Tuesday, July 15, 2008
We're smitten...
...by foster baby that is. On Monday at 10:30, Eric calls me at work and asks "Do you want a baby?" I had to have him repeat that question 3 times because I wasn't sure what he meant by that question. After he said it the third time, he explained that he got a call asking if we would accept an infant for temporary foster care. We both said yes then they said to go right over to the hospital so the baby could be discharged. After watching the mandatory CPR video, being briefed on the baby's health, and stocking up on formula and diapers, we finally left for home at 12:45 with a 3-day old baby in our hands. Needless to say, it was quite an eventful day! Ever since then, Kaitlyn and Jared have been snuggling with her and holding her constantly! I just get her at nights!! Right now I'm going to be a smart mom and go to bed while the baby is sleeping!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Huh?
The other day Jared came into my office and said, "Mom, can I have a P-T-O-R-S?" I looked at him with a puzzled look, racking my brain trying to figure out what he might be spelling out. He must have thought I didn't hear him well because he repeated the question, this time fingerspelling "P-T-O-R-S" for further clarification. After I bust out laughing, I asked him what "P-T-O-R-S" is and he clapped his hands together and squealed- "Candy!" Of course! Why didn't I know that?!
I just had to laugh at that experience. Around here, we try to avoid saying the name of sweet things out loud if it isn't a good time to have it (like dinner is in 30 minutes or Jared didn't finish his dinner, etc.). So we try to spell it out so everyone who can spell knows what we're talking about but it goes right over Jared's head. Now Jared goes around saying things and once in a while he'll plug in a weird spelling. Anyone want some "o-t-a-e-e-p-s-o-r-e?"
I just had to laugh at that experience. Around here, we try to avoid saying the name of sweet things out loud if it isn't a good time to have it (like dinner is in 30 minutes or Jared didn't finish his dinner, etc.). So we try to spell it out so everyone who can spell knows what we're talking about but it goes right over Jared's head. Now Jared goes around saying things and once in a while he'll plug in a weird spelling. Anyone want some "o-t-a-e-e-p-s-o-r-e?"
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
When life as you know it ends
As these last couple of weeks have unfolded, I pondered on the events that happened and the line from P.S. I Love You comes to mind..."when life as you know it ends." In the movie, it's talking about falling in love. For me, these last few weeks, it has come to mean something different.
A couple of weeks ago I went to a scrapbook conference as a "table helper". I was one of those 'Vanna White's', going around the row with the finished project, helping the attendees as needed, etc. The owner puts a lot of work into planning this event- getting a celebrity speaker, planning projects, door prizes, detail planning, working with vendors, etc. Friday night as we were setting up for the conference the next morning, we learned of our first setback: the celebrity speaker, Melody Ross, had to cancel at the last minute because her daughter injured her foot pretty badly. She needed to be a mother and stay home with her. Totally understandable. We all left around midnight to get some sleep and be back bright and early in the morning. The next morning, we table helpers found out that the owner had a very rough night. Shortly after she went to bed, her best friend called her and hysterically informed them that she had found her own 14 year old son, dead, in his room. He had killed himself. The owner had been friends with the mother since their boys were two. The owners own sons (twin boys) didn't know about the news yet since her and her husband left before the boys woke up. She carried out the responsibilities as the host of the conference, already having to deal with the loss of a main speaker. So she filled up that time with sharing feelings of importance of families, taking the time to scrapbook/journal the memories as they happen because LIFE IS SO PRECIOUS! We all experience things in life and for some of us, we experience something so life changing (such as losing a friend to suicide) that "life as you know it ends."
On my way home from the conference, I was reflecting on the things that happened and how it would affect the lives of those involved. I realized that they will not look at life the same way again- they had lost a certain innocence. Eric had also informed me that while we were both out of town (Eric went camping with the kids- out of cell phone range, I went to Idaho Falls), we received a call from the Department of Health and Welfare to place a child in our home. Since neither of us were home to receive the call, the child was placed in another home. All I could think about was for that child, "life as he knows it, ended." He was removed from his home and sent to live (temporarily) with a family he doesn't even know. My heart broke for that child- just thinking about the changes and adjustments he has to go through now because of his life experiences.
Sometimes we face challenges that are so profound and life-altering. We put all our focus, energy and strength into getting through that trial. We rely on our Heavenly Father to get us through the storm. Hopefully, through all the "molding and changing," we come out better for having endured that trial.
I saw a quote today I wanted to share: "Life isn't about getting through the storm but how to dance in the rain." This was a bit of an eye opener for me. I realized that instead of getting stressed and being narrow-focused on the trials that are going on in our lives, I should step back and see all the things that I have to be grateful for: my husband, 3 children, a job to provide for my family and shelter over my head. How grateful I am for those things!
A couple of weeks ago I went to a scrapbook conference as a "table helper". I was one of those 'Vanna White's', going around the row with the finished project, helping the attendees as needed, etc. The owner puts a lot of work into planning this event- getting a celebrity speaker, planning projects, door prizes, detail planning, working with vendors, etc. Friday night as we were setting up for the conference the next morning, we learned of our first setback: the celebrity speaker, Melody Ross, had to cancel at the last minute because her daughter injured her foot pretty badly. She needed to be a mother and stay home with her. Totally understandable. We all left around midnight to get some sleep and be back bright and early in the morning. The next morning, we table helpers found out that the owner had a very rough night. Shortly after she went to bed, her best friend called her and hysterically informed them that she had found her own 14 year old son, dead, in his room. He had killed himself. The owner had been friends with the mother since their boys were two. The owners own sons (twin boys) didn't know about the news yet since her and her husband left before the boys woke up. She carried out the responsibilities as the host of the conference, already having to deal with the loss of a main speaker. So she filled up that time with sharing feelings of importance of families, taking the time to scrapbook/journal the memories as they happen because LIFE IS SO PRECIOUS! We all experience things in life and for some of us, we experience something so life changing (such as losing a friend to suicide) that "life as you know it ends."
On my way home from the conference, I was reflecting on the things that happened and how it would affect the lives of those involved. I realized that they will not look at life the same way again- they had lost a certain innocence. Eric had also informed me that while we were both out of town (Eric went camping with the kids- out of cell phone range, I went to Idaho Falls), we received a call from the Department of Health and Welfare to place a child in our home. Since neither of us were home to receive the call, the child was placed in another home. All I could think about was for that child, "life as he knows it, ended." He was removed from his home and sent to live (temporarily) with a family he doesn't even know. My heart broke for that child- just thinking about the changes and adjustments he has to go through now because of his life experiences.
Sometimes we face challenges that are so profound and life-altering. We put all our focus, energy and strength into getting through that trial. We rely on our Heavenly Father to get us through the storm. Hopefully, through all the "molding and changing," we come out better for having endured that trial.
I saw a quote today I wanted to share: "Life isn't about getting through the storm but how to dance in the rain." This was a bit of an eye opener for me. I realized that instead of getting stressed and being narrow-focused on the trials that are going on in our lives, I should step back and see all the things that I have to be grateful for: my husband, 3 children, a job to provide for my family and shelter over my head. How grateful I am for those things!
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