very blessed! This Christmas was amazing! We started at home and opened gifts then hit the road and headed to McRae. We enjoyed our day with my family AND Josh's. Hudson received an iPod touch; Kendan received a wooden train and his own phone (leap frog style). We had a wonderful day! I received an awesome iPhone 4s with a pretty pink otter box. I am a lucky girl. Josh spoils us. Merry Christmas!

The Polar Express

We took a ride on The Polar Express tonight, and it was magical! We got hot chocolate (with dancing servers) and a cookie. We listened to "The Polar Express" read aloud as we followed along in our book. We sang Christmas carols, and then Santa came by and gave each child "the first gift of Christmas": a bell. It was a very fun train ride from Bryon City, NC to the North Pole and back. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Pre-K Polar Express Trip

Friday we went to the North Pole with Hudson's class. They rode a train, where Kendan decided he was going to ride next to the Conductor. :) When they got there they could pick from lots of different activities: ornament making, cookie decorating, mixing reindeer food, and penguin bowling to name a few. Hudson had a great time! We love his teachers, and were so glad Ms. Pam came for the morning!

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Christmas pictures

My amazingly talented and extraordinarily generous friend, Missy, has walked this foster parent journey with me by listening to me blab on and on about every little step in the process. She's pretty great like that. Anyway, she offered to take some pictures for us this Christmas! They are really really great pictures. She is amazing behind a lens! I love how she captures my family so perfectly! I really love the picture of Josh and me.

We are excited to share this Christmas season with our family of 6 this year. Hudson is at an age where he knows the "REAL" meaning of Christmas! He can tell you why we celebrate Christmas, and that is really important to me. Kendan can even tell you who "Bebe Jsis" (Baby Jesus) is in our nativity scene.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Merry Christmas Y'all

Fostering

We are official. We are an open foster home. We received the call while Kendan was in the hospital with pneumonia saying that our home had been approved. :) The next week we went to the beach, and while we were there we got THE call. Our DFCS lady called us and said she had twin 12 year old girls (names will be withheld purposely on here) that needed care, and asked if we'd take them. We had specified that we would take children younger than Hudson or a much older GIRL. Josh and I discussed it, and decided we would care for them.

October 28th we picked them up from a temporary foster home where they had been placed when they first came into care. That first weekend was rather overwhelming for me. I thought many times, "what have we gotten into?" I didn't yet know the girls, and was beating myself up that I didn't feel overwhelming love for them immediately. After a talk with my mom I realized I was being unrealistic. She reminded me that some mothers have their biological babies and don't immediately feel overwhelming love...she was so right. I remember thinking at the hospital with Hudson & Kendan something was wrong with me because the love had to grow over time. I loved Hudson & Kendan, but it wasn't an overwhelmingly gushy love like I expected. It didn't take long though before it reached gushy with each of my boys. So, I relaxed a bit and jumped into mommy mode: scheduling appointments, helping with homework, making sure basic needs were met, and getting to know our new additions.

We have 2 very sweet girls that have joined our family. We are not sure how long they will be a part of our family, but they fit right in. My boys love them, and they enjoy helping me with the boys. They love our church, and beg to go to EVERY event. It is fun having girls in the house.

I do not know how long they will be with us, but I do know this: THEY ARE IN MY HOME FOR A REASON. God has made this VERY clear! I have a good friend that I know from high school, and we now work together at Burnt Hickory. She and I were discussing some things, and I was talking about some little things I have seen with the girls. She then starts telling me all about a similar situation she had with a child when she taught school. That night the kids and I were up at church, and my friend walks in and meets the girls. She and I realize that she had been talking about MY foster child and we didn't even know it! We had been talking about the SAME child! She taught one of my girls in 2nd grade 5 years ago!!!! She was fighting back tears, and I had goosebumps. That is MORE than a coincidence. So, since I know they are here for a reason, I am just mothering them like I would my own and trusting God. I do not know His plan, but I know He's got one. I also know I can trust Him!

So, life is crazy busy, fun, hectic, and awesome all at the same time! I have 2 boys and 2 girls...just like I always wanted! :) Sidenote: my mom has a letter she wrote to my aunt when I was little all about the talk she and I had on a drive home from Kentucky. I was telling her about my life when I got older and what it would look like, complete with 2 sets of twins: boys and girls. (Only in my little head they were all exactly the same age, so more like quadruplets). HA HA My aunt framed that part of the letter and gave it to my mom many years later. My God has a good sense of humor...and He loves me like crazy!

It's hard learning how to mother girls when I haven't learned it all along from the beginning. It's hard mothering middle school age girls and jumping in with homework and assignments and school stuff. It's hard hearing about them talk about their life up until 3 weeks ago. It's hard. But it's WORTH it! I know that tonight they are safe, warm, fed, and loved. I know that tonight they will sleep well.

That's where we are at this moment in time. We have 4 children for now. That's our life in a snapshot. We are loving it. I love knowing that God has put us together right now. "Being a mother is a holy privilege."

Boys in the South

Never too early to start learning. This is from a while ago, but I finally got it to upload. :)

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Halloween 2011

This year we had a really busy Halloween weekend. We trick-or-treated at The Avenue (our fav!), Paulding Meadows, and Poplar Springs Baptist Church's trunk or treat on Saturday! Then Monday we went to Pumpkinfest at our church! I don't have any pictures from Pumpkinfest because I was in line for the inverted jumpy the whole night. :) The kids had a blast, and we have so so much candy! We also added two girls to the mix this Halloween. Josh and I are fostering 12 year old twin girls. I am waiting for permission to post their picture on here; not sure if I am able to do that yet. Until then, enjoy my adorable Mario & Luigi!

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Grayton Beach 2011

This year our annual beach trip to Grayton was awesome! We had a great week playing in the pool and at the beach! We made a quick visit to my Mamaw & Papaw on Saturday. The rest of the time was spent playing. Hudson and I made it out to the sand bar one day. We flew kites, swam, dug in the sand, and just relaxed! One day while we were on the beach we saw a guy that had caught a 7 ft shark fishing about 40 yds out!!!! He had the shark on the beach cutting out the meat, fins, and jaws. It was cool. :) We didn't go back to the sandbar again though. Ha ha. We celebrated Josh's birthday, watched the sunset several times, had a bonfire, set crab traps, took canoe rides in the lake, and we even saw Manatee swimming in the ocean! It was a great trip!!!

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