Blogging went straight to the bottom of the priority pole on November 19, 2015. Not because it wasn't important to me, but because a life changing event took place and I'm proud to finally sit down and start sharing what our family has been going through for the last 4 1/2 months....
I won't go into detail about the babies case or their life at all prior to crossing the threshold of our home. Out of respect for these babies who didn't choose this life I will wait and let them tell their own story one day if they so wish. What I would love to share is how it has shaped our family, our home, our friendships, and our faith.
I would love to walk you through our journey as it continues to unfold. My goal in blogging about this is simply to encourage other families to open their hearts and homes to fostering or fostering to adopt. It's not easy, it's not pretty, and it's not smooth sailing. If it's in Gods Will it isn't even guaranteed to be sunshine and rainbows but you know it is safe. Let me back up and start from the beginning... Prior to receiving the call for the two babies we now have we received two calls previously. Both calls were for sibling sets of 3 and we were approved for only 2 children. It absolutely broke my heart to say "no" However, it was necessary. Having 3 kids of our own we nearly have a full house as it is. The thought of 3 more was not frightening, it was a matter of overcoming several important obstacles. It broke my heart to say no. I wanted to make it work. I wanted to say yes but we couldn't. I started a private prayer group after the second call because I felt these 6 children needed prayers. See, we had been approved to be foster parents in July and had not received a call until November. I knew God was moving and something was about to change. On a Tuesday evening my husband and 2 sons sat in bleachers and cheered on my middle sons football team. We were sad they didn't win their last game to go on to the championship but we were relieved it was over. Wednesday I washed and put away all the football uniforms and practice equipment and breathed for a minute. It had been a crazy football season and I felt I was traveling alone from game to game and practice to practice many nights and weekends. It was hard but fun while it lasted. Thursday morning dawned and the boys headed off to school as they were approaching Thanksgiving break. I was home alone cleaning house when my phone rang. I couldn't get to it in time. It was in my office and I was is down the hall. There was a message. I didn't bother to listen, I called right back. Our agency was calling. It took several tries but they finally answered as they had been leaving us a detailed message. After talking to my husband previously about what to say if it came up I knew this time our answer was "YES!" We were always only expecting 1 child but we were told there would be 2, a newborn and her older brother. SCRAMBLE I called my husband and let him know a little guy would be arriving that evening and his sister would soon follow. I casually made the comment on Facebook that I was glad I had a crockpot going because there would be no cooking on my part, we were about to be Larsen Party of 7.
I made a few phone calls to my closest friends and received a few as well. We were only prepared for 1 child...we needed a bed, high chair, clothing, EVERYTHING! Like always, God comes through and people you haven't seen in years show up with gifts in arms. I was nervous, the kids cleaned, I cleaned, we all cleaned and waited. It wasn't long before our door bell rang and a caseworker was standing at our door, holding something small, precious, and scared.
This little guy immediately took to my boys and once the caseworker left after giving me a few details about the case, we knew what to do first...eat! I stood in the kitchen with our new arrival sitting in his chair. I watched him. He watched me. I took pictures. He was wide eyed. He shook his head "no" at everyone but he ate. Next was a bath...that was a huge challenge. The dynamic of our house was one of excitement. We had a visitor or two bring by gifts for him as he had come with nothing he could use. Clothing,, sippy cup, snacks, and soft things arrived for him. We sat in awe and watched him. We tried to introduce him to new toys and we really wanted to hug and hold him but he really just wanted to explore. My husband came home from work to meet our little fellow. That was a sweet moment. We eventually got him to sleep and we laid in bed that night in silence for awhile but when the silence broke we had so many questions and concerns. If we weren't ready, too bad. It was time. The next day would be a whirlwind... I can't wait to share with you the arrival of Sister. In the mean time I want to leave you with this... God's plan is real and bigger than we can imagine. When you need proof that you are doing what you were called to do, he takes the time to show you that you are. If you're not, don't fight it when you realize you're on the wrong path. As for guidance because something extraordinary is waiting.
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Come on in...I'm Aimee, former Early Childhood Educator and Reading Specialist turned author, speaker, blogger, and mom of 5. This website is meant to inspire & equip parents of little ones to promote early literacy & language development at home. You will also find fun crafts, devotionals, and recipes to explore..
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