Double Blessing

We are so happy to announce that this precious little girl that we have been fostering since April of last year is finally part of our forever family!! Her court date was on June 8th at 3 p.m. and then just 4 hours later baby Olivia made her debut into this world also. Two wonderful blessings in just one day!! It will definitely be a day that we will never forget. The miracles of God are nothing short of amazing! He is so good! Our hearts are so overwhelmed with gratitude and love. We love this little family of ours more than anything. ❤ {birth story to follow soon}

Magical

"Mama. You are so magical. I love you like a BIG heart!"

These sweet words from her little lips gave me chills up and down my body as my eyes started to swell up. I instantly grabbed her little body into my arms and hugged her ever so tightly. It touches my heart deep to the core knowing that in her eyes she believes I am magical. It makes me feel as if I am doing something right and being the best Mama I can be for her.

It's moments like these that I grasp and hold onto so tightly. I wish I could bottle each and every single one of these moments up and seal them forever. Sometimes I feel like these moments will eventually end or I will fail to recognize them and they will slip right through my fingers.

The truth is, moments like these are everything to me. They are something to cherish and always remember.

Motherhood is such an amazing journey. Truly a gift from Him above.

Some Really Exciting News

 

We received the best letter in the mail last week. Our adoption court date has been set for June 8th and we couldn't be more excited! We have had this sweet girl since April of last year. It has definitely been an emotional roller coaster to say the least. Fostering has been one of the best things I have experienced in my life, but also one of the most difficult too. It has been an emotional roller coaster filled with happiness, joy, gratitude, sorrow, heartache, fear, and doubt. Would I have changed any of it or have I ever wished that we would have never accepted this call to foster? Absolutely not. I wouldn't trade any of those emotions or any of the difficult times for anything. Nothing at all. In just a little over a month, this little angel with be apart of our forever family and that makes it all so worth it.

My Cup Runneth Over

I cannot find the words to express how grateful I am to my Heavenly Father for His unfailing love, His goodness and His faithfulness. Yesterday E's Mom's rights were terminated and we can now move towards the adoption process so that she can be a part of our forever family!!! I wanted to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all of your thoughts and prayers on behalf of E and our family. It really means so much to us. 

I'm Not Disappointed

December 9th. That is court date that is set for severance of E's Mom's rights. Believe me when I say that am counting down the days until that exact date...because I am. I have been waiting for her to be ours forever. I was ready from the moment that she walked through our door. Yesterday we had an unexpected hearing for E. The hearing was scheduled for her younger sister and brother. Last minute, (late last week) we heard about this hearing and our Case Manager told us that it would be great if we could be there, including E. She was going to attempt to present something called a "drive by severance" to the Judge. This normally happens when there are other siblings involved and each sibling has a different court date for possible severance or reunification with their parents. They present this drive by severance to the Judge in hopes that if they are already going to do severance on the other siblings then why wait for the other child or children. Our Case Manager has warned us that it might happen and it might not so not to get our hopes up.

When we arrived at the court house with E, we walked in praying for God's will and His perfect timing. As we approached the courtroom to wait to enter, there was a man standing walking back and forth staring out the window. First glance I knew he was E's brother's Dad. He glanced over at us, especially E a few times then finally walked over to us.

"Is that E?"

"Yes it is. My Husband and I are her foster parents."

Tears came to his eyes. "Last time I saw her was when she was only 7 or 8 months old and her Mom was trying to give her away to her friend because she didn't want her anymore. I actually have quite a few baby pictures of her if you would like to have them?"

"Of course I would! That would be awesome. Thank you so much. Hey....I wish you the best of luck today and my Husband and I really respect the right decision that you have made to step up to the plate and care for your son. That will mean so much to him and he needs you more than ever right now."

We were finally called into the courtroom. As I sat down in between Josh and E, I really thought about why we were there. We were there to support E, to be a voice for her and to fight for her until the end no matter what the outcome may be. I cannot tell you how good that felt. Even thinking about it now gives me goose bumps all over.

The hearing only lasted about 30 minutes. It was interesting to hear the other cases for E's brother and sister. Towards the end, the Judge asked:

 "Are the foster parents of E in the courtroom right now?"

