I have not made my blog a priority this summer as so many other things have weezled their way to the forefront of my mind and life, but I have missed it. There are so many things to process and share, I thought I'd put together a quick look at the summer as we prepare for school next week.
Episode 1: Hello
Our house has officially become the long-term residential home for girls on our campus, which means we no longer house any of the emergency-shelter 45-day girls and our girls will all generally stay longer than that. Our longest tenured resident now is getting close to her 4th year at VLPH, so this is truly her home. We have two little 9-year-olds now, who are just beginning their time with us, so we have the full spectrum. We are LOVING being the long-term house. It took us all about one full month to settle in to one another, get to know each each other, and make this everyone's true home. The whole transition has been both a painful and joyful process and one we feel has been for the best on every side. I smile thinking of the "hello"s we have said this summer and the rich opportunities we have been given to bring these girls into our life. Each one has added something to the home and provided some sort of excitement, and I thank God for each of their presence.
Episode 2: Good-bye
There are few words adequate to describe the slow ache that is present when someone dear is taken from your life. It's the small moments when their laughter echoes in your mind or you watch their smile flash behind your closed eyes. When the lump forms in the back of your throat when their name comes up in conversation or you run across something they left behind in a pile of laundry. For me, recently, it has been the loss of one of the girls we have worked with who was a treasure in our hearts. It was our first good-bye to anyone who had been here longer than 6 months and has left VLPH for good. Our oldest girl, who was with us a full year, left a huge hole in the home when she moved into the transitional living home on campus, but she is still around and we see and talk with her often. It was also a natural course of events for her to move there; it was the next step that she was more than ready for. On the other hand, our good-bye to "little one" has impacted me greatly because of the finality and the extremity - she is no longer close by and we will not see and talk with her frequently. It was a long time coming. They had been filing paperwork for ages and then arranging transportation for the departure for what seemed like forever, so when the day finally came I was caught off guard by the strong emotional response I had. Around the first of the year, she came into our lives and embraced everything about our home and the love we wanted to share with her. She was elated the day we told her she had secured a long-term spot and would be staying as long as she needed. She celebrated her 9th birthday with us and learned to swim for the first time this summer. She didn't get in her bed at night before making sure she had her hug. She smiled the sunshine everyday into my life for months upon months. She prayed to recieve the Lord into her life one night and we prayed together many times following for His presence to be felt in her life...over the fears of the dark, the anxiety of being alone, etc. There was a point where I thought she might be in our life forever...or at least a really long time. And then something happened. Something new and scary and something we still don't have great peace about, but we trust God is in control. So, she left us this summer and moved into a new life very far away. She doesn't have the opportunity to keep in touch, so we may not talk to her again until she is grown. And the pain is real and big and sharp even today. Even though it has been a few weeks now. The tears still come quickly to my eyes when I remember her. It might be easier if I knew how she was doing and could hear her tell me that she is loving life and is okay. Her case worker told us last week she was able to talk to her and she sounded happy, and that gave me a great sense of peace and gratitude. It helps me get through the times when I wonder or worry or just plain miss her. I won't ever forget the day she found out she would be leaving at some point. I shared the news with her expecting all the excitement that it seemed to imply. After a few very quiet moments she turned with big, teary eyes and said, "I don't want to leave. All I want is to have a good life." She hugged me so tightly that night, and I won't forget it as long as I live. I pray that the good life of the blessing of God's undeniable presence will follow her wherever she goes into the world whoever she becomes. And I thank God for the brief opportunity to be a part of her journey.
Episode 3: Dazzling Designs
One thing we love to do at Barton is create things. The girls become giddy when I tell them I am going to get the craft supplies out. It's always been a great bonding and somewhat therapeutic, relational tool in the home, but an idea that had been morphing for months within me came to fruition this summer and brought much more excitement to this creating of things. There is a place in Monticello (one of the highlights of our little town) called the Marketplace. It is a GIANT warehouse-like building that has been converted into HUNDREDS of booth spaces for rent. It is so successful that they have opened the Marketplace 2 across the street from it, as well. Though there are many restrictions on what can be in your booth, it is the perfect market place for antiques, crafts, or small businesses. It is literally hours worth of fun in one building for the shopper. Ever since I discovered it, I placed the dream of having my own booth in the back of my mind. Eventually, the lightbulb went off and Dazzling Designs Booth #212 became an idea in the works. I talked with the girls about the idea, and excitemment exploded, so we got started. I made an initial investment in crafting supplies and a booth down-payment as well as other discounted items I could re-sell for retail price, and our booth was one step closer to being born. Then, we found our summer no longer occupied with boredom as we worked on project after project to fill our 10x10 booth. In late July, we opened Dazzling Designs and have had so much fun so far! My bargain shopping has been particularly successful on the clothing side, so that side of our booth has grown and become my ultimate hobby. The girls have made jewelry, Bible verse plaques, paintings, blankets, and more. Every item they make, they earn the profits for when we get paid at the end of the month, so this has been an awesome opportunity for them to learn about a valuable work ethic while providing an extra source for spending cash. Below is a picture of our booth currently as it has morphed into what it is today. I just re-stocked my clothing racks after back-to-school shopping had demolished my stock in a few short weeks. A portion of the general booth profits will provide extra spending money for our home to do special things. The girls take custom orders, so feel free to contact me if you have one!
