A lot has happened since my last posting!
Our littlest one, Baby I, went home to her bio daddy. I am so very happy for them both! It's so encouraging when the system actually works as it's supposed to and when families can have a happy reunion and when the environment is safe!
Miss Z and Baby K were supposed to be also going home in July but there were some complications and now we are basically back to "square one" once again on their case. With the two girls also supposed to be going home in July, we were also asked to take on a sibling set of 3 littles: Mr. P (age 4), Miss T (age 2) and Baby M (age 3 mo.). Since Miss Z and Baby K have not gone home, we are a family of SEVEN!
Honest mommy moment: most days, I feel like I just survive. I try my best. I pray. ....and I leave the rest to my awesome Heavenly Father who is in control of all things! When people ask me how I do it, I simply reply "not everyone gets what they want at the exact moment they want it." The baby may have to wait a few minutes while I am changing her older sister's diaper to get her bottle. Mr. P may want a drink when I am in the process of making a bottle and has to wait for a few minutes. But, eventually, everyone gets what they need.
So...what's this about moving?! Ha! I guess we are just "gluttons for punishment" (a phrase used the other day by someone when responding to the fact that I have 5 little ones ages 4 and under.) Daniel and I have been talking for quite a while (really, since we have been married!) about wanting to move out to the country. One weekend, we had gotten respite (ahh....respite! Glorious respite! A foster parent's best friend!) for the kiddos and we happened to be surfing the web and just for fun we decided to search for a house out in the country. We decided to call the realtor and just go check it out. We told him that we didn't know if we were really serious about moving or not. In the end, we decided that it really wasn't for us....but, it sparked a conversation that started a life changing event.
After looking at the first place, we had a chat with Daniel's parents and they mentioned something about a farm being for sale. I asked if they could get us more information on the property. The real estate listing had JUST expired for the farm property but, my mother in law called up the owners and we made arrangements to go look at it the very next day! As we pulled up the long driveway (I love that the house isn't visible from the road!!), I told Daniel that it just felt like we were "home!" What an awesome feeling! We met with the owners (they are the sweetest people you could ever meet! Precious people!) and they showed us around the house and property! What an amazing place!! It was also neat to learn about all the different little things that have been done with the place as it had started out with just the land and been built from the ground up. It just makes it all the more special! Toward the end of our visit, the owner mentioned that several other people were going to be putting in offers within the next few days. (AHH! Freak out moment!) I left feeling a slight bit discouraged as I knew there was no way that we would even be able to make it work out...I mean, we hadn't even put our house on the market yet!
The very next day, we went in to check into getting a loan on the farm property. Everything sounded awesome! We chatted a little bit about what we would be able to offer (granted our current house would sell!) on the farm property. We called up the owner of the farm and asked if we could meet the next day with our offer. (Still, praying about it...but without much hope of it being accepted!) When we met with them to present our offer, they told us that after meeting us and when we shared about our work with foster care, they just knew we had to be the people to purchase the farm! They were also praying for us...isn't that awesome?! Some people we didn't even really know were praying for us! This just goes to show, when God is for something, there isn't anything or anyone that can stand in the way! After a little back and forth, we settled on a price and wrote up a contract!
Our offer was accepted...but, there was a little thing called...umm...two mortgages?! Ha! The very next day, we contacted a realtor and asked if he could come take a look at our place and see what we could do about getting it on the market. We listed it that very day for sale. (Eek! Kind of scary!)
6 days later, I got a call letting us know that there was someone interested in coming the very next morning to check out our house. (Ahh! Trying to keep a place cleaned up with 5 littles is...interesting!) The prospective buyers liked what they saw, and within 5 minutes of us getting back home we were getting a call back asking if they could come again in the afternoon with their parents! After the afternoon showing, we had a solid offer!
OK, God...we're moving! Ha! Our offer was accepted on the farm. Our house sold within a week...to the first people that looked! Amazing!!
Don't tell me that God doesn't care for all these little details of our lives! I am amazed that when we walk close to Him, He leads us in exactly the right path. If you would have told me just a few weeks ago that we would be selling our house (in a week...to the first people to look!) and moving to the country...to a FARM, I would have called you crazy! But, God's clock keeps perfect time! He cares. He loves. He guides. He provides!
I am thankful.
Blessings (and lots of boxes!),
Sharonna (and the rest of the clan!)
______________________________
*P.S.: The reason for the "Mooooving" in the title line is
because of our plan to get some cattle. :)
But, more on that later...
