NOW WHAT?

With our first placements happily home with their mom, we couldnt be happier ourselves. It's the strangest thing... neither of us (Josh nor I) have cried or been in a depressed state since they left. I believe my joy is complete. We could not have asked for a better outcome - the reunification was beautiful and the mother's joy was absolutely contagious. I've known the mom since she started having separate visits with the kids. We were already on a first-name basis and we shared stories, brief greetings, and she was sweet to offer us any of the kids clothes that they had outgrown. Josh and I liked her. It wasnt hard at all to see how much she loved the kids and was willing to do to get them back. She was a super mom... determined and purposed to get her act together and welcome her children back into her life/home. Big Brother never once showed signs of anxiety or disappointment in visiting his mom... it was always 100% excitement. He was pretty much 100% about EVERYTHING :-)

I have told our family and close friends, "I'm just so busy being happy for the mom, I can't seem to get sad for myself".

Josh's timely hospitalization has helped (oddly enough). The kids went home Friday, Aug 15th... and Josh went into the hospital (in Austin) on Monday, Aug 18th. Not much time to get depressed over an empty and quiet house... especially if you're not there. I've been with Josh at the hospital every day since and God really has a way "working all things" to His plan and our good. Being here has allowed me to focus on JOSH (for once) without having the distraction of two little ones dependent on me. I went from being busy and preoccupied with the kids and the house, to being busy and preoccupied (with lots of down time too) in the hospital with Josh. God isn't giving me any time to sulk, feel sorry for myself, or pout. :-)

So... NOW WHAT?

Well, our "plan" (haha...as if ANYTHING EVER goes according to plan) is to be in the hospital for about 10-14 days (that's normal time for Josh), get released, go to the FORGE Conference and have a blast (http://www.forgeministries.org/), and then be ready (and THRILLED) to receive placement calls again by Sept 8th!

Hope our plan works! (But the Lord's will be done, not ours)

Until then, I'm reading up on some more parenting books - as suggested by my new friend and favorite blog http://www.5kids6months.blogspot.com/  

 LOVING this book! Keep highlighting and reading parts aloud to Josh

I'm re-reading the top book, but all the others are new to me.

Picture Review of 6 months with Big Brother and Little Sister

 Day 1 with us

 Trekking the property with Josh and meeting "Patches"

 Bad Weather Day - no school - so we aquadoodled at home :-)

 Big Brother seemed happy to sleep ANYWHERE

 Little Sister's comfy spot

 Hiking with Daddy Josh at Buckner

 Can barely see their silhouettes at the top

 Makes me wanna whistle the Andy Griffith theme song

 feeding wildlife (the very domesticated park ducks)

 At the Rodeo with Poppy and Nana

 Time with GiGi

 Listening to music (a little too close?)

 Visiting PawPaw Otter- complete with many attractions:

his awesome property with pond,

nearby aquarium/fish hatchery,

and toy closet to explore with Aunt Christie

 When Poppy and Gigi visited, we went to our local airfield and museum

 Pushing Little Sister around the track after school.

Mom realized it was better to park and walk to school to pick up Big Brother

rather than wait in a car line forever

 Second visit to PawPaw Otters (on our trip to Galveston)

PawPaw had an "auction" so that Big Brother could spend his hard-earned money

He mostly wanted a telescope...and he got it! 

He out-bid Aunt RayRay and won it for $15!

 Little Sister...

 Also one to sleep anywhere and in any position

 fishing at Buckner with daddy Josh

 GiGi and Big Brother playing "Noah's Ark"

 During Poppy and GiGi's 4th of July visit, we took Big Brother

to a RC Airshow. He actually got to fly a remote control airplane himself!

(With the help of a professional with a master control, lol)

 (Below) Big Brother sure loved visiting the library

as a reward and fun errand. He really enjoyed the kids' computer

 My grandparents paid for us to take Big Brother to the Austin Childrens Museum,

the Thinkery, during one of Josh's Austin doctors visits. The Museum is right across the street

from Dell Childrens Hospital where Josh has dr appointments. 

 It was a BLAST!

Big Brother loved the water room!

 Josh and I were so impressed with the museum that we're

determined to take ALL our future foster kids there too!

 Most wonderful note I've ever received.

A letter from the Birth-Mom! (just a week or two before reunification)

 One last visit from GiGi -

included trips to the park, thrift store, restaurants, etc

Good memories!

2 Days till the kids leave!

 Big Brother was excited about going home...

AND having a "Thanksgiving/Reunification Party"!

Truly prepared to go out and fight the battle for Christ.

His favorite hymn?

 "SOUND THE BATTLE CRY"!

Update - hello again and goodbye

Well you haven't heard anything from me for quite some time. How could I neglect writing for over four months!? Well simply because these two precious munchkins have kept me busier than ever! But as I say "hello" again and assure you all that the past months have been full of joy, Hardships and learned lessons...I must also tell you that our time as "mommy and daddy" to Big Brother and little Sister is ending. They will be fully reunited with their birth mom on Aug 15th. Wow! The past 6months have FLOWN BY! This little baby girl was 6 weeks when we first welcomed her into our heart and home. Her big brother was 5yrs old. "Little sister" is now a "big girl" rolling over, babbling,  wiggling all around and showing real personality - she'll be 8 months old next week! Big Brother is bigger than ever and maturing before our eyes! He's 6 yrs old and will talk your ear off. He loves Bible Study each morning and singing hymns- Holy, Holy, Holy, Amazing Grace, and Sound the Battle Cry are his favorites. He knows 11 verses by heart and loves reciting them to family, friends, and perfect strangers in the HEB parking lot! Little Sisters too young to understand the upcoming events of reunification (birth mom hasn't had her since she was a week old)...but Big Brother is thrilled about going to live with his mom! He's telling everyone the good news and is getting so anxious he often says he's going back home "in the morning". Not quite...but time has always been hard to grasp.
I will have more time to update everyone later and hope to include more details and pictures. For now, things are still too busy to sit down and give it my full attention. After the kids go home Josh is anticipating/planning a two week hospitalization (before we get more placements). Its been a year and a half since he was last in, and it's a good time for a "re-boot ". :-) I'll take time then to fill you in. Once we're out of the hospital (beginning of Sept) our doors will be open again for more of God's precious blessings!!! We LOVE fostering!!!!!!