Currently- the february edition

Rooting for: Chance the Rapper. I'll be the first to raise my hand and say this is very uncharacteristic of me. I don't like rap and wouldn't recognize him if we were stuck on an elevator together. However, a few months ago I heard that he was taking a sabbatical to simultaneously read the bible and quit smoking. I've been keeping close tabs on his progress. The last day he gave us a no smoking update was back in December so I'm thinking that train may have derailed, but maybe he's decided to keep that to himself. I'm concerned that he might never quit because two comments from that December 15th post about not smoking said "Smoke week instead, Chance. I got u some." I guess he hasn't gotten to the bible verse about bad company corrupting good morals yet. 

Learning: first aid. We had first aid certification this morning as part of our foster care class. The lady demonstrated everything then had us go up two at a time to practice on the mannequins. She said to do thirty quick presses so I did. Come to find out I was pushing on the stomach and not the correct spot between the breast bones. In my efforts to resuscitate someone, I gave them a stomach ache. 

Finishing: our foster classes. Today was our last class. We have one more home visit and medical record to get and we'll be ready to go. We told them we can't take a child until after a trip we already have scheduled in March but we'll be certified soon. We have a crib to set up but beyond that the house is ready.

Don't get any ideas about robbing our house while we're gone. The guard cats have this place on lockdown. 

Nervous about: foster care. There are so many things that could go wrong. Everything little thing has to be documented and there's so much government involvement. It's going to disrupt our family in a way a second biological child wouldn't. We don't know the age of the child, beyond requesting that it be younger than Annabelle, and who knows the trauma the child will have been through. Every week I left the class half glad we were doing it but kind of wanting to throw in the towel say thanks but no thanks, this isn't for me. I don't want to love a child for months then have to give it back to the birth parents. On the other hand, I feel strongly that it's something we need to do so we're going to try. If it doesn't work out then so be it, but at least we tried. I read this on facebook and I want to plaster it on my wall.

Fostering - “I could never do that.” One of if not THE most common phrases I’ve heard when the topic of foster care comes up. It’s usually followed with “it would break my heart” or “I would get too attached.” I know a lot of people don’t really know what foster care is and I understand where that comment is coming from but I want to say something: THAT IS LITERALLY THE POINT... Will we get attached? Yes. Will it be hard? Absolutely. Will we grieve? Yes. But foster care isn’t for people who won’t get attached & won’t grieve...it’s for the people who will. Because that is what this and every child who is a victim of insufficient care needs- someone who will get attached, to love them like their own, and yes...someone who will grieve. The church needs to understand this-we aren’t called to attend services once a week and sing a few songs, try our best, pay our taxes and go to heaven when we die...that’s not the gospel. The gospel is NOW. Jesus’s message was, “The kingdom of God is here!” If you have a heart for the hurting and a passion to stand in the gap and advocate for the needy, but you’re afraid you “could never do that” I want you to think about where that fear is coming from...it’s the enemy’s plan to stop the kingdom of God from manifesting on the earth today- he uses fear to do it and it is rendering the church useless in our community. Don’t be afraid to grieve, be afraid of what will happen to these children if we don’t lay our lives down to love them.

-Alyssa Short

Binge eating: gobstoppers. I didn't think I'd ever eaten a gobstopper before starting the classes but I put some down the last five weeks. Each table had a pile of candy every week and I would eat a gobstopper every time I got nervous or stressed. I ate A LOT.

Smiling about: AB's school valentine party. She changed her mind last minute about which valentines she wanted me to print so we ended up a gluing a paper heart to the end of a pencil and calling it a day. I wanted to attach the pencil to a card that said "You're the write friend for me" but she didn't appreciate the pun. She was so excited I got to stay at school for a while. She also made sure everyone knew the decor I made were "lovebugs, not butterflies. I mean, I know they're like butterflies but they're lovebugs. My mom made them. They're not dragonflies either."

daddy daughter dance

Ever since the Daddy Daughter Dance last year, Annabelle has been talking about when she could go to another one. That day finally happened on Saturday.

