our tree planter

 catching up a bit on recent happenings, so this is a bit delayed as Layla is now in the heart of Northern Ontario, hard at it with a crew of tree planters.  but i didn't want to miss this early part when she tackled a long list of fairly extensive preparation to get ready to go in the first place.  and she got it done! 

here, she did a dry run on tent set-up.  it was a success!  

more to come on her tree-planting adventures.  really proud of her grit already though.  and her courage and determination too.

daily grace

 i'm continually amazed at the daily graces that drop into my life at the times i'm most desperate to see them.  to be totally honest, there have been some challenges here that have been pressing in hard over the past couple months.  i sometimes struggle with surrender, with self-doubt and discouragement.  and on those very days, my weary heart is often blessed by small graces that are undeniable signs of God's goodness to me.  too many to number or name here, although i do have a spot for that and must get back into that routine, i think.

on this particular day~ it had been quite challenging and i felt the discouragement rising up within.  i was carrying some understandable disappointment into the evening, and had a moment to be alone and still at home.  just me.  then the doorbell rang.  standing before me was a young man with a gift.  he's the amazing adult son of my very dear friend, and he had a wrapped present in his hands.  

he said i could open it, so i did.  tucked within the outer paper was this leather-bound treasure.  a book he'd made himself, with blank pages, for me to personally do with what i liked.  i was a bit overcome.  so moved by his kindness and instantly feeling the timeliness of the gift.  he said he'd made his mom one as well, and had the supplies to make another, so he thought of me.  i tried to explain how his thoughtfulness was exactly what i needed on that particular day.  he hadn't known.  but God did.  

daily graces.  big and small.  random and unexpected.  God's tender kindness through the most unexpected ways.  that amazing little leather bound book has become a place where i journal God's promises, His truths, and reminders to keep my heart and mind moving forward with determination and in step with God's heart.  it's also become a visual symbol of God's goodness and presence with me, always. ❤ 

chapters

Hannah and the Richmond girls...

the end of a chapter together, but lots of memories to hold close. 

i'm so happy for Hannah to have had this time with these five beautiful young women.  they all have so much to offer this world and super bright futures ahead.  i hope each of their paths lead to lasting peace, joy and love, and that they stay connected for life.

toddler sightings~ part 2

sometimes during Jeff's "end of the work-day" snooze, sweet baby C. (not so baby anymore, like not at all really) gets creative with his books.  Jeff, not surprisingly, was oblivious.

and then there's the day he scaled the crib, started crying for help, and this is what we found...i had Layla snap a picture while i stood with hands ready to catch him, just out of view. his face is one of utter despair.  totally adorable.

thankfully he hasn't done it again since.  but i'm guessing his crib days are numbered.

good gracious, this child is growing fast!  

National Foster Care month

 May is noteworthy.  every year.  foster care has forever impacted our family, and hopefully also forever impacted the kids we've shared our home with.  we~ all eight of us~ are permanently changed because of the decision to foster.  in fact, the whole trajectory of our future has also quite possibly been forever altered.  for the better, we believe.  

that being said, i need to qualify this post by saying that foster care for sure isn't for everyone, nor is it the only lifechanging work that matters.  there are loads of other causes and ways to impact the ones who are hurting around us.  and so many of you are already doing those things beautifully!  still, if you're looking to have a valuable supportive role in the foster care system, here are a few key ways to help:  1. coming alongside and offering support to kids in care by responding to tangible needs and offering mentorship  2. reaching out to foster families who need respite and a sense of a caring community backing them  3. connecting with biological families who need care in their time of crisis and brokenness  4. assisting agencies who support all of these families, ie. volunteer driver, childcare supervision, fundraising, etc..  sooo, yes...no shortage of ways to step in and foster love and growth and healing, is there?

i've mentioned Foster The Family here before, and the awesome book i'm reading of the same name, by Jamie Finn.  so good.  

i post this link, and the quote below, and a bit about our experiences to encourage anyone who might feel called to walk the foster care journey.  i would be happy to chat, and i'll always be entirely real and brutally honest about all that comes with fostering.  

bottom line~ it's not about you, it's about them.  it's all about those kids who need attachment, who need stability and who need an investment of deep down love to provide foundational security and the chance to thrive.

"i could be sitting on the sidelines, in blissful ignorance of the brokenness that surrounds me, enjoying the whole-ness of a sweet and sheltered life.  missing out on the beauty of breaking off pieces of my heart and my life to make another whole."

it's tempting some days, honestly it is, but that last sentence is what drives us to continue.  it's difference making- for them and us!

if you want to wade into the foster care discussion or ask twenty-seven questions, please reach out!

 i'm here...