My first....

This was, my first. The very first time I received a card on this day from my husband. The first time I woke wondering about the baby in the room across the hall. The first time on this day that I jumped out of bed to go mix up a bottle and hurry into the room to peak over the crib. The first time that I would snuggle a sweet babe in my arms and for at least this day...mother a child. Feed him, love him and treat him as my own on this very special day.

Yes, this was my first Mother's Day as a Foster Parent.

And we were doing respite care.

We were helping another Foster family out by watching sweet Baby "D",

an adorable 5 mo. old baby boy. And of all weekends to start with our very first foster placement, it was Mother's Day weekend. We absolutely loved this sweet guy and couldn't believe how easily he transitioned into our home since we never had met him even before this weekend. He was sweet, flexible and everything we hope our "longer term" placement to be! He even sleeps through the night.

There are many moments I'll remember from that weekend, but one will stand out to me as long as I live. You see Baby "D" was such a pleasant baby... really, he was always happy. Unless, he was unhappy and I mean UNHAPPY! He would go from nothing to 60 miles an hour with his emotions. He didn't really cry, he screamed. Well, we had a great morning Sunday and got all ready to attend church at Scott's mom and grandmother's church. It started later than ours so we got to relax and hang with Baby "D". I didn't want to put him in a nursery of EVEN MORE people he didn't know. He listened to the worship songs and fell fast asleep before the pastor got up to preach. I was a nervous wreck he'd wake up screaming (that is when he mostly did it). But he didn't he slept the entire service. As they played the invitation song, I started to become emotional. All I could think about is how I loved the feeling of this sweet sleeping child in my arms and how even more must his own mother love & miss him. She should be holding him on Mother's Day, but something (most likely sin...hers or anothers) kept her from her beautiful son on the day celebrating their relationship. I felt defeated and sad.

but then I heard more deeply the words being sang....

Victorious one, in you I stand.

then a few more verses..... and then the chorus:

Jesus, you are love

JESUS, YOU ARE RIGHTEOUSNESS

JESUS, YOU ARE LIGHT

JESUS, YOU ARE HOLINESS

AND YOU ARE MINE.

I don't have to feel defeated because GOD is VICTORIOUS over every sweet child in this world and I don't have to feel sad because WE HAVE HOPE.

I have hope.

Baby "D"'s mom can have HOPE because Jesus is our righteousness, he is our holiness and he is our love. All we need is HIM!!!

The last thing that put me over the edge (well my tears over the edge) was a Special Needs woman who was down at the altar praying. A woman sitting in a different part of the congregation from where this woman had gotten up from rose and met her there. She put her arm around her and the Special Needs woman in childlike love laid her head on the woman's shoulder. They prayed for several minutes like this and the tears just poured out.

That to me was a clear picture of what Jesus meant when He said " Feed my sheep."...at least part of it. What can we do to feed His sheep? Who can we help? Who can go to so they have a shoulder to lay their head? Who can we mother besides our own biological children?

Since it is still National Foster Month, I want to again ask you to pray about how you can help in this huge NEED in our communities.

Oh how I long to share Baby "D"'s sweet, adorable face. But alas, that is the Foster curse for a Photographer Foster Mommy like me. I will share this most special picture because no one could ever tell who this child is...

The Man snapped this picture of this most precious site. I think I will always cherish this photo. It symbolizes the first time I celebrated Mother's Day...not just to honor my amazing mother or my fabulous MIL or the grandmothers who have taught me so much, or my sisters who are wonderful mothers or all my great mother friends, but because it will remind me of one small child I got to mother for one weekend.

Hoping you all had an amazing moments like this one.

Not too bad...

Turning 29 that is!

We had planned many months ago that some girls and I were going to hang for a night and Saturday at Jess' lake cabin. It was going to be glorious and all girly like. Well long story short, all the girls had to back out except Jess and I. We had decided to still go anyways. But my Father-in-laws' mother passed away and we had her funeral on Saturday morning. So after being with family that morning celebrating sweet Dorothy's life, we took our hubbies down to the lakes. It was a glorious weekend!

We played Ticket To Ride....amazing game! We are all hooked on it!

My wonderful friend, Jess!!! So thankful God brought her into my life!

We had a DELICIOUS meal at Patti's Place and I even got a birthday dessert!

The Man and me....can't imagine the past three years without you!!!

Us and our men.... it's great to have friends we BOTH enjoy hanging with!

My Man posing for me...as Jess says..."He was made for you." TOTALLY!

Just a simple picture to show how simply lovely and relaxing the weekend was.

This was their families' cabin. It was GORGEOUS inside.

My Man looking ever soo Good Looking!

Us by the Lake...I feel my highschool/college days of watching Dawson's Creek creeping to the surface in this picture. I LOVED that show!

If you live in a close enough drive distance from Patti's and have never been....Get in your CAR and GO!!! Oh, but don't forget to make a reservation because it is a BUSY place! The drive is totally worth all the yumminess.

