Monday, February 25, 2013
Snow Weekend 2013
We had a huge winter storm come through AZ a few days back, even snowed at our house!!! We couldn't resist this soccer free weekend to head up to the cabin and PLAY!!! It was sooooo cold but with proper gear we spent hours and hours playing in the white stuff. This is a our favorite part of winter and the kids get more and more daring each year. Of course their Dad makes that part easy building launch ramps and such at the bottom of the hill. I get to laugh and laugh the whole weekend through!
Baby Update
Well, we are in full baby mode now! She arrived Feb, 7th and we have enjoyed every moment since. This seems so CRAZY!! Once Grace's adoption was final we knew we were done, complete! Funny how God has other plans sometimes completely in the opposite direction you were headed. We have spent these past weeks soaking up every moment of her sweetness as we are well aware of how fast they grow.
Everyone is adjusting great...PRAISE!! All the kids have been a huge help. We had several talks about this being a family decision and they each have embraced the idea of another child with open arms and a graciousness that makes us proud.
Baby turned two months on the 22nd. Here are a couple recent pictures of her adorableness.
We are once again humbled and speechless at the provisions God has given simply because we said 'yes' to this amazing little miracle. Thank you again to ALL you have prayed and provided either for our physical needs or our hearts with encouragement. It has been a blessing to see the hands and feet of God work in an amazing way!!!
Everyone is adjusting great...PRAISE!! All the kids have been a huge help. We had several talks about this being a family decision and they each have embraced the idea of another child with open arms and a graciousness that makes us proud.
Baby turned two months on the 22nd. Here are a couple recent pictures of her adorableness.
We are once again humbled and speechless at the provisions God has given simply because we said 'yes' to this amazing little miracle. Thank you again to ALL you have prayed and provided either for our physical needs or our hearts with encouragement. It has been a blessing to see the hands and feet of God work in an amazing way!!!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
The waiting game
One month ago today I was called by CPS and told they wanted to place the sibling to my girls with us ASAP. As of today it has not yet been resolved. It has been an emotional roller coaster for me. It has made me realize a huge seed of distrust I carry deep in my heart. A distrust of people and sadly, God. It pains me to even be this open and admit this on a public blog. I mean seriously, my 'head' is very aware of God's plan in our lives. I can name countless times He has shown up and taken control and yet it hasn't completely healed the distrust I carry at my core. Awareness is the always the the first step to change right?
On Monday of this week I called AGAIN the cps caseworker and she miraculously answered the phone. (This is huge...they almost never answer...another source of frustration!) Oh and just a side bar to all this story, this is the 3rd or 4th caseworker assigned to this case in 6 weeks...the 'system' is seriously broken! Anyway, she informed me there was an emergency placement mtg at noon and asked if I could come. I rushed to get a friend to babysit Grace and drove out to Glendale to meet the current foster mom and see birth mom for the first time in a year and a half. I also ordered current pictures from the one hour photo to give her updated ones of the girls. Seems like such a small gift to the woman God choose to bring my babes into this world.
The meeting was surprising in many ways. There are so many people who have cared and loved this little girl. She is blessed for sure! The biggest surprise, and it is something that has stuck with me ever since, is what birth mom said about me. The mediator went around the table and asked who each of us was and what we thought was best. I expressed my only desire was for baby A to be is the best place possible, even if that wasn't with us. Mom said something very moving and impactful. She said if the baby couldn't be with her Aunt, "then I want her with Kristen because I trust her the most." I felt my heart swell and was stunned for a moment. I have always worked very, very hard at showing birth moms that I respect who they are in their child's life. We never began foster care with intention of filling up any holes we had, but wanted to give ourselves selflessly to the process and these sweet innocent babes. I have often wondered what birth mom thought about me. I mean, I worked on the 'side' of cps from her perspective and I adopted her kids. She could certainly come to many judgmental conclusions about me if she wanted to, but she hasn't. And while she may not agree with the circumstances she is in now, she doesn't see me as the enemy and for that I am eternally thankful! I am thankful that God showed me the correct way to show His love, because that is the only way this could have happened. We ended up having a very open and honest conversation in the parking lot after the meeting and it felt more like we were peers than adversaries. Again, only by the grace of God.
