Would you do anything differently with your kids tomorrow if you knew their days with you were numbered?
Our life feels a little bit like the movie Elf. In the movie, Elf's adopted dad only has a few weeks left to spend with him at the North Pole before Elf is sent to NYC to find his real dad. His adopted dad tries to cram in a bunch of life lessons right before Elf leaves for fear that he won't have a chance to teach him the lessons at a later time.
Buddy is told not to eat yellow snow, not to eat gum on the bridge, where he can find the "best" pizza place, among several other important lessons.
We've found ourselves cramming in a few life lessons with our Little Lady recently, too.
Here are just a few (most of them written by Bry)...
1. The world says, "Never give up." Jesus says, "You have to give up everything and follow me. Trust me, I'll take care of you."
2. When you're a lot older, make sure you never settle for a man that doesn't treat you right. You'll know they're not worth it if they ever yell at you, are always lazy, never work hard to get a good job, or if they say mean things to you.
3. If you ever are in danger or feel unsafe, call 911 or my phone number (even if you don't live with us anymore). I'll always find a way to get you help.
4. There will always be people that try to get you to make the wrong decisions like them. When you're in middle school, other kids will try to get you to smoke a cigarette. Remember, when someone tries to get other people to make a poor choice, it's because they want to feel better about themselves for doing something wrong.
5. You need to go to college. Even if you want a job that doesn't need a college degree, you need to go. That way, when you're a really old lady, you can change jobs and you won't have to work so hard and so you can retire and play bingo all day. After all, because you're a foster kid, you get free tuition to any state college in Texas! Going to college isn't about trying to be more important or more special or better than anyone or even about making more money...it's about giving you more choices in life, like getting a job that you actually want to do, or having the choice to get good insurance for your family. The extra money you usually get is just a bonus.
6. Don't ever let anyone let you think you aren't loved. Some people are really sneaky about trying to make you think that you don't matter, but it's a lie. Jesus will always love you like a princess of his kingdom, and Julie and I will always love you, no matter what happens in life!
LL's quotes:
- "I'll take care of MJ and AJ at my party tomorrow!" (Anie, you have nothing to worry about!) :)
- "I have cooties cause I'm a cutie!"
- (On our way to dinner) LL: "My dad would never let me be this crazy in the car." Me: "It's ok to be a little crazy right now." LL: "But, will I still get to order a coke???"
- Me: "Wanna go dance?" LL: "No! I'm in heels here!"
"We're in a tiger's stomach!"
*******************************************************************************************************************************************
About Us:
We began our foster journey in mid-August 2013. We finished our classes in October, had our home study in early January, and we were licensed on February 7, 2014. After seven calls from CPS, we received our first placement, a 7-year-old girl (our Little Lady, or LL for short) on April 3, 2014. Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our journey through the craziness that is foster care. Most importantly, thanks for your prayers, love, and support. We hope to encourage fellow foster/adoptive parents as we document our ups and downs each day.
About Us:
We began our foster journey in mid-August 2013. We finished our classes in October, had our home study in early January, and we were licensed on February 7, 2014. After seven calls from CPS, we received our first placement, a 7-year-old girl (our Little Lady, or LL for short) on April 3, 2014. Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our journey through the craziness that is foster care. Most importantly, thanks for your prayers, love, and support. We hope to encourage fellow foster/adoptive parents as we document our ups and downs each day.
Key Posts:
No comments:
Post a Comment