8/31/14

Family time

Our second day in New Braunfels was full of family, fun, food, and NAPS!!! We started the day at our favorite breakfast place, Grumpy's. We came back home to watch Frozen, since my mom hadn't seen it yet, and because we have a seven year old (which by law means that you can watch Frozen 14 times a day without them getting bored with it.)

I took the first nap, and then it was Bry's turn. Our Little Lady wasn't interested in napping.

The family came over around 5 and we had a great time! LL played with Aunt Sally for hours and hours and she had a blast! She kept asking if Sally could sleep on the couch in her room tonight and she asked for her 3 times during our bedtime routine. I think someone has a new favorite aunt (and it's a great choice!!)

Being around a lot of family members is always a trigger for our little one. The disrespectful attitude and the time-ins usually increase. It's understandably hard for LL to be around such a tightknit family of people who love each other and care about one another.

I pray that she will always remember the memories we made together as a family here this weekend.

It only took 149 days, but LL finally let me do her hair this morning! 

Keeping herself entertained while we cooked and cleaned. 



Such a beautiful afternoon. Watching for deer and playing with tiny china dolls. 

Relaxing on the front porch. 

She loves looking at the cactus fruit. 


The best part about being home...eating, laughing, and telling stories with these people. But especially the eating part. That's the best. They also give really good hugs.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

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:
Saying goodbye to someone I've never met
Will you get a white one?
Oasis (post from Brian)
What we tried to build
Why I don't usually write (post from Brian)
Another night in the closet

LL...if you just stumbled upon this blog and you're freaking out because you see pictures of yourself, please START HERE.
3 comments:

8/30/14

Adventures at Sea World

Our Labor Day trip to my hometown was finally approved by CPS on Wednesday. We decided to surprise our Little Lady with a trip to Sea World for the first day of our vacation! 

With the exception of waiting in line for 35 minutes for sub-par food, 125 degree temps, and being shoved into the middle of an angry, sweaty, smelly mob, it was a GREAT day! 

LL's quotes:
- "My mom said I'm allowed to see my strong uncle when he divorces his wife with sparkly makeup. It's gonna be like 40 years! He's so strong! He can lift four kids at one time!"

Her first time at Starbucks ever! We all had baby hot chocolates. Getting close to my hometown! 



We made it to Sea World! 


Waiting for the Shamu show to start! 


How she feels about Sea World...and how I felt once we finally got in the car. 

Pretty exhausted after a fun trip! 

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

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:
Saying goodbye to someone I've never met
Will you get a white one?
Oasis (post from Brian)
What we tried to build
Why I don't usually write (post from Brian)
Another night in the closet

LL...if you just stumbled upon this blog and you're freaking out because you see pictures of yourself, please START HERE.
No comments:

8/29/14

One week down!

Our Little Lady made it through 5 days of 2nd grade! We celebrated her finishing the first week of school at Pie Five. Actually, let's be honest...we were really celebrating the fact that Bry and I were able to get her through her first week of school. 

LL's quotes:
- "I used to make the best coffee!!"
- "Ms. Julie, can we please name your car Chrystal???"

The little monkey.

Our sunshine. Even at sunset.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

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:
Saying goodbye to someone I've never met
Will you get a white one?
Oasis (post from Brian)
What we tried to build
Why I don't usually write (post from Brian)
Another night in the closet

LL...if you just stumbled upon this blog and you're freaking out because you see pictures of yourself, please START HERE.
No comments:

8/28/14

Life's too hard

Tonight was all about dressing up in our country outfits to take our Little Lady to one of the places on our "foster bucket list."

LL's quotes:
- "I gave my mommy stretch marks."
- LL: "If you put gasoline on cuts, it makes them feel better." Bry and me: "HUH???" LL: "Oh, I meant Vaseline."
- "My friends and I were crying in the corner today because life is too hard. I was crying cause I'm HERE. With YOU. It's all my aunt's fault. My mom and dad didn't do anything."

"Dance practice" in a sailor outfit. Of course! 

The boots! All the time! 


Love these two. And the bear, I suppose. 

She loves horses! 

Spoiled rotten!

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

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:
Saying goodbye to someone I've never met
Will you get a white one?
Oasis (post from Brian)
What we tried to build
Why I don't usually write (post from Brian)
Another night in the closet

LL...if you just stumbled upon this blog and you're freaking out because you see pictures of yourself, please START HERE.
No comments:

8/27/14

Back to school

Day 3 of school: complete. 

We're slowly getting back into the swing of things and back into our daily/nightly routine with our Little Lady being back in school now. 

2nd grade looks pretty good on this kid. 

LL's quotes:
- "I'll tell this TV who's boss."
- "Bandaids hate me."
- "This frosting has an unusual taste, but it's tummy yummy!!!!"

All ready for school this morning. Waiting in the carpool line.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

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:
Saying goodbye to someone I've never met
Will you get a white one?
Oasis (post from Brian)
What we tried to build
Why I don't usually write (post from Brian)
Another night in the closet

LL...if you just stumbled upon this blog and you're freaking out because you see pictures of yourself, please START HERE.
No comments:

8/26/14

All hail the Warrior Princess

Tonight's events could be summed up into 4 words (5 if you're a grammar snob and you want to include the contraction):

Love isn't a contest.

