Yesterday was probably the second hardest day I have had since doing foster care. Almost a year ago we welcomed a beautiful baby girl into our home. We have her the nickname Liyah and it fit her so well. She flourished and was the princess of he house. My husband's little girl!!
Yesterday she moved out of our house. As we transitioned her, I decided to take her there. I just about died as I was leaving she followed me saying Mommy, Mommy. I cried and then tried to focus on God's goodness and while we said goodbye to her we wlcomed another baby "Liyah" into our home!
Even though I felt so heartbroken, God had given me another beautiful baby girl with the same mannerisms as our previous little girl!
Over and over again God reminds me of how much He cares about me and that I can trust Him. Today a Dear friend sent a Bethel video along with a story of infertility. I had to share this encouragement and I pray that you find strength in Him for your circumstances as well.
http://bethelmusic.com/blog/breakthrough-in-infertility-amys-story
Love,
Pam
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
Why?
Today has been one of those days that I find myself asking God WHY? Why again? Why does this have to be so hard? Why? WHY? WHY!!!
We have had a lot of hard days doing foster care but, some are way worse then others and today is one of those. This morning we dropped off one of our little guys that we have had for almost a year, to visit with out of state family. You would think this is a good thing! He gets to visit with family and you are right on some aspects. He gets to visit with family he has never met, have a fun filled day being spoiled and just having fun. What he does not know is this family would like to take him.
This is where I found myself in the shower (my prayer) closet crying and asking God why? Why was another child that I had poured my heart and love into leaving me? Why where they doing this? Why is it so easy for state to uproot kids? Why He won't give me a child of my own? How long could I keep doing this?
Once again, I cried out to God and barred my broken heart. If He is the one who created it and knows it, then He can fix it or giving me something to make it better. As I am having a conversation with God; He reminded me that even while my life is not how I imagined it. He is doing something with my brokenness. He is showing me how to trust Him and He reminded me that He has given me children. He has given me children that are broken and hurt. Children that need God, love and nurture. He reminded me that everything is in His timing and the outcome will be beautiful. He reminded me of our Presbytery and How we would be a couple of genuine faith (this has always been scary because, it means you have to be broken at some point).
I don't know what next week will hold, who will be in my house or not but, I can go to God each time my heart is broken (cry, scream and tell Him how mad I am). Then give it to Him! He did create my heart and He is the only one who can make it whole again!
We have had a lot of hard days doing foster care but, some are way worse then others and today is one of those. This morning we dropped off one of our little guys that we have had for almost a year, to visit with out of state family. You would think this is a good thing! He gets to visit with family and you are right on some aspects. He gets to visit with family he has never met, have a fun filled day being spoiled and just having fun. What he does not know is this family would like to take him.
This is where I found myself in the shower (my prayer) closet crying and asking God why? Why was another child that I had poured my heart and love into leaving me? Why where they doing this? Why is it so easy for state to uproot kids? Why He won't give me a child of my own? How long could I keep doing this?
Once again, I cried out to God and barred my broken heart. If He is the one who created it and knows it, then He can fix it or giving me something to make it better. As I am having a conversation with God; He reminded me that even while my life is not how I imagined it. He is doing something with my brokenness. He is showing me how to trust Him and He reminded me that He has given me children. He has given me children that are broken and hurt. Children that need God, love and nurture. He reminded me that everything is in His timing and the outcome will be beautiful. He reminded me of our Presbytery and How we would be a couple of genuine faith (this has always been scary because, it means you have to be broken at some point).
I don't know what next week will hold, who will be in my house or not but, I can go to God each time my heart is broken (cry, scream and tell Him how mad I am). Then give it to Him! He did create my heart and He is the only one who can make it whole again!
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
I Am Listening God!
It has been some time since I have last posted on this blog. So, much in my life has changed in a year that it is hard to believe. Not only has our family grown but, I have changed, grown and been stretched beyond what I thought I could ever imagine.
For years my husband and I have been trying to conceive children. I strongly believe that being a Mother is one of the greatest things that a women can do (not the only) but, I have always wanted to be a Mom.
I will share more on that for another post because I also strongly believe that infertility is a taboo subject in the Christian faith. This will probably require several posts! Over and over again we see what a blessing children are in the Bible. Psalm 127:3 "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.", and Luke 18:16 "But Jesus called them to Him and said, let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.". I could continue to list more..
During our courtship one of the things we discussed was adoption. We both felt very strong that God had called us to adopt and both of us had felt that someday we would. After 8 years of infertility and trying some medications (more natural) we decided to go further with the adoption process. The avenue we decided to pursue was through our state Foster care program. To adopt through the state you are required to take several classes.
We spent a weekend in the classes with several other couples looking to adopt and some current Foster care parents looking to renew their certification. We all hear the stories about the Foster care system and it's craziness but, you never really hear about the child and babies. Joe and I where on our third class and almost done when they played a video for the Foster care parents. In this video they interviewed prior Foster care children, some had been adopted and some had just aged out of the system.
