scary cupcakes and other life stuff

this is my second go round with this post.  i'm not sure what happened with the first one - the interweb ate  it...

anyways, this week i finished a project for the boys.  i brought homemade halloween themed treats to school.  i know it's a little early yet, but the rest of the month is pretty busy and besides it was ready!  First I painted dancing skeletons on glasses filled with halloween treats (my favorite was the eyeball gumballs)!  Then I made scary bleeding cupcakes stabbed with broken glass.  everything was made from scratch! (chocolate espresso cupcakes, vanilla buttercream icing, hardened sugar glass, and cherry sauce blood)  It was terrifying :)

The boys were really impressed and really felt special so I was glad I was able to give that to them.  

The room for our future foster children is finally complete.  My friend Courtney painted a picture for the wall and my friend Rebecca helped me sew the curtains for the windows.  Here are the pics.

Here are some other pics from our life this October.  It's been fun thus far and is only getting better!

Mom's birthday!

Phoenix helping decorate for Halloween

Phoenix and Bear

Bear and I

Brio date night with my Love

Final home visit - DONE!

Our final home visit was completed today.  The social worker came out, verified we'd done all the little things DHR requires, asked us to expound on some points in our personal background questionaires, and then she left.  She said we're good!  She said she still has to type up the home study report, a 15-20 page report, and then submit it to her supervisor for final licensing.  It could be as early as this month, but it's more likely to happen sometime next month.

M tested for his first Karate belt tonight.  He did great.  His moves were sharp and clean.  I was very proud of him.  His mom, dad, brother and I were all there to watch.  He's a great kid and I'm really happy for him.  I also really like the program they're part of and am glad we were able to get them both involved in it.  C wasn't feeling up to par tonight; they're offering a make-up test in a few weeks and he may be able to catch up then if he wants to.

a week

it's one week until our final home visit.  I'm nervous, but I know it's not necessary.  I know she's going to come visit and see and approve us.  I'm nervous about our first placement.  I'm nervous about "doing it right."  I'm nervous about how it will change things with the kids, with Chris and I, with our families, with everything from here out.  I'm also very excited.  I love children.  I have had a heart for child advocacy for a long time.  I have enjoyed very much putting together a room for small children to enjoy and call home.

M's teacher stopped me after school today to talk briefly.  She said he's been talking about us adopting at school.  He's still not really happy with it.  I explained that we are fostering to adopt.  She and I talked and she agrees that he's just acting like most children; he's concerned with two households and separate children where he'll fit and what will change.  She also said that though she doesn't know us, she's happy for us and is doing everything she can to reassure him.  Then she told me - her oldest daughter was adopted!  It's a small world and we've found support in places we didn't know we had.  Thank God for the people he puts in place.

It's also a week until the boys, or more likely just M, tests for a first Karate belt.  It's very exciting times around here :)  He's very excited about testing.  He's doing very well in class; they are both doing well.  I'm very proud of them.  I can't wait to see them show off their skills.  I can't believe how big my boys have gotten.  I miss their tiny faces.

My Boys C & M 10/9/2007

13 Days and Counting, plus a promotion!

I am very excited!  I got a promotion at work!  I've now been working at the restaurant for about a year and I really love the place.  I love the boss, I love my co-workers, and I love our customers!  Oh, and have I mentioned I love food and I love the food at the restaurant!!  Well I guess all those loves brought about a change that I didn't ask for nor would've thought I wanted, but I do - I got a promotion to "Manager".  Now I still have a ton of stuff to learn, but that I'm getting the opportunity is very exciting.  I am also getting a new schedule with this new title.  I am also very excited about my new schedule!  I'm still going to have the flexibility I need for our family, but I'm going to work more days and less nights - which means time home with my family!!  This is such a blessing!  I am so happy :)

I got all the trim painted in the back bedroom this week on my time off.  The only thing lacking is finishing the closet and painting the bedroom door.  Unfortunately the rain held up the door painting or we'd now be finished.  The toddler half of the room is done.  The infant side is still a wreck since all the stuff from the closet is stacked over there.  It will be finished one way or another next week!  Only 13 days until our social worker comes back to approve us!

I've spent the morning reading articles and blogs on adoption.  A friend led me to This Little Light of Mine and from there I jumped to other pages of people adopting from Haiti.  I spent time reading and praying for these families today - families separated by oceans that desperately want to bring their children home.  May God bless them with peace and perseverance.  I also read some articles on foster parenting and fost/adoption.  One particularly about a lady who had 2 infant placements for short periods and how she still loves and misses those children, how her heart hurt to give them up, but knew it was as it should be and how her son came to her as the third child.  I pray for the strength to give any and all children in our home what they need at the time they're here. I pray for our child that we don't know yet that God will bring them to us so that we may be the family He intends. As the time draws near, I pray - wisdom, peace, and longevity.  The ability to nurture and to teach. To be the support and steadfastness needed.  I pray that none of us will ever be the same for the better. I pray for our boys because there will be many changes for them too, but I also pray that they will learn things about life and love that they would have never known otherwise.  I pray that God guide us every step of the way. I pray.