So where in the process are we now?? Still waiting for a decision. I did speak with the caseworker just this morning, and there is a tentative plan in place we just need final, verbal approval from the attorney on the new plan. I spoke with the current foster mom and we are working out meeting up for us to get the baby if everything goes the way the caseworker describe. So, again we trust in God's plan for this little girl, and if we end up with her we are grateful for His timing even if it is not at all been comfortable for me. And that is it isn't it? He asks us to be obedient to His call, will, plan, timing, etc and grows us by leaps and bounds if we allow Him to during the wait. Amen for that!
On Monday of this week I called AGAIN the cps caseworker and she miraculously answered the phone. (This is huge...they almost never answer...another source of frustration!) Oh and just a side bar to all this story, this is the 3rd or 4th caseworker assigned to this case in 6 weeks...the 'system' is seriously broken! Anyway, she informed me there was an emergency placement mtg at noon and asked if I could come. I rushed to get a friend to babysit Grace and drove out to Glendale to meet the current foster mom and see birth mom for the first time in a year and a half. I also ordered current pictures from the one hour photo to give her updated ones of the girls. Seems like such a small gift to the woman God choose to bring my babes into this world.
The meeting was surprising in many ways. There are so many people who have cared and loved this little girl. She is blessed for sure! The biggest surprise, and it is something that has stuck with me ever since, is what birth mom said about me. The mediator went around the table and asked who each of us was and what we thought was best. I expressed my only desire was for baby A to be is the best place possible, even if that wasn't with us. Mom said something very moving and impactful. She said if the baby couldn't be with her Aunt, "then I want her with Kristen because I trust her the most." I felt my heart swell and was stunned for a moment. I have always worked very, very hard at showing birth moms that I respect who they are in their child's life. We never began foster care with intention of filling up any holes we had, but wanted to give ourselves selflessly to the process and these sweet innocent babes. I have often wondered what birth mom thought about me. I mean, I worked on the 'side' of cps from her perspective and I adopted her kids. She could certainly come to many judgmental conclusions about me if she wanted to, but she hasn't. And while she may not agree with the circumstances she is in now, she doesn't see me as the enemy and for that I am eternally thankful! I am thankful that God showed me the correct way to show His love, because that is the only way this could have happened. We ended up having a very open and honest conversation in the parking lot after the meeting and it felt more like we were peers than adversaries. Again, only by the grace of God.
So where in the process are we now?? Still waiting for a decision. I did speak with the caseworker just this morning, and there is a tentative plan in place we just need final, verbal approval from the attorney on the new plan. I spoke with the current foster mom and we are working out meeting up for us to get the baby if everything goes the way the caseworker describe. So, again we trust in God's plan for this little girl, and if we end up with her we are grateful for His timing even if it is not at all been comfortable for me. And that is it isn't it? He asks us to be obedient to His call, will, plan, timing, etc and grows us by leaps and bounds if we allow Him to during the wait. Amen for that!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Stuffed Flank Steak & Roasted Potatoes
This dinner was to die for...yummy!!
I will say it required a fair amount of prep, but the taste made up for all the work. Plus I have a few tools that make cooking a bit easier...like my beloved food processor.
Stuffed Flank Steak
Blue Cheese crumbles
Fresh Baby Spinach
1 Red bell pepper
Garlic
Red Onion
Salt/Pepper
1 Egg yolk
Bread crumbs
In a food processor, blend spinach and half the red onion. Dice bell pepper and combine in a seperate bowl with the spinach/onion mixture. Mix in 1/4 cup bread crumbs, egg yolk and salt and pepper. Lay out the flank steak and pour stuffing onto meat. Roll as best you can, keeping as much of the stuffing in the roll. Tie cotton twine around and lay in a lightly oiled pan for baking. Bake at approx 350 for 35 min. You may need to turn the meat through the process and if the flank steak is thicker in some spots it make come out a little rare.
Roasted Potatoes
Baby Red and Gold potatoes
Fresh Oregano, Rosemary and Sage
Garlic
Red Onion
Olive oil
In a pan, lay the potatoes and pour 1 tbsp of olive oil over the top. Mix the potatoes to make sure they are all covered with oil. Add garlic and half of a red onion, chopped. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I used one onion for both dishes) Roast in oven at 350 for 45 min. I started the potatoes then added the meat 10 or so minutes later. While cooking, if you have a magic bullet or something similar, add the herbs and blend! After the potatoes are roasted sprinkle the herbs over the potatoes as liberally as you like and mix.Enjoy!!
