Why not simply jump?!

Think I have finally have a moment to breath....3 out of 4 of the kiddos are in bed and the "big" kid is at a friends for another 50 minutes. Just got back from Lancaster County with our new to us vehicle. What a blessing! With that blessing though came a nice little bill once we arrived back home. The vehicle needed an alternator. Thankfully nothing bad happened and we made it home and Steve replaced it already tonight. 
On the ride home today it was so incredibly nice to be able to enjoy some nice worship time in the car with some Chris Tomlin...however, what I learned is don't blare it and think you can raise your hands and close your eyes...just not safe. Oh but I tried!! I also got to do a lot of thinking which I don't get to do in our crazy house lately. What I thought about most is my husband. Through the years, through everything with fertility issues and adoption to fostering I constantly prayed for closed doors or open hearts. See right after we got married and we discovered we couldn't have children, Steve instantly said he wouldn't adopt. Said its simply to expensive and he would rather try the lottery. But I prayed....and we adopted and had Trent. Then after Trent and suffering a miscarriage and multiple tries at embryo implant and loss, I brought up fostering. To which Steve again said no. Soooo I prayed. And we got Rylee. Then after Rylee and being asked to take on 2 more kiddos, Steve again, instantly said no. AND here we are with Josie and Brantley. So again....I have jokingly said can you believe we are approved to have 2 more kids yet?!! AND that was an INSTANT are you CRaZy? NO!! So I sit and giggle. It is absolutely amazing that through all these years I can just see all the answered prayers. They weren't in my time and I always had to pray for patience in the waiting, and patience in accepting what my husband may or may not be able to handle or accept, but that God knows. Steve has been so amazing in knowing where my heart is, he thinks I'm crazy, but in the end he prays with me and waits till we see the doors swing open or close. See I'm more of a jump and don't walk, carry all 20 grocery bags, thrive in chaos, go nutty kind of girl. It has been pretty crazy the last few weeks. I can't seem to get our house in order quite how I would like and for me a scatter brain already, it's making things a bit hard somedays to tackle the day. Friday I neeeeeded a break and a drive to Lancaster came at the perfect moment. God knows and He provides just when you need it most! I was glad to come back home with a better attitude and started conquering a bit of what I've been feeling I have been behind on. The best part is the overwhelming feeling I had all day Friday just melted away! 

It is so different having a teenager in our home. She is a complete blessing and teaching me so much and I pray for guidance in every move we make with her. I have been that mom no one wants. Yes I snoop, and yes I swing by randomly to check on her, I drill her friends and I have even recently had to drill a "boy" on what we find acceptable and not acceptable in our home...Steve had to giggle because the boy was sweating. Haha!!! I like to call myself an involved mom but Josie thinks I'm crazy! Think you pretty much have to be anymore. Last week Steve swung by where Josie was, stopped, got out of the truck and went up to all the kids and asked what they were all up to and then simply left. Haha! I trust her but come on I was a teen once to and I know all the trouble I easily got into. Josie is very open with me, which I greatly appreciate, we just haven't quite learned how we deal with all the things she does or has done that we do not agree with. We talk all the time and we simply encourage her to make the right choices, so far so good, besides a few bad habits. Last week I did have to ask her to change and to put an outfit on the "burn pile" she giggled and went and changed. That went WAY easier then I anticipated. Biggest concern though is boys boys boys....this one scares me! So we pray! Steves one big gripe is hair color. Josie asked me to color the bottom part of her hair purple. Steve was...lets just say, less then impressed. He can't stand it!!!! Haha!!! Some battles just arent worth the fight....but he may try to battle that one a few times...think I'll sit back and watch :)

Then there's Brantley. 4 months old, almost 5. I'm trying my darnedest to get him on a schedule and well were just not there yet but I'm working on it! It WILL happen! Pray for that!! 

