Wishing you...

an abundance of joy, love, and hope in Christ this Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!

A foster baby for Christmas

We just got a call! Four days before Christmas and there is a little tiny baby needing a home. Before I could even allow my heart and mind to think about it, I said no. It was the same woman that placed baby C with us 9 months ago. She said she thought we were full, but was "hoping".
I immediately called DH to tell him, and to my surprise he was asking questions like, "Was it a boy or a girl?" and "How old?" I cannot believe he would even consider it, with how overwhelmed we are! I tell people all the time that this is our limit. I cannot imagine caring for 3 babies, plus the other two. This morning was a great example, there was one diaper change after another, one older child sick, and crying coming from every direction. It took both of us to get things under control. It was complete chaos for awhile, the kind where you need to stop and pray, because you realize you really need God's help in that moment.
But, of course, I still wonder, where will this baby end up? Who is this little one? Should I have considered it, prayed about it, instead of saying no right away? A baby for Christmas...I pray this precious one finds a wonderful family just in time.

Oh, child!!!

The other day I thought miss L looked so cute in her snowbunny outfit as she got ready to go out and play in the snow. I wanted to capture a quick picture before she went outside. I quickly remembered how hard it is to get a good photo of her. She has a VERY hard time just looking at the camera and smiling. This has always been an issue...and, it is actually better, but just to give you an idea, here are some samples of that days "photo shoot".

Please, just stand and smile, say cheese, anything but dance around, all I want is one quick picture, then you can go out and play!

Oh my goodness, what is that face? Please, little one, just smile, your normal, natural, adorable smile....and this is the best I got! {she was really trying here, lol!}.

Poor thing, she really thought that was the smile I see all the time when I am not trying to take pictures....this is not fun anymore!!! Come on, sweetie, one more try!!

Okay, I'll take this one...it's not really your typical smile, but you tried really hard for mommy, and you need to go out and play! And off she went to join her sister in the back yard for an afternoon of sledding.

This is only 5 of the many other pictures taken during what turned into a photo shoot, just looking for one simple picture...smiling at the camera. This is what I go through pretty much every time I try and get a picture of her where I want her to look at the camera...it's exhausting! She has so many faces she puts on in an attempt to pose...yet none are her natural smile. It does make for some pretty funny photos, and lots of memories when looking back at them! Oh, my sweet little Lil, you are a unique, fun-loving little girl, and I wouldn't trade you for the world! Love ya my little snow bunny!

Scary!

I was just reading this blog, and this is not something I had heard about, other than reading it there. How scary for this family!

A very special Christmas song...

Facebook is CRAZY...and so is life!

This is going to be a really random post, because my life is just, well, really random right now!

My first *serious* boyfriend used to pop back into my life every year on my b-day, after I broke up with him at the age of 14! It was crazy. In fact, the year I met my husband, I had forgotten that this ex-boyfriend of mine did this, and on my 19th b-day, I heard someone knock on the door, and I peeked out and saw the back of what I thought was my current boyfriends head. To my utter shock, when I opened the door, it was the blast from the past again....the guy who had showed up on my doorstep for the past 5 years, every birthday! Talk about awkward, as I knew my current boyfriend (now my husband) would be driving up any moment!

In 1997, I was completing my Occupational therapy degree. I wanted to do one of my 6 week internships at one of the big state mental hospitals...call me crazy, I know...and it was one of the most bizarre, outrageous experiences I have had to this day! I was a poor student, not knowing how I was going to find a place to live for 6 weeks, but somehow, I ended up being offered a room in a home of one of the employees that worked there. A single african american woman and her daughters. They were so kind, and supportive, especially after she informed me that the supervisor I was assigned to should actually be one of the patients there, and not an employee, lol! Needless to say...it was a horrific experience, but God had me right where I needed to be...and this christian family supported and loved me, a complete stranger, through it all!
Fast forward 12 years, and I got a call from this woman last year! This was the first time I had talked to her since that 6 week internship, and she said she had found my number somewhere and wanted to call and check up on me! Thankfully, I remembered her and we had a nice conversation, and I thought it was so sweet that she actually picked up the phone and called!

Now, my 10 year high school reunion was a different story. I remembered most of the people there, but at one point, I was standing there, and saw this guy coming toward me with a big smile on his face and his arms spread out to his sides saying "MICHELLE!" as he gave me a big hug. I was stunned, and caught off guard for a moment, and he must have noticed, because he then said, "Don't tell me you don't remember me". Now this was an attractive guy, someone I would think I would remember, but honestly, I had NO CLUE who this person was. I still don't remember what I said to him because at that point I felt so horrible for not remembering him, and I even tried looking him up in the yearbook later, and he wasn't in it. Crazy!

Facebook is the newest way we now connect with each other, and honestly, I don't have much time to spend there. I have a hard enough time trying to maintain and sustain real life relationships, and think these are so much more important, that if I spend time on facebook I really begin to feel like I am neglecting my family and friends. I am shocked every once in awhile when I open my email and find a friend request from someone from the past. Even more surprised when it's someone I haven't talked to since I was like, 13. Today I got that friend request. It was a friend I met at the summer camp I used to go to every year in the San Juan Islands. Even more surprising, I actually remember her! Once again, it just seems so crazy to me. Crazy.

"Cleaning the house while the kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk as it's still snowing!"