Hello again.
It's been some time. Time obviously flies when life happens. I think I know what my last commenter meant by "mom" stories - at the time I didn't nor did Kabaju. So I will share in parts what it's like to be a Foster Mom - just so we keep things a little shorter and not drag this out too long. After all, I can only write what I know.
Let me back up a bit in time...
I had finally finished my thesis and graduated with my master's degree and with a shout of glee yelled, "No more school!" Whisper thoughts "Unless I teach it..." I was working on job applications for part-time work and came across information by a teacher at SLCC (Salt Lake Community College) that I could apply to be put into the 'pool' of teachers for the communications department. As I was laboriously working on that application - halfway through - when life happened.
Once done with my collegiate career we informed our RFC (Resource Family Consultant) we were open and ready for a placement (aka we were ready to open our home, and hearts to a child in foster care and custody of the state). In the meantime I kept myself busy with picking up my old hobby of crochet and looking for part-time work. After nearly two months I went to contact our RFC to check-in, but she beat me to it and called me. She informed me that we were being presented as a possible family for a baby girl. She didn't want to get our hopes up, but wanted us to be aware.
I had a baby shower later that day... it was antagonizing! Baby showers are always hard for me, but this one was especially hard - it was a duel baby shower for two women, one having a girl, one a boy. I nearly left not too long after being there.... but I made myself stay and focused on whatever else I could to ignore the annoying oohs and ahhs, and my thoughts on whether or not we'd be picked for the baby girl I was called about just hours before. It was quite depressing really.
Well, the next day which was Thursday July 15th we were informed that we were chosen as her new foster family. I immediately went into her caseworker's office to meet the caseworker and discuss the case and child. She also had pictures of the baby. I told her I was 95-99% sure we'd take her but of course wanted to present all we had discussed to Kabaju as he is my husband and we are a team.
Later that day when Kabaju got home I spoke with him.... so stay tuned as Princess Frog is crying for me to get her up... wow where did the time go?
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Mom by Monday
Hello all,
This has been nearly two weeks coming... but since July 17, 2010 we have been foster parents to an adorable 14 month old girl, dubbed Princess Frog. She's determined like the main character in the movie, "The Princess and the Frog," and she's really flexible - tastes her big toe all the time.
Although her name might be changing to Vampire Frog which would make her totally hip, I suppose as vampires are really popular or something. She's teething and her first teeth seem to be her upper incisors with everything else just waiting to break surface. I just hope they break soon and she'll have a mouthful.
It's been a roller coaster ride... definitely exciting! You will not see pictures of her nor her name for her protection and ours; but I thought you'd all like to know.
Since it's Thursday I'd like to also do my Thankful Thursday post here:
I am thankful for:
Princess Frog - you have a great big smile
Kabaju - I love you, you are a great foster dad and partner.
The Gospel
Window A/C - you keep us from melting and getting any more heat sickness.
A baby gate.
Classifieds and bartering on pricing.
Kabaju's job and raises.
No more school! Unless I teach it.....
Laughter
Sleep.... think I'll go catch some zzzz's
This has been nearly two weeks coming... but since July 17, 2010 we have been foster parents to an adorable 14 month old girl, dubbed Princess Frog. She's determined like the main character in the movie, "The Princess and the Frog," and she's really flexible - tastes her big toe all the time.
Although her name might be changing to Vampire Frog which would make her totally hip, I suppose as vampires are really popular or something. She's teething and her first teeth seem to be her upper incisors with everything else just waiting to break surface. I just hope they break soon and she'll have a mouthful.
It's been a roller coaster ride... definitely exciting! You will not see pictures of her nor her name for her protection and ours; but I thought you'd all like to know.
Since it's Thursday I'd like to also do my Thankful Thursday post here:
I am thankful for:
Princess Frog - you have a great big smile
Kabaju - I love you, you are a great foster dad and partner.
The Gospel
Window A/C - you keep us from melting and getting any more heat sickness.
A baby gate.
Classifieds and bartering on pricing.
Kabaju's job and raises.