And onto RyleeSue. Oh this little girl. Her strong will....somedays even 5 minutes after waking up I'm already praying naptime comes quick. She is a fighter. She's that little girl on the ground, screaming her lungs out, kicking, screaming and pulling her hair. She's a nut case. Tonight I glanced over at her as shes eating to see her smearing something through out her hair, so I sat and watched....she was taking and squeezing her applesauce onto her hand and then using it as hair gel....so I took a deep breath and started to laugh (silently on the inside) because I wanted to scream! Thankfully God gave her such cutiepie looks or I may just ship her to Canada. Wednesday we have court, supposedly it's 4 hours!!! I'm completely not ready for it and I know my nerves will be shot that day, so please pray for that and that the judge will have open eyes and ears and make the best choice for Rylee and only Rylee. 

Then there's Trent. He's been rather bored at times this summer and can't wait for school. The park program started last week and because I'm constantly lost in my schedule I forgot all about it! This week he should be less bored and ready for naptime. He's still having belly issues and we head to Childrens in Pittsburgh to hopefully get some tests run on dairy and Gluten. We're hoping to get some of this resolved before school starts. He has been on Mirolax for weeks now and still showing constipation in his catscans.  We cut dairy as recommended and soy\almond milks still lead to belly pain...so they aren't sure if the pain is simply from his bowels or all dairy...I'm lost but just want it fixed. He refuses to go to the potty at school and from using Miralax things can quickly go in any direction and we don't want him worried about that in school or having accidents from trying not to go while there. Fun fun! He's also having leg pains different times and I try to ignore since they still have no answers there other then hopefully he out grows it. Tylenol and rest. But still pushing activity as the doctors recommended. We're hoping to get him in fall soccer and he can't wait to start piano lessons! He's also very excited to go horse back riding this week at Steve's friends house...well not sure who's more excited him or Josie. 

Well that wraps up all the kiddos. Full house. God has truly blessed us. This week I'm praying for this rain to stop!!! Steve was laid off for a month and a half for the "normal" mud season and now he's yet to be back to work full time yet and it's super frustrating! God continues to provide and I trust Him but it would still be a huge relief if things to just get back to normal financially...whatever normal is there. I still try to work when I can but with the full house that will most likely be even less now till I find a good sitter... my mom is a huge help but I believe it's a bit much for her now. 

Super thankful today is Sunday (this blog took 2 days to complete) and Sundays are just....so relaxing. Things to do but I think I'll read or...take a nap! Have a great week all!!!

And the adventure begins

Good morning!!! The sun is shining and from what I've heard it's suppose to hit a warm 82(?). Woohoo!!! Been chillier and rainy the last two days so this will be so refreshing!!!! 

What a crazy, almost, week it's been. Can't even believe the way our week quickly changed last Thursday. Started out the morning by walking down to my parents house around 10 to get Trent, who had a sleep over, and watch my Dad dig holes for his deck. And then I got the call. An emergency placement for the girl we had been praying about. So many things we had been praying about when we were first approached about this situation. We were praying for a change in heart for both Steve and I depending on how things would go. We were praying for clear open or closed doors after being ask if we would consider taking on this specific situation. We were also praying about our vehicle situation and housing situation and if God opened the door that He would just simply continuing doing what He has always done and make a way. We thought we had time......How that quickly changed and at the same time made it completely clear that God wanted this girl and her 4 month old baby in our home and family. Soooo my frantic day began.
I had 5 hours to prepare. Get a bed, bedding, rearrange Rylee from her room to Trents room, and also get all baby baby items out of the attic and ready to go. I was at that point going crazy and needed to take a second and ask people to surround me with prayer! So from carrying a mattress and box spring from the basement all the way outside and around the house and all the way up stairs, to fifty two trips up and down both attic steps, to Walmart shopping spree, and a crazy mess of clothing every where from a lack of dressers and closet space. The room got set up, well actually, both rooms, and we were ready!! Through all of this all I could think about was how Steve had no clue!! He would get home at 245 and they were coming at 3. Oh my I had no clue what his response would be, I simply prayed he had a good day at work.