Episode 4: Happy Birthday!
We love celebrating birthdays at Barton and this summer brought two birthdays - a 14th and a 17th! It is always fun yet somewhat challenging to overwhelm the birthday girl with birthday surprises throughout the day while teaching the other girls how to care for others and look outside themselves. We are always changing up what we do for birthdays so that everyone's birthday is not the same routine, and the most recent birthday was really fun. We and each of the other girls woke up before she would be awake and pounded her room with blasts of HAPPY BIRTHDAY, a special breakfast on a tray, a bouquet of flowers, a tiara, and big, fluffy leis for her neck. She was overwhelmed in the best of ways, and it was exciting for us all. Celebrating each girl on her birthday is one of my favorite things. It allows us to slow down and appreciate all the wonderful things about them and what they bring to our home.
Episode 5: Back to School Shopping Project
Our monthly clothing and gift budget was divided 7 ways this month and given to each resident on her very own "money card" for back to school shopping! They were told to figure out what they most needed and wanted as the return to school approached, and we have started hitting the stores to make sure everyone has what they need. After we leave each store, the amount they spent is deleted from their "money card" (hand-made by me) and they can plan the rest of their purchases accordingly. I initially planned it as the only sane way I could fathom taking all of them shopping for all of their various needs at all of the various stores while keeping track of the budget. However, it has ended up being a great learning experience for them on the value of the dollar and priorities. They have been empowered with their very own stash of "cash" but also the responsibility to meet their most urgent needs for the school year. For some of the girls, I don't think it was as "fun" as they might have hoped as they encountered frustrations in not getting everything they ever wanted, but even within that hurdle is a lifetime lesson that everyone needs to learn at some point.
Stay Tuned for Next Week's Episode Including:
-Our Waterpark Trip THIS WEEK to Wild River Country in Little Rock
-School Year Blast-Off (8/20/12)
Episode 1: Hello
Our house has officially become the long-term residential home for girls on our campus, which means we no longer house any of the emergency-shelter 45-day girls and our girls will all generally stay longer than that. Our longest tenured resident now is getting close to her 4th year at VLPH, so this is truly her home. We have two little 9-year-olds now, who are just beginning their time with us, so we have the full spectrum. We are LOVING being the long-term house. It took us all about one full month to settle in to one another, get to know each each other, and make this everyone's true home. The whole transition has been both a painful and joyful process and one we feel has been for the best on every side. I smile thinking of the "hello"s we have said this summer and the rich opportunities we have been given to bring these girls into our life. Each one has added something to the home and provided some sort of excitement, and I thank God for each of their presence.
Episode 2: Good-bye
There are few words adequate to describe the slow ache that is present when someone dear is taken from your life. It's the small moments when their laughter echoes in your mind or you watch their smile flash behind your closed eyes. When the lump forms in the back of your throat when their name comes up in conversation or you run across something they left behind in a pile of laundry. For me, recently, it has been the loss of one of the girls we have worked with who was a treasure in our hearts. It was our first good-bye to anyone who had been here longer than 6 months and has left VLPH for good. Our oldest girl, who was with us a full year, left a huge hole in the home when she moved into the transitional living home on campus, but she is still around and we see and talk with her often. It was also a natural course of events for her to move there; it was the next step that she was more than ready for. On the other hand, our good-bye to "little one" has impacted me greatly because of the finality and the extremity - she is no longer close by and we will not see and talk with her frequently. It was a long time coming. They had been filing paperwork for ages and then arranging transportation for the departure for what seemed like forever, so when the day finally came I was caught off guard by the strong emotional response I had. Around the first of the year, she came into our lives and embraced everything about our home and the love we wanted to share with her. She was elated the day we told her she had secured a long-term spot and would be staying as long as she needed. She celebrated her 9th birthday with us and learned to swim for the first time this summer. She didn't get in her bed at night before making sure she had her hug. She smiled the sunshine everyday into my life for months upon months. She prayed to recieve the Lord into her life one night and we prayed together many times following for His presence to be felt in her life...over the fears of the dark, the anxiety of being alone, etc. There was a point where I thought she might be in our life forever...or at least a really long time. And then something happened. Something new and scary and something we still don't have great peace about, but we trust God is in control. So, she left us this summer and moved into a new life very far away. She doesn't have the opportunity to keep in touch, so we may not talk to her again until she is grown. And the pain is real and big and sharp even today. Even though it has been a few weeks now. The tears still come quickly to my eyes when I remember her. It might be easier if I knew how she was doing and could hear her tell me that she is loving life and is okay. Her case worker told us last week she was able to talk to her and she sounded happy, and that gave me a great sense of peace and gratitude. It helps me get through the times when I wonder or worry or just plain miss her. I won't ever forget the day she found out she would be leaving at some point. I shared the news with her expecting all the excitement that it seemed to imply. After a few very quiet moments she turned with big, teary eyes and said, "I don't want to leave. All I want is to have a good life." She hugged me so tightly that night, and I won't forget it as long as I live. I pray that the good life of the blessing of God's undeniable presence will follow her wherever she goes into the world whoever she becomes. And I thank God for the brief opportunity to be a part of her journey.