I was watching this video and my heart broke. I started crying and thoughts just flooded my mind of all these beautiful kids that God had created and given life to. What they had been through and how some would never Know what a family is. Even as I am writing this my heart aches. I left that meeting knowing God wanted us to do Foster care.
Even though I knew God was speaking, I questioned Him! In my mind, I thought about all the heart ache and pain this would mean. Was I hearing right? I had cried, cried and cried for a baby. What if that baby is taken from me??
I went home and discussed it with my husband Joe. I told him everything I believed God was saying to me. We took sometime to pray and within 2 weeks called DHS to inform them that we wanted to open our home for Foster care.
We prayed about what age we wanted in our home (and continue). I believe God wants us to have very specific children. After praying I felt like I wanted to do a newborn. Wow!! This was one of the most rewarding and hardest things I have ever done!! We got a call for a newborn little guy the day after he was born. We packed everything up and headed to the hospital. We stayed every moment with him until he was released. The minute I saw him, I fell in love!!
This perfect little guy was going through some hard times but, was also having so many people happy and loving that he was born. I held him all the time and tried to make sure he did not loose any nurturing. Joe and I believe the first 9 months are the most important in a child's life. After seeing what we have seen and the difference, it is huge!
Here, we now had this beautiful little boy! We would go through so many ups and downs all while experiencing so much joy!! The connection we have with this child will last a lifetime and I truly believed our little miracle baby is the result of prayer and lots of love!
We had him in our home for 6 months and then he left. We are very lucky because we get to watch him grow up and still babysit him. He will always be my first baby and loved! I pray and sing over him whenever I get the opportunity.
While having him leave meant so much heart ache and tears, it also has taught me so much more about God. Psalms 2:12 says "Blessed are those who put their trust in Him." Listening to God and being obedient was not easy, to be honest. Because, I knew what that would mean but, what I did not know was I would discover a faith and trust in God that I have never experienced.
For years my husband and I have been trying to conceive children. I strongly believe that being a Mother is one of the greatest things that a women can do (not the only) but, I have always wanted to be a Mom.
I will share more on that for another post because I also strongly believe that infertility is a taboo subject in the Christian faith. This will probably require several posts! Over and over again we see what a blessing children are in the Bible. Psalm 127:3 "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.", and Luke 18:16 "But Jesus called them to Him and said, let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.". I could continue to list more..
During our courtship one of the things we discussed was adoption. We both felt very strong that God had called us to adopt and both of us had felt that someday we would. After 8 years of infertility and trying some medications (more natural) we decided to go further with the adoption process. The avenue we decided to pursue was through our state Foster care program. To adopt through the state you are required to take several classes.
We spent a weekend in the classes with several other couples looking to adopt and some current Foster care parents looking to renew their certification. We all hear the stories about the Foster care system and it's craziness but, you never really hear about the child and babies. Joe and I where on our third class and almost done when they played a video for the Foster care parents. In this video they interviewed prior Foster care children, some had been adopted and some had just aged out of the system.
I was watching this video and my heart broke. I started crying and thoughts just flooded my mind of all these beautiful kids that God had created and given life to. What they had been through and how some would never Know what a family is. Even as I am writing this my heart aches. I left that meeting knowing God wanted us to do Foster care.
Even though I knew God was speaking, I questioned Him! In my mind, I thought about all the heart ache and pain this would mean. Was I hearing right? I had cried, cried and cried for a baby. What if that baby is taken from me??
I went home and discussed it with my husband Joe. I told him everything I believed God was saying to me. We took sometime to pray and within 2 weeks called DHS to inform them that we wanted to open our home for Foster care.
We prayed about what age we wanted in our home (and continue). I believe God wants us to have very specific children. After praying I felt like I wanted to do a newborn. Wow!! This was one of the most rewarding and hardest things I have ever done!! We got a call for a newborn little guy the day after he was born. We packed everything up and headed to the hospital. We stayed every moment with him until he was released. The minute I saw him, I fell in love!!
This perfect little guy was going through some hard times but, was also having so many people happy and loving that he was born. I held him all the time and tried to make sure he did not loose any nurturing. Joe and I believe the first 9 months are the most important in a child's life. After seeing what we have seen and the difference, it is huge!
Here, we now had this beautiful little boy! We would go through so many ups and downs all while experiencing so much joy!! The connection we have with this child will last a lifetime and I truly believed our little miracle baby is the result of prayer and lots of love!
We had him in our home for 6 months and then he left. We are very lucky because we get to watch him grow up and still babysit him. He will always be my first baby and loved! I pray and sing over him whenever I get the opportunity.
While having him leave meant so much heart ache and tears, it also has taught me so much more about God. Psalms 2:12 says "Blessed are those who put their trust in Him." Listening to God and being obedient was not easy, to be honest. Because, I knew what that would mean but, what I did not know was I would discover a faith and trust in God that I have never experienced.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Life in the fast lane.
