the silence has been long, I know, and I have definitely missed blogging! here is a bit of what has been going on in our lives in the last month as form of an update and also explanation for my silence:
-we ended January and began Feburary with two consecutive SUPER SHIFTS (our long week + weekend shift that we do once a month). we normally don't schedule these back to back and will try our best to avoid doing it again, but it was necessary this time and kept me away from my computer on the weekends and found me sleeping whenever I could catch a free moment.
-we also ended January by counting 16 youth who we had worked with in our home during that month. as several of our long-term girls had transitioned out for various reasons over the last few months, we had several short-term girls come in and it was a rotating door for awhile until we reached this record high. it gave us the opportunity to know and work with a wide variety of girls and be educated and stretched in so many ways. i struggled with my perspective at first - not feeling like anything I did really mattered since many of the girls were just "passing through," but I was able to realize just recently that even if we are just a stop on the map of many foster care placements for some of these girls, we can still make a difference while they are here. We can still share Truth with them and help prepare them for what their next stop might be. We can expose them to love, which may be a new experience, and I had to realize that that did in fact still matter and that God was in fact in control of every situation that walked in and out our door. It's always a surprise and sometimes weeks or months later, but the girls usually call or text or Facebook us to say hello and let us know how they are once they have left. These are some of my favorite moments.
-we shared a very special visit with my grandfather last weekend as he battles cancer, and we are so thankful for the encouragement we recieve from his life and marriage which are both dedicated to the Lord. my grandparents are so dear to me and such a blessing.
-this weekend, my sister Molly visisted us, and we had a blast! we made sure she had her fill of southern food and monticello shopping (western wear and flea markets). such a blessing to have a sister that is a best friend.
-we celebrated valentine's day with the girls which was fun! we had a campus valentine's day dessert party on monday and too much candy brought home from the elementary schools on tuesday. we celebrated as a house with a special surprise pizza delivery and special chocolates. michael and I, along with the other family teachers, were spoiled on friday with a special candlelit 3-course luncheon put on (and served by) our supervisory staff complete with a few rounds of the Newlywed Game which we did not win but had a grand time playing. we felt so blessed to have such a treat and few hours away to celebrate marriage and valentine's with those we minister alongside everyday.
-we currently have a full, very active, and exciting house. we have 4 sisters of varying ages all the way down to 8, one 7-year-old, and two older high school girls. there is constant activity and situations requiring attention, but we are enjoying having the house full and having lots of opportunities to reach out to these girls.
-we ended January and began Feburary with two consecutive SUPER SHIFTS (our long week + weekend shift that we do once a month). we normally don't schedule these back to back and will try our best to avoid doing it again, but it was necessary this time and kept me away from my computer on the weekends and found me sleeping whenever I could catch a free moment.
-we also ended January by counting 16 youth who we had worked with in our home during that month. as several of our long-term girls had transitioned out for various reasons over the last few months, we had several short-term girls come in and it was a rotating door for awhile until we reached this record high. it gave us the opportunity to know and work with a wide variety of girls and be educated and stretched in so many ways. i struggled with my perspective at first - not feeling like anything I did really mattered since many of the girls were just "passing through," but I was able to realize just recently that even if we are just a stop on the map of many foster care placements for some of these girls, we can still make a difference while they are here. We can still share Truth with them and help prepare them for what their next stop might be. We can expose them to love, which may be a new experience, and I had to realize that that did in fact still matter and that God was in fact in control of every situation that walked in and out our door. It's always a surprise and sometimes weeks or months later, but the girls usually call or text or Facebook us to say hello and let us know how they are once they have left. These are some of my favorite moments.
-we shared a very special visit with my grandfather last weekend as he battles cancer, and we are so thankful for the encouragement we recieve from his life and marriage which are both dedicated to the Lord. my grandparents are so dear to me and such a blessing.
-this weekend, my sister Molly visisted us, and we had a blast! we made sure she had her fill of southern food and monticello shopping (western wear and flea markets). such a blessing to have a sister that is a best friend.
-we celebrated valentine's day with the girls which was fun! we had a campus valentine's day dessert party on monday and too much candy brought home from the elementary schools on tuesday. we celebrated as a house with a special surprise pizza delivery and special chocolates. michael and I, along with the other family teachers, were spoiled on friday with a special candlelit 3-course luncheon put on (and served by) our supervisory staff complete with a few rounds of the Newlywed Game which we did not win but had a grand time playing. we felt so blessed to have such a treat and few hours away to celebrate marriage and valentine's with those we minister alongside everyday.
-we currently have a full, very active, and exciting house. we have 4 sisters of varying ages all the way down to 8, one 7-year-old, and two older high school girls. there is constant activity and situations requiring attention, but we are enjoying having the house full and having lots of opportunities to reach out to these girls.
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