"Yes your honor" as Josh and I raised our hands.

"I just want to first of all thank you for all that you are doing for this child and want to ask you if there is anything that we can do or if there is any kind of statement that you would like to express here today"

I immediately spoke up "Yes your honor I would like to say a few words. I just want to let you know that E has been in our home since April. She is such a special little girl in so many ways and such a joy to have in our home. She has grown and thrived tremendously and we love her so much"

"Thank you for your statement and thank you so much for taking the time to be here."

I could feel the hearing coming to an end and my gut was telling me that it wasn't going to happen...which it didn't. Instead of feelings of disappointment, I had feelings of peace and hope knowing that this is all in God's hands and in His perfect timing. I think it was a huge blessing and an advantage for us to just be able to be there in the first place. Being able to make a connection with E's brother's Dad, having the Judge see us there and being able to speak on behalf of E.

26 days today until December 9th! We are pushing forward with faith and hope in our God that is WAY bigger than the foster care system! 

Wish us luck!

All Aboard!!

Two weeks ago,we had the opportunity to go on a train ride. We got the tickets free through our Foster Care agency. I wanted to make it a surprise for E and all week I was just aching to tell her, but I knew her reaction would make it all worth it, so I kept my mouth shut. As we pulled up to the train station, I told her to close her eyes and wait until I say open. When she opened up her eyes, she looked out the window and yelled "Mama look look a train! Are we going on the train?!?! Chugga Chugga Choo Choo....all aboard!!"

I gotta tell you that this was definetly a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to go on this train ride. There were clowns, dancing, music, food, prizes, face painting, and balloon making! It was so much fun. E, my Mom and I had such a blast.

You can see a few videos that I posted from our train ride trip on my Instagram HERE

I'VE LEARNED.

I came across this inspiring quote from Maya Angelou  on Kelli Murray's blog and it has stuck with me for the past few days now......

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life". I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

- Maya Angelou

>>>>>>I am also loving this post from Al Fox too. 

MISSING HAND TOWEL AND BEING A GOOD EXAMPLE.

Last week, Josh, E and I were outside planting flowers in our two front flower beds. After we were done, we came inside to get a cold drink and have a Popsicle together. The first thing I did was wash my hands. I couldn't find my gardening gloves, so my hands were covered in dirt. As I reached for the hand towel, it was gone. I went into our linen closet to find another one to dry my hands with. As I was walking out of our bathroom, I could hear music down the hallway coming from E's bedroom. As I approached the bedroom, the door was slightly shut. I peered my eyes through the opening of the doorway to find E rocking her stuffed frog (wrapped in the hand towel..hahaha) back and forth singing I Am a Child of God. I stood there in the doorway for a couple of minutes just listening to her sweet voice and praising God for His goodness and faithfulness for placing this child in our home. As I walked in, E looked up at me and said "Mama..shhhhhh (with her little finger to her lips) I am rocking my froggy to sleep. He's so tired, He's had a very rough day." Every night at bedtime, I sit in this same chair rocking her to sleep and sing children's hymns to her. "Mama..can you sing to me please?!?" 

It's so true when I hear people say that children are like little sponges. Without us even realizing it, they soak up every little thing we say and do. If we pay attention to what our children say to us, though, we realize just how much they pay attention to us. They look to us to set the example, to be their guidance, and to teach them right from wrong. They want us to establish boundaries for them, and they learn from us how to behave, and how to treat others. As we all go about our busy lives it is important to ask ourselves what kind of example we are setting for our children. What we do and say shapes the people they will become, so we need to stop for a moment and take into account what kind of future adults we are creating. I am so grateful that I am able to be an example to her. I hope that when she leaves next week, that she will always remember the many things we taught her, the example we set before her and the unconditional love that we showed her. I hope that she will always remember us and remember all the love she felt as she was with us in our home. I know that we will never forget her and she will always have a HUGE place deep inside our hearts.

Listen to E singing part of I Am a Child of God. I love her sweet voice! Click HERE to listen.

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT FOSTER CARE.

