First Day of School

It felt like school time came around fast this year! It kind of feels good though to be back in a routine.  Not that I don't LOVE summer - but we are excited about this year.  Macie is in 2nd Grade and Mollie is in PreK.  They are both excited about the new year and are already loving school and seeing their friends again!

Back to School

So, it's back to school time again and it has been a whirlwind!  We moved classrooms in a couple of days and here are the pics.  I'm not finished making it mine, but I think I like it! Curtains are definitely coming!

Five Years Old

 Well, It's been a couple of months since I have blogged!  I can't believe Mollie just turned 5!  She is one amazing little girl!

Here are 5 things about you Mollie for your 5th Birthday!

1. You love to laugh!You like to tell jokes and have staring contests.

2. You have a mind of your OWN. 

3. You are attached to Mattie the cat - you want to kiss her and hug her and squeeze her ALL the time.

4. You are very kind-hearted and compassionate - we love that.

5. Your favorite place to be is at home with us.

We love you so much! We are so thankful for you!

Bluebonnets in OK!

Seven Years Old

This little girl, who is growing by the minute, turned 7 a couple of weeks ago.  Wow those years have flown by and I know they will just keep going faster and faster.  Macie amazes us often with the person she is becoming. 
So Macie, here are 7 things about you at 7 years old:

1. You love to dance with Daddy to any fun song - current favorite "I Just Haven't Met You Yet".

2. You like everyone to be happy and have fun, you do not like drama with friends!

3. You love seeing Mollie at school and you are so sweet to include her on the playground and be her 

protector when needed. :)

4. Your laugh and smile are contagious.

5. You are beginning to love reading chapter books and really like Magic Tree House.

6. You are excited to try new things, you are trying softball right now and loving it.

7. You like to do crafts and create new things, especially if it's just Mom and Macie time.

You are a joy!  We love you!

Psalm 90:14 "Satisfy us in the morning that we may sing for joy and be GLAD all our days."

Welcome

Even though it will be months before we have our foster baby, Macie is ready to welcome her!  She made this after school last week and is so proud of it.  We are so proud of her and her heart!

Fostering Hope Project

Ben Nockels tweeted about this blog so I thought I would check it out.  Wow!  I don't think I was prepared for it  - it is amazing, real  and heartwrenching.  The woman who writes it is giving her life to the kids and families in the foster care system.  Go check it out.
Here is a scripture from her blog.
“Pure, unstained religion…is to take care of orphans and widows when they suffer…” James 1:27

A Bad Case of Stripes

So, of course, when Macie came home from school and said that she had a dress up at school for Dr. Seuss' birthday, my mind went into action.  I started thinking of possibilities and THEN she said "I want to be tinkerbell." "Tinkerbell?!"  Now, there is nothing wrong with tinkerbell, I like her - she is cute and fun, but ANY character in a book!  As a teacher I knew that I we could think of something more meaningful. So, we started talking and came up with Camila Crean from the book A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon.  It's a family fav! 

I then start thinking about how we are going to do this.  I looked for rainbow striped shirts or leggings, but didn't find the right colors.  Then I looked for rainbow striped knit, couldn't find that!  I took Macie to Old Navy where I had seen striped leggings, but not with all the colors.  SHE had the great idea to use both pair and mix them up. (future craftygirl I think) So, I cut the leggings in half and sewed them on a tank top and on some old leggings that I cut off.  It actually worked!  Lots of things I try don't!

I think she looks SO GREAT!!

Her teacher said she did not want to put down her lima beans which were a part of the costume!  She finally talked her into leaving them on her desk.  I'm so glad that she had fun! 

Field Trip

Last Friday the 2nd grade went on a field trip to the Science Museum Oklahoma (aka The Omniplex).  We go there every year and it's pretty much the same experience.  Get the lunches.  Talk to the parents.  Get on the bus. Pass out arm bands. Set them free. Check on the kids. Talk to the my teacher friends. Supervise lunch.  Check on the kids. Round them up. Get on bus. COUNT the kids. Back to school. Go to bed early! 

But this year was different.  Not because anything crazy happened - it has in the past - but because of something else. JOY. Joy on the faces of my kids.  As I walked around and watched them experience these things I saw pure joy.  Many of them had not been there before and everything was new and fresh and amazing to them.  I was teary eyed watching some of them see a dinosaur or go down a huge tree slide.  We had no arguments, talking back, running off.  They loved it.  It just reminded me that this is why I do it.  Everyday trying and trying to make a difference even when I might not feel like it.  For moments like these in the middle of a field trip!

Cute Shirt

Macie has a friend's birthday party tomorrow so I made this as part of her gift.

I think it turned pretty cute - although I didn't really mean for it to look like an m&m!  Freezer paper is so amazing!!!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was fun! 

This is what the girls' woke up to above their beds.

 

 Their sweet daddy put hearts up in Macie's room when she was little and in our room above the bed.  It was such a sweet memory!  He wanted to do it again this year so I helped and it was kind of like Christmas anticipating what the girls would say when they saw it!  They love the hearts and want them up to stay.  (We also do this on their birthdays with the # they are turning.)

*Twinkle Toes*  These were the hit of the day!  Mark buys the girls a gift on V day and this is what Macie got - she was very surprised and wants to wear them all the time!  Mollie got a Leapster game - the batteries died when we put it in and we didn't have any so she had to wait until after church to play with her present, but she loved it!

Here they are in all decked out in hearts!  I used freezer paper stencils to paint their shirts and pants and I loved it because it was easy and looked great!  We had a good day - I liked going to church on Valentine's Day.  That night we went out with Ang and Drew (Mark's sis) and the girls played with cousin Abby. 

We also saw Blind Side and cried our eyes out!  Good Times!!

 

Fun

The girls have a "new"  favorite video to dance to.  I really love this song - you can't stop yourself from singing along!!
The white socks on the dancers crack me up!

Books

The other day I went to the Edmond Library to check out some books on foster care.  One of my friends called me a dork for this, but whatever. :)  Anyway, I found a few and have been reading them. 
One is a autobiography written by a girl who was in foster care for most of her life.  It's called Three Little Words  .  It is very eye opening and humbling to read all she has been through and her perspective on it all. 
Another book was like a case study on foster care and contained a lot research and lots of true accounts from foster mothers about their experiences.  Reading that one made me feel scared, sad, hopeful, encouraged and again so humbled by the huge responsibility and selflessness that is involved.
Reading these books made me think back to jr. high school when my friend Kelli Adams and I would check out books about homeless people, runaways and halfway houses.  Our big plan was to run a halfway house for people and save the world.  Looking back on that now it seeems strange that we even were intrested in those things.  It makes me feel in a way like this desire that is in me has been here a long time. 

Stirrings

Things are stirring here. We are thinking and praying and taking tiny steps toward what we think God is calling us to - foster parenting. We aren't ready yet, but we kept saying "someday we will" and I just started thinking "why not now!" Who knows what will happen and how things will play out - the big picture, but we are in the game and want to play. There are so many things that we don't know and we have so many questions, but we are taking it step by step. I have the application for on my dresser waiting to be filled out...