Our littlest one, Baby I, went home to her bio daddy. I am so very happy for them both! It's so encouraging when the system actually works as it's supposed to and when families can have a happy reunion and when the environment is safe!
Miss Z and Baby K were supposed to be also going home in July but there were some complications and now we are basically back to "square one" once again on their case. With the two girls also supposed to be going home in July, we were also asked to take on a sibling set of 3 littles: Mr. P (age 4), Miss T (age 2) and Baby M (age 3 mo.). Since Miss Z and Baby K have not gone home, we are a family of SEVEN!
Honest mommy moment: most days, I feel like I just survive. I try my best. I pray. ....and I leave the rest to my awesome Heavenly Father who is in control of all things! When people ask me how I do it, I simply reply "not everyone gets what they want at the exact moment they want it." The baby may have to wait a few minutes while I am changing her older sister's diaper to get her bottle. Mr. P may want a drink when I am in the process of making a bottle and has to wait for a few minutes. But, eventually, everyone gets what they need.
So...what's this about moving?! Ha! I guess we are just "gluttons for punishment" (a phrase used the other day by someone when responding to the fact that I have 5 little ones ages 4 and under.) Daniel and I have been talking for quite a while (really, since we have been married!) about wanting to move out to the country. One weekend, we had gotten respite (ahh....respite! Glorious respite! A foster parent's best friend!) for the kiddos and we happened to be surfing the web and just for fun we decided to search for a house out in the country. We decided to call the realtor and just go check it out. We told him that we didn't know if we were really serious about moving or not. In the end, we decided that it really wasn't for us....but, it sparked a conversation that started a life changing event.
After looking at the first place, we had a chat with Daniel's parents and they mentioned something about a farm being for sale. I asked if they could get us more information on the property. The real estate listing had JUST expired for the farm property but, my mother in law called up the owners and we made arrangements to go look at it the very next day! As we pulled up the long driveway (I love that the house isn't visible from the road!!), I told Daniel that it just felt like we were "home!" What an awesome feeling! We met with the owners (they are the sweetest people you could ever meet! Precious people!) and they showed us around the house and property! What an amazing place!! It was also neat to learn about all the different little things that have been done with the place as it had started out with just the land and been built from the ground up. It just makes it all the more special! Toward the end of our visit, the owner mentioned that several other people were going to be putting in offers within the next few days. (AHH! Freak out moment!) I left feeling a slight bit discouraged as I knew there was no way that we would even be able to make it work out...I mean, we hadn't even put our house on the market yet!
The very next day, we went in to check into getting a loan on the farm property. Everything sounded awesome! We chatted a little bit about what we would be able to offer (granted our current house would sell!) on the farm property. We called up the owner of the farm and asked if we could meet the next day with our offer. (Still, praying about it...but without much hope of it being accepted!) When we met with them to present our offer, they told us that after meeting us and when we shared about our work with foster care, they just knew we had to be the people to purchase the farm! They were also praying for us...isn't that awesome?! Some people we didn't even really know were praying for us! This just goes to show, when God is for something, there isn't anything or anyone that can stand in the way! After a little back and forth, we settled on a price and wrote up a contract!
Our offer was accepted...but, there was a little thing called...umm...two mortgages?! Ha! The very next day, we contacted a realtor and asked if he could come take a look at our place and see what we could do about getting it on the market. We listed it that very day for sale. (Eek! Kind of scary!)
6 days later, I got a call letting us know that there was someone interested in coming the very next morning to check out our house. (Ahh! Trying to keep a place cleaned up with 5 littles is...interesting!) The prospective buyers liked what they saw, and within 5 minutes of us getting back home we were getting a call back asking if they could come again in the afternoon with their parents! After the afternoon showing, we had a solid offer!
OK, God...we're moving! Ha! Our offer was accepted on the farm. Our house sold within a week...to the first people that looked! Amazing!!
Don't tell me that God doesn't care for all these little details of our lives! I am amazed that when we walk close to Him, He leads us in exactly the right path. If you would have told me just a few weeks ago that we would be selling our house (in a week...to the first people to look!) and moving to the country...to a FARM, I would have called you crazy! But, God's clock keeps perfect time! He cares. He loves. He guides. He provides!
I am thankful.
Blessings (and lots of boxes!),
Sharonna (and the rest of the clan!)
______________________________
*P.S.: The reason for the "Mooooving" in the title line is
because of our plan to get some cattle. :)
But, more on that later...