I know better than anyone how crazy life can get, between family, careers, extra activites, and more. We can sometimes have a hard time balancing everything. Luckily we live in a time where there are a lot of options found on the Internet. While I love my tablet, computer and smart phone, when it comes to organizing sometimes nothing beats a great list. I wanted to give you some links to some great websites and blogs that offer free home organizing printables. They offer everything from grocery lists to chore lists for the kids and If you prefer technology, they even offer popular apps. I hope this helps all the busy moms and women everywhere.
Tipnut.com
How Does She
Organized Home
homemakingorganized.com
Tipnut.com
How Does She
Organized Home
homemakingorganized.com
Summer Fun Round Ups
Well here we are half way through the summer and we are enjoying every second of it. It's usually about this time when our kids start saying those two famous and dreaded words, "I'M BORED!" So, I've decided to round up some lists of things to do with your kids to help get all of us through this second half of summer with some fun and sanity. This list will include things here locally in the Southern Oregon area as well as things we can do with our kids right in our homes. One thing that Medford and Central Point offers is free movies in the park on Friday and Saturday nights. These are great FREE family activities and who doesn't love free?! My husband and I, along with my sis and brother in law, took our kids recently to see The Adventures of Tin Tin. The kids were able to bring along friends and the city even offers a free jump house, face painting, coloring, and craft while you wait for the movie to start. Here are some pics of our family outing......
I will be posting activities for each week on Fridays to help with the following week. If anyone has any other ideas, events, etc, please feel free to post so we can get the most out of our summer.
Blessings, Jen
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| girls havin fun in the jumphouse |
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| He's thinkin, "Moooommm I wanna jump" |
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| guys hanging out before the movie |
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| Girls relaxing |
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| In line for face painting and crafts |
I will be posting activities for each week on Fridays to help with the following week. If anyone has any other ideas, events, etc, please feel free to post so we can get the most out of our summer.
Blessings, Jen
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Lemon Cranberry Scones
Hello Everyone,
The last couple of weeks have been very busy and we have had a down computer:( but, we are back up and still a little busy. Last week my husband and I went and spent the day in Bandon, Oregon (I love the coast!) but, before we left I wanted to make some scones and some yummy items for our road trip. O this date I had never made scones before and I really wanted to try them out. I have to say, I loved them and this recipe was so yummy.....Here is the recipe and pictures of the scones but, tell me what is your favorite scone recipe? please feel free to leave us a comment with any tips, recipes or links you may have regarding a great recipe.
Lemon Cranberry SconesGina's Weight Watcher Recipes Servings: 10 • Serving Size: 1 scone • Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 192.5 • Fat: 4.7 g • Protein: 4.3 g • Carb: 33.9 g • Fiber: 2.1 g
Basic Scone recipe modified from Cooking Light
Position rack in top third of oven; Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Make glaze by combining 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice.
Combine buttermilk, remaining lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and egg in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender, or you could use 2 knives, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently fold in cranberries or cherries. Add buttermilk mixture, stirring just until moist. (dough will be sticky)
Place dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly four times with floured hands. Form dough into an 8-inch circle onto baking sheet, about 3/4" thick. Using a knife, cut dough into 10 wedges (do not cut all the way through). Brush lemon glaze over dough. Bake until golden, about 18-20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
The last couple of weeks have been very busy and we have had a down computer:( but, we are back up and still a little busy. Last week my husband and I went and spent the day in Bandon, Oregon (I love the coast!) but, before we left I wanted to make some scones and some yummy items for our road trip. O this date I had never made scones before and I really wanted to try them out. I have to say, I loved them and this recipe was so yummy.....Here is the recipe and pictures of the scones but, tell me what is your favorite scone recipe? please feel free to leave us a comment with any tips, recipes or links you may have regarding a great recipe.
Lemon Cranberry SconesGina's Weight Watcher Recipes Servings: 10 • Serving Size: 1 scone • Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 192.5 • Fat: 4.7 g • Protein: 4.3 g • Carb: 33.9 g • Fiber: 2.1 g
Basic Scone recipe modified from Cooking Light
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided
- 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk (PS I made mine)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups Ultra grain flour (or 1 cup white, 1 cup whole wheat)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp chilled butter (must be cold) cut into small pieces
- 3/4 cup dried sweet cranberries or cherries
Position rack in top third of oven; Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Make glaze by combining 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice.
Combine buttermilk, remaining lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and egg in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender, or you could use 2 knives, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently fold in cranberries or cherries. Add buttermilk mixture, stirring just until moist. (dough will be sticky)
Place dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly four times with floured hands. Form dough into an 8-inch circle onto baking sheet, about 3/4" thick. Using a knife, cut dough into 10 wedges (do not cut all the way through). Brush lemon glaze over dough. Bake until golden, about 18-20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
Sneak Peak to the "Everything Heart & Girly Party"
The last week has been super busy as will this up coming week, alot of my extra time has been prep for my nieces birthday party. I thought I would post some sneak peaks to the party.
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| The chocolates we made to go in the gift bags. |
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| The backdrop to the dessert table |
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| A chair we repurposed for a photo booth along with a bunch of heart props |
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| The invites I created with images from K-See Images |
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| The giant suckers |
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| The gift bags |
More pictures and details of the party to follow..Stay tuned!
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