Checking In!

My computer is acting up and is not letting me download or upload my pictures to anywhere! I am so mad, but wanted to post on here about my day.
Today G called his grandma. I told him he should because he didn't call on Christmas or anything. He called her and they were on the phone for over an hour. I was so happy, but at the same time sad. I heard him say how "Foster Care really sucks" and "I don't want to be in it anymore." I was sad to hear it. I know it sucks to be in Foster Care, but I was hoping that we were making it a little bit easier on him? I was just so sad to hear him talk to his grandma like that. I heard him answering questions about us, which made me wonder if she was thinking it was OUR fault that he felt like this. I don't know. So, I have been thinking about it all day and it's hard NOT to take it personal, even though I know I shouldn't.
The other thing was as soon as he got off the phone he asked if he could call his social worker? I said "Sure, Why?" and he said because he needed to talk to her about weekend visits with his Grandma. I had to remind him that I did call her a when he first got here and asked if he was able to have weekend visits and she said "no." I told him that everything he has asked me, I have called her and asked. So, I told him that if he wants to, he can call and discuss it with her himself so he can hear her answer too. He said "ok." So that is what I am going to do. Call his social worker on Wed of next week. It might be something he needs to hear straight from her instead of me. There are reasons why his grandma can't have him for the weekend, but he fails to see that. So, I have been trying to go over everthing in my head, wondering why this has offended me or bothered me so much, but it has. This is why I changed this blog to my journal. Just hoping to get things off my chest. I know how hard it is to be away from family and I know this sucks for him greatly, please don't think that I am insensitive at all to G's feelings. I totally know how he feels at this moment. I just was hoping deep down inside that we were making it just a little bit easier while he is going through this.
Tonight my prayer is for G. Lord, I know this is a tough time for him, to be completly away from ALL of this family. I pray that you give G a peace in knowing that eventually things will get better. I know this is not where he wants to be Lord, no matter how badly "I" wish that he would. I lift up G's family to you Lord, that his mom realizes the turmoil she is putting her child through and would get plan done so they can all be together again. I want to lift up all children in foster care, wishing deep down inside they could be with their family. G is a different situation due to him being older and having been attached to some of his family members. Please Lord, give him a peace and joy, until they can be re-united again one day. I pray that you give me the wisdom to know what to say or do when he is feeling blue like this. It just breaks my heart.
Thank you for all that you have done and for bringing G into our lives. ONe way or the other, I know that You have a plan for G and for us. In Jesus' name we pray....
Amen...
P.S. I am loving WW and have seen a small difference on the scale already. I know it is cause I am down to ONE Mt Dew a day, the rest is water! Tonight I came in under my points by 1! So I am just quiting while I am ahead! Tomorrow I am back to the gym! Wish me luck!

It's Not A Diet...

Christmas was great! I will share pictures in my next post. Christmas Day I came down with some kind of stomach bug, so I haven't been feeling really well at all. It sucked being sick on Christmas, but I still enjoyed the day. The kids woke up and was so shocked to see the tree so full of presents. They wanted to skip breakfast to get straight to the presents. I will post it all tomorrow though.
While feeling sick on Christmas I decided that I was tired of feeling unhappy with myself. I kept seeing the commercial about "It's not a Diet" from Weight Watchers. I have done Weight Watchers before and totally agree with their plan. It is the most healthy way of losing weight, but it's also a great way to learn to eat healthy too. So, I signed up for a week free with the online Weight Watchers. It's only been a couple of days and I am happy with my choice! I feel a little better, but am not totally going without. I am hoping this will at least help me to eat healthier. I am sure it will help me not feel so tired all the time too. I have anemia and it can get really bad when I don't eat right.
So I am starting my New Year's resolution a little earlier. I am hoping by blogging about it that I will be held a little more accountable. I have to track my points online and even though I ate THREE pieces of pizza last night, I still logged them in. It really makes a difference seeing it right in front of your face all that you have consumed in a day!
Hope everyone enjoyed their Holiday's! WE sure did! We are hoping to ring in the New YEar with all our friends. I am praying that this next year will bring LOTS of changes. More of that to come later in Feb! I will keep you posted!

As always, I am going to end in prayer. My prayer today is for my family in the next year. I pray that we continue seeking the Lord's Will NO MATTER what it is and no matter what WE think it should be. Lord, I lift our Church up to You right now. You know our struggles and what we need to do to make our Church better. I pray for the Holy Spirit to rain down on our Church Lord and revive our Faith in this next year.
Thank You for all that you have done and all the blessings you have bestowed upon us, we know we are not always deserving Lord. I give you all the praise for all that this next year is going to bring, no matter what it is Lord....I thank you in advance for this next year. Please be with our men and women overseas as they continue to fight this war away from their families and loved ones. I pray a hedge of protection around them. I also want to thank you for dying on the cross for me and my sins. As we finish celebrating Your birth and we soon move on to celebrating Your dying on the cross for us, I pray that we continue to focus on You and the true meaning of these Holiday's. Thank You for continuing to give me strength to do all that I can to spread Your Word Lord and what you have to offer. In all these things we pray.....IN Jesus' name...
Amen

Where did my Baby go??

Just thought I would get on here real quick and share this video of Jaelyn. She cracks me up! She always has something funny to say, or running around singing, or just dancing around the house. I KNOW this girl is going to be in entertainment someday. I PRAY that it's for the Lord! That would be awesome.

I am so torn emotionally with her cause I look at her and am so excited that she is growing up and becoming such a precious little girl, but then I get upset cause I am losing one of my babies. It is even more sad because there isn't another baby replacing this baby...Jaelyn is it. I am coming into a new stage in my life and am not sure how to take it. Some days are exciting, while other days are very depressing. In October Steve and I went up to the Maternity ward to visit our friends (young) that just had their first baby. As we walked through the doors I got emotional knowing that I won't ever be on the other side again. It is a one way door for me from now on and that just broke my heart. It is final with us (I had my tubes tied last c-section) so there is a finality about the whole thing, but I am looking forward to the time I am going to have with my husband one day. I will have him all to myself! We don't know or at least can't remember what that is like!

So here is a video of my little girl that keeps me entertained for now, until that day that she has to leave me and start that wonderful journey in her life called school. I cherish every moment I get with my kids knowing that time goes by way to fast. Even in the tough moments, I try to think that one day I will miss ALL of these moments. Chelsea is growing up too fast also and I want to look back when she is grown and not regret one moment of missing any part of her life.

So now I am introducing....Ms. Jaelyn Kaye Ousley LIVE!!!!

Oh My....

I can't believe it but I am actually sitting here with nothing to do! It feels GREAT! Finally a minute to sit and relax for a minute.