This wasn't the first conversation we've had with our Little Lady about what love is and how we show love to each other. She's made several comments over the last few months that brought us to the conclusion that she's still learning what love is. God's definition of the word, that is.

While sharing our highs and lows over dinner (our nightly tradition), I shared that my low was that I didn't think LL really, truly understood how much we love her. She responded with, "Yeah, I don't know. My parents love me more than you." We tried to explain that it isn't a contest and that she's allowed to have many people who love her. Just because we love her like crazy, it doesn't mean that her parents love her any less.

I don't think we'd made much progress by the end of the conversation, but I'm sure little pieces of it are stuck in her brain. All I can hope for now is that she'll take these little pieces and put it all together someday and realize how much we really do love her.

LL's quotes:
- "I feel like I'm at overnight daycare until my mom and dad get off work and they can come pick me up." I suppose...if daycare lasted 144 days.

I came home to the "Warrior Princess" (as she called herself) dancing around her bedroom - face paint, hula skirt, Peter Pan boots and all. This seems bizarre, until you realize that she does this almost weekly during her therapy sessions with her court-appointed therapist. Ms. S. is so good with her. She's learned to sit back, enjoy the show, and talk to the Warrior Princess about life and about her feelings between sword fights and decorating sock monkeys and fancy rocks. As you can probably tell, she loves talking about her feelings. :/

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

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:
Saying goodbye to someone I've never met
Will you get a white one?
Oasis (post from Brian)
What we tried to build
Why I don't usually write (post from Brian)
Another night in the closet

LL...if you just stumbled upon this blog and you're freaking out because you see pictures of yourself, please START HERE.
No comments:

8/25/14

Forever

LL's quotes:
- "I wear mitchmatch socks every day."
- "My teeth are always extra wiggly and bouncy when I first wake up in the morning."
- "Alls I heard was, 'tiger stomach.'"
- "Were things more peaceful around here before I came?"

First day of 2nd grade! 

LL and Lucy Lou. 

Lucy wishes she could go to 2nd grade, too. 

First day of school pancakes/Bry's birthday pancakes made by yours truly. 

Walking her to class on the first day! 

It was both of their special day, so naturally, they chose Testa. :)

May have been our last time there. :(

We continued the birthday celebration at home with brownies and presents. 

LL's present to him was his favorite, of course! 

Me: "Mr. Brian is going to keep it (his bday present) forever. It's so special to him." LL: "Not forever. I'm not gonna be here forever." Me: "He will keep it forever, even if you don't live here." LL: "I won't see him forever, though." Me: "I hope Mr. Brian and I can see you when you get older." LL: "My mom won't let me see you when I'm older." Me: "I mean when you're old and grown up and wrinkly and gray. I hope we can still visit you." LL: "I'm going to live with my mom and dad forever, so I won't be able to see you."

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

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:
Saying goodbye to someone I've never met
Will you get a white one?
Oasis (post from Brian)
What we tried to build
Why I don't usually write (post from Brian)
Another night in the closet

LL...if you just stumbled upon this blog and you're freaking out because you see pictures of yourself, please START HERE.
1 comment:

8/24/14

Get in line, Santa

I think it's safe to say that most parents would agree that talking about Santa, and whether or not he truly exists, should be a pretty big conversation. It's just one of those things that all parents will have to face at some point. 

That moment happened for us this week. 

And it should've been a big deal, but it fell third in line behind: No one loves me and Really, really bad things have happened to me (sorry, being vague on purpose.)

Tough conversations like this become the norm when you're a foster parent. I've caught myself going through the motions and snapping out of it just long enough to say: This is hard. This shouldn't be normal. This doesn't feel right. 

From the second LL was placed with us, we entered the crazy world of "We can do hard things."

And because of Jesus, we can do hard things. 

LL's quotes:
- "I'd make everyone homeless if I was in charge. It isn't fair that we keep cutting down trees to make houses and buildings. Where are all the animals supposed to live if we cut down their homes?" She has such a sweet heart. 
- I'm learning that parents have to be quick on their feet...yesterday, LL saw a sign that said, "WTF Martial Arts." She asked me what that meant, and luckily I had a quick answer. I made up something like Wylie Training and Fitness. I guess I should actually say that I'm learning that sometimes parents have to lie. 
- "My mom asked me why you make me wear shorts under my dresses. She said, 'Are you gonna wear shorts under your dresses when you grow up?'"
- "What if you got a baby instead of me?"
- "Mr. Brian's had 30 more years experience to practice playing this game. That's why he won."

Drawing and keeping herself busy while I was doing the newborn photo shoot. 


The father at the house we were at was an artist and he was so good with LL! He was teaching her how to use charcoal and blending tools and all kinds of things! 

Dessert and back to school shopping with my sweet Mother-in-Law! 

Playing with Cassy at Matt and Jan's house. 

How we do movie night...push the couch and coffee table in front of the TV, drinks and snacks, and QT hot dogs! 








*****************************************************************************************************************************************

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:
Saying goodbye to someone I've never met
Will you get a white one?
Oasis (post from Brian)
What we tried to build
Why I don't usually write (post from Brian)
Another night in the closet

LL...if you just stumbled upon this blog and you're freaking out because you see pictures of yourself, please START HERE.
No comments:
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