A New Season

In the mornings when I drive Baby Girl and Little Man to school, Little Man squeals with delight as the leaves that had fallen on to the windshield blow away and fly around the car.  "Leeeese!" he cheers.  And once that excitement has waned a bit he begins his hunt for the moon in the sky.  Once he finds it he greets it with a, "Hi, Moooo!" and then, "Mamma, mamma, look!  Moooo!  Hi, Moooo!"  I cannot wait to hear his reactions to the changing of the leaves.  See, he knows his colors now and it's nearly autumn.  

We've seen the babies through Spring, Summer and now we get to watch them continue to grow in the Autumn.  We've transitioned from parentless marrieds to being married with children to married with kids who go home for one night over the weekend, onto a couple with children whom they only see during the week days.  Now, it appears we're transitioning back again to having the kids full time all over again.

We don't know what events led to the kids' parents having their unsupervised weekend visitations revoked.  All we really know is that any visitation the parents have for now will be supervised.  This news is undoubtedly bittersweet.  The bitter part comes with the way our hearts break for the kids Mom and Dad.  We don't know what has happened, but knowing them and their love for their babies, we're certain that this news must be crushing to them.  We hurt for them and the battles they fight and just pray that this news doesn't prompt them to readopt any old behaviors.  The sweet part of this news is that we get to spend the weekends with the sweet babies.  We want to introduce them to the corn maizes and the autumn leaves and take them out to eat and to the pumpkin patch.  We'd love to travel again to visit family and to be visited by friends and family- and to get to share all this with the kids! 

My new motto in life is this: As long as I am a woman who strives to serve and know the Lord, I will never again make a plan.  After all, as a child it never really was my ambition to take up residence in Wichita, KS and become a foster mom.  It's weird to type that, but imagine my surprise every morning as I wake up to live it!  Let me not fail to mention that this reality is blessed with challenges and lessons and precious gifts from my Father in Heaven.  Every. Single. Day.  

Update: 

Little Man is now nearly potty trained.  He's doing so awesome and today started wearing his "big boy underwear" to school for the first time!  He was very proud to take it with him.  He has the kindest heart, is always looking after his sister and is sympathetic to everyone around him.  He now talks very, very well speaking in full sentences!  He had only 8-10 words when he came here, so he's grown up a lot!

Baby Girl is now WALKING!  She started about three or four weeks ago.  She'd been taking four and fives steps when we challenged her and she felt like it, but she rarely felt like it.  Then, one day she chose to walk!  She's been unstoppable since!  She too speaks a lot, a lot.  She loves the "puppies" and the many "aw-bul" (owl) decorations around our home.  

We have a lot of fun together-the four of us.  We look forward to getting to spend more time with them on a weekly basis.  Please pray for us as we navigate another adjustment!