If it seems we are crazy...

We were notified yesterday that our 4th caseworker had quit in 10 months for our sibling group and we were being assigned another brand new caseworker, fresh out of training. We are having some issues with that and are actually having to contact supervisors of supervisors for the first time, knowingly angering someone. So many people use the excuse of not becoming foster parents because of DHS and the flaws in the system, which is a valid excuse for most. I just have to keep reminding myself that we didn't get into this to help DHS, we're in it for the kids. We do it so they can have a stable, safe and loving home while the court figures out where they will live permanently. We are their advocate. They are not just a name and a file to us. I was always told to make sure not to tick off anyone at DHS. Well, unfortunately, the time has come to tick someone off. Please pray that our concerns are addressed and remedied quickly.

We love it here! I almost titled this the other way around, "Waiting and Praying," but that has a totally different meaning! We are on the verge of some decisions, ones to be made by us and others to be made by a judge. I am seeking God and His will and trying to push my own desires and fears down, along with the expectations of others. I am waiting to make any big decisions until I have a peace in my heart that can only come from God and His Holy Spirit. We have court in less than 4 weeks for our sibling set and I am expecting it to be a BIG day. It will not only affect us, our sibling set and the bio mom, but the unborn child she is carrying right now and the father of that baby. Unfortunately, DHS has not kept her as informed as they should and I think what is going to happen will be very hard for her to understand and process. I don't feel as though it is my place to let her know things that I assume are going to happen, but don't know for certain. We have

This morning I got a phone call that left me sobbing the rest of the day. Mama D, Baby H's birth mom, ended her life yesterday. She was supposed to come visit us at our new house next week. I just can't believe that she's gone. She served in the Navy for 8 years, left due to PTSD. She has since struggled with depression and other mental illness. The meds that she was on, left her unable to sleep more than 1 hour a night. She loved her daughter so much and she loved my other children too. The last time we saw her, two weeks ago, she brought a huge bag full of toys she had once again bought at a thrift store for all 6 kids. Oh, Mama D, we will miss you and we will share what a wonderful woman you were with your daughter, our daughter. I believe that you are finally at peace and resting with Jesus. "There will be a day with no more tears No more pain, and no more fears There will be a day when the burdens of this place Will be no more, we'll see Jesus fa

looks awfully similar to every day. Pray for us!! :)  .

On July 26 my oldest son, Brighton, gave his life to Christ!! Sitting at the breakfast table the next morning, he told me that when he was lying in bed the night before, he had "given God his heart." :) We talked about it to make sure he understood what it meant and Seth and I were so excited to find out that he made such a big and wonderful decision at such a young age. We celebrated with Pink Swirls for the whole fam and we can't wait to find out when the next baptism bash is so that Daddy can baptize his firstborn! God is so good! Pink Swirls! Lifechurch.tv's videos starring Dot and Bouncy did such a great job explaining the whole salvation and baptism thing to Brighton. He had watched the ABC's of salvation a week or so before making this decision.

As a seasoned foster parent of 9 months, I thought I'd share some tips for the newbies. :) You'd be amazed how much you can learn with 3 foster children, 2 birth mothers, and 6 caseworkers in 9 months. 1. If you don't have peace about a placement when it's offered, wait for peace from God. He will give it to you. Don't just jump at the chance to take any and every child, even though your heart may desire it. Pray about it with your spouse and seek God's will before giving an answer. 2. Document EVERYTHING. I cannot stress this enough. Initially I would email the caseworker and copy myself about every little thing, probably contributing to the demise of a couple of our caseworkers. lol You must remember that even though these kids and the outcome of their case is vitally important to you, many of these caseworkers are dealing with extreme situations regarding other children and most likely won't get back to you about a scraped knee or a dirty look from