One Step Closer

We are one step closer.  I woke up humming this song this morning and I knew that we would get news today.  Final clearance came through yesterday from Springfield.  Our homestudy is complete and all information has been sent for final data entry.  Our licensing worker says we should have the license in our hands in about a week.  One step closer.

And Exhale

I feel like my life starts on Friday night.  My Monday through Friday is consumed with a job that is very stressful and draining and I often feel like I am holding my breath until I get to 4pm on Friday...and the I can exhale and breathe and enjoy my life.  The family and I are LOVING family movie night.  This week was a double feature of Madagascar 3 and Beetle Juice.  We had hot coco and delicious sugar cookies for our treat.

 Saturday was a very scheduled day.  Lots of errands to run in the morning, and a tea with my step-mom in the afternoon.  We visited Twigs Market in the morning to deliver our homemade laundry soap that we sell there.  You can find our Etsy store here: The Dixon Connection.  The kids and I love this little market!  They have so many wonderful things to see.  Bunnies and chickens and goats and ducks for the kids to play with, fresh produce, antiques, handmade items...it's a wonderful place and worth the drive out!

After deliveries we picked up grandma and headed out to The Mackinaw Tea Room for lunch.  They were having their holiday open house and there were beautiful things to see and very delicious things to eat!

 I did manage to find some time on Sunday to start clearing out the dining room in preparation of our new floors going in.  I came across some old pictures of the kids.  It seems like it was just a few months ago when they were this little!!

 The weekend had a perfect ending with a Sunday dinner at my parents' house roasting hot dogs and eating smores and apple crisp!

We have heard nothing new in regards to our foster care license.  It is my understanding that the Central Office of Licensing in Springfield underwent a large audit in August & September and that is why all of the clearances out of Springfield are being delayed.  I am just trying to be patient and trust in the Lord's timing.

Apples and monsters and pumpkins, OH MY!

We have stolen an idea from this blog and I am loving it!  Last Friday night was our second Family Movie night.  We made homemade carmel apples and a sparkling apple cider that I found on my beloved Pinterest.  The movie was Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  Drew ahs decided he will be Willie Wonka for halloween.

Saturday was a planned trip to Six Flags to enjoy Fright Fest.  We get season passes every year but have never made it down for Fright Fest.  It was a good time.  It was me and four kids, and Khloe was terrified of the monsters and we lost Drew at one point for a minute and a half that seemed like 6 years, but overall we had a good time.

Sunday was our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.  We didn't have Bella this year and we missed her.

I sure have some beautiful children.

Sunday night was dinner at my parents' house and some pumpkin carving!

There was a little time in between all of the activity for Daddy to catch a few zzzzz.  I couldn't help but take his picture.  He's such a handsome guy.                    

Nothing exciting to report in the Fostercare area.  Our agency is claiming that clearances out of Springfield are backed up and taking an extened amount of time.  I'm just frustrated with the whole thing.  Others that were in class with us have gotten their license.  Many people have told us to change agencies, for now I'm just trying to be patient and trust in the Lord's timing.



Weekend Review

We had a great weekend. We kicked off the break from school and work with a Family Movie Night. I made a fun invitation and taped it to each kids' bedroom door (because I didn't make it in time to mail it).

We had homemade carmel corn.  Oh YUM!!  You can find the recipe here.  It is a challenge to find a family friendly movie to share.  We ended up watching Home Alone 3.

Drew & Khloe ran their best times in their Cross County Sectional on Saturday!  Khloe finished the year at 14.59 and Drew finished his year at 13.10.  So proud of them both for doing an amazing job on their first year!!
We had another beautiful fall weekend here.  This weekend it was Drew's turn to have his special day out with Mom & Dad.  He wanted to go go-carting and he needed to get his shoes for basketball.  It was a total "boy" kind of day!

   

Daddy getting ready to race!

    

Me in my dune buggy!

The kids spent some fun times at grandma's house.  Fishing, raccoon hunting, cooking and hanging clothes on the line.  I made some yummy chicken & rice soup and banana bread.  I ended the weekend at a mom's prayer group where we prayed over each other's children and the needs of our school and faculty.  My kids need prayer.  Drew is a challenge to me and a bigger challenge to his teacher and classmates.  Kait is going through the age where friends are making different choices and she is feeling torn.  Khloe is feeling 13 and flexing her attitude Independence.  I set this as the wallpaper on my phone.  We all need to pray this for our kids.

The Simple Life

It's Monday, and I am heading back into the work week, still clinging to the fall bliss of the weekend.  I think I have decided that fall is my favorite season.  I used to think spring, but I think fall is taking over.  I love this time of year when the air cools and the leaves change.  I love all of the oranges and yellows.  I was walking to meet friends for dinner on Saturday and I was soaking in the trees and the fallen leaves and the blue sky and the perfect day.  As I grow older, I am better at slowing down and appreciating the moment.  Lately, I have been craving a slower pace.  Time at home.  Time to catch up and then relax with a book or a show on tv. Just being thankful for that moment and thanking God for blessing me with so much in my life.  Loving fall things like the annual bonfire at Grandma's and drinking too many Chai Lattes.

I can't help but to remember this time last year. I had just had a hysterectomy & both ovaries removed. I was home, I was resting. Each day I would get the kids off to school and then sit in my chair on the porch and read. I took naps, visited with my friend Nancy who came over and took good care of me. I did fall crafts and flipped through magazines. It was a peaceful time. It has been a mostly pain free year and I do not regret my decision to have the surgery.

After the disappointment of last week, and the process of obtaining our license in general, I was confirming to myself my decision to not contact the agency until we had received our license in the mail.  I thought..."I'm just going to enjoy my simple life while I still have it."  For those of you that know us, I'm sure that you would agree that we don't necessarily live a 'simple life'.  We are a very active family with three very active kids.  We usually have some sort of activity scheduled every night of the week.  It's rare that you will find us at home or with a blank date on our calendar.  If we are at home, I am cooking or cleaning or crafting or making laundry soap.  I couldn't tell you the last time that I was home for an entire day.  I couldn't tell you a time when all five of us didn't leave the house for an entire day.  That has probably never happened.  We are always on the go and we like it that way.  Our life is simple to me.  I know the schedule.  I post it on the fridge so that everyone knows what is going on that week.  I know my kids and their attitudes and emotions.  I know the routine, who needs to be where when.  Once we have a child/children placed with us, that will all change.

This weekend was good.

I sent out a text on Friday...Sunday Dinner at our house.  Celebrating fall with soup, bread and apple crisp.  Be there or be talked about!  Drew and I made apple crisp together.  I love that he will do things like this with me.

We had our girl for another sleepover.  We love her so much! 

It was a good weekend.  Too short.  I did get one room decluttered and I swept the floors, I didn't get them mopped.  I think that can be done by Wednesday night.  I did find some fall stuff and get it put up.  The goal for this week is to get the entry cleared.  I have been piling things there for a while and they need to find new homes.  Our week isn't as busy as the passed few since Carnival is over and Cross Country and Golf are coming to an end.  I challenge you to slow down this week and enjoy fall.

I will leave you with this video.  Every time I get frustrated, scared, confused, unsure about this adventure that is Foster Care...we sing this song at church and I feel like it's God singing peace into my soul and reminding me that this is NOT ABOUT ME.

I'll Follow You

Leeland