Episode 3: Dazzling Designs
One thing we love to do at Barton is create things. The girls become giddy when I tell them I am going to get the craft supplies out. It's always been a great bonding and somewhat therapeutic, relational tool in the home, but an idea that had been morphing for months within me came to fruition this summer and brought much more excitement to this creating of things. There is a place in Monticello (one of the highlights of our little town) called the Marketplace. It is a GIANT warehouse-like building that has been converted into HUNDREDS of booth spaces for rent. It is so successful that they have opened the Marketplace 2 across the street from it, as well. Though there are many restrictions on what can be in your booth, it is the perfect market place for antiques, crafts, or small businesses. It is literally hours worth of fun in one building for the shopper. Ever since I discovered it, I placed the dream of having my own booth in the back of my mind. Eventually, the lightbulb went off and Dazzling Designs Booth #212 became an idea in the works. I talked with the girls about the idea, and excitemment exploded, so we got started. I made an initial investment in crafting supplies and a booth down-payment as well as other discounted items I could re-sell for retail price, and our booth was one step closer to being born. Then, we found our summer no longer occupied with boredom as we worked on project after project to fill our 10x10 booth. In late July, we opened Dazzling Designs and have had so much fun so far! My bargain shopping has been particularly successful on the clothing side, so that side of our booth has grown and become my ultimate hobby. The girls have made jewelry, Bible verse plaques, paintings, blankets, and more. Every item they make, they earn the profits for when we get paid at the end of the month, so this has been an awesome opportunity for them to learn about a valuable work ethic while providing an extra source for spending cash. Below is a picture of our booth currently as it has morphed into what it is today. I just re-stocked my clothing racks after back-to-school shopping had demolished my stock in a few short weeks. A portion of the general booth profits will provide extra spending money for our home to do special things. The girls take custom orders, so feel free to contact me if you have one!
Episode 4: Happy Birthday!
We love celebrating birthdays at Barton and this summer brought two birthdays - a 14th and a 17th! It is always fun yet somewhat challenging to overwhelm the birthday girl with birthday surprises throughout the day while teaching the other girls how to care for others and look outside themselves. We are always changing up what we do for birthdays so that everyone's birthday is not the same routine, and the most recent birthday was really fun. We and each of the other girls woke up before she would be awake and pounded her room with blasts of HAPPY BIRTHDAY, a special breakfast on a tray, a bouquet of flowers, a tiara, and big, fluffy leis for her neck. She was overwhelmed in the best of ways, and it was exciting for us all. Celebrating each girl on her birthday is one of my favorite things. It allows us to slow down and appreciate all the wonderful things about them and what they bring to our home.
Episode 5: Back to School Shopping Project
Our monthly clothing and gift budget was divided 7 ways this month and given to each resident on her very own "money card" for back to school shopping! They were told to figure out what they most needed and wanted as the return to school approached, and we have started hitting the stores to make sure everyone has what they need. After we leave each store, the amount they spent is deleted from their "money card" (hand-made by me) and they can plan the rest of their purchases accordingly. I initially planned it as the only sane way I could fathom taking all of them shopping for all of their various needs at all of the various stores while keeping track of the budget. However, it has ended up being a great learning experience for them on the value of the dollar and priorities. They have been empowered with their very own stash of "cash" but also the responsibility to meet their most urgent needs for the school year. For some of the girls, I don't think it was as "fun" as they might have hoped as they encountered frustrations in not getting everything they ever wanted, but even within that hurdle is a lifetime lesson that everyone needs to learn at some point.
Stay Tuned for Next Week's Episode Including:
-Our Waterpark Trip THIS WEEK to Wild River Country in Little Rock
-School Year Blast-Off (8/20/12)
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