So I thought I would catch up on here! We have had a busy week. I love all the holiday stuff going on right now. Saturday I got up early in the morning and headed out to Curves for a show. I had a table display up for a few hours. It was so much fun hanging around a bunch of ladies so motivated to work out and stay in shape! WOW! I need some of that determination back too! After Curves, I went home and snatched up the clan and headed to Benecia for "Foster A Dream." It was great after we FINALLY got there. My biggest complaint about California is traffic! Oh my goodness...it was horrible and there were accidents everywhere! Anyways, we arrived and the kids were taken on a tour of Christmas wonderland in a warehouse. It was great. They left with so many goodies and great gifts for each of them. Next year, I am going to volunteer for the program because I think what they are doing is such a great and wonderful thing. It was started by a lady that grew up in Foster care.

Then On Sunday, the big day, we got to Churh early and got ready for the musical. This year my preschoolers sang up on stage two songs! I was so nervous for them and that they wouldn't do well, but it was a HIT! I am soooo proud of my preschoolers. They worked so hard on their songs and did such a great job! I just am so proud. Jaelyn did a great job, most of the kids had to be bribed to sing loud up on the stage by their parents! It was so hysterical. Then after the preschoolers were done, the older children took the stage and performed a great great musical. They did so good. Tyler sang his heart out up on that stage. He is so handsome and I just can't get over how much he has grown!

Thank you for all of your prayers. I don't have any answers yet to everything going on with me, but hopefully soon. I have a few friends and family members that could use some prayers, so please pray for them. The Holiday's are such a great and awesome time for families,but it can also be tough times for everyone. I just lift those people up in prayer today, those who don't have the means to be with their families this time of year. Also lift those up that have lost loved ones this past year and will be without them. It is never easy to be without your loved ones....never. I just want to take this time to praise God for my family and that we are together for this year. I am going to focus on what I have now and not focus on what may be next year or there after. Thank you Jesus for all the blessings I have had this year. I just want to lift those up to that are struggling at this time of year whether it's financially or emotionally due to some kind of loss. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I also pray that everyone remembers what the "TRUE" meaning of Christmas is suppose to be about, not about the decorations, the gifts, or the amount of money spent on everyone, it's suppose to be about the birth of Jesus Christ. I pray that if anyone doesn't get anything else this year for Christmas, they at least get that message. I pray all these things in Your name, In Jesus' name I pray...Amen.

This video is of my preschoolers singing "Jingle Bell Jesus." It is so cute and adorable. The kids made their shirts (which are hard to see) and one of the moms made bracelets for each of the children with bells on them. It turned out so great. Jaelyn is on the bottom left and you can hear her voice very well when they sing the "Jingle Bells" part! Sorry it's so bouncy, but Steve had to do the video because I was up on the side of the stage directing the kids, but he was laughing so hard he made the video bounce around!! Enjoy though!

Tyler is on the bottom left also. You can see how much he really likes doing this. He is the youngest out of all the kids in this group. I was a proud mommy on Sunday in Church. They all did great!

Happy Birthday Steve

Me and my handsome husband!!!

I just had to get on here really quick and say "Happy Birthday" to my wonderful husband, whom I love with all my heart! He is the best husband in the whole wide world. We are going to go on a "date" Sunday for his birthday cause I pre purchased tickets to see "I am Legend" with Will Smith. It looks scary and I told Steve he can take anyone he wants with him. He said he wants me to go but knows how I am with scary movies. I am going with him of course, but might spend most of the movie hiding my eyes. Yes! I am that big of baby. I just don't like those Sci-Fi movies that "could" come true. Some can be really scary. I will let you know how it is. I am a HUGE Will Smith fan!!!

I was listening to the radio tonight and a song came on "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and they had people talking from Iraq during the song saying "hi" to their families and children saying "hi" to their fathers or mothers in Iraq. It was the saddest and most humbling thing I have ever heard....it really humbled me. I am so grateful that I have my husband here with us for Christmas this year and my heart just goes out to those families that are away from their loved ones during the Holiday season. My girlfriend here on base has five children and her huband is in Iraq right now. Luckily she has family close to be with during the Holiday season, but it's still not the same.

Please keep all those men and women in your prayers that are away from their families not just during the Holiday's but always. I know from Steve that it doesn't even seem like Christmas when they are over there, that has to be rough. Our second Christmas in our marriage, Steve had to go to Saudi Arabia. It was the worst Christmas ever, but more so for him. I hated every minute of it. There are many things that you can do to help during the Holiday seasons that goes towards our men and women in the Military, then I suggest to do it. Whether it's sending a card or even buying a Calling card, please do what you can. I know whatever it is, it will be greatly appreciated.

On a side note, G had a GREAT visit with his grandma and Uncle. Guess what? His mom even showed up! He was so happy that he cried cause he didn't bring her a present. I told him that it wasn't his fault because he didn't know that she was going to be there. So we are going to make sure to get her a gift for his next visit, which I think is suppose to be next week. I really pray that she sticks to her word. This poor boys whole life has been full of disappointment and I don't want him to have anymore than he already has.

Thank you Lord for protecting our men and women each day. I thank you for a great visit for G and his family. He was so excited Lord to see his mom yesterday that it just brought joy to my heart to hear him so happy. I just pray for G's mother Lord, she needs you and so does his family. I pray that you give me the wisdom and the words to minister to this family. I thank you for bringing G into our life right now, especially during the Holiday's so we can show him the true meaning of Christmas. Please be with those who are far away from their families serving our Country Lord. I just pray a hedge of protection around them. Thank you for all that you have done and all that you are going to do.

In Jesus' name we pray.....

Amen

A couple of prayer requests....

