5 Weeks In

We are still hanging on.  Just when we think we can not continue with this placement, someone steps forward with just the encouragement that we need to keep us going.  Our sweet friend Jessi has brought us meals and games and treats for the kids.  Thoughtful things like cookies to decorate and an Easter book and detergent.  Another friend, Jamie, has come over to help out with the kids.  A church, North Ridge Church in Jackson, sent a team Sunday to mow our yard and clean our house.  We leave for church with everything being a wreck, and come home to everything being spotless.  They even did some laundry!  It was amazing.  And 5 weeks in, we have yet to have to buy diapers for the baby.  Our friend, Paula, bought Easter shoes for all of the girls and clothes for the kids.  Our friend, Jane, helped with the birthday party for one of the girls.  Someone at church on Sunday, whom I do not even know, came up to me with a check to help offset the expenses that come with 5 extra kids.  I can not begin to list everything that God's church is doing to help with these kids.  We are so very grateful and moved.  It just blows us away.  We truly have a community pitching in to help with the kids - and it is not going unnoticed by the girls.  Even though they are kids, they are asking why people care and why people are helping us.  It has made for some great conversations about God's love.  Having 8 kids in the house is very challenging and having 8 kids in the house who have experienced loss and trauma is the hardest thing we have ever done.  Most days, this is how Scott and I feel at the end of the day.  But you are all making it doable.

Sweet Jocelyn is loving having new friends, but is exhausted after a day of play!

Some things are getting easier.  Like one of the girls is playing basketball.  I wish I could show clips of her on the court.  Her face is pure happiness the entire time, not something we see in her in other situations.  Then another one, who refused to even help fold clothes 5 weeks ago, helped clean her room, dusted, swept, mopped, and helped serve a meal to the other children all just this past weekend.  A huge turn around.  Another is slowly learning kindness and manners.  Another gave me a quick peck on the cheek tonight - a first for her to initiate affection.  Another sang along with the music in church for the first time.  Beneath it all is still hurt, and we continue to pray for healing for all of them.

Benjamin has had a few hard days.  Things we are slowly working through but still it is hard to see him struggle with new feelings and restrictions.  Most days, he continues to be a joy.  Today I found him sitting on his bike in the driveway.  I asked what he was doing and he said he was waiting on the girls to get home from school.  Even though it is chaotic with them here, he is enjoying them being around.

Jocelyn is learning a great deal about interacting with her peers, something she has not had much experience with so far.  I think it is a period of growth and learning for her.  We have an appointment with a geneticist tomorrow to start getting to the root of some of her issues.  We could all use some prayer covering our Jocelyn.

Ellie Grace has come a long way in learning to share in the past 5 weeks.  In the beginning, she spent a great deal of time in tears and now, rarely cries over someone playing with her things.  She is so secure with her place in our family - there are no doubts in her mind where she belongs.

We can not all fit into either of our vehicles so we have been taking two whenever we all go somewhere.  This past weekend, we all went (together for the first time thanks to our church loaning us the church van) to a picnic and Easter egg hunt put on by Bethany Christian Services for adoptive and foster families.  The kids all had a great time.  They had their faces painted, rode horses (over and over!), hunted eggs, and had a great lunch.  I wish I could post pictures but there are strict rules about not posting photographs of foster children in order to protect their privacy.  If I could, they would guarantee to make you smile.  :)

So here are a few of the kids we can post pics of:


Ellie Grace having fun in the puddles after all the rain we have had.

Jocelyn with her Ali Kat on her spring break.

Benjamin has mastered his bicycle and absolutely loves it.

Thanks to all of you for being our support network.  Without you, we would have thrown in the towel by now.  We appreciate all of your prayers and the meals and your love and the paper products!

One more that I can not resist posting...

 God's light is shining brightly through you.