I will say it required a fair amount of prep, but the taste made up for all the work. Plus I have a few tools that make cooking a bit easier...like my beloved food processor.
Stuffed Flank Steak
Blue Cheese crumbles
Fresh Baby Spinach
1 Red bell pepper
Garlic
Red Onion
Salt/Pepper
1 Egg yolk
Bread crumbs
In a food processor, blend spinach and half the red onion. Dice bell pepper and combine in a seperate bowl with the spinach/onion mixture. Mix in 1/4 cup bread crumbs, egg yolk and salt and pepper. Lay out the flank steak and pour stuffing onto meat. Roll as best you can, keeping as much of the stuffing in the roll. Tie cotton twine around and lay in a lightly oiled pan for baking. Bake at approx 350 for 35 min. You may need to turn the meat through the process and if the flank steak is thicker in some spots it make come out a little rare.
Roasted Potatoes
Baby Red and Gold potatoes
Fresh Oregano, Rosemary and Sage
Garlic
Red Onion
Olive oil
In a pan, lay the potatoes and pour 1 tbsp of olive oil over the top. Mix the potatoes to make sure they are all covered with oil. Add garlic and half of a red onion, chopped. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I used one onion for both dishes) Roast in oven at 350 for 45 min. I started the potatoes then added the meat 10 or so minutes later. While cooking, if you have a magic bullet or something similar, add the herbs and blend! After the potatoes are roasted sprinkle the herbs over the potatoes as liberally as you like and mix.Enjoy!!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Getting in the mood
Now that January it working its way out I am beginning to get in the mood for LOVE! My new favorite hobby is DIYing my house with the next holiday decor. I search for cute, free printables...spend way too much time on Pinterest looking for crafts the kids can help me with. I really am a craft nerd at heart!
This is the printable I found on google images...adorable on my kitchen counter!
How are you getting in the "mood"??
This is the printable I found on google images...adorable on my kitchen counter!
How are you getting in the "mood"??
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Walking by faith, not by sight
Is the title of this post cliche?? Pretty much. It is only half way through the month of January and I will tell you it has been one wild ride so far. I will put it this way...imagine a wall with two doors. Both of the doors are "good" options, meaning they could both be God ordained, or willed. Both doors present new, exciting things and in a fantasy world you would pick both. Shane and I spent weeks talking, talking and talking some more. We prayed, and prayed for God to show us His plan, His choice of door. We finally made a decision and reached for the knob of the door on the left.
Behind the left door is a significant life change. We found our dream home. It is big...HUGE! It could have all of us living there with space to spread out. It is somewhere we wouldn't have to move until we are empty nesters. To quote our Realtor..."With 4300sq ft you can do what ever you want!" And boy is she right! The kitchen is to DIE for. I think about this amazing family and am starting to realize the amount of food required for even one meal continues to grow and grow. I mean we eat one box of cereal per morning!! I can cook up some amazing things with the space this kitchen offers. It has a salt water pool and plenty of yard space for our family. Like I said...DREAM home! It does come with a price however. We would be moving approx 30+ miles from where we are now. Schools, soccer and church would all have to change along with moving and that has broken our hearts. We also came to the realization that we are not so stuck in our current home to say 'no' to God if He is calling us to this house. We know it will be difficult, but His plans are not the easiest rode. How exciting huh??
As we touched the knob we prayed that God would reveal Himself to us. As we turned the knob we realized it is locked. I don't just mean locked, but like sealed and ain't nobody opening that door. At the same time the door on the right flung open with such force it nearly took our breath away. Stunned for a moment we just stared at that open door. We are fully aware of what is behind that door and it is another life change.
Behind the door on the right is a sweet baby girl! A baby that is a sibling to our adopted girls. CPS contacted us about placing her in our home, and more importantly, with the possibility it will be forever. A 6th child?? Are you crazy God? Do we not have enough on our plates?
He doesn't ask us to always think with our brains, sometimes it is purely a stirring of the heart that leads to steps of faith. We felt a wave of peace wash over ourselves as we took the step through the door, letting go of the "dream" house completely behind in a moments notice. THIS is exciting!
