Foster 2 Adopt and our Family Growing

Hello Luvies!

I hope that all is well! Yesterday I let y'all in on some stuff that has been going on in our little family lately and where I've been. Let me go a little more in depth and tell the whole story.

We've always wanted kidS, as in plural, more than more, no only children, etc. and yes while technically we do have two kids (one from my hubby's previous marriage who is 24 and has lived with us since he was 8) they both essentially grew up at only children. Jeffrey moved down here the summer he turned 8, Hubster and I met that December, engaged the following February and married that September (yes a whirlwind BUT my sister has me beat her and BIL meet, engaged and married within 2 week of setting eyes on one another). Anywho we immediately started trying knowing that we wanted kids, well almost a decade, 1 major surgery, 2 minor surgeries and countless fertility treatments later we got preggers with our Lil Buckearoo. Jeffrey was 17 when Cor was born, a year later Jeffrey moved out on his own. We knew we prolly would have to go back and have fertility treatments again for more kids, but we tried on our own for a couple years, then went back  and timing was off, and then went back again a couple years later, and the news wasn't great. The doctor wanted me to loose a minimum of 60 #'s before he would do any treatments, I know that he is only looking our for mine and any baby's health but for a person that has had a lifelong addiction to food. well that is tantamount to a death sentence of a dream. I still completely love and respect our doc, but it doesn't change the circumstances and the out come. So I tried as hard as I could and to not get all engrossed it hasn't worked out. I do not want my kids to be only children again, been there and done that. i want them close, not like uncle/nephew. i know people tell me all the time 'shell, it';s the love not the age difference.' i totally get that, but i grew up with a sister whose 2.5 yrs older than me and i want that relationship for my child.

So we looked into adoption, and whoa nelly, i would have to sell both kidneys and some other organs to afford it. Bubba Hubster was adopted as an infant almost 45 yrs ago and if we go thru the same agency he gets a 'discount' (i know sick and sad, but i was grateful for whatever i could get/do to lower the cost). But even with the discount it was still an estimated range of 30-40 K!! When I said I want kids I mean 2 or 3 MORE, but through private adoption it would be just one. I have always been a firm believer that it doesn't matter the quantity of kids you have it the quality of kids you raise. but that doesn't squelch the yearning in my heart and the fact that I know Jesus put me on this earth to be a Momma and Wife, nothing more, that is my sole calling. As a young girl I always thought about foster care, and it's always been in my heart, but Papa Bear had some reservations, mainly about getting attached and then the child going back. So we talked and prayed, talked and prayed and talked and prayed some more. Then a lady in our office started fostering, and to see how much those kids blossomed just having someone look after them. nuture them, and love them, well we knew it was our path. So that weekend was a men's retreat Bubba Hubster was attending and I told him to talk all weekend with the Lord and make sure this was His path for us. He came home and said it was, that he now had a calmness about it and a knowing that everything would work out like He designed it to. So we contacted a few friends who were in the fostering scene and got their feelings on their agency. At Christmas time we worked with a friend at church that worked at a foster care agency to provide presents for one of her families through our office and Sunday School class. We checked out her agency and the fit was just tailor made for us, I can text her all my crazy questions, redundant questions, etc and she never gets agitated. So we've been doing our classes at their office, and i just completely ADORE her boss, he explains things so well, and if you have 1,287 questions he will take the time to answer all 1,287 of them! We have one in house class left and two internet classes, then the fire marshall inspection, the health/home inspection, and a 6 HOUR interview. Then we wait for a placement. We're open to any race, nationality, gender, sibling groups, singletons, etc, we don't care about any of that, we just want kids we can love and raise and an enlarged family. We can have up to 5 placed with us, but I don't know if we will have that many or not, the Lord will tell us when our family is complete, wether its one or five more or somewhere in between.

Now the nitygrity and the MIILLIIIOOOONNN dollar question, "How are you not going to allow yourself to get attached?" uumm, i'm not, i will absolutely fall in love with each and every child that is placed with us. As my friend here at the office who fosters says, "How could you NOT get attached? If you are human you will get attached." I explained it this way to my momma - I told her that I hope we get to keep everyone that is ever placed with us. BUT if we don't that means those parents worked their tale ends off to get their kids back and if they can have as beautiful experience as I've had/am having raising Cor then I will suffer that heartache. We had a grown up discussion with cor and asked him how he felt about doing this, and sometimes they do go back to their mommy's and daddy's and how would he feel if that happened. He thought about for  a few minutes and asked me, " well would it be ok if i missed them and cried sometimes?"<yes, that is his heart> we said of course, that we would all do that, he said 'ok then, when do we get some bubbies and sissies!?' We are going the Foster To Adopt route which means that we offer foster care until they are reunited if that works or adoptable status is reached. Then we would petition for adopting them (can you tell i have my heart set on several kids i keep using the word THEM, lol).