Myth: Most children in foster care have had dozens of placements. Reality: The average number of placements for a foster child is around three.
Myth: I have no control over which children I'm asked to foster. Reality: You can't choose the specific child that you would like to foster, but you can narrow it down to what you would be interested in. Age, gender, and ethnicity. 
Myth: I cant be a foster parent if I have a full-time job outside of the home.  Reality: You don't need to be a stay at home Mother to foster! If the child requires daycare, that is paid for
Myth: As a foster parents, I will receive little to no support from the State.  Reality: You receive a reimbursement for food, clothing, medical, dental, counseling services and daycare.
Myth: I am not allowed to adopt any of the children that I foster.  Reality: While slightly more than half of the children who enter foster care return to their birth families, there are still thousands of children who cannot return home. Of the 51,000 children in foster care last year, 54 percent were adopted by their foster parents. 
Myth: It's really hard to become a foster parent. Reality: It's not as hard as you think. Yes there is training and a TON of paperwork but its SO worth it in the end!
Myth: You have to be married to be a foster parent.  Reality: Everyone is welcome. People who cohabit, divorced or single may become foster parents.
Myth: Biological parents are "bad" people who should never be allowed to get their child or children back. Reality: Biological parents love their children but they are having difficulties maintaining their safety and well-being. DCF ensures the safety of children, while helping parents access the resources and services they need to help overcome their current circumstances. The department works with biological parents, caregivers and community providers to assist with reunification when appropriate. However, when reunification is not at all possible, the department looks to place a child into an adoptive home.
Myth: Adopting a child through foster care is expensive. Reality: Adopting a child through foster care is virtually free. Many agencies do not charge for the services they provide to families who are adopting a child from foster care. 
Myth: Children in foster care have too much "baggage." Reality: This is one of the biggest myths of all. Children in foster care, just like all children, have ENORMOUS potential to thrive given love, patience and a stable environment. 
Myth: I can’t be a foster parent because I would get too attached. It would be too hard to see them leave. (This is the most asked question I get) Reality: It’s true — you WILL get attached, and it will be painful when children you love leave. But these children have suffered through things no child should ever face, and they need the love and care foster parents provide when they open their hearts and homes. When God calls you to do His work, He’s going to make sure you’re equipped to do it.

Are you a foster parent? Would you ever consider becoming a foster parent? 
Have questions? Comment below, I would love to hear from you!!

THE THINGS SHE SAYS.

Her: "Mama, I want to fly!" Me: "You need wings to fly baby girl" Her: "Okay..well lets go buy some at the store so we can!!"
Her: "Mama, did you eat your food all gone?" Me: "Yup. It's in my tummy right now" Her: "Can I see??"
To her cousins at Sunday dinner: "Come on kids, come on kids!"
Every night............ Her: "Mama, is it shower-time?" Me: "Yup it's shower-time" Her: "And then cuddles and you sing?" Me: "Yes honey, Mama will cuddle and sing to you"
Me: "Okay lets pray for the food" Her: "I want to pray!" Me: "Okay go ahead" (we all sit and wait and then she looks at me) Her: "Noooo...YOU talk!"
When Josh or I say something like you're so silly or you're too funny.. "Nope! I am (she says her name) and I'm 4!" (while holding 4 fingers up)

WHAT A FOSTER-TO-ADOPTION PROCESS IS REALLY LIKE

But While You Fly, You Still Wait 

Written by Kelley Porter for Portrait of an Adoption

It was the Friday of Labor Day weekend when we got the call, our first foster care placement. Would we be willing to take a baby girl, 5-weeks-old? How does anyone say no to that?

Already the parents of two wonderful boys, my husband and I considered the idea of adoption, but he was much more hesitant than I was. There was something calling to me, almost like a vision. I could see us as a family of five, with a little girl in the mix. It took some heavy debating and arm-twisting (and a little nudge from his cousin the social worker) to finally convince my husband that this was the right step for us.

When considering adoption, foster-to-adopt was the only consideration I had in mind. We live in a small town; an adoption agency did not seem readily available. Of course, being related to a social worker also convinced us that foster-to-adopt would work for us. A new year came, we took the leap. By February we were ensconced in training. Through this training we saw the worst of worst case scenarios, but still we went on. Sane people would have been scared away, but for some reason we kept up. Finally, certified as foster parents! Then … the wait.