Oh how I wish I could be posting pictures of her and sharing about all the sweet baby features, smells, and snuggles but when we walked through the door it was to a room that was pitch black. God asked us to take the first step which was to say 'yes', and now we are in a room where the path is hidden. We are waiting on Him to shine a light on the next step. I wish I could say it is easy waiting...but it is not. I spend too much time worrying about the time that has passed, the attachment challenges that may come because of the time, and the fact that her fate is really in the hands of a caseworker...just a man. We pray for her! We pray God will protect her little heart. We pray that He is moving in the hearts of those that hold all the control of her fate. We pray EARNESTLY that she will be with us very soon. We know this is His will. It is so hard to explain but we trust and believe this was always His plan. We are thankful He was so decisive about the other door, He answered our prayer immediately and what a joy it brings. Please pray for our family. We are aware that God may be growing us by the journey, not necessarily the end result. We want to walk in His will alone and we pray the next step will shine His light.
Blessing in 2013 and may the journey be one filled with joy and peace!
Behind the left door is a significant life change. We found our dream home. It is big...HUGE! It could have all of us living there with space to spread out. It is somewhere we wouldn't have to move until we are empty nesters. To quote our Realtor..."With 4300sq ft you can do what ever you want!" And boy is she right! The kitchen is to DIE for. I think about this amazing family and am starting to realize the amount of food required for even one meal continues to grow and grow. I mean we eat one box of cereal per morning!! I can cook up some amazing things with the space this kitchen offers. It has a salt water pool and plenty of yard space for our family. Like I said...DREAM home! It does come with a price however. We would be moving approx 30+ miles from where we are now. Schools, soccer and church would all have to change along with moving and that has broken our hearts. We also came to the realization that we are not so stuck in our current home to say 'no' to God if He is calling us to this house. We know it will be difficult, but His plans are not the easiest rode. How exciting huh??
As we touched the knob we prayed that God would reveal Himself to us. As we turned the knob we realized it is locked. I don't just mean locked, but like sealed and ain't nobody opening that door. At the same time the door on the right flung open with such force it nearly took our breath away. Stunned for a moment we just stared at that open door. We are fully aware of what is behind that door and it is another life change.
Behind the door on the right is a sweet baby girl! A baby that is a sibling to our adopted girls. CPS contacted us about placing her in our home, and more importantly, with the possibility it will be forever. A 6th child?? Are you crazy God? Do we not have enough on our plates?
He doesn't ask us to always think with our brains, sometimes it is purely a stirring of the heart that leads to steps of faith. We felt a wave of peace wash over ourselves as we took the step through the door, letting go of the "dream" house completely behind in a moments notice. THIS is exciting!
Oh how I wish I could be posting pictures of her and sharing about all the sweet baby features, smells, and snuggles but when we walked through the door it was to a room that was pitch black. God asked us to take the first step which was to say 'yes', and now we are in a room where the path is hidden. We are waiting on Him to shine a light on the next step. I wish I could say it is easy waiting...but it is not. I spend too much time worrying about the time that has passed, the attachment challenges that may come because of the time, and the fact that her fate is really in the hands of a caseworker...just a man. We pray for her! We pray God will protect her little heart. We pray that He is moving in the hearts of those that hold all the control of her fate. We pray EARNESTLY that she will be with us very soon. We know this is His will. It is so hard to explain but we trust and believe this was always His plan. We are thankful He was so decisive about the other door, He answered our prayer immediately and what a joy it brings. Please pray for our family. We are aware that God may be growing us by the journey, not necessarily the end result. We want to walk in His will alone and we pray the next step will shine His light.
Blessing in 2013 and may the journey be one filled with joy and peace!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The Jenkins Wedding
Shane's youngest sister Stacie eloped with her husband Dave early in 2012 while she was still with the Peace Corp in the Philippines They planned a whole wedding To-do for Dec. 27th for all their family. The requested that 6 of the Nieces be flower girls and we got to have some fun getting our girls all pretty!
Note to anyone thinking a wedding is a good idea close to Christmas...it can be beautiful, but it is stressful too.
Note to anyone thinking a wedding is a good idea close to Christmas...it can be beautiful, but it is stressful too.
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