The girls

December 9, 2013.....

I had taken Tristen to his Lego robotics class and right when it was about over that's when Julia our caseworker called.  She said "hi Niki I am calling for a placement. 2 girls, sisters one is 19 months the other is 4 days old.... Would you guys be interested in taking them!??! " 

I said yes!!  Then I told her how I was concerned because we had gone to the Foster parent Chirstmas party over that weekend and we were the only family with no foster kids and other families were telling us how they had to turn down calls and Julia was quiet and then said you home was marked a closed and I am not sure why??? She appoligized and Sid she would let the other caseworker know we were willing to take the girls and that we would hear back from someone soon.  Also back in August we called our worker and said we think we will only take one child at a time and that was never changed... I am glad it wasn't!!

We have had a few call and they never ended up with placement.  So I knew I should hear something with in the next hour. And sure enough they called and asked if we could pick up at the hospital in the next hour and a half. ( I had to drive and hour to pick them up) Steve had to work so I would be going by myself. Which made him uncomfortable and me! That was far and two little girls! Two... So I called my friend Erin and asked if she wanted to go pick up babies with me!!! She said yes!!! So Steve and I loaded car seats and I filled up with gas and hit the road! Well  I picked up Erin then hit the road!! 

I am so thank for friends and family!! Really!! From that night uptill now we have been blown away at the way God has used our friends and family to bless us! From Erin driving with me that night to my sister and mom coming to help me once we got home. Libby and Eliza feeding the girls lunch so I could shower and Steve could run errands. Dinners, gifts, toys, clothes, calls, prayers, emails,text messages. I can't imagine do thing this with out support like we have. These girls have impacted our friends and family in such a cool way!!  Christmas was so much fun!! We could have not been given a thing and it would have been just as wonderful!! It was so cool to see our families love on the girls!!! N loved every gift she got! Aunt Libby bought sparklely boots and uncle Zach and Ashley bought  N's first tutu and fair wings uncle Ron got her favorite baby that she carries and says beebee and rocks!! Nanma got a cell phone that she loves to yell into then slam down! And grandma Stacy got a kitchen that she works in all day long stirring her little heart out!  It has been so fun to see her play. Steve and I were shocked at how much our family did for Christmas! It was so so sweet!!!

Here we are....

     
        warning this is long! :)


 I am writing this for myself if people read it great! But this is more so that I can look back and remember!

         So through a series of Drs appointments having our own biological children is out of the question for Steve and I. God has chosen in his sovereignty to close the womb.  God was gracious to put some amazing Doctors in our path! One actually refunded our co pay because there was no way he could help and he didn't want to take our money?? 

                           What!?!

That was pretty cool!!

        So in December we had our final appt and it was clear that we are not going to have children.  That was the Friday of Steve's family Christmas party I was a crying mess and we had a party to go to and Steve loving suggested that we really needed to talk this out but we also had the Holiday's to celebrate and Tristen's birthday so we made a deal to revisit this after the New Year!  Which as I write this I am shocked I agreed to that but I did! So Christmas came and went and all the other family shin digs and New Years and a nice relaxing week with my hubby!

                                              Who wouldn't want to be in this family!?!?!

He is 9!

       After New Years one night my friend Erin came over and we were just hanging out talking and she asked whatever happened to fostering to adopted? Something we had previously talked about but for what ever reason we put it aside. After talking about it with her it kind of got us talking about it but there were still a lot of unknowns and all that! So the idea was there hanging around....  Then a few nights later on Twitter we found out that Steve's brother and wife were expecting again. That was hard for both of us but it was what had us really question what we were waiting on we knew we wanted to adopt through the foster program of our state.

        Then on January 21st I was hanging with my crafty friends at craft night and my friend Kerri who has adopted told me that her church was hosting fostering classes and to check it out!  So a few days later I checked in to it and they had already started and we were heading out of town so I emailed to find out if they were going to do the classes again. A day or so later we left town to visit family in Michigan and when we landed and I turned my phone and  had a email back and they said we could join the classes! So we attended ten weeks of classes! 


                                                   

                                                                     Shoveling in Michigan!


                                                

                                                     Part of our home study

                                        Where we are now.....

We have all of our paper work done and turned in! As far as we know we are done with home visits. We have the room ready! Now we will just wait for our approval letter and a call for a little girl! YAY!!!!

  
                                                                                
                                                        

Paris....Africa!

Wow I leave today!!  Less than twelve hours!  I am not going to lie, I am more than a little nervous!! Have I ever mentoned that I hate to fly?!  Because I do! Oh well!!  Cause I am flyin out of here today!
I can't believe how fast this day arrived. I am blown away by the support that was raised and how God continues to ease my anxiety about this trip!  I really will post more about the whole trip when I get back!!  I am going to AFRICA!!!!  Oh and I get to see Paris!!

Niki

It's been a while.....

Man it has been a little crazy around here!  So much has been happening...all along I wanted to blog but still working taking time to do that!!