Just a short post to ask for prayer for G tomorrow. After school he is going for a visit with his brother and sister to see his Grandma. He called and talked to Grandma last week and she said she got him a bunch of gifts. I am just praying this is true. I don't know the grandma at all, so I am not saying she didn't get the gifts, but I know how badly G's heart will be crushed. It's not really that he is getting gifts, it's that his GRANDMA thought about him and got him gifts. That's why I believe he is so excited. I truly believe he is missing his family. Although he says he doesn't like his mom and calls her a liar, he has been talking a whole lot about her the past few days. My heart just breaks for this young boy, who is need of his mother. I am doing the best I can to be there for him. Today he gave me a great big hug and I just felt so lucky. He isn't an affectionate child, so I let him take the lead. He does have a great big heart though. We went to Steve's Christmas party at work yesterday and the kids all got to stuff animals. G made his and said he was giving it to his grandma for Christmas. What a sweet kid! He really is and I am so proud to have him as my son right now. I know that he isn't here forever and I am trying not to get too emotionally involved, but how can I not? I am just trying not to think too much of the day he might leave and just focusing on today.
My second prayer request is an unspoken one. I am not going to go into detail on here cause it is personal, but please keep me in your prayers in the next couple of weeks. I have some things going on and tests being done, so please keep me in your prayers. I know that our God is an awesome God and I just want to praise Him all the time.
Today our message in Church was wonderful. It was all about Faith and how we should give praise before our blessings instead of after, which is so true. So that is what I am going to focus on this week is praising God for everything in advance. I am guilty of praising Him after everything is all said and done, instead of during the trial like I should be.
Lord I just ask you to work on my heart this week. Help me to focus more on You, like I should be Lord. Help me to take more time to read Your Word and spend more time in prayer. All I want in my life is to be like You and to fullfill Your Will in my life, whatever that should be. I want to give you all the praise and Glory in advance for all that You are going to do. I lift up G and my kids to you tonight, that they strive to grow closer to You and to work towards being Godly men and woman one day. I also want to lift my special prayer request Lord. You know what is going on and I just ask for your guidance in everything. I lift my Church up to You Lord. Right now is a trying time for us, but I believe- FAITHFULLY that You will see us through this storm. You already know the outcome Lord. I thank You for that.
I pray for all those Children out there that may not have a family to celebrate Your birth with this year, all of the boys and girls that are in foster care, waiting adoption, and all the children in other countries waiting to come home to their forever families, I pray that you be with them since their loved ones can't Lord.
I give you all the praise and the Glory. In Jesus' name I pray....
Amen

Who Am I??

This post is going to be a little different. I don't think you really get to know a person just through their blog posts. I want to share with you a few things about who I am.

Who Am I?

I am a mother to three beautiful biological children and a mother to one foster son. Am I always a perfect mother...no, but I try my best everyday to do the best I can with my children. It hasn't always been an easy road on my motherhood journey, but it has been very rewarding. I want to give my children love and joy in their life everyday. My childhood wasn't always great (some my fault but most of it not my fault) so it is hard for me to know the right thing to do with my children because I haven't had an example to follow. I pray daily for the Lord to guide me in the right things to say and do for my children and that's all I can do. Follow His lead....

Who Am I?

I am a woman that struggles with her self image and self esteem too. Most of my life I have been a skinny person and could eat what I wanted without it catching up to me. When I was 16 my first job was working at McDonald's. I ate there on my break EVERYDAY!!! Sometimes twice a day and I didn't gain an ounce!! What happened? Now I just look at the food and I gain ten pounds. A daily thing I struggle with is my weight. It seems the more I gain, the more I get away from eating healthy. I struggle with my self-talk in my head and what I tell myself. This is something that I am working on each day. It isn't an easy thing to work on and right now I am in a real slump with my weight. This is yet another thing that I pray about. Soon enough I will get really depressed about how much weight I have put on and start eating healthy again and working out. I love working out when I do it. Just right now with school and four kids....there isn't any time!

Who Am I?

I am the wife of the most loving, caring man in the whole wide world. I tell you, God truly blessed me with this man. It has been TEN and a half years that we have been together (married eight) and our relationship is still going strong and healthy. We were truly meant to be together. Is our relationship always perfect....no, but we have made some rules in our relationship and it works for us. 1. We don't leave each other mad. 2. Communication- always communicate. It is the number one problem in relationships. 3. We don't yell at each other. These are things that have worked for us and so far, so good. I am blessed to have such a supportive husband in everything I do. He has learned to let me make my mistakes myself cause that's how I learn. He stepped up to the plate and is a father to Chelsea, even at a young age. This man never thought twice about taking on the role as Chelsea's father. There aren't words that can describe how much I love this man for doing this. It makes him even more of a special man in my eyes. I am grateful each and every day that I have him because I have learned a tough lesson in my life about how short life can be and we never know what tomorrow holds. I make sure to tell Steve every day and every time we hang up the phone that I love him because if something ever happened to him, those words, I hope he remembers.

Who Am I?

I am a loving, compassionate person that gives with my whole heart and also hurt with my whole heart too. I want to save the world, yet don't know how to just yet. My first step, foster care. I pray that if I can't save the world, then I will start with the child that has been trusted to me. I know that G came into our life for a reason. I pray each and everyday that I show Jesus to him and teach him about our Savior. I have noticed great change in him just since he has been here and I love it. One thing is that when he first came into our home he would say "Oh my God", so I had to explain to him that we don't say that in our house. "Gosh" is a better word choice. It took him a couple of weeks, but I overheard him the other day and he said "Oh my Gosh." I was so proud of him. Another thing he did the other day is run in and tell me that he was sorry because on the way home he accidentally said a bad word. He knew that I didn't like that and told on himself! What a great accomplishment! I am praying that these little things eventually turn into BIG things, like accepting Jesus as his Savior. That is my ultimate prayer before he leaves my home.

Who Am I?

I am a person that is always striving to be better in everything I do. I was not born with great talent at all. Sometimes this can get to me when there isn't much I am good at, so I try to take time to focus on the things I am good at. One thing I can say about myself is that I LOVE kids and feel that I am good with them! I just know how important it is to build a good foundation with children because even though we may not see it, one day it will benefit them! I love running the preschool program at our Church and teaching the children about Jesus. Sometimes I let the small things steal my joy and this is something that I am working on. I am also striving to be a better Christian woman everyday. Is my prayer life where I want it to be... no. Do I always act like Jesus....no. Do I read my Bible as much as I should...no. I do know that I am trying my best to be the best Christian woman, mother, wife, friend, family, that I can possibly be. Is it always easy...no, but I know Jesus knows my heart and can see that I am trying each and every day to become better. Will it be good enough...I PRAY it is.

Who Am I?
I am a complete animal lover! My dream (and my husband laughs at me and tells me I better get a good job) it to have a farm! Yes, a farm BUT I don't want to use my animals for meat. I want two of a few animals, so they have company and that's it! The first thing I will get on my farm is two horses. My dream has always been to have a horsse. I love horses! I use to ride up in the mountains with my girlfriend in the Azores and it was sooo much fun. I just loved it. I haven't been able to ride much here, but plan on it soon. So, now you know my corky dream of having a farm! It will be a nice farm and all the animals will have plenty of space to run and enjoy life. I want my children to grow up learning to love animals. Chelsea already has said that she wants to be a Vetinarian (which will be great for my farm....ha ha) one day. I hope that she accomplishes this goal or any other goal she sets for herself...all of my children. Anything is possible, no matter how old you are! Look at me!!

Who Am I?

I enjoy reading and writing, but am not always good at it. I love it though and no matter how much I think I am not good at it, I am going to continue on. I never know who might come across this blog and they might hear the encouraging words that they need to hear.