So that ladies and gents is the whole story (more than you prolly ever wanted to hear) of our children journey.

On another note we do have to have a small family scrapbook for the agency and when we petition for adoption and all. A couple weeks ago I was contacted from my memories suite about digital scrapbooking and all, they are giving me two - yes!! TWO copies of their software, one for me to try out and one for me to host a giveaway!! i was so freaking excited it was C-R-A-Z-Y!! So I plan on using that software to do our family scrapbook to show y'all how great and wonderful it is and to host that giveaway next week. Check back Monday evening!! I'm so excited I can't wait to dig into it, I've already drooled all over the website, www.MyMemories.com so come back and try to win a copy of their website!

TEERRFFFIIICCCCC Tuesday {as said in Tony the Tiger's voice}

Hey Lovies!!

I hope everyone had a great Momma's Day, I know I did, it's been run, run, run lately though.

I haven't posted in I don't have a clue how long, it feels like I haven't slept in even longer.

As most of y'all know, we have fertility issues, and if you didn't well, now you do <haha> we've been back to the fertility doctor and well it wasn't a great visit and during the time since that visit it hasn't gotten any better.

We've always had a heart for adoption, and we looked into that realm via the agency Bubba Hubster was adopted from almost 45 years ago. But even with his "Edna Gladney Baby Credit" (yes you get a discount if you were adopted from there as a child and you adopt a child from them, not much but every little bit helps) it was still going to be 30-40 THOUSAND dollars, yes folks you read that correctly, 30-40 grand. So we looked into Foster To Adopt, long story short we are going that route and we are half way there. A more in depth post to come on that.

I was also contacted by My Memories Suite about hosting a giveaway!! SAY WHAT!?! i mean like seriously say-to-tha-what??? it was so exciting for me, so I'm gonna do a 'lil giveaway' on that next week! With our foster to adopt we need to make a little about our family scrapbook, and thats what i'm gonna try it out on. Check back everyday for some more info.

Menu Mondays OY! sorry guys!
Monday - creamy pasta tuna helper (but with hamburger meat), corn, avocado
Tuesday - sausage & scallop potatoe casserole, okra,
Wednesday - church dinner
Thursday - steak, squash (from our garden), tomatoe&cucmber salad\
Friday - Pizza

I hope to get a longer post out about our F2A journey this week, but field day is friday along with end of year party. kinder Graduation is a week from today! i do NOT know where the time has gone! then we early release the last two days of school and then its summer!

I'll leave you with a pix of my Lil Buckaroo and all his "let's party i'm graduating kindergarten dance move" my heart melts for this lil guy!

LUVS
michelle

Teacher Appreciation Gift

Hello friends!


The school year is winding down and it's teacher appreciation week at school.We asolutely love L-O-V-E Buckaroo's kindergarten teacher, so we wanted to give her a personalized useful gift. I'm one of those 'ask-what-they-like-or-need' girls, so i did just that. Turns out she luvs gardening, so oh yes you know i so went to the extremes of "thanks for helping me grow" pandamonium going around. or at least i thot i was under buckaroo saw the chalkboard stake and promptly declared, "oh momma, i HAVE to write i luv my teacher, because i do!"

Seriously makes my heart happy!

One time he told me that he accidently called his teacher momma, he didn't want to tell me cuz he thought it would hurt my feelings. i told him it didn't hurt my feelings at all, as a matter of fact, it made me super happy because it made me feel good about him being at school all day and i knew he was happy and well taken care of.

Look at those sweet little hands! my heart jsut squeezes!

So we went to Target and looked around (i had a $10 gift card from Ebates) and the dollar spot has a TON of spring things! We gathered a watering can, gardening gloves, two different hand gardening tools, two garden stakes. At Walmart i got seeds, Mammoth Sunflowers, Forget-Me-Nots, lavender and Old fashioned Garden Mix.Tucked a $5 Sonic gift card in there and had buckaroo presented it with a Rt.44 cherry limeaide with 5 extra real cherries - yes we are tight! I firmly believe it isn't the amount you spend but more of usefulness, I spent less than $20 (drink, gift card and all the stuff).