13 days and counting.  Maybe we'll have a new family member here for Halloween! I love playing dress-up!

Time is a flying!

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks and I've actually really missed it.  I have some pictures that still need to be downloaded, but as for now this will just have to be a written update.

We have just under 3 weeks before our final home visit.  The room is coming along very well.  I still need to get the last coat of paint on the trim, but otherwise there's carpet, bedding on order and some wall decor and a new toy bin!  I am still very nervous and very excited about the coming changes.  They are changes that will affect our family and changes that will affect me in ways I only know will be profound.  I am praying for wisdom, strength, guidance, and peace.  God will take care of us as we take care of his children.

In the last couple of weeks I've started yoga class.  I had tried Zumba a couple of times and that's way fun and high energy.  I wasn't sure if I'd like yoga; it's the exact opposite.  Turns out that I really do though.  The quiet tempo and non-competition are actually very enjoyable.  It makes me slow down and breathe.  Sometimes I need that force to make me slow down.  I am about to add some weight training to my exercise regime.  It's so important to me to eat right, exercise, and really take care of myself so that I can have the best quality of life for as long as possible.  I also get a great sense of accomplishment out of it.

The boys just started karate.  We've talked for years about enrolling them but with my schedule and their parents schedules it's been impossible.  We finally stumbled upon a program where we could enroll them. Better late than never!  They are both doing very well thus far and I am very proud of them.  I took a few snapshots of the class the other day, I'll have to upload those later.  I understand they'll be doing basketball this fall and M is planning to take guitar lessons too!  Gonna be some busy kids!  I'm so glad to see them starting to show some interests in extracurricular activities - particularly sports and music!

I also took some time out to bake some pumpkin goodies the other day.  Muffins and pumpkin walnut bread. Both were pretty and tasty.  I think this "cool" nip we've had in the air has really put me in the mood for fall and all those savory flavors :)

Last but not least I changed my hair - again!  The blonde was fun for summer, but now I'm back to the long dark hair, actually very near what was once my natural color!  It's got alot of layering in it and I really like it.  I was also glad to be rid of all the damaged parts.  I feel more confident already!

Finished GPS Classes

The last week has been a whirl-wind.  Work was crazy busy and I loved every minute of it; it was Birmingham Restaurant Week! Our restaurant offered a lunch and dinner menu special for the week and business was great ~ as was the food!  We did a roasted eggplant and goat cheese bruschetta that was mouth-watering, a fried tilapia over mashed potatoes with a chipolte mango sauce that was a flavor and texture delight, and many other truly delicious meals!  What a great time and something I really enjoyed being able to participate in.

In addition to work, is life though.  Saturday night I was able to celebrate with one of my best friends the first birthday of her daughter.  It was a beautiful party and a beautiful family I was able to spend the evening with.  I am so thankful that I was invited and was able to attend this celebration!  Happy Birthday, E, and many, many more! 

My boys are beginning to grow up and I find at least one of them particularly moody at times.  I love them so very much.  I found myself Saturday evening with one of those fleeting moments when they both wanted to be close.  It was so good for my heart.  I've enjoyed all those moments of being close to my children, but now when they don't want it so often it's like it means so much more and it comforts my heart that we'll get through the coming adolescence. 

Monday we finished our GPS class training on foster/adoptive parenting!  These classes were very helpful in a variety of different ways.  Our trainers were great!  Particularly Ms. Fran was wonderful; she's a great resource for fostering and the variety of situations we could encounter.  She tells all her stories with love and passion.  Last night we had a buffet dinner where I was designated pound cake.  I brought vanilla, chocolate, and lemon.  There wasn't a piece left!  I love to bake :)  Our final home visit is scheduled for early October; this leaves us some time to finish the punch list and spend some quality time just the 4 of us before things begin to change!

 I love food and I love to cook.  I love my husband and I love cooking for him.  However, there are times when I just don't have alot of time - but even when pressed, I like presentation!  I cooked this chicken in the crockpot all day after an overnight of marinating in a dry rub.  It was incredibly easy, as well as juicy and fall off the bone tender!  I roasted off some sweet potatoes with rosemary and oregano.  Then topped the two with spinach and red bell peppers that I did a light saute on so the peppers would remain crunchy!  It was visually pleasing and so delicious.  We really enjoyed it and even Coop loved those potatoes!

 Yesterday was a day spent with my niece, nephew, and sis-in-law.  We had the very best time.  We brought the kids to the Botanical Gardens.  It was hot out, but they enjoyed the sprinklers!  They also enjoyed seeing "Tuck" (from Wonder Pets) and the other turtles, the gold fish, dragonflies, and searching for the "hiding" panda bear in the bamboo forest!  It was a beautiful day seen through the eyes of children.  I we were only able to keep that wonder and delight.  I love the glimpses I am still able to see from time to time.