What you see is what you get with me. I am not perfect, but I never will claim to be.

Jesus I just want to thank you for all that you have blessed me with. I pray that you help me focus on the positive things about myself and not the negative. I know that I will never be completly like you because I am human, but I want to be as close as possible. Thank you for my family, friends, and church family you have blessed me with and I just lift them up to you right now Lord.

Please forgive me of my sins Lord cause you know what they are. I thank you for being an Almighty God and I give you all the praise and the Glory!

In Jesus' name...

Amen

Feeling really bad...

I have not been feeling myself since we got back from our trip. I actually am not sure if I am fighting a cold/flu or if I am just extremely jet-lagged. It is horrible cause one minute I feel fine and the next my head is spinning. I am probably going to make myself a doctor's appt this week if I don't start feeling any better.
That is not the only reason I am feeling bad though. Yesterday G finally got through to his grandma on the phone. He has tried a couple of times to contact her without getting through to her. So he chatted on the phone with her for a little while. It was interesting to hear him talk to her about all the things he has done since he has been here. He also talked all about flying (sitting in the cockpit) and our trip. I actually felt bad for his grandma to sit and listen to all the fun he is having while away from his family. After he hung up the phone he said he really wants to see his grandma and she really wants to see him. I told him that as soon as his SW sets up something we will make sure it happens. I also told him that if we don't hear from his SW (county not our agency) then I will contact her and let her know that he wants to see her. G started talking about all these things his grandma claimed to have got him and that "She knows me and what I like." I know that he didn't intend to hurt my feelings, but in a way it did. We have been doing everything we can to make him have a happy stay here and it just seemed like he didn't even think about that. But I am a big girl and once I got over the initial hurt of his words, I knew that he just really misses his grandma and being apart of his family. They DO know him, way better than I do, so I shouldn't get offended by that statement at all. I am just going to continue what I am doing and that is getting to know G more and more everyday. He wants to see his grandma so badly. I have a feeling that this is the one and only person that he connects with. He tells me all the time that he doesn't want to go back to his mom and he doesn't like her at all. I know he has a lot of angry feelings towards her, but this just breaks my heart when he talks like that. He calls her a liar all the time. I would be so heartbroken if one of my kids said that about me. I also am not sure what to say when he says these things. Today I told him to have faith, that maybe she might get her act together and he shook his head and said "nope, she won't and never will." That just broke my heart. Maybe I shouldn't tell him to have faith, maybe he is right about her? I just am not sure what to say to him when he says these things about his mom, cause after all she is still his mom. It has been six weeks since he has seen her or had any contact with her and I feel horrible. I know deep down inside he wants to talk to her and tell her about what he has been doing, but at the same time he is angry with her for not stepping up and being a mom. Poor guy. This is why I am fighting so badly for him to be in counseling. I don't have all the answers, and he needs someone that he can share all of his feelings with about the whole situation. Hopefully something happens this week.
Now on to my next pre-teen, Chelsea. She has become soooo boy crazy all of the sudden. She has a boy that lives two houses down from us that she really likes. From what I hear, he likes her too. SHe is WAAAAY too young to be thinking about boys already. I have sat her down and told her that she is too young. It's ok to like boys, but not think about having a relationship! We just can't get through to her about it though. I am praying about it too, but it is just driving me crazy. The worst part is that she gets all emotional about the whole thing and starts crying whenever we talk to her about it. Steve told her the other night, that she better tone it down with this boy cause he doesn't want HIM to step in! Ohhhh I didn't expect this to happen just yet. I just don't want her to be anything like me when I was that age. THe thing I have on my side is that I am teaching her about Jesus and being a Godly woman, where my parents didn't. I just have to do lots of praying during these pre-teen years. A friend from church that has grown children told me that I wasn't going to like her for the next few years. She even said at some times I might Hate her....hopefully not, but I am sure there will be some strong feelings from both of us.
Tonight we took our Christmas picture, but sadly I can't post it on here. G is in the picture with us of course. I need to check with our SW worker to see if we can even put him on our Christmas cards. If not, then there won't be a picture this year on our cards. That's ok. THis is what I signed up for. Whatever it takes to make him feel apart of our family.
Tonight I am lifting up my children in prayer. I know this is selfish, but I want to take the time to lift them up in prayer. Lord I give you G, Chelsea, Tyler, and Jaelyn tonight. I pray for them to make Godly decisions throughout their lives Lord and to be pleasing to You. I thank you for trusting these precious children to me and Steve and I pray that you continue to give us the wisdom to raise them up into Godly adults. I pray that they surrender all to you one day Lord.
Thank you for all that you have done for them Lord and I pray that you continue to keep them safe. I want to thank you for my family. I am thankful each and every day that I have them with me. I am grateful for each day that we spend together and the memories that we create. You are an almighty God and I give you all the praise and the Glory.
In Jesus' name we pray....
Amen

Too much to catch up on...

Oh my...where does the time go?? My week has flown by this week and I am so tired from it!

Things are going great around here. Monday we were decorating our house for Christmas. It turned out sooo nice on the inside and out! I am so proud of it. I love Christmas time. I don't really have a theme or anything going on, I just love the lights....and lots of them. It's funny cause people actually slow down on our road to check out our lights!! Steve wanted a cross this year to hang out there somewhere, so he cut a cross out of cardboard, poked holes in it and stuck the lights in it. It turned out really nice. It isn't in these pics cause he made it the next night, but I will try to get a picture on here of it.

G is doing great. He is really excited about Christmas. I can't say I blame him! I am not sure what his Christmas's in the past have been like, but from what he says not good.

I have so much to say, but blogger took too long loading my pics, so I am out of time. I have a kitchen to clean, laundry to finish, History homework that needs to be done, and so on! It is almost my bedtime too!

I have been on an emotional rollercoaster this past week. I haven't been feeling to well and that doesn't help at all. I sat and almost cried the other night thinking of how little time I am going to get with my husband next year. We might have him home a total of FOUR months out of the year next year. He found out that he has to go to a class for six weeks starting in Febuary. He will get back the end of March, then turn around and deploy for six months May/June!!! It is so depressing when you sit and think about it, so I am just trying make the best of the Holiday's this year cause I am not sure we will all be together as a family next year. I try not to sit and think about him leaving too much, but it is hard when my whole life is revolved around his work and deployments. I wasn't sure what to do about school next semester since he was leaving for six weeks, but we worked it out. More to come on that later......

I did register for classes though!! It is exciting to know that I am almost done with school!! HOORAY!!!