Things have been going very well. However, Josie is currently grounded through CYS and that will end tomorrow, so ask me in a week after we have allowed some freedom. She's been through quite a bit in life with her Mom and her two little brothers. She's been forced to play a grown up role and act as a parents and yet isn't mature enough to do so. She knows she's made some poor choices however I'm not quite sure that she's learned anything yet from having her little guy to make me believe it wont happen again. CYS has enforced birth control so it's a bit weird to be dealing with that in our home. We've done lots of talking and she's very open with me and now I'm so frightened by the things teenagers are doing that I had no clue about and now I need to encourage different behavior and try to get her to understand learning the hard way isn't fun...and yet I know thats usually how we learn and sometimes the only way we learn. Her "boyfriend" or babies daddy is off limits but they sometimes are very sneaky and tend to get themselves in trouble. He's 18. I have met him and his mom and I anticipate that being a super fun situation we will be dealing with regularly. He is currently on my bad side as he has a girlfriend and thinks he can have the best of both worlds and not be a great Dad either. I have already asked him to supply baby items and so far we got batteries off of him so I'm hoping maybe he will at least step up financially even if not physically with Brantley. Josie had no girl friends and I'm not the least bit impressed with her choices for how she handles guy friends. So we've already laid some big ground rules for boys. So far everyday we have had some girl friends in our home and around and that is at least one step forward. Friday is her first big outing and I'm nervous and I anticipate driving by a few times :) Boys and girls going swimming out at the one creek across town. Steve wants to be Hitler and keep her locked up, I have a different way of thinking and want her to know in keeping Brantley she has a lot she will miss out on and yet we are here to help her grow and learn and be here for both of them in the process. CYS wants her to decide if being a mom is what she wants at 15 and I am here to teach her how to be a mom and a woman. Cooking, cleaning, caring for Brantley. But with maybe some freedom but not a lot. She has quite a bit to learn about being a mom...and I'm trying to push some things but she's 15 and telling her 2-3 times seems to be the norm. Steve and I have talked a lot about how we truly wish our church had a youth group and lots of teens that maybe a good influence on her but we just don't have that right now. We've also talked about Word of Life Bible and their summer programs and we are going to be looking into that for her to possibly attend for a week. Sorta shock some God into her. 

So, so far things have been amazing and such a blessing. God is good and He brought us together and we now have a family of 6 and my heart is full. I know it's not going to be easy. I'm crazy busy all day long with 4 kids in the house and two fosters having appointments different places and then my "foster grandbaby(?)" having his own set of appointments. We also had to do a bit of shopping for Josie for items she just didn't have and it was great to take her shopping, she isn't use to anything new and nice and she hated saying she liked something because she saw the price tag and anticipated a "no". But by today and her needing to pick out some shoes, that was gone and she simply decided and showed me to place the order. Shopping for Brantley has also been fun and now to hand the bill to "Dad". Anyways please continue to pray for our situation. It's not to incredibly long till Josie's Mom can lose rights to all 3 of her kids and then we will possibly have another adoption decision on our hands. Oh and a highlight and I hate saying it but answer to pray. Rylee will most likely be staying in our home permanently ;)))) The bonding assessment was in our favor. Doc says it would be "detrimental" for Rylee to leave us and that Jackie isn't ready. And sources say "mom" is back on drugs and CYS is going to request a mandatory drug test....geesh possibly another baby entering the system. Pray for these Moms, they need to open their eyes, they need Jesus so much and these precious children just don't understand. 

So our summer has gotten very busy. I'm hoping to fit a few days in of work here and there as we need to replace our leaking shower before our foyer ceiling comes down, again! But I trust God to provide as He always does. And next weekend we head to Knoebels for two nights and we're taking 6 kids with us!!!! Pray for that craziness!!! I'm so excited, mainly because the kids are, but hey isn't that what it's all about?! We're also hoping to do some day trips so Josie can get out and see a few places.