The wait … When considering foster-to-adopt, the wait is part of the process. The wait to get through classes, the wait for “the call.” Then the placement call comes, and you jump in with both feet. Figuring out daycare, appointments here, appointments there. "WIC," what is that? Snuggles and bedtime stories. Hugs and wiping away tears. Hurry up and clean, the social worker is stopping by today! It is everyday life flying by you, so busy ... but while you fly, you still wait. You parent, and you love, and you wait for the foster system. While you love, more and more each day, you set to the side the reminders that you have absolutely and positively no control over the future of the little person in your care. You pray for forever, but social workers have a different job. In your mind you say there are no guarantees here, and you foolishly believe you have control over your heart, but you don’t. A day, a week, a month, and that’s it, you are hopelessly and forever in love. But still, you wait, until the powers that be establish whether you are a forever family or not.

I do not think there is any amount of training that can truly prepare a person to understand the opposing elements of fostering-to-adopt, and the State’s number one goal, which is reunification of families. Sure they warn you, sure your head “understands.” Logically you can spout off to any person who will listen that it is important to keep families together. Realistically, though, to the heart, it is a different matter. Your heart tells you there is no way in the world you will let this child live in this world in less than ideal circumstances. And it is the noblest of the noble who can cheer on birth families and wish them all the best to reunify. These people are saints among us, and they make our world a better place. They must operate in a manner of faith that I know I did not have while I was waiting. I will be the first to admit I was more than relieved when our birth mom left the state. It just confirmed in my heart that my baby girl was meant to be mine, forever.

About two weeks short of two years later, we finally had our adoption hearing. In a courtroom full of our family members, we promised to love and care and raise our little girl, no matter what challenges lie ahead. What a beautiful day it was. Our day of meant to be. And what a little treasure my daughter is. Joyful, sweet, sassy, and strong! All in an itty bity little package. She is the link that completes our family.

I must admit, though, that I know so much more now than I did then. Today I learned of a fellow foster mom who won’t be transitioning to forever family, and her heart is thoroughly and indescribably broken. I believe she knew through this process that forever might not come, but, just like me, she pushed the doubt aside. How can you not? One squeeze and a kiss good night, and you cannot fathom that this is not your forever.

To jump into the world of foster-to-adopt, a person must be absolutely fearless, and find within them a certain measure of faithfulness. Faith that this situation will turn out the way it is supposed to, and that I will have the strength to live with the result, no matter what it might be. This is the advice I would give if someone asked me now. You must be fearless enough to live in the moment, and love with all you’ve got -- these children deserve this because no child comes into foster care without some sort of painful history. Fearless, but faithful, faithful in a way that means you might not end up where you wanted to be. For us, I really believe we thought we knew what we were getting into, but now I understand we were definitely naïve, so naïve, and so lucky.

In our country, as a whole, there is such a need for loving and caring foster families. There is also a need to be realistic about the foster-to-adopt process, and a need for much education about why reunification is important, if it is possible. Finally, we must fight the notion that foster children are broken; because they are not. These children are resilient and brave and have so much to offer us all. No baby is born into this world with a guarantee of perfection, and the same is true of children who are in foster care. Yes, these kids might have needs that a foster parent did not expect, and to be a foster parent or foster-to-adopt parent, you must be willing to seek help if it is necessary. But this is so true for any parent, no matter how your family comes together. I am so very thankful that we took this journey, that we, without really understanding or knowing at the time, were fearless, faithful, and truly lucky.