The kitchen is calling my name, so I better get going...I just want to end with a prayer once again. I have been struggling with contentment this past week. I get so tired of being in the same place for too long and am ready to move on. Well, now with G here, I don't want to move on just yet. I need to learn to be content with my life. DOn't get me wrong. I am so blessed and love my family, home, and life, but for some odd reason I like to be on the go and on the move alot. Being here in California for four years has been very hard for me, but I am slowly becoming content....

Thank you Jesus for my family, friends and life. I am so blessed with all I have and I just ask you to help me learn to be content with my life. I am grateful that I am able to stay at home with my children and watch them grow into mature young adults (too quickly I might add) and thank you for trusting me with them. I also want to thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. You know my future and I just want to thank you in advance for that. Please be with those that are away from their families during the Holidays. I pray a hedge of protection around all of our military members. Thank you once again for all that I have. In Jesus' name we pray....

Amen

P.S. We got a new camera so that's why there actually pics of me and Steve on here. We have been testing the different settings on our new camera!! These pics are all out of order and I don't know what happened, but my one pic of Tyler got deleted so I added another up top!! Oh my... I need to get off of here.

My handsome husband!!!

Me....looking awful!!

Can you see the pre-teen attitude? She has been giving us a really hard time this past week, but we will get through it!! I HOPE!!

I am all dressed for the snow.....where is it???

Backwards, Forward, and Sideways.....

This is the different ways we rode on the planes the past week! It was interesting. On the C-5 we rode backwards, on the KC-10 we rode forward, and on the C-17 we rode sideways in the plane!!!

So G did very well on his first flight. I felt bad for him cause he really didn't know what to expect and didn't know anything about traveling....well now he does! He had a great time. On the flight up to New Jersey I asked the crew if G could go and check out the cockpit before we took off and he asked G if he would like to sit in the cockpit for take-off! We had to explain to G what the cockpit even was! He rode up there with the pilots for take off and half of the flight, then Chelsea switched with him and rode in the cockpit for half the flight and landing. They were both excited about it and couldn't stop talking about it. We were very lucky hopping this time and met some very nice people. We actually had a retired gentlemen compliment how well behaved our children were! I will take the compliments when I can get them!

We had a great time with my mom and family for Thanksgiving. It was a lot of people staying in one house, but it worked out great. We got into Savannah on Tuesday and left there Friday. We flew up to New Jersey on Friday and stayed until Saturday night. We weren't suppose to fly out until late tonight (Sunday) but they had a change in flights and PRAISE GOD the airport actually contacted us to let us know or else we would have showed up on Sunday for the flight and it would have already have left and we would have been stuck!! It's a long story, but luckily a guy working there knew we were trying to get home to Travis and called our hotel for them to give us the message to get up to the airport quickly. We had our bags packed and checked out within 20 minutes (with four kids).
So we are home now. I am so exhausted that I can barely type anymore. I did get enough energy to put up the tree with the kids and decorate the inside of the house. Tomorrow we will work on the outside.
I am only running on about two hours of sleep, so I need to get to bed. Sorry there aren't more pics, but most of them have G in them and I can't post them on here. I was so glad that we were able to have him come along with us. He sure did enjoy the trip!
I can't end my post without a prayer...Thank you Jesus for working out all the details in our travels. I thank you for trusting us with this precious child G. He is such a great kid and I just lift him up to you tonight Lord. I thank you for your traveling mercies and give you all the Praise. Thank you for my beautiful family Lord. I don't know what I would do without them. I want to thank you for all that you have done and all that you are going to do. Most of all I want to thank You for dying on the cross for me, to save me, a sinner.......that is what I am most thankful for.....
In Jesus' name we pray....
Amen
This was our first flight on a C-5. It took us 4 /2 hours to get from Travis to Charleston, SC. This is the largest aircraft in the Air Force. It is sooo huge and doesn't look like it should be flying up in the sky! I was so scared the first time I flew in this plane caue I just knew it was too big to be flying! I wasn't too thrilled on this flight because we were facing backwards and it felt like we were riding waves or something. I thought I was going to get sick the whole way to CHarleston. OH well....can't complain it's free!!! And we made it there safely!
This is our second flight.. a KC-10. This was our best MILITARY flight EVER!! I was so happy on this flight because it was a short flight,1 hour and 15 minutes, from Charleston, South Carolina to NJ, but also because it was a smooth flight and nice seats.

This is a C-17 we flew on from McGuire, New Jersey to Travis. It was a 6 hour flight! It was an interesting flight. I was just happy to be on a flight home, so nothing else really mattered to me. We sat in seats along the side of the aircraft, which were NOT comfortable at all though...

My Mom and me... with Dillon and Jaelyn by our sides.

My cute little niece Ava! Isn't she a cutie? I had the best time holding her and playing with her! I sure miss having a baby sometimes.......but I LOVE the age my children are right now. It is fun watching them grow up.

My mom and Molson resting after a long day's work in the kitchen. We cooked alot of food.

Matt, Elissa (my sister), My grandma, me, and Steve

One of my favorite pics from the trip...
My crazy son doing this pose. He is so funny and just like his father....

Sitting at the Airport...

I just wanted to jump on the computer real quick and let everyone know that we had a great THanksgiving last night. We had 14 people in one house. I had such a good time with my neice and nephew.
Ok. I am sitting here at Charleston AFB, SC typing on a computer which buttons don't work....so I will update in a few days. Just pray for us please. We are going upNorth tonight and stuck at another base until Sunday. Please pray we get on the flight Sunday.
Happy Late Thanksgiving.....

Travel granted, packing, and lots of stories...