So I will recap the last two months and maybe go more in to it in a different post?!

Facebook....  I did an idleness fast for lent....it was REALLY good!! One I just got more done! Two...I just stopped caring about really stupid things or being irritated by stupidity.  Steve actually pointed that out to me!  During that time I found that I was able to really enjoy Tristen in a different unrushed way.  Instead of wasting time on facebook then trying to catch up the rest of the day with time I wasted,  I got other things done and I  was able to live my real life and not waste it  reading about others "so called life".  So I plan on limiting how much I am on there!

Adoption.... We had a possible chance to adopt a baby through an open adoption....it didn't work out but God has showed me a lot!  He is willing and able!  I am so excited to see what God does in our lives with this area! ...... In a moment of disappointment I got to see Tristen's heart and it was awesome he spoke truth and encouragement to me it was so sweet!  I hope that God's light shines through him!!

Wedding!  My friend Jen was married and I got to be a part of it!  It is so amazing to see how God puts people together...strengths and weaknesses it excites me!  We had a blast!! The other girls in the wedding were so fun!  I am very thankful to have been a part of it!

Africa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am going there!! I will post more on this later!

My sister Libby ;-)   We are friends again!!  Which is big and really cool!!  I have been praying for a friendship with her and it is growing!!  Praise the Lord!

That is all for now!! 


Niki

HaPpY VaLeNtInE's DaY!!

Happy Valentine's Day!! 

I know there are many people who hate this Hallmark holiday!  But I don't! Not because I am some sappy romantic!  I know what real love is....
  and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  ⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  Romans 5:5-9

Christ's death is God's love for us! He is the picture of what True Love is! I am so thankful for Christ death because it has radically changed my life!

I love Steve and Tristen everyday, all day!  Today I just shower them with extra love, probably to girlie of a way!  Oh well ;-)


I read my friend Erin's blog and got some great idea's for Valentines day!

These are our plans for today!
    I made some Cinnamon rolls with pink icing for breakfast
   We will have heart shaped sandwiches for lunch
   We are going to hand deliver a few Valentines with a hug
   Then to the Museum for a little while
   Then back home for a nice romantic breakfast for dinner!

             I am excited! I will try and add pictures of our day later!!

Niki

For better or for worse....

Our wedding day!

Hmm... what does the "worse" mean? We always think about the "better"...vacations.... how many kids will we have? Will we live in this house for ever? Will we move to another state?

Do you worry about the worse??.... Defiantly not when we say "for worse" on Our Wedding day, a day we promise to love and cherish each other, in sickness and health and better or worse...

Our first year of marriage was everything I thought it would be! I love my hubby and I love living life with him! He is awesome! I am pretty sure the first year was more of an adjustment for him than me! It was a good year! Last year we went to dinner and a movie on our Anniversary! Than a trip to G'burg a couple weeks later! It was a blast!!

Photo booth at movies!
Sooo.... on to the second year!! This is where the "worse" part comes in! Shortly after our trip to G'burg, by short I mean 4 days! Our basement flooded with raw sewage!.... Which makes me think family Christmas vacation.....you know the sh*tters full...anyway we thought that maybe we had fixed the problem .....

but....

Our back yard being dug up!

We didn't. So just 6 days shy of our two year wedding Anniversary it happened again! Thankfully my in laws live close and LOVE having us around so we were able to stay there till all the details of what needed to be done were worked out! Luckily my husband loves Jesus and me and I love Jesus and him so this "for worse" part was not that bad! We just prayed and continued to communicate how we were really handling this "worse" and you know what.... what doesn't kill you will make you stronger! God worked the details of this in such a cool way! Blessing upon blessing flowed down!! We are so thankful!! ....So we will take the summer and maybe fall off from hosting parties but we can flush the toilet! :-)


Niki

Not much of a fighter.....

It's 2012!! I love to party on New Years....(who would have guessed!) but I am not one for making resolutions and all that jazz! There are a million things in my life I would like to change...my weight...that fact that I say Yes to way to many things, I am VERY unorganized... this is not my list ;) The one thing I want in my life is a rich, dependent relationship with God.... I had it at one time and seemed to miss place it....I think a better way to describe it would be that I stopped fighting for it. At some point in this last year I starting fighting the wrong side...turned my back on what I know to be true. I saw sin and choose not to deal with it. I know the put off put on that Paul talks about.... I did it, but not the right way I put off what God calls me to do and put on my desires. I fought only for what I wanted. The independence of running my life.

I am realizing all of this now...I am very thankful to be able to see it. I can't really explain the new understanding I have of last year its alot and messy... I can only say that it was by God's grace that I see it! The last few days I have had consistent time in His word and been able to reflect on my attitude to the last year. I am using a daily bible reading plan to start the discipline of reading everyday again. Which has been awesome! I believe last year was a dry season!!! Very dry! Why I ever thought that I could live with out the life giving water just seems plain stupid! I am excited to be back in love with my Savior!

Niki