No more school! Unless I teach it.....
Laughter
Sleep.... think I'll go catch some zzzz's
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Alive
I am alive and living.
I feel,
I smell,
I touch,
I see,
I hear,
All the things God has created
The gifts of being alive.
But these are two-way,
One way is good and happy
Another is sorrow and grief.
Both must exist,
Neither can be without the other.
I am alive and living.
I feel pain and love,
I smell,
I touch the computer to type these things,
I see the words that are created,
I hear my heart breaking... again for both love and happiness, sorrow and grief.
It has been exactly one year since miscarriage number five, and around this same time of day - in the afternoon it was all over.
I remember.
Baby 5 I love you, though I never knew you.
I lost you when you had only been created for ~3 weeks (nearly a month).
To all my other babies I love you all, though I never knew any of you.
In memorial:
Baby 1
(unexpected)
lost at 4 months along April 9, 2007 (Easter)
Baby 2
(unexpected)
lost at ~10 days April 16, 2008
Baby 3
(planned)
lost at 1 month along July 17, 2008
Baby 4
(unexpected)
lost at 1.5 months along January 1, 2009
Baby 5
(planned)
lost at ~3 weeks June 23, 2009
I am alive and living.
I am.
I feel,
I smell,
I touch,
I see,
I hear,
All the things God has created
The gifts of being alive.
But these are two-way,
One way is good and happy
Another is sorrow and grief.
Both must exist,
Neither can be without the other.
I am alive and living.
I feel pain and love,
I smell,
I touch the computer to type these things,
I see the words that are created,
I hear my heart breaking... again for both love and happiness, sorrow and grief.
It has been exactly one year since miscarriage number five, and around this same time of day - in the afternoon it was all over.
I remember.
Baby 5 I love you, though I never knew you.
I lost you when you had only been created for ~3 weeks (nearly a month).
To all my other babies I love you all, though I never knew any of you.
In memorial:
Baby 1
(unexpected)
lost at 4 months along April 9, 2007 (Easter)
Baby 2
(unexpected)
lost at ~10 days April 16, 2008
Baby 3
(planned)
lost at 1 month along July 17, 2008
Baby 4
(unexpected)
lost at 1.5 months along January 1, 2009
Baby 5
(planned)
lost at ~3 weeks June 23, 2009
I am alive and living.
I am.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
A Bit of Everything Plus ART
Hello readers,
It again has been some time since I last bloggerated... eth and wrote. So, let me bring you all up to speed a bit, shall I?
I worked until beginning of April and then left - as Kabaju was established for ~2.5 months in his new job. It was a tough decision, however I had a fantastic team lead that wholeheartedly supported me and assisted me in seeking out alternatives that ended up not working out... so I left. Did my two week notice and didn't look back. Afterall, my job served its purpose of keeping us afloat to pay bills. Once Kabaju obtained employment and we steadied our financial situation, I put nearly everything towards paying off my student loans. So I'm happy to say I only have ~17.6% left to pay off on one loan and it's gone! Then I have two more to go! Can't wait to be debt free (minus our house)! : ) Dave Ramsey is fantastic! He is a financial guru that uses common sense and baby steps (see: http://www.daveramsey.com/).
Well, I took the whole of April once I ended my job and turned my entire focus to finishing my thesis and gaining my masters of art degree. Which I am happy to say I have indeed accomplished! I did my oral presentation over the phone via Skype April 29, 2010. Beginning of May we traveled to Spokane, WA for commencement as a family vacation which was fun... despite some rough moments (I'll tell you later...). May 8, 2010 we participated in the baccalaureate mass (as Gonzaga University is Jesuit, private Catholic school) it was interesting for us non-catholic people, but nice. Graduate commencement followed in the same place a couple hours later. So happy! Feels so good crossing the finish line... er stage. Once we got home my signature page was waiting. I was astounded! I thought I would need to do further revisions, which I did anyway, for myself. I Went to one place to have my thesis printed, another to have it bound and then shipped it off to Gonzaga. I received my diploma last week!
