Drugs...

I am still in shock over something I witnessed in a store parking lot today. It has really affected, and saddened me.
Today after church we needed to stop by a store to pick up a couple needed items. Usually I will run in while my husband waits with the kids in the car, but today he ran in, and I waited in the car with the kids. What unfolded before my eyes during this time was quite shocking and not something I was ready to see on a Sunday afternoon. There was a truck parked next to us, two spaces over and slightly forward. I wasn't really paying attention to anything, but saw two young, decent looking men come out of the store and get into a newer truck. One of my daughters even made a comment about one of their sunglasses, that is how close they were to us. All the kids then began playing in the back and I notice the passenger open his door and begin playing around with the bottom part of a cut off pop can. Okay, I watch the show Intervention, which shows real life drug users, so I immediately knew this was not good. He then closes his door and was bent over for the next 5 minutes at least. I am sitting there freaking out, knowing this guy probably has heroine or meth in his car. I am frozen for a second, completely stunned that this is happening right in front of my face on a beautiful sunday afternoon. I then see that the guy pulls down his sleeves that were pushed up. My husband then gets back in our vehicle, and I tell him what I am witnessing, we look over and see this guy pull down his visor, and look in the mirror while shooting a needle into his neck! Ugh. As we were driving away we did make a report.
Years ago, in high school, or shortly after when I was looking into a career path to take, I was initially interested in becoming a drug and alcohol counselor, so these kind of things really bother me at a deep level. My main reason for doing this was to help people since drugs destroy lives. I think about these two guys today, and although I witnessed something illegal, and I hope that maybe my being there seeing this was for a reason, I am also sad for them. How sad that your every day clean cut, regular looking young men that you walk past in the store could actually be heading out to his truck to shoot up drugs in his neck. How sad that they are wasting their young lives away. How sad that for some reason they may have never found joy in the true simple pleasures in life. I thought, those guys could be up in the beautiful mountains we have around here. They could be out fishing, they could be golfing, working out, swimming, having a BBQ, going to church, spending quality time with friends, etc. But, no, they were doing serious drugs on a sunday afternoon in plain sight at a large store I frequent often. I know this kind of thing is happening everywhere, and right under our noses. I don't usually notice it like I did today. It was placed right in front of me, which was strange. I know it's all around us which is a sad thing. I believe God puts these things in front of us for a reason, and just like the prostitute I met a few months ago when helping with a homeless ministry who is now on my prayer list, I think I will add these two guys to the same list. God can and will do miracles, even in the midst of ugly situations like this, and I pray those guys have an encounter with God soon, one that will change them forever..

Spring update!

It's time for a quick update!

Foster care: Baby Riah will be turning 2 next month! His bio mom lost parental rights months ago, his relatives stopped visits with him, and his bio dad, who never requests visits, and hasn't seen him in many many months signed relinquishment papers the other day. Laney and Austin (bio sibs) should be adopted soon as well, but I will need to clarify with the SW. Austin has been legally free since we got him a year and a half ago, but we have been waiting on the parents who have been filing appeal after appeal on Laney. They have lost all appeals, but we must wait it out. In the mean time they had another baby and were allowed to keep it! Stay tuned for some upcoming adoptions!!!

The Farm: Crazy times. Not much luck with our animals lately. Our banty chickens have been hatching out babies, but either the mother dies or the baby chicks die off one by one. We have saved three! We are also having a difficult time finding the eggs all of our hens are laying in random places around the farm. Let's just say our farming skills need some improving! We have recently nursed a sick pony back to health. During the process we bonded with her so much, and may end up keeping her, instead of selling her as I had planned. We also may be adding a new horse to the farm, as Miranda's horse riding instructor has her eye on one for her, so we are waiting to hear more about it.  We went to our first horse show recently. It was fun watching the small ponies pulling the carts! The vet that recently evaluated our pony said she has a beautiful gait, is very sound,  and would be awesome with a cart...who knows, you just might see me driving a pony cart in the future...lol! We have a litter of kittens due any day, and a new puppy will call this it's home in a few weeks when we are done putting up our new fence. Also...our little Nigerian dwarf goat is pregnant for the very first time, thanks to my friend Dalyn, and her goat over at Muckboots N Aprons. I just hope it all happens naturally, because as I said, my farming skills are not up to par, and I don't think I'm ready to deliver baby goats anytime soon!

Homeschooling: Homeschooling six kids is a huge task! The baby runs around causing havoc while the others attempt their studies, but I wouldn't have it any other way! All are making progress, and enjoying their daily lives, taking lots of time to play outside each day. They attend our homeschool co-op and will also be performing in a Homeschool Night of the arts talent show this upcoming week!

Church: We continue to thank the Lord for blessing us with such an amazing church family. It has been a blessing and we are coming up on one year of attending. We are currently reading a book I highly recommend for anyone..."The emotionally Healthy Church". It's all about looking deep within ourselves, our families, our behavior, and where we are spiritually. We cannot be healthy spiritually if we are not healthy emotionally, and this has been an answer to prayer for me. What an excellent book, and I wish my husband and I would have read this years ago!

Stay tuned for more foster care updates, and pictures of all the new critters arriving in the upcoming weeks!

Are you watching the TRIAL of the year?

Ok, so I don't watch much t.v. You may catch me watching The Amazing Race once in awhile or HGTV sometimes,or the food network, but I just don't have much time for t.v. I hate crime t.v. shows, and will not watch them, and really, there's not much on that I feel is worthwhile. A couple years ago while driving in my car, I got hooked on listening to the Casey Anthony trial. You can read my reaction HERE when the verdict came in. I was stunned, and completely disgusted with our justice system in this country. So when the Jodi Arias trial began this year, I heard a bit about it, and watched some of it from the beginning. They are in the 4th month of the trial now and, although I don't like to admit, I am hooked! This real life death penalty case is fascinating, to say the least. This week a juror got kicked off. There has been so much drama with this trial. I really just wish it would end, and the verdict would come, but getting there has been highly interesting and entertaining, I am sure much better than any crime or court drama that is on t.v. could come up with! I love the prosecuting attorney, Juan Martinez. He is great to listen to. This case is obvious. She has admitted it, they have all the evidence that it was premeditated, yet the defense still has to give their side of the story. I am really looking forward to hearing the verdict, as long as it's not like the one I heard with the Casey Anthony case, I don't think I could handle that again.