VISIT THE FATHERLESS

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the  fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. -James 1:27

MY VERY FIRST MOTHERS DAY

This Sunday will be my very first Mothers Day. It's so hard to believe that I am actually a Mama now. These are the days that I have dreamed and prayed of for as long as I can remember and they are finally here! What a beautiful and sacred responsibility it is to be a mother! 
The past few weeks that we have had her, have been weeks that I will never forget and always cherish. They weeks have been filled with laughter, happiness, confusion, smiles, cuddles, disappointments, and lots of heartache. I look and think of the incredible blessing of having her right now at this very moment. She is ours right now for however long God will keep her with us for. I stand in awe of Him, amazed by all of His many blessings. I never thought I could experience and feel a love so deep as I have with this sweet child. It's an unconditional, pure and innocent love that I cannot even begin to describe. She is His daughter. His angel. His princess. His everything. Each night as I rock her to sleep, I sing "I Am a Child of God" to her and tell her just how much I love her and most importantly how much God loves her and that she is special in every way. As I gently place her in her bed, I pray over her and ask God to bless her, protect her, strengthen her, give her wisdom and guide her throughout her life. Whenever I hear her sweet voice speak the words "Mommy", "I love you", "I want to cuddle with you" or "I want to pray", it makes me smile from ear to ear and my heart pound a gazillion miles a minute. For all you Mama's out there, I just want to wish you a very Happy Mother's day from the bottom of my heart and give you a big hug for all you do. You are amazing!

LIFE LATELY IN PHOTOS

OUR FIRST TEMPER TANTRUM

Last night she had her very first temper tantrum. It was over pancakes. Josh had cooked a really nice meal and she wanted pancakes instead of seasoned chicken and cheesy pasta. She LOVES pancakes! If she could have pancakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner she would. We told her that she couldn't have pancakes for dinner and she needed to eat what was already made. Within seconds, she started whining and then broke down crying. I thought to myself, here we go...here comes our very first tantrum. How are we going to deal with this? I have never had to do this before! A few minutes passed and within those few minutes, her crying and yelling got worse and got to the point where she was crying uncontrollably trying to catch her breath. We were taught in our training class about time-out and about setting routines and boundaries in their life. They need it. Bad. All children need routine and boundaries set. Josh and I looked at each other and for as hard as it was for us to place her in time-out, we knew that we had to. We knew we had to set the boundaries now otherwise she will take advantage of situations and think she can get away with anything. Josh picked her up and as he was walking towards our bedroom she was reaching out for me to save her. Josh placed her on a small kids stool that we have from IKEA and placed her in our room facing the wall. She hated it and it was probably so knew to her because she probably has never had any type of structure or discipline in her life. It broke my heart into pieces to see her cry like that, but I knew it needed to happen. In the end I know placing her in time-out will help her know how to deal with her anger, frustration and give her a chance to calm down. After she calmed down and stopped crying, she came out of the room and walked over to me to say sorry. We talked about why she was put in time-out and then we all cuddled on the couch and watched Aladdin.  
How do deal with your child's unruly behavior?  I would love to hear your thoughts, experiences and opinions!

FOSTER CARE ISN'T FOR ME..ITS FOR THEM.

Having her in our home since last Wednesday,  I have realized a valuable reality and important lesson. I have realized that fostering isn't about ME- it’s not about my fulfillment and needs or my wishes and desires- it’s about supporting the needs of the many children that will be placed in our care. Fostering a child presents a little bit of a dilemma because you welcome a child into your home and try to care for them as if they were your own child while at the same time being ever aware and respectful of the fact that they are not your child.  It is SO hard! It's so hard because I feel so torn and my emotions are all over the place due to this fact. This past week, I have been on an emotional roller coaster. The hardest thing is loving her with all our whole heart and realizing that she might just move on. Josh and I have fallen so much in love and attached to this little girl that its really hard to accept the fact that she might not be with us tomorrow, that there's that slight chance that she will be taking from us. Going into foster care and especially getting our first placement, it makes me wish that we could have a 100+ bedroom house so we can just adopt a bunch of children. I know that it not reality though. I have to keep telling myself that what does matter is the fact that we've been able to provide a great home for a child in need- regardless of whether that child stays in our home for days or months and regardless of how I feel about the judge’s final decision determining their future. These children are all in Gods hands. He is the one that has a plan for each of them. He has a future prepared for them.  I heard one foster Mom tell me  that "not only are you impacting the life of a child, but you are serving as a major resource and support to that child’s family as well.  In some cases your family may be the only reliable alternative that your foster child’s family may have to provide a safe and loving home for their children.  With this in mind, foster care isn't just for the children, but for the families of these children as well.  You are giving a family a chance to come back together again." How true is this! I keep telling myself that I just need to take it one day at a time and focus on what really matters most. Her. She matters most right now and God has a plan that is so much better than mine and He loves her more than I ever could.  Every night as I rock her to sleep and tickle her little back I sing "I Am a Child of God" to her and tell her just how much her Heavenly Father loves her. These are the moments that I will forever remember and will be forever ingrained in my heart.
Question for you Foster Mom's out there.
What is the hardest thing about fostering for you?

