Sweet Summertime...

I can't believe summer is more than half over!! We have been having a blast and staying busy!

We started our summer off with our annual tradition of summer hair cuts.

James and I bought a sweet new "date car." Ok ok honestly, it gets really good gas mileage :)

James Henry aka Darth Vader has loved his new ride!

Makayla went to youth camp for the week and had a gorgeous ocean view! 

We celebrated my dad's 67th birthday! One we almost didn't have together, what a blessing!

The boys took in an Amarillo Sox game.

We did some bowling.

The boys had a blast at the nerf war at Extreme! 

We did volunteer work at City Church and packed lunches to be delivered to children who otherwise may not eat lunch. It was a humbling morning.

 VBS 2014 was a blast!

My precious friends showered me with blessings for our foster babies! 

The kids took their annual trip to Shreveport. They visited Duck Commander and played with their cousins!

We had a fun morning at the zoo!

We have spent a lot of time in the sun and the pool!! 

We added some fun to our yard this summer!

One highlight of the summer has been that James' mom and stepdad moved here!! Seriously, it takes a village!

We had a wonderful 4th of July celebration with our family! 

James Henry went to Super Hero School at the Discovery Center! He loved it! 

Makayla worked in youth all week and they prepared their own worship service, it was amazing! 

James Henry earned a stripe on his current belt in Jiu Jitsu. 

We had family fun night at Wonderland Amusement Park!

James and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary!  We did some sightseeing and had an amazing weekend in Oklahoma City! 

Whew! It's been busy but I am not ready to throw in the towel yet! We still have some things to wipe off our summer bucket list. 

Broken hearts, changed lives

Last week I posted this picture onto my Facebook timeline and I had no idea how much I would rely on those words just a short week later.

Yesterday morning the judge residing over the case for our two foster blessings, ruled for the kids to placed in the care of their grandmother immediately. It was a shock for us, something we were not expecting in the case.

Last night as I laid in bed crying I couldn't help but reflect back to a month ago, to the second night they were with us. I cried myself to sleep that night, I was running on no sleep for 24 hours and all I could think about was the weight of the responsibility we had just taken on. I worried about how I would pay special attention to 5 children. How would I educate them all. Would I ever sleep again? Would James and I ever have another date night? My days seemed so overwhelming that first week.

  Yet, last night all I could think about was how empty the house was, how it was way too quiet.

Today, I would have gladly been woken by up that sleepy-headed happy baby. My daily tasks seem so small and boring today. I feel a little lost, unsure of what to do with all my free time. You see, I would gladly give it all up to have those little loves back with us.

God called us to be foster parents, and this is sometimes what happens but the reality doesn't do much to help heal a broken heart. We know we loved those kids where they were, in the moment they needed to be loved and safe. I know that for a few weeks, all their needs were met and they learned they were precious, loved children of God. 

 Yes, we got very attached and that is ok, foster children need someone willing to get attached and love them deeply. I will never regret a single tear I have shed in the last 24 hours, or a single thing I gave up to be a mom of 5 for an all to short month. My life will never be the same. I loved in a way, I never knew I could.

We saw their faces the first time he swam, the first time he watched fireworks and saw the lion at the zoo.

We saw her crawl for the first time and the joy on her face the first night she learned to trust us in the bath and she splashed with all her might.

I will never forget their faces, their laughs and the sheer joy they bought to my families life.

Yes our hearts are broken and we are also mending the hearts of our biological children who grew to have a great bond with our foster blessings. Was it worth it? Absolutely!

Will we do it again knowing the risk and the heartbreak?

Yes! Why? 

John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

The kids annual trip to Shreveport

The kids just returned from their annual summer trip to Shreveport. I am so glad they were able to go again this summer and make lasting memories with all thier grandparents! 

They had a blast with their cousins, and spent a fun filled day with them! 

They played tourist and took a drive to Duck Commander....

They bought home these wonderfully loud duck calls as souvenirs!!!

They had a great time!

They ate lunch and took in the sights at Willie's Duck Diner. They are still talking about how good the food was. 

We are so glad they have this annual tradition and they are so blessed to make memories to look back on when they are adults! 

VBS 2014

Even as an adult, one of my favorite weeks during the summer is Vacation Bible School. This year was no different, we had a blast!  This years theme was "Reel Faith" based on movies.

Disney night was a blast and Olaf was a big hit!

Western night was fun!

My boys favorite night was superhero night!

This year Makayla served in VBS as a youth worker. I am so proud of her but time please slow down!

It was a fun week of worship!