Yea, after a weekend like this....29 isn't looking too bad.

: )

empty bowls

Our church has been participating and was last year the recipient to a local event called Empty Bowls. It is a fundraiser to provide more food locally for the hungry. You purchase a ticket for $15 dollars to get a handmade ceramic bowl and soup at the event. The proceeds go to local places that have soup kitchens and/or food pantry for the community. Our church has both and was awarded the proceeds last year with another church.

These are our bowls from this year!

They were made by local artists!

they are gorgeous.

and make me want to do ceramics as a hobby

This is such a great event for an amazing cause.

I'm hoping to blog more soon because I have soo much to catch up on.

Lots going on and hardly any time to blog.

This month....

Is National Foster Care Month!

Most everyone on here knows (because I talk so much about it) that we are in the process to become foster /adopt parents. We couldn't be more excited and are anxious to begin. Every child is made in the image of God and you can see the God's heart for them in His Word. As Christians we are called to help in some way! Even if you are not called to foster yourself, you can help! You can be advocates for these children in many ways.

Here are a few....
1. PRAY - ask God to protect, comfort and transform these kids' lives.
2. PROMOTE - You can go to the website www.fostercaremonth.org and share this opportunity and need with others that might be in a place to foster
3. SUPPORT - We've had so many loving friends and family encourage us and give us items to be prepared for a little one to arrive. Please do the same! Find some foster parent/agency to pour into!
4. RESPITE - This is a way to not FULLY commit yourselves to fostering. Respite care can be a weekend or other short stay while children are in foster care.

*** Another thing we should all remember and pray about is the fact that these kids didn't end up in foster care for no reason. There are BIG things going on in their family that NEED God's grace and constant prayers. There is not only hurting children in the US, but tons of hurting adults (who were most likely hurting children too) who need God's love displayed to them through Christians. Please find ways to reach out to hurting, in trouble and needy families so they can be rescued from the issues that need attention from social services.

I'll leave you with a little challenge and encouragement from God's Word...

Matthew 25: 31:46

³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

⁴¹"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

⁴⁴"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

⁴⁵"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

G-R-O-W-I-N-G

I LOVE plants, fresh flowers, veggies, fruit, and really anything that grows from a seed.

But I've only kept plants that are really easy to keep alive ..... from dying!

But I swear Bluff Hill has the most fertile ground EVER!

Remember the herbs my mentee and I planted...

Guess what...

they are growing.

i really was surprised because I had a good friend and my Daddy tell me that herbs are hard to grow from seeds. But looky looky, can't wait to cook with these. Hope basil, rosemary, and mint catch up. They've sprouted but are much smaller than these two.

Also, I've got a bud on my lovely roses...they bloom so great almost all year long.

Not sure if you remember, but I posted in December about how I had one last rose still in bloom. I'm almost positive it was December...weird, I know.

Again with the Lily of the Valley, but they are just popping up all over this one bed. I love them and their fat green leaves. Soo gorgeous.

One last bloom...My peony bush. We inherited it just as we did the Lily of the Valley too. The lady before me had great taste. We have peony, lily of the valley, iris, day lillies, azaela's, easter flowers and forsithias! I'm sure I left off something. We are so thankful because our yard is always in bloom with something.

Love watching everything grow. It is such an amazing example of our lives following Christ.

It also makes me often sit in awe of God's handiwork and beautiful creation!

Completion....

This has been my favorite wall for a long time. Really ever since my fabulous husband decided to paint it as an accent wall in our living /dining room.

As you know, I love old things and that built-in screams older home!!! I loved placing the rot iron welcome wall art with a pineapple on it above the built-in. Also, as a blushing new bride, I was giddy to place all my china pieces into the built-in hutch. The Man also placed two plate racks that he bought be for a our first Christmas onto each side of the wall. The only problem was that at the time I only had one oval platter to place on one rack. The lady at the local boutique told us when we picked our china that Mikasa is the slowest shipping china brand you can get. But we shrugged it off because we couldn't believe we both agreed on this one! We realized she knew what she was talking about when we still didn't have the second oval platter a year after we'd ordered it. Though there was an empty plate rack for well over a year, I still love that wall. It has been one of my favorite walls in our home.

Even though that was true, it still wasn't complete. It lacked that one oval platter.

That is exactly how I feel. There is something missing from my wall. Don't get me wrong...God has given me soo much: a relationship with Him, an amazing husband, wonderful family, loyal friends, a nice home, a ministry where I can serve and sooo much more. But there is one thing I long for: children. I want to be a mother. I LONG to be a mother. Just like my favorite, beautiful wall was missing one little piece in being complete, I feel like their is something missing from my life too.

I'm praying and clinging to hope that one day God will make me a mommy as He sees fit.

I wonder how many others feel like they are missing this very thing.

Many thoughts and prayers for soo many out there who are wanting completions for their dreams too.