This past week has flown by. The new secretary started on Monday so I've been quite busy training her. Today the shop took me to lunch and honored me. I received nice gifts, beautiful yellow roses and even a gift certificate to our local mall (the amount on the card is quite a hefty sum).

I truly will miss seeing them every day. They are so dear.

But now I'm moving on to an exciting new world.

HOME!

Bits 'n Pieces

You would not believe the amount of people coming up to me at work asking me if I'm pregnant.
It's a little difficult but I can't blame them. Not all of them know that I've been unable to have children and they are only receiving half the story. They hear through the grapevine that I'm leaving work and having children. I suppose that I should expect that they ask and I just need to prepare myself and to respond in kindness.

I hope that my boss is closer to finding my replacement. I have just two weeks left in order to train someone and there is a great deal to learn.

I am allowing myself to get a little more excited each day knowing that I'm going to be living my dream in a matter of days. The time has come for me. We received a call yesterday that there is a 9 month old baby boy in foster care and the city is interested in placing him for adoption with us! There appears to be some health conditions but we don't have many details yet. We will be meeting with the caseworker next week. We also had our last homestudy meeting with our social worker and she is recommending our approval to the council. I really need to get that nursery together!

Until our next episode...I'll leave you with my favorite picture from our Luau we had recently.

Are Children Cherished Today?

My answer to the above question is "no". I do not see that the majority of children in this day and age are cherished as valuable blessings from God.
In a world where it's "okay" to have abortions, let others raise our own children, and yell at, abuse and berate them I cannot see that these gifts are treasured or cherished. When children are taken away from their natural families by Child Protective Services their spirits are broken and this is done by the families that are to love and teach them!

As a woman who aches for children of her own, I can tell you I've not gotten the support I've needed when faced with infertility and the possibility of having foster and adopted children. As I tell people of my plans to be a foster mother soon here are just a few of the responses I get:

Among the groans and sighs and "oh boy's" there is:

I have a 15 year old you can have.
Don't you want to think twice about raising troubled foster kids?
You'll be pulling your hair out and begging to have your day job back soon.
You want more than one? Are you crazy?
Well good luck, it's a thankless, dirty job.
Whew, better you than me!

Now let's view this from my perspective, I have not been able to have children on my own yet that's all my husband and I long for. We greatly anticipate our future as parents but nearly everyone around me is telling me how awful parenting is and that they'd gladly allow me to take their troubled children off their hands. I must say I feel knocked down a few pegs as these naysayers try to steal my excitement.

Now I feel it is my duty to treat any children that come into our household as a most sacred gift. Parenting children does not have to be a "thankless, dirty job" and I will delight if the Lord sees fit to give me many children. I have a bright hope for tomorrow that I cannot let others diminish and I need to instill that bright hope in future generations.

copyright: Amanda Davis
July 13, 2005

Mother To Many?

This Foster Care business is tough. My husband and I had to take a "test" to see how we scored on parenting issues. Apparently we do not intersect in our parenting styles at all. So that was the first bit of disappointing news. And the next thing the social worker told us was that my husband scored "high" on the parenting issues but I was "only average". Then she proceeded to discuss my answers because I guess she was concerned that I would use corporal punishment on the children. Now, I understand that as a professional parent, I am not able to spank the children. If I had my own children, yes - I would spank them. But I wll not spank children that are not my own - which is what these foster care children would be. Not mine, yes I get it. I almost felt like she was hesitant in allowing me to be a mother. I cannot believe the state has so much say on me being a parent. Isn't it enough that I'm not able to have natural born children? Isn't it enough that I'm volunteering to care for children who are in need of a good home? Apparently not, I have to be scruitinized and talked down to because my "test" answers were too middle of the road.
Then I was asked if I was flexible. Yes I am but I do prefer to be on a schedule and I believe children do better on a schedule as well. But perhaps Social Services would not like me to have a schedule

I have something else to say about me being a foster parent, I'll save that post for tomorrow.

Cribbage

I went home during lunchtime and found that my husband had put together the crib! It's much bigger than I was expecting. I'm definitely going to have to move all the furniture around in the nursery. Thursday night we are picking up a toddler bed, some toys and possibly another crib (we said we'd be able to take 2 children, I'd like to be prepared)!

Walking On

Well I tell you what...Friday afternoon was very trying.
After getting back to work from lunch (I despise being late), I turned in my notice of leave. I have been at this job since 2002 and it has been quite a nice position. There were really only 1 or 2 bumps that were hard to deal with but the people here made it fantastic.

I've been asking my husband for years if I could quit my job and be a full-time homemaker. It was only when the possibility of us having children started to become real that he allowed me to turn in my notice. Friday morning (after I had already arrived at work) he said that since we are going to be foster parents very soon that I can go ahead and turn in my notice. I did not hesitate, he finally said, "yes" and I wasn't going to give him a moment to think otherwise. When lunchtime rolled around I went home and grabbed my resignation letter from off the table.
I gave 4 weeks as opposed to 2 weeks because I know my boss likes to take his time to make sure he hires just the right person. I'm also hoping that my replacement will be here soon so that I will have a chance to train them. There are a lot of details that I would like to pass along so that the transition is seamless.

The social worker is coming to our house on Tuesday to interview me and tour our home. She said we'd probably have children by September.
I'm beginning to get very excited!

We all scream

Mmmm Chocolate

Christmas In July

I consider myself to be a slow person (slow at everything but typing that is, I just love typing. No, really!)
Since I'm slow, I start planning for Christmas VERY early. After the Christmas season is over I take a nice long break from all things Christmas related, but long about July I start turning my thoughts to Silver Bells and Eggnog. Although I have been purchasing gifts here and there as I can (I already have the makings of a nice basket for Sil and a rather expensive (to me anyway) gift for Mil) I officially begin preparing for the season in August.

Here now is a Practically Pink guide to planning the Perfect Christmas.
The Holiday Grand Plan

This year I will have followed the Holiday Grand Plan for 5 years. Each year my plans get better and more organized. Each year Christmas comes and goes with a little more joy. I made myself a Holiday Grand Plan notebook and it keeps me so organized it's scary. For instance, I already have our Christmas Cards bought for this year, I have stamps and mailing labels all ready to go. They will be addressed early in the fall.

Whee!!!!!!!

Blessed are the merciful

Almost 5 years ago I bought a Precious Moments Puzzle called Blessed Are The Merciful. I bought it in anticipation that I would put it together for our children's nursery.The time has come that I can finally put that puzzle together. We are getting the nursery together in the hopes that children will soon bring laughter into this house. I'm hoping that we'll be able to meet with the social worker this week in order to start our foster care homestudy for the state.

This evening we went to my coworker's house because she is donating a crib (and it's in excellent condition). When we got there she asked us if we could use a high chair. She then said her daughter wanted to know if we needed a car seat and stroller.YES WE DO! Last weekend as we went to the Rock-A-Bye baby store and the thrift shop I was mentally noting all the things we needed. Thankfully we didn't buy anything over the weekend because it looks like people really want to bless us and help these children who need it.

So we drove away with a beautiful crib and a cute high chair that's in perfect shape. We may be getting the car seat and stroller later in the week. I can hardly believe it.I can hardly believe it.

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7

I simply adore the color pink.