2013

So, I have missed a bit of time in here.  Who knows when my next post will happen.  It seems life has come in the way of writing.  I guess I will simply enjoy it as it goes by.  2012 passed by with many changes in our lives.  Brenna finished Kindergarten and started first grade.  I wouldn't say she loves school, but she does do well in it.  She loves parts of it and she does love to learn some things.  I guess that makes her a typical kid.

The biggest change in our lives this year is our step in obedience into the Fostering world.  We as a family feel like God has asked us to open our home to hurting children who don't have a home and are in our foster system.  It has been a crazy ride for us.  We have had two completely different placements in the past year.  Our current placement has been with us for four months today.  What a change we have seen in him.  He is becoming quite the little man and we are honored to have him in our family at least for now.

This has not been an easy journey and we are just at the beginning of our time.  I keep wondering what pain and joy this next year will bring.  How will God change me as an individual and all 4 of us as a family?  I wish I could post a picture of the whole family, but I can't.  I don't have the heart to post the family without our little man.  For now, I can give you a glimpse of his cute Halloween costume from the backside and a current picture of Brenna.

Thanks to Mr. Mitchell for capturing such a great picture of our almost 7 year old.

He loves his "Tiger" the little man had to be a tiger for Halloween.

No More Squeaky

Last night at about 9:30 pm, Nathan and I became the proud owners of a new car. Well at least 20% of a new car. The bank owns the rest for now. It was about time to let the wonderful gift Toyota Sienna rest in peace. It served it's purpose well and was becoming very tired with each passing day. I can't express how nice it is to know that I will now be driving a safe, reliable car. What a wonderful gift. Not to mention all the handles, wipers, sprayer, and belts work, and there will no longer be random alarms going off for no apparent reason. Yea! In the words of Brenna, "Someone else can drive the squeaky car now. We were very grateful for it's use for several years now, but are glad to move on as well.

I can't say Nathan and I have much luck driving home new cars. When we bought his new car in 2003, on the way home, a deer jumped in front of him and almost caused him to wreck. It was quite scary for him as he was driving, but I was in the car behind him and nearly had to close my eyes (which probably would have caused me to run into the back of his new car. Last night as we were getting into my new car, we joked about that night so many years ago. I told him he needed to stay away from all deer tonight. Well, I shouldn't have said anything. A wild hog ran into a ditch next to us, and shortly after that a racoon ran directly in front of our tires. Let me just say, Nathan as very fast reflexes and the new car handles very well. We were very glad we weren't in the van which probably would have left something important on the road.

Kindergarten

I sit in my living room a week after school has started. I still have a hard time comprehending that Brenna is already in Kindergarten. How could she possibly be old enough to be in school? Didn't Nathan and I just bring her home from the hospital? Wasn't it just yesterday that I drove my little red civic with her in it for the first time and was almost paralyzed with fear? What happened to all the diapers and midnight feedings? What about sitting on that little potty in front of the TV and praising the little trickle that we heard after 45 min and several glasses of juice? It was bound to come at some point.

Nathan and I took her to her classroom on Monday. She was so brave. She found her name and sat right down at her spot. I know she was a little nervous, but she was also so excited to be at school. She was excited to meet new people and learn new things. Mostly she just wanted to go on the playground. I can't tell you how many times she asked Mrs. Lane (her teacher) that question. Now here I am at the end of the week. With a few thoughts about it.

I love the time I have before I pick Brenna up from school. They are precious hours I haven't had in years. I have had no problem filling them this week, and yet there is a sense of displacement and quite in the house. For five years now, I have been in every part of Brenna's life. Her world and my world were one. Even when she was going to day care, our worlds were one. Kindergarten has brought split. It is a good and healthy split, but I feel left behind in some ways. I am forced to find out about her day through her eyes and words. Sometimes the descriptions don't make much sense. Nathan and I have laughed at several. Like I said, this is normal and good, just a new place for me.

One of my prayers for Brenna was that she would learn to love school and want to go back each day. I am so thankful that God seems to have answered that positively for me. At the end of each day, she asks if she gets to go back the next day. I don't have to convince her. She is excited. I hope that excitement lasts at least a few years.