I'll elaborate more later, for now I want to say a bit about the talents of my sister-in-law, Evenspor. Her blog is: http://desertspor.blogspot.com/. She is a fantastic bloggerette/blogger. One thing she has done multiple times that I think is neat is create, design fabric patterns and has a place called Spoonflower print her designs onto fabric. So recently Spoonflower also does fabric design contests, which she has participated in the current one with the topic of Robots. She designed these.
The robots contest has ended at this point in time, however, you can see all the designs and the new contest by going here. I am sure if you would like a fabric with a specific design you can head over to Evenspor's blog and ask her for assistance. She does have a bachelor degree in art and she is very good at what she does.
Have a great day everybody! Cheers.
It again has been some time since I last bloggerated... eth and wrote. So, let me bring you all up to speed a bit, shall I?
I worked until beginning of April and then left - as Kabaju was established for ~2.5 months in his new job. It was a tough decision, however I had a fantastic team lead that wholeheartedly supported me and assisted me in seeking out alternatives that ended up not working out... so I left. Did my two week notice and didn't look back. Afterall, my job served its purpose of keeping us afloat to pay bills. Once Kabaju obtained employment and we steadied our financial situation, I put nearly everything towards paying off my student loans. So I'm happy to say I only have ~17.6% left to pay off on one loan and it's gone! Then I have two more to go! Can't wait to be debt free (minus our house)! : ) Dave Ramsey is fantastic! He is a financial guru that uses common sense and baby steps (see: http://www.daveramsey.com/).
Well, I took the whole of April once I ended my job and turned my entire focus to finishing my thesis and gaining my masters of art degree. Which I am happy to say I have indeed accomplished! I did my oral presentation over the phone via Skype April 29, 2010. Beginning of May we traveled to Spokane, WA for commencement as a family vacation which was fun... despite some rough moments (I'll tell you later...). May 8, 2010 we participated in the baccalaureate mass (as Gonzaga University is Jesuit, private Catholic school) it was interesting for us non-catholic people, but nice. Graduate commencement followed in the same place a couple hours later. So happy! Feels so good crossing the finish line... er stage. Once we got home my signature page was waiting. I was astounded! I thought I would need to do further revisions, which I did anyway, for myself. I Went to one place to have my thesis printed, another to have it bound and then shipped it off to Gonzaga. I received my diploma last week!
I'll elaborate more later, for now I want to say a bit about the talents of my sister-in-law, Evenspor. Her blog is: http://desertspor.blogspot.com/. She is a fantastic bloggerette/blogger. One thing she has done multiple times that I think is neat is create, design fabric patterns and has a place called Spoonflower print her designs onto fabric. So recently Spoonflower also does fabric design contests, which she has participated in the current one with the topic of Robots. She designed these.
The robots contest has ended at this point in time, however, you can see all the designs and the new contest by going here. I am sure if you would like a fabric with a specific design you can head over to Evenspor's blog and ask her for assistance. She does have a bachelor degree in art and she is very good at what she does.
Have a great day everybody! Cheers.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Spiritual Sunday
Hello All,
It has been some time. Today was a beautiful day, and is Valentine's Day. Sadly, we didn't make it to church today for enlightenment, however it was still a Spiritual Sunday. We enjoyed spending time together tonight listening to Wallace "Wally" Goddard (Author of Soft-Spoken Parenting and various other books). It was a great Valentine's Day treat. He was really funny and down-to-earth, anytime you get at chance to listen to him/meet him & his wife I encourage you to do so. [For more about Dr. Wally go to his website here.]
I am still working on my MA degree, I am still doing a project although the project is turning more into a curriculum/course than an active training portfolio. I have been working full-time since late October 2009. Kabaju got a new job on his birthday last month. I thank God for second chances, because of His Grace I was able to sign up to redo my last semester this Spring Semester. We also received our Foster Care License mid-to late December. We are on hold for now, so I can finish my degree, then we can figure out what to do during the hours we aren't here as we both work full-time. However in speaking with Mrs. Goddard as she has been a bereaved mother, and an experienced mother with both biological & has fostered I asked her for some advice. Both she and her husband are very optimistic that God will bless us and lead us so that everything will work out. I agree, I just still have no idea how everything will work out....