I wish it was a little fuller, but it still looked good!

Jeffrey (buckaroo's big brother) and I had lunch with him and he gave it to her along with her Rt. 44 cherry limeaide. I think everyone had a good time yesterday at lunch!



She luved it and can you tell how many pix i take of him look at how he posed his hands on the drink, HA!

Can you tell someone is happy his bubby came to eat lunch with him? lol. and to be exact there is 17.2 years difference between them. Jeffrey was a senior when we had cor, I tell everyone THIS is the new part that i've not been thru yet, altho in another 1.5 yrs it will seem like deja vu. Jeffrey was 8 when Bubba Hubster and I married.

I hope I gave u an idea or two for gifts and didn't over load you on pix!

In His Luv & Wisdom,

michelle

Menu Monday and a lil extra

hello everyone!

how was ur w/e? great i hope, i felt very accomplished this w/e. I finished my craft room, my momma's and mil's momday pressies, two completed loads of laundry, cor's teacher appriciation gift, 2 GW donation boxes all on Saturday. We'll completely gloss over the fact that i did nothing but church, Michael's and Cor's church choir program Sunday, but we are getting more and more where we don't do anything unless we want to on Sundays, it's nice, i mean N-I-C-E, nice.

Menu O’ Wimp Monday: Le Choy Sweet N Sour Chicken Tuesday: Sewing Group (woo hoo) side dish of beans Wednesday: Dinner at church Thursday: Spegahti w/meatballs Friday: Pork chops, sauted squash (from our garden woo hoo) Saturday: Grilled steak, zuchini (from our garden can i get a holla?!) Sunday: Momma's day and i REFUSE to cook, plus we are having a little cook out at my folks, lol. check back tomorrow for Buckaroo's teacher apprecaition gift post, you won't want to miss it! In His Luv & Wisdom, michelle



Momma's Day Pressies....i totally *heart* my Momma

Hello Friends!!

I hope that everyone had a great weekend! I was a busy little beaver, yes I know it's normally bee, but one thing about me is y'all KNOW I'm not normal!

This weekend I finished my craft room, I promise to get some pix soon. Altho when I was first starting it (which may or may not have been many moons ago) I'm not totally sure which camera I used to take the before pix. Yes, that's how this Momma rolls, lol!

Anywho, Saturday was a day of finishing up alot of little crafty things. I made my lil Buckeroo's teacher appreciation gift for Teacher Appreciation week. Also, made all the Momma's in my life their Momma's day pressies. I mean seriously what do you buy for the Momma that has everything she needs, house is completely (and wonderfully) decorated and if she doesn't have it she can buy it? Not to mention she's the world's best Momma EVA, and the best role model one could ever ask for?

Well I searched the web over and under until I found something that really touched my heart, this right here is what caught it:



Yea, I know it's a year old, but again, yep you guessed it this is how this Momma rolls.

Any way I had been wanting to try printing on tissue paper and I had an oval canvas just lying around (I know who has that??? alot of you i hope...)so I taped a piece of tissue paper to a piece of cardstock and printed it. Since it's just my sister and me I only had one print to do (I may or may not have printed the boy one and framed it for one's self...).

This may or may not be proof of said self done Momma's day pressie, lol!

So after another two weeks I gathered modge podge, the canvas, a sponge paintbrush, the print and some more tissue paper.

First, I modge podged the canvas and applied a plain piece of tissue paper and smoothed it out, make sure you put the modge podge on the sides of the canvas and then tap the tissue paper into it on the sides. Let it sit for about 30 mins or so, just where it's not too tacky.



Second, modge podge the top of the tissue paper, take your print and center BEFORE you adhere it to the canvas. Be careful to not have too many wrinkles, I did this by holding the print between my two hands and SLIGHTLY pulling and then gently setting it on the canvas. Quickly smooth out any wrinkles, then apply another coat of modge podge. Be careful to not go over it too many times because the ink can smear, I had a tiny bit of the heart smear, don't forget the sides again. Allow it to dry over night, and voila you are done! I didn't worry about hanging hardware because the canvas is so light weight that a simple nail at an angle can hold it.

So what do y'all think? I really like it alot, i mean like alot lot!

For the other Momma's in my life I found some great photo frames from my favorite store (i'll let you guess which one;D). My *favorite* guy spray painted them for me a neutral brown, and I printed them on heavy-weight card stock. Cut them to size and slid them in, and done!

In His Luv & Wisdom,
Michelle