Things are going well around here! It has been busy as always, but as I read others' blog "busy" is a common word used by many!! I am sure the time of year has something to do with it too.
G is doing very well. Still adjusting to our rules and home, but he seems to fit in really well. Tuesday he was suppose to have Therapy and a phone conversation with his dad, but neither one of them happened. G didn't seem too upset about missing the phone conversation (at his SW office), but I was very upset about him not getting picked up for therapy! Not to be a complainer and I am new at this, but EVERY child in the FC system should be in therapy!! I called his sw and let her know as she was unaware that he didn't get picked up for therapy. Now we are waiting to start up the week after Thanksgiving. G has been in fc since March/April....this should NOT just be getting started. It is very obvious that he has anger issues, who wouldn't in his shoes? So I am going to do everything in my power to be sure this child gets all the services he needs and therapy is ONE of them! That is what my job is and if I have to call his sw everyday, then that's what I will do until it happens. Ok. So I feel better now that I got that off of my chest.
It is funny sitting here right now listening to the kids in the dining room playing the game "Life". They are cracking me up! I told them that they can't have kids because they are too young, so whenever one of them lands on having a kid, they come running in here to inform me! Steve and G made brownies this afternoon (did you know my husband likes to bake?) so when they are done playing we are going to make Brownie Sundaes!! YUMMY! Yes, it is not healthy, but right now I am not one bit worried about being healthy until after Thanksgiving...
So Thursday the courts granted G permission to travel with us!Yeah! It looks like we MIGHT be trying to fly out Monday afternoon. We will fly into Charleston, SC and then drive on to Savannah. My mom is actually going to come and pick us up to save us on the car rental. It's only 2 1/2 hours from Savannah, so it's not that long of a drive for her. So today we did lots of laundry and G packed his stuff first thing this morning. He is cracking us up about the flying thing. He said he hasn't ever been out of California before either. I told him that we would take LOTS of pictures of him and we can scrapbook it when we get back home. He liked that idea and said he could show his mom when he sees her next time. I thought that was sweet.
So on to my next subject in the title...stories. This is what G is so full of. I don't even know what is real or not? I am not even sure he knows what is real or fantasy? He has lots of stories about his family and I think he wants us to believe or think that he family is normal like the rest of the world. I just let him tell his stories and nod my head. I know it has to be hard for him right now, not only the being in fc, but during his tweens!! How horrible. I know Chelsea struggles with school and her social life and she has a normal family life. (ok so we aren't REALLY normal, but close enough right?)
Well, this will probably be my last post until we get to Savannah. I am excited to see my mom and sister, but even more to see my nephew Dillon! I haven't seen him in over a year! I talk to him on the phone all the time, but haven't got to see him! It is hard being away from family sometimes! I sure do get homesick around this time of the year. Thank goodness we will get to go and see family. It will be pretty crazy at my mom's house. We are use to craziness though. She has a good size house, but there will still be alot of people in it. Mostly kids!! My grandma is flying in too, so this will be a great chance to spend some good quality time together and I am not sure when it wil happen again.
Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I hear of so many people decorating already for Christmas and I am jealous. As SOON as we get back, my tree is UP! I love decorating for CHristmas and the way my house looks, inside and out.
Please keep us in your prayers as we travel. Keep G in your prayers as this will be his first time flying. Also, pray that we get back by next weekend due to my school. I can't miss anymore school.
Thank you Lord for all of the blessing you have bestowed upon me. Thank you for your Mercy and Grace. Please give us traveling mercies and as we go on our Journey to Georgia!
In Jesus' name we pray...
Amen

Today was another great day together. I am so thankful everyday that my husband is home with his family. I pray for those who are without their loved one as the Holiday's approach. It is a difficult time to be so far away, not that anytime is good. It might be us going through all of the Holiday's next year without Steve, but I am not going to think about that right now.
We didn't go to Church this morning, but instead went to the Veteran's Day parade that Steve marched in today. It was a cute parade and I took lots and lots of pictures. Today I took tons of pictures of all of the kids together, but sadly don't want to post them until I find out if it's ok or not.

So I want to address a concern that has been brought to my attention. A concern about G and Chelsea being the same age. I just want everyone to know that this was a big concern of ours (and still is) since we got the Placement call. This was NOT a decision we made lightly. We took G in knowing that there will not be a MOMENT that any of the kids will be left alone. This is not an option ever, even if we wanted to because our agency does not allow it, which we wouldn't anyways. Also, when G came here we layed out the rules immediatly of what is appropriate behavior and what is not. We told the rules and told of the consequences if they were not followed. Now I am not saying since we did these things, that we might not have a problem now and again, but it should limit any. G wants to be here. He wants to be a part of a family, this family. I would like to think that he will do anything he can to remain here. That is how he acts and speaks. He doesn't want to leave...at all. I just wanted to put everyone to rest that we are not in this naively, that we are watching the kids at all times and they know it too, and that we are going to take any and ALL preventitive measure for anything to happen. If I am not at home, then Steve is here. ONe of us is at home with the kids at all times. There were times before G came that we let Chelsea babysit here and there, but those times are over. Like I said, it is not an option.
At Target yesterday I bought a journal. I am going to be writing alot of things down and journaling on paper too. There are just some things that are too private to G that I shouldn't and won't put on here, so I will put them on paper. He has said some things here and there that has really raised a concern for me and I want to put them on paper (about his mom and family). Hopefully I can keep up with both journals, but if I can't keep up with both I will have to focus on the one on paper. Just cause I can show it to social workers and stuff.
We had a great day today and I am pooped from it all. We went to eat at Applebee's after the parade and G was thrilled. I think he said he has only been there once. Tomorrow he wants to go get a haircut, but I think Steve is going to cut it. G was excited about that too. It is so refreshing to see how excited he gets about the small stuff. The things most kids take for granted, this child doesn't. He is grateful for anything. I can't wait until Christmas for G. I don't want him to just be excited about the gifts, but I am hoping to teach him about the true meaning of Christmas....the birth of our Savior. That's the true meaning of Christmas.
Here are a alot of pictures from today. It makes me so sad that I can't share pics of G yet, but watch out when I can! Enjoy the pics....

Steve is second from the right in the front row. I was so proud to see him marching in the Veteran's Parade!! There were many groups from Travis in the parade. Steve's group is wearing their Desert BDU's. I just love my husband!
More pics...

Me trying to get a close-up of him. My flag kind of got in the picture!
Some pictures of the different things in the parade....

This dragon came right up to me and pretended to lick me and tried taking Jaelyn's tiger out of my arms!! I wasn't sure if he was playing or what...but I didn't like it at all and neither did Jaelyn. She was about to freak out when it came up to us!


I tried to get a cute picture of these two together today, but it just didn't happen. I am not sure what Tyler is doing in this picture?

It's so funny when I first saw this picture, it reminded me of her baby pics. I just can't get over how big she is getting and all the new things she says each day.

Complete cuteness by Jaelyn...she really is comical most days. She is very entertaining for our family!

So I am always ending my journal entries with a prayer. Today my prayer is for Steve's grandma and grandpa. This morning we got a call from Steve's mom saying that Steve's grandma and grandpa's house caught on fire. Luckily nobody was in the house at the time, but I guess they lost alot of antiques and stuff. I think at least one bedroom is burnt up, but I don't have alot of details. I do know they can't live there because there isn't any electricity. They believe it's an electrical fire and started in the basement.
Lord I just want to praise you for Steve's grandma and grandpa being away at the time of the fire. This might be the wake up call they need to turn to you Lord. We don't know your reason behind this, but we KNOW we can trust you in all things. I just pray that you give them a peace to know that everything will work out and that they should be grateful to still be here and not have been in the fire. Thank you Lord for our Veteran's that have fought in many Wars in the past and up to the Present. Our Country wouldn't be what it is today if it hadn't been for the many sacrifices of the men and women of our military forces. We all know that Freedom comes at a price.....

Thank you Lord for all that you do in my life and my family's life. I continue to pray for YOUR guidance and YOUR Will in my life.