For now, I will enjoy each day of Kindergarten, take pictures the new things and love watching her learn and grow. I wonder if the sadness of being split ever leaves completely or if that is why all parents ask their children how their day at school was. I wonder if there is always a part that misses those precious first years of complete unity with your children. I guess time will tell.

Under 100

We have had this Africa countdown from almost a year before we leave. Today marks 100 days until we board a plane to leave for Bela Bela, South Africa. Wow. I can't wait to see what God will bring that week of my life. I can't wait to love on the people of Africa. I am especially excited about the playing with and loving the kids there. There is still a lot to do here before we leave. Nathan and I need to work on our will. We also both need tetnus shots. There are bags to pack, things to buy for the trip, and hearts to prepare. I am working on all those items. Sometimes it feels like the end of July will never come, and sometimes it feels like I need to put the breaks on a little because I may never get ready in time. Most of all I want God to be honored in this preparation time as well as our time there. I don't want to get to August 2011 the same person that I am in Apri 2011. I want to be molded and changed by God's hand in my life.

If you are praying for this trip, please pray that I will keep seeking God in everything I do. Also, that I will have open to ears to hear his gentle whisper and an obedient heart to follow his commands. Again, thank you to all who are participating on this trip with Nathan and I, your support is so important to us. Thank for being our partners.

The FInished Product

YEA! I am so proud of myself. I love the way the patio turned out. Three trips to the supply store later, I finally had enough flagstone to complete the project. So much fun. I still have to let the stand settle a little and then I will be able to move Crabby (the sandbox) to his new home.

Ground Shaking

Well, not shaking, but moving. I have discovered that moving bits of earth from one spot to another is very hard work. For a moment, I though I bit off more than I could chew. Thanks to very smart people, who must think I am stronger and handier outside than I really am, I decided to take on a flagstone patio project. I'm not done, but I did manage to level the area for the most part as well as lay down the gravel. Hopefully in the end the stones will lie flat enough to not trip us or allow us to stub our toes.

It all began because of a snake. Those darn snakes. For a little while I wondered if I would ever go outside again. I quickly realized that wasn't really possible since Brenna and I both love to be outside. But I have been more mindful of the likely homes I am supplying for said snakes. One was in the patio area. We have had Brenna's sand box in the grass by the house for a year now with no sand in it. She keeps asking for sand, but after my snake experience I noticed how much the grass grew up around the box. Hence the patio. I am hoping to finish and then finally fill her box knowing I have made her world a slightly safer place. We shall see.

On a whole different subject, our Africa trip is coming along. I can't believe how soon it is coming. I have a count down going and there are around 130 more days until we leave. Wow. That is soon, and there are still so many details to care for. On Friday this week we are doing something called Secret Church. I am excited about it, but a little worried about the time of day considering I don't think well after 9:00 at night. Secret Church goes from 6:00-12:00 Friday night. I am looking forward to the worship and a new knowledge of my Heavenly Father, but man that is late. I hope my brain can last.

One more note of randomness. Brenna and I are both excited about our Wednesday and Thursday this week. We will be visit Amy, Krissy, and the Mitchell's in Round Rock. It has become a Spring Break Tradition. I just told Brenna yesterday and now she will probably not stop talking about it until we get there. So glad to have friendships that last through the years and can be transferred down to our children.

Snakes

Snakes, Snakes You must go
for I am mighty with a hoe

If with your family you long to stay
Be gone from my yard come what may


This has been my fear from the moment we moved in and I realized I was living in snake territory. I was moving the hose in our front flower bed when I came upon the late coral snake pictured above. Talk about "freaking out." By the way, we must use that expression in our household a lot because Brenna has used it twice today. As I am frantically trying to smash the snake in half with a long garden tool, I am calling for Nathan to no avail. Shaking in my boots, no wait... Shaking in my flip flops, I strike the poor creature repeatedly because it keeps moving. Finally Nathan comes to my rescue to make sure the snake is officially dead and dispose of him. What an afternoon. Needless to say, the original task of watering the yard never happened. Tomorrow is a new day.