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.
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