Growing up, I had 3 siblings. We were a wild, crazy, loud family who loved (and at times hated) each other, loved Jesus, and sent waitresses running when they saw us enter a restaurant! Ha! I often overheard my parents, grandparents, and random strangers use the phrase "it takes a village to raise a family this size". Between grandparents and our church family, we had an amazing village!
Fast forward 30 something years later, and now it's my little family that makes waitresses cringe and other diners finish their meals much more quickly than normal! After saying "I could never do foster care. I would just get too attached-what if we didn't get to keep them? What about our children? What will they think?", God said "never say never"! Through much prayer and many sideways looks, the Lord has led us to this foster care journey. We waited for nearly a month for a call. At first, I was disappointed that we didn't immediately get to jump in feet first. Then I realized how awesome it was that there was not a child taken from their home! The call did come though. As Ben and I picked up a 2 year old and a 4 month old from the DHS office at 9pm one night, the gravity of the situation began to settle in. As we have spent the past 2 1/2 weeks trying to introduce 2 new babies into our home, we have needed OUR village more than ever! We have had people offer and bring clothes, food, texts, calls, snuggle babies when my arms could not carry anymore, love on my sweet 4 year old who is having a very difficult time adjusting, babysitting when we have yet another appointment to take the new littles to, and the list goes on! Our families have been more than supportive with phone calls to check on us, encouraging words when we have felt so discouraged, but mostly their prayers!
Raising children is not for the faint of heart. Raising others children will simply break your heart. We are excited for this journey that God has brought us on though. We love these children as if they were our own. Thank you to our village for your love and support. We truly could not do this without you!!