I've been stuffing Annabelle into her 4T dresses so we could get the most use out of them, but none of them were worthy of the dance. She seldom makes a fuss about clothes, but she turned down the first three dresses I suggested. We finally agreed on this one and I love it.

Annabelle spent weeks planning how she wanted the day to go. Christopher would pick her dress (which she had already picked) and she would pick his tie. It was the sweetest thing to watch her as she watched him get ready. She adores him. That afternoon was everything I imagined years ago when I thought about having a daughter.

Nahall the tiger was a special guest.

top ten days

Every so often when something especially wonderful and unexpected happens, I add it to my mental list of the best days of my life. I call them my top ten days. In no particular order, here are six of my top ten days.

1. The day I told Katie I was pregnant. I had a little bib made that said something about Auntie Katie and mailed to her house. We were face timing when she opened it and I could tell by the way she started giggling that she was about to make the same announcement to me. We will never get over the fact that our due dates were three days apart. It will always be one of the greatest joys of my life.

2. The day Aaron and Elizabeth were born. I had been asking Mom for a baby for months. I was adamant the baby be a sister. In one day I not only got a sister, I got TWO babies. I was thrilled. I didn't realize until years later how much extra work it was to suddenly have two babies when Mom was only expecting and prepared for one. All I knew was all my 5 year old dreams had come true.

3. The Spouse Spur ride. Shortly after we got married I joined Christopher at work for a spouse event. We got to ride in tanks, do an obstacle course and shot various guns. It's still some of the most fun I've ever had. 

4. The first Army ball I attended. I was so excited when Christopher invited me to a ball a few months after we met. I had no idea what to expect but I knew 1000% I wanted to go. I wore the bridesmaids dress for Daniel and Erika's wedding (I don't think it would fit over my thigh today) and Christopher paid for me to get my hair and nails done. I felt so special. Growing up, Elizabeth and I kept a running list of soldiers we saw. We didn't live near a post so we didn't see them often but we were always on the lookout. The ball was the first time I went on an Army post and out of habit I almost remarked to Christopher that I saw soldiers. No kidding. That's like pointing out grapes at a vineyard. Thankfully that was during my shy phase when I didn't say much to him so I didn't humiliate myself.

From another day on that same trip. This was the day Christopher asked what I wanted my engagement ring to look like. Let's not forget this was only the third visit we'd had since meeting.

Look at those young kids!

5. The day Daniel told me Erika was pregnant with Ivy. It is not an exaggeration to say I was more excited about her impending arrival than I was when I discovered I was pregnant. Daniel called to say they wouldn't be able to go to our cousin's wedding in April "because Erika will be too close to her due date to travel." I thought I misheard. Surely he meant a date she was due to close on a house at work. I asked for confirmation. "What kind of due date?" "Erika's. She's having a baby girl in May." I screamed and started to cry. I waited YEARS for them to have a baby. I had been planning their baby shower since they got engaged. I even had a personalized baby gift for them for that long. I was beyond thrilled. I instantly went to the store and bought a bib that said "my aunt is my bff." I told AB, who was only two at the time, that Auntie Erika had baby Ivy in her belly. I asked if she loved baby Ivy and she said, "I yove fried rice." I appreciate her food enthusiasm, but new babies top even fried rice.

They didn't tell anyone until she was past seven months pregnant then Ivy was born a month early so I only had to wait about eight weeks for her arrival. 

6. Josh Groban and Josh Turner concerts. Several years ago, Josh Groban was coming to a city near us and I so badly wanted to go. I didn't have the money for a ticket so I resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't be able to go. The day before the concert, Andrew surprised me with two tickets. I wasn't expecting it and to this day it's one of the best gifts I ever received. We sat next to the aisle about 10 rows from the front. At one point Josh walked down the aisle next to us as he was singing and momentarily held my hand. I repeat, WE HELD HANDS. It was one of the best moments of my life. If the security guard hadn't pushed him along I might have proposed.