In Jesus' name we pray....

Amen.

Laziness and shopping...

Today was a fun day! All of us woke up late (except for Steve) and got to sleep in! I haven't slept in til 900 in a very long time it seems. Steve got up in the middle of the night to go hunting, it was opening day of Pheasant season. Him and a few buddies went up to a place near Sacramento and they actually got a couple of birds today. The kids and I piddled around the house most of the morning. G and I sat down and went over some documents today and some additional rules set by our agency, then we decided after doing inventory of all of his clothes that we needed to go shopping!!
We decided to go with Susan and the twins to Target and get a few things, after we had lunch at McDonald's playland. It was NOT a smart place to pick for lunch today due to the rain! I guess everyone was trying to get out of the house for lunch today. It was a mad house! We had fun in Target, even though it was packed too. You can really tell the Holiday's are closing in! At Target we got G some new boxer's ( I am sure he would be happy about me telling this) some socks, jeans,shoes, and some shirts. You would have thought it was Christmas for him! He wouldn't stop thanking me and was so excited about his new outfit. I totally loved seeing the smile on his face. He had 35.00 burning a hole in his pocket and he was actually going to buy himself a new pair of shoes! I told him that he doesn't need to buy his own clothes and shoes, that is my job and I told him to buy something fun for himself. He decided to buy a playstation game for him and the kids to play. Isn't that sweet? He really is a grateful child. He thanks me every night after dinner and truly is appreciative of the small things. Tonight I made fried chicken, baked potatoes, and green bean casserole!!! Yummy!
After dinner tonight we played Yatzee (another purchase from Target along with the game Life) and had a blast. ALL of us played including Jaelyn. She sat so patiently while the rest of us were rolling the dice and as soon as we said it was her turn, her face lit up! Tyler liked playing alot too and came in second place.
Well, I didn't do a whole lot today, but for some reason I am really pooped. I am thinking about actually going to bed early to get some extra sleep. We are not going to Church tomorrow morning cause Steve is marching in a parade for Veteran's Day and we want to go and see him march in it. Have I told anyone how proud I am of my husband? Well, I am so very proud of him and his integrity, honor, and commitment to me, his family, and also his Country! I couldn't ask for a better man to be my husband and father to my children!

Tonight I am closing with a prayer not only for my family, but for all of the men and women who have served our Country and continue to serve our Country today. These men and women (and their families) make so many sacrifices for our freedom and Country, so the least we can do is pray for them, not only on Veteran's Day, but every day. I also want to pray for our Country tonight. I just lift up the leaders of this Country to you Lord. Please give them the wisdom to run this Country the way you intended it to be ran. I pray for the Presidential election that already has this Country in uproar. I just pray for YOUR Will for our country Lord, and pray that we may be pleasing to you.
Please keep our military men and women safe Lord as they continue to fight for our freedom and safety. I just pray a hedge of protection around them Lord while they are away from their families. Thank you for your blessings that you bestow upon me and my family. I am so grateful for all that you do in my life and all that you continue to do. I pray tonight that we continue to bond with G as a family unit and he one day soon accepts you into his heart.
I give you all the praise and Glory!
In Jesus' name...
Amen
P.S. This week I am going to ask our social worker if it is ok that I have pics of G on our Family blog. I am not sure how that works. So keep checking next week for possible pics! Also, it's amazing how I find time to blog when I want to journal my thoughts.

Craziness and A Family Night

Today was another crazy day. I think I almost drained my gas tank, along with all of my energy!! I started at 800 am (out the door) and didn't sit and stop until later this evening! I had to go to SIX different Starbucks to deliver a letter requesting donations for our Merriment on Main that I am coordinating for our Church. This is with a three year old (not feeling so well) in tow. That was my morning. I then dropped Jaelyn off at her school and took off to work in Tyler's class for an hour. He loves me coming to his school and I just adore his smile when he see's me come into his room. It confirms why I stay at home at this point in my life. After working there, I head back to pick up Jaelyn and her friend from school. Take off to pick up the hardware to the bunk bed that WAS NOT in the box yesterday. Rushed back to the base to pick up Chelsea and G from school......whew I am pooped just typing it all! Then after all that I...ME, no on else, put the bunk bed together......ALL by myself!!! I was so proud of myself!! So that was most of my day!
Jaelyn's twin friend's and their mom Susan came over for dinner tonight. We had pizza again, which was fine with G. He say's he loves pizza. Well he will fit right into this family cause pizza is a favorite of ours! I also talked to G's social worker today and got the news that it might not be possible for him to go to Georgia. I was really sad and upset about this, but it's the way it goes. I guess his mom has a say so in the whole thing. So, his social worker called his mom's lawyer and his mom to see if she will agree to it. We are just waiting for their ok and the judge to grant the ok too. Today I had to have a talk with G about some of the things he is saying. Not bad language, just some things he mentions that shouldn't be said by a 12 year old. I took him aside alone and told him that I know he has been exposed to alot, and at a young age, but my children have not. It is a long story and not bad at all, but I just wanted him to be aware of some boundries on how we talk in our house. He was very understanding and has toned it down alot. After the twins left and the pizza was gone, we all sat down as a family and watched Deck the Halls.... I think that is what it is called. It was a cute movie, some parts were not so good for a PG movie, but other than that it was really good. I think G enjoyed having the Family time together. He kept asking all afternoon when we were going to have Family night, it was really cute.
So to end my thoughts for today, I am going to end with a prayer request once again. I just pray that some how and some way we are able to take G with us for Thanksgiving. He is so excited about flying for the first time and I just would love full fill that dream of his. I pray that his mother would do what's best for G and allow him to enjoy Thanksgiving with us. I want what's best for G and if it's the Lord's WIll, I pray for it to happen.
Again I am just so grateful for all that I have, my family, friends, and a wonderful Husband. I am so blessed to have the great man I have as a husband. I am not sure how I got him or that I deserve him sometimes, but I love him with all my heart and couldn't imagine my life without him. Thank you Lord for the grace and Mercy you have given me and I pray that I am able to show that to everyone around me....most of all to G.

Just another day...