HER NAME MEANS HOPE-OUR FIRST PLACEMENT

It was completely unexpected. We had our last appointment last Tuesday night. I knew that we would eventually get a call..I just didn't think it would be the next day! As I was on my way home Wednesday night, Josh called and told me that the CPS worker called him and they had a 4 year old little girl. I was speechless at first and didn't know what to say. I couldn't believe this was actually happening! 
I continued to drive home and it seemed like I couldn't get home fast enough because I was so excited. Once I got home, Josh and I had less than two hours to get the house tidy and run to the store to get some last minute items which included a few pairs of pajamas, some kids food/snacks and a flower bed set. Josh also picked out the cutest baby doll for her too. We were both so excited and couldn't wait to me her. 
Less than two hours seemed like days to us as we waited with excitement and anticipation for a knock at the door. Finally around 7:15pm, we saw a car pull up. "Josh! She's here! She's here" I shouted.
We opened up the door and saw her for the first time. She was beautiful. She looked at us with her big brown eyes as we smiled at her and said hello. The CPS worker said that she cried and screamed the whole way to our house. He set her down on the ground. I knelt right next to her and asked if she wanted to see her room. She immediately grabbed my hand as we ran to her bedroom. As we entered her room, her big brown eyes got even bigger as she ran around looking at her room and all her toys. I loved seeing her laugh and smile. It made my heart happy. She looked at me and Josh all night for love, affection and safety. Little did she know that no matter how long she is with us, that she would getting all that and so much more!

ANY DAY. ANY HOUR.

Last night we met with our ongoing worker for a "binder appointment". In foster care terms, a binder appointment is when your assigned ongoing worker comes out to visit your home with a binder full of (more) paperwork and (more) forms that you will need to keep track of when each child is placed into your home (incident report, health assessment, wardrobe checklist, emergency contact list, purchase ledger, and health/medical forms). One section in the binder that is very helpful is information with places for food, clothing, entertainment, and activity discounts. There is a place in Mesa called Helen's Hope Chest. They help foster children with all their basic needs. Everything is free. (school supplies, hygiene products, sports equipment, and clothing). You make an appointment and then you and the child can walk through from room to room and the child can pick out what he or she likes. I love that!
Our ongoing worker informed us that our name is up on the board already and it will be any day right now!!!! She said that we have two huge advantages to getting a placement fairly soon. #1: We told our agency that we would be willing to accept two children especially if they were siblings because we wouldn't want to have them separated. #2: Josh works from home. Different workers also switch weeks with carrying "the phone" around in case a call comes through with a child that has been removed from their home. Our worker has the phone this week, so we are crossing our fingers and praying that we get a call! 
I know that God has a child already selected for us and His timing will be perfect when he/she is placed into our home. It can be any day or any hour now. He is the only one that knows when that time is. He is so good!  

FOSTER CARE: WAITING TO GET APPROVED

If you read this post last Friday. We got brand new windows installed in the child's bedroom and they were approved by our licensing agent that night. Yesterday morning, our agent submitted our information to the state to get our license approved. This is where more of the waiting process comes into play. Our agent informed us that it has been taking families about 2-3 weeks to get approved by the state, but as far as I'm concerned, this is all in God's hands...He will make it happen when He thinks its time! Even though I am not experiencing pregnancy, to me its still somewhat similar to the "expecting" period when pregnant. Throughout pregnancy, especially towards the end, pregnant Mamas are expecting to have their little bundle of joy enter in this world. Expecting to see what he/she will look like. Expecting to see what he/she will be like. I am expecting those things too and I simply cannot contain my excitement. I am so ready for this new journey to begin! I thank for calling us and trusting us with such a task.

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! -Psalm 27:14