Hi, Remember Me?

This is the post where I write a long-overdue update on my life and its happenings and try to explain why I basically dropped off the blogging planet. You know the drill. So wow. It's been more than six months and a ridiculous amount of things … Continue Reading

Another Goodbye

This week I removed the leaf insert from our dining room table to take the seating configuration from six down to four. An outside observer might think that we had hosted family gatherings over the holidays and were a tad belated in returning our … Continue Reading

Welcome, Firefly!

It's A Girl! Foster Care Announcement

I have big news, people! We got The Call yesterday! Almost two months after hearing about her for the first time, Firefly is coming to live with us! We had an overnight visit with her over the weekend, after completing two "playdates" with … Continue Reading

Apps I Use as a Foster Parent

Apps I use as a foster parent

May is National Foster Care Month! If you've been wondering if foster parenting is right for you, take the next step TODAY and contact a local foster care agency! See the bottom of the post for a quick update on our foster parenting! You don't … Continue Reading

Why (And How) We Use Google Voice for Birth Family Contact in Foster Care

Before we became foster parents (around this time last year), the aspect of this whole system that intimidated me the most was birth parents. Now, there's much to be said about birth parents, and I won't be able to say it as well as others, so I'll … Continue Reading

Foster Parenting Wall

So my husband is pretty awesome, and I need to show you my Christmas present. Brandon saw that I liked a foster care quote wall hanging, and he knew I wanted a special way to remember the kids who come through our house, so he made this from a wooden … Continue Reading

Boy Mom Turned Girl Mom (through Foster Care)

About 7.5 years ago, I was pregnant for the first time. I had visions of little girls, of ribbons and dolls and all the things that come with daughters. I was completely wrapped up in the idea of having a girl, so it was understandably quite an … Continue Reading

Foster Parenting Update

Worst blogger ever, that's me. Guys, life is busy! But I'm not alone in that, you all are super busy too. But in between working full time, parenting four kids, plus all the extras that come with foster parenting (extra doctor's appointments, … Continue Reading

My Simple Trick for Disorganized, Forgetful Kids

My simple trick for disorganized and forgetful kids (especially kids in foster care)

The girls have been with us for almost three months. But if you ask them, they might say they've been here for 3 weeks. Or 9 months. They aren't sure. They have a lot of trouble keeping track of time - days, minutes, hours. They're constantly asking … Continue Reading

Foster Care Wish Lists: How friends and family can help

After we announced to our friends and family that we were starting the process of opening our home as foster parents, we had several people ask how they could help. In the beginning, it's hard to know what you might need - you have just started your … Continue Reading

How Cozi Saved My [Foster Parenting] Sanity

So have I mentioned that we got our first foster care placement? Probably not. 'Cause things have been straight up bananas at our house. We got our first "real" foster placement last month. It happened in an absolute whirlwind the first week of May. … Continue Reading

Open Beds & Open Hearts

Oh friends, how I hoped three months ago, that by now (mid-April), I would have more to tell you about our foster care story. I hoped and prayed that our empty bedroom would be full by now, that we would be settling in with a placement and really … Continue Reading

No More Trash Bags in Foster Care!

Our family has some amazing people in our lives! One person I'd like to tell you about today is Tracy. She read on my Amazon Wish List this quote about kids in foster care: In the world of foster care moves can happen quick...Often a trash bag ends … Continue Reading

Hurry Up and Wait

It has been an exciting time at our house since my last post! We completed our Foster Care Certification classes on Thursday, January 15th and then had our final pre-certification home visit on Monday, January 19th! After that, we waited for my … Continue Reading

Preparing a Bedroom for Foster Care (Part 2)

Brandon and I have done more work since my last post, preparing a bedroom for foster care, and I wanted to share it with you! We are so excited - only 9 days until our home study will be finished! At that time, on January 19th, our home study will be … Continue Reading

Preparing A Bedroom for Foster Care (Part 1)

It's hard to believe, but if all goes smoothly the next few weeks, our home will be certified as a foster home by the end of the month! We have two more classes to complete and a few more T's to cross and I's to dot, but it looks like it's going to … Continue Reading

Forever Mom

Today's post is more than a book review, it's me opening up with something more personal than anything I've shared here on the blog in more than a year, since I went back to work full-time. For about two years, I've had a tugging on my heart to … Continue Reading