So this morning was a little different...I had FOUR kids to get ready.Luckily two of them can pretty much do everything themselves and Tyler is getting better. It was actually pretty fun getting everyone up and coordinating everyone's schedule together. I hope every morning is as easy as today!! Yeah right!
Tomorrow Chelsea and G get out of school early for Parent teacher conferences. Steve will come home and take G to get a Military ID card. G is pretty excited about this. The ID card is what will get him on the plane with us for Thanksgiving. We have pretty much decided that we are going as long as there are flights leaving out of here during that time. G is soooooo excited about flying. I will have to take pictures and make a little scrapbook of his first time flying. It will be so much fun for him too because he will be on a military plane,which will be interesting because who knows what we will fly on(hopefully a C-5 that has seats!!! Actually I wouldn't mind a different plane because I would like G to see out the little windows. Steve mentioned telling the crew that it is his first time flying and hopefully they will take him up to the cock-pit and stuff.
Nothing really exciting to talk about today. Just getting use to each other and meeting with our Social worker. We have more paper work to do, but nothing major. Steve is going tomorrow to sign up for a Hunting Lottery thing and then hunting on Saturday, so it will be mostly just me and the kids this weekend. I think tomorrow I am going to see what is playing at the movies here on base and take them all to the movies. Other than that it will be a relaxing weekend with shopping here and there. G needs some new clothes, so we will probably hit some stores.
I need to get to bed. I am so pooped from an exhausting day today. Talking with my Social worker today made me feel better about feeling so badly for G last night. She told me that at this point right now he is probably way safer and happier to be going to bed here than in his home at this point. So when I look at it like that, it made me feel less sad. I know he is a strong little boy and he has been given a good chance to have a normal life hopefully. He totally enjoys having Chelsea, Tyler, and Jaelyn to play with. They all actually get along really well. I hope and pray that it continues throughout his time here.
Tonight my prayer is going to be for our adjustment time. Who knows how long it might take, it may take a month or possibly two? Nobody knows, but I just pray that during this time G gets comfortable with us to hopefully bond. I pray that during this time of adjustment that Chelsea, Tyler, and Jaelyn don't feel any kind of jealousy, neglect, or ill feelings towards G. This is going to be a tough thing and I am ready for it. I know that I can do anything as long as I have my Lord on my side. Through this, I pray that I continue to strengthen my Faith and grow closer to the Lord.
I just want to end with a Praise. Thank you Jesus for my beautiful family...family of six tonight. I pray a hedge of protection over my family and that you be with my children and husband as we all go our seperate ways tomorrow. Thank you again for all that you have done and all that you are going to do. I give you all the praise, Glory, and honor. In Jesus' name we pray.....
Amen.

Our First night together...

Well, tonight was our first night together and it went really well. I was surprised at how quickly and easily CPS turned him over to me. We met at the gate, went over a few papers, and I took G home with me! It was pretty simple. My case worker is coming tomorrow to do the rest of the paper work, which will be more complicated of course.
So we had Pizza tonight cause I wasn't sure what kind of food G liked, turns out he likes about anything! I was happy to hear that after having years of my picky family. We sat down at the dinner table as a family of SIX and had a nice time just chatting and still getting to know each other. After dinner, G and I unpacked his things so we could see what kind of clothes he needs. Sadly, he doesn't have much. I think this weekend we will take him shopping for some new clothes! He seemed excited about that! It will be busy around here the next few weeks. Tomorrow I am picking up the bunk beds for the girls and meeting with our case worker, which will take most of the day. Then it just gets busier from there. Luckily my school work load is light since we are towards the end of the semster, so I can focus more on the things going on around here with G.
I wish I could write that this night was the most perfect night ever, but in all reality it was a little awkward. Here is a 12 year old boy that hasn't really had a stable environment or a great start in life and now he is all of the sudden a part of our family. I felt bad for him tonight as I said goodnight to him cause I was trying to put myself in his shoes. I am sure he wishes deep down in his heart that he was saying goodnight to his own mother and father. That he was in his own home, with his own bed, and his own room. How sad, why didn't this mother fight to give this boy everything she could? Tyler asked how long G would be staying with us and G answered "As long as it takes" He wants his mom. It breaks my heart to see the pain in his eyes, he has had a life full of disappointments and all by the person he is suppose to trust the most in life...
Tonight I am closing with a prayer for G. I pray that he finds joy and happiness here, even if it's a temporary stay here. I pray for his mother out there, that she would some how get a wake up call and realize that she has this wonderful little boy here so desperate for her love. I pray that the Lord gives me the words and love to comfort this child while he sits and waits patiently for his family to reunite. Thank you Lord, for all that you have done in our lives and all that you are going to do.
In Jesus's name....
Amen.

Tomorrow is the big day...

I can't believe how quickly everything is happening now. I got a phone call from G's caseworker today asking if he could move in tomorrow. It's the only time in her busy schedule that she is able to do it, so of course I said yes. She is a very nice lady and seems to really care about the children in her care.
So G has a caseworker through Solano County and then a case worker through our agency too. Actually we get assigned the case worker for our house, so any children in our house fall under that case worker. We haven't met our case worker yet because he was just assigned to us (since G is our first child) and he has been out sick this week. So for right now we are dealing with a different case worker until ours is better. I really like our agency because they actually make WEEKLY visits out to us, in our home, to see how we are adjusting and how the child is adjusting. That is what first attracted me to our agency. I didn't want to go into this blindly and not have any help or assistance. THey have been by my side since we got the call last week. When G came to visit us yesterday, not only was his case worker here, but ours as well. It was very comforting.
So, G comes here tomorrow at 4:30 to officially move into our home. I am really excited. It's almost like preparing for a baby (well not really) but the excitement of the unknown is the same. Steve went tonight (since I had to go to school) and bought G a new bed set for his bed. Him and Tyler are in one room and CHelsea and Jaelyn are in the other.Tomorrow I am going and buying a bunk bed for Chelsea and Jaelyn. Their room is a little small and they need a bunk bed to make more room in there. Last night Steve and I sat down with Tyler to be sure he was ok with G moving into his room and having G here. He is so quiet and shy sometimes like his daddy ( I know this is hard to believe that my husband is shy or quiet but he really can be) but he seemed totally fine with everything. He is actually excited about having another boy in the family cause now (Tyler says) we are even! I guess that's a good thing!!
Steve did some checking today and found out that G is able to fly on a military flight with us to GA for Thanksgiving. That was really exciting to find out. G hasn't ever flown on a plane before and seemed excited to do so, if he does. We are still undecided about going due to the Holiday's coming up and the expenses of everything. We aren't sure yet, but will decide within the next week.
Well, I am excited to be able to blog about something exciting. I am thinking about using this blog now to journal my thoughts and feelings about what all goes on with Foster Care. It will be a great journey. I am sure it won't always be easy or fun, but in the end I am hoping it will be rewarding,probably in ways that I might never see. Who knows? All I want is to show this child what a family is suppose to be like. I don't want him to have to worry about life yet, because he will have his whole adult life to do that. All I want is for him to be a child, to have fun, make new friends, learn about Jesus,to feel loved, and to just be happy and care-free. I just pray that while I have been given this gift, this boy, whether it's temporarily or long-term, that I help him learn how to feel all of these things.