It has been a wonderful Spiritual Sunday and I hope yours has been the same.
Have you learned something today?
It has been some time. Today was a beautiful day, and is Valentine's Day. Sadly, we didn't make it to church today for enlightenment, however it was still a Spiritual Sunday. We enjoyed spending time together tonight listening to Wallace "Wally" Goddard (Author of Soft-Spoken Parenting and various other books). It was a great Valentine's Day treat. He was really funny and down-to-earth, anytime you get at chance to listen to him/meet him & his wife I encourage you to do so. [For more about Dr. Wally go to his website here.]
I am still working on my MA degree, I am still doing a project although the project is turning more into a curriculum/course than an active training portfolio. I have been working full-time since late October 2009. Kabaju got a new job on his birthday last month. I thank God for second chances, because of His Grace I was able to sign up to redo my last semester this Spring Semester. We also received our Foster Care License mid-to late December. We are on hold for now, so I can finish my degree, then we can figure out what to do during the hours we aren't here as we both work full-time. However in speaking with Mrs. Goddard as she has been a bereaved mother, and an experienced mother with both biological & has fostered I asked her for some advice. Both she and her husband are very optimistic that God will bless us and lead us so that everything will work out. I agree, I just still have no idea how everything will work out....
It has been a wonderful Spiritual Sunday and I hope yours has been the same.
Have you learned something today?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Gratitude
Thankful Thursday is here again. So here is what I am grateful for this week and last as well:
1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. My wonderful husband.
3. Family.
4. Good Friends.
5. Food.
6. Blue Skies.
7. Men and young men willing to wake up at all hours to come and start cutting our huge tree down at 6:30 AM.
8. Recipe Books that guide on how to cook with food allergies.
9. Simple and yummy recipes.
10. Multiple job offers - even if they aren't even close to my dream career.
11. Our cars.
12. Our home.
13. Our perseverance.
14. Our faith.
15. Blessings.
16. Our health.
17. My planner.
18. Hope.
19. Happiness.
20. Everything good.
What are you grateful for?
1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. My wonderful husband.
3. Family.
4. Good Friends.
5. Food.
6. Blue Skies.
7. Men and young men willing to wake up at all hours to come and start cutting our huge tree down at 6:30 AM.
8. Recipe Books that guide on how to cook with food allergies.
9. Simple and yummy recipes.
10. Multiple job offers - even if they aren't even close to my dream career.
11. Our cars.
12. Our home.
13. Our perseverance.
14. Our faith.
15. Blessings.
16. Our health.
17. My planner.
18. Hope.
19. Happiness.
20. Everything good.
What are you grateful for?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
I Give Thanks
As it turns out, Evenspor my sister-in-law, has decided to do "Thankful Thursdays" so here is mine:
1. I am thankful for my husbands' severance pay that will be coming soon.
2. I am thankful to have a friend living with us.
3. I am thankful that we can repair our own car at very low cost - or if we need to, we have a mechanic that will help.
4. I am thankful for a neighbor fixing our furnace at very low cost.
5. I am thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
6. I am thankful for friends and family.
7. I am thankful for autumn.
8. I am thankful that I am in my final semester of college.
9. I am thankful for all that I have and possess.
10. I am thankful for my health, and God's herbal remedies.
What are you thankful for?
1. I am thankful for my husbands' severance pay that will be coming soon.
2. I am thankful to have a friend living with us.
3. I am thankful that we can repair our own car at very low cost - or if we need to, we have a mechanic that will help.
4. I am thankful for a neighbor fixing our furnace at very low cost.
5. I am thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
6. I am thankful for friends and family.
7. I am thankful for autumn.
8. I am thankful that I am in my final semester of college.
9. I am thankful for all that I have and possess.
10. I am thankful for my health, and God's herbal remedies.
What are you thankful for?
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