Lesson #2

So on to what happened this weekend. And if you guessed that it involved soccer than you know our family well because we are in that season of the year.
Sweet P Kailee taught me another lesson this past weekend. In my play by play typing voice....Kailee was fighting for control of the ball when she was kneed in the thigh. She could hardly put weight on her right leg, her kicking leg, for several seconds (mom voice- it felt like so much longer). She slowly started to try and walk it off as the game went on around her (mom voice again- I know she is tough, but I could see the pain on her face as the seconds, seemed like minutes, go by). Other parents have noticed that she is in pain and cannot run; we need her to run. It's a tough game and she is counted on to be a good offense player, but she is still not able to keep up. Then I hear some parents yelling for her to be taken out of the game. The yelling becomes louder as I am thinking to myself (okay yelling back in my own mind) that she's almost there, she's trying her hardest to shake it off and keep going. Finally the coaches hear some people are frantically yelling at them, and they ask Kailee if she is OK and get ready to sub her out. But my tough little Sweet P says she is fine; she wants to keep on playing. I am thinking to myself,
Oh no, she better really be OK or some of these parents are going to lose it if we lose because she can't keep up. Then within a minute, Kailee gets a great pass from her teammate and kicks it with her hurting leg and, in my best soccer announcer voice now, GOOOOOOOAL!!!!
My mommy voice wanted to roar out that's my girl; I knew she was tough, but God thankfully kept me firmly seated in my chair. Really I was holding the tears in I was so proud of her for pushing through the pain and seeing it pay off (also thinking boy I'm glad I have sunglasses because I would embarrass her if she saw me crying).
God used this to remind me of the times in life when we fall down or mess up and get hurt. It feels as if people are screaming for us to get off the field and give up. But God is there with His promise that we can do all things through Him who gives us strength. Am I listening more to people's opinions, which can seem so much louder, or am I listening to Him who truly knows what I am capable of? He knows the best because He made me and He strengthens me in my weakness to do His will.
In this game, there was the pressure of losing. In life, as believers, we already know that we have the victory in Christ. So I shouldn't waste my time trying to keep everyone else happy or comfortable, but only press on to please my Lord.



"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10

Lessons from my Sweet "P"

I often call Kailee my Sweet P because she is just that, a sweet little girl with a very sweet tooth. Today I was reminded of how proud I am of her and what God has taught me through her.


Lesson 1:
Earlier this summer Kailee was part of a creative arts camp at our church. She auditioned for a special singing part in the musical which was Beauty and the Beast. Our church is big, well very big compared with most other churches in the world, so she is one of many kids trying to get a special part, so she was one of about 50 kids who were given the role of "Villager." This means that the week before the camp she has to go to special practices for a couple hours a day some days the week prior to camp. I remember at one of these rehearsals the director said she was trying to block, or set, the kids up on stage so they all could be seen because she understood how each parent wanted to be able to see their kid on stage. Admittedly, this is no easy feat with that many kids and only a certain amount of stage to work with.
The day of the performance was a tough one. She could not find a piece of her costume that she had been given (supposed to be bobby pinned in her hair, but she was not given bobby pins) and was upset about not being able to find it after the dress rehearsal. And I was upset because after sitting through the dress rehearsal, I realized there was no way I was going to be able to see her on stage. She is not a push yourself up to the front kind of person, nor is she a state my case to the costume manager type of person either (although she states more than a few cases to her Mommy). But when I was able to see her singing with the choir, she was singing her little heart out.
We made it to show time and she more than willingly gave up her front row choir spot and moved to the back, and I literally did not see her but maybe but for a fleeting moment on stage. As I sat there in my seat pouting about how much time she had invested "for nothing," God reminded me that we are to do our best for Him not for others. Kailee was singing her heart out, doing her best as I had seen earlier, not so she could be the star of the show, but because she enjoys it and wants to give her best. God used her to show me the lesson of doing my best for Him and His glory, not for praise or attention from anyone else. It's about His glory, not mine, and dare I say it not even my child's.


"And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ." Colossians 3:22-24 (The Message)

Angels and Dirtbags

As summer is nearing an end (although it doesn't feel like it :-( ), I am just now getting around to posting about our spring ball players. Benjamin joined back up with his team the Dirtbags and Kailee played softball for the first time ever with the Angels.


Benjamin played pitcher for his team and was awarded the "King of the Hill" award for his outstanding defense. The Dirtbags took 2nd in their division even though most of their players were playing up an age division. We get a lot of remarks about their name which was inspired by his coach's opposing team from Long Beach St. I thought it was funny when I overheard one mom telling her son to "go be a Dirtbag," as she was encouraging him to sit with the team.
Benjamin was one of three boys selected from his team to be on the all-star team. He enjoyed the all-star game since they allowed him to try out different positions. We got a kick out of seeing him waddle up behind home plate with all the catcher gear on.





Kailee was new to the whole bat and glove concept, but she enjoyed being with her teammates most of whom are on her much loved soccer team. This was the first time Ozzie was able to assist in coaching one of her teams. She loved that, Mommy had to adjust to not being able to count on his help during games (especially when we had foster kids). Kailee played in the outfield most of the time and her batting continued to improve throughout the season. The Angels took 3rd place in the tougher division in her age group which we all thought was great considering only a couple of the girls had ever played softball before. By the time her season ended in mid-June, we were ready for a break from team sports. On to the pool!

The Next Lesson

Last week we said goodbye to our latest placement. She was a little baby who was fun to hold and a blessing to care for. We had more of a heads up as to her leaving, so that made it a little easier. God, however, was good to me again in giving me His word to sustain me in times of questioning the decision of the powers that be in the CPS system. When I would question her safety in giving her back, God comforted me with the thought of Moses' mother who had to trust her child to Pharoah. Pharoah was an Egyptian; they were considered the enemy. I'm sure she had seen the abuse her people suffered at the hand of the Egyptians, yet she obeyed God and trusted Him with her son. How could I then not trust God with this tiny baby that I had known only for a short while. I am grateful for God's comfort and assurance speaking right to my exact need.

First Quarter

Well, the first quarter of 2011 is gone before I blinked. Where did the time go for us? Most days were filled with slow mornings in our pj's, loving sweet foster kids that we were blessed to love on. We would squeeze in a couple hours of homeschool learning about the establishment of our country and the move westward. Kailee is now learning multiplication and Benjamin is a strong little reader. We joined a science center that we like to visit and even learn while we are having fun. Kailee is taking art classes and Benjamin is persevering with piano lessons. We normally take one day off each week for Mommy's sanity and the maintaining of some sort of cleanliness of our home. Throughout the week, we have some type of sports practice in the afternoon/evening that gets us rushing out the door scampering for water bottles and the right sports gear. It was an extra challenge to pack a diaper bag as well.
Saturdays were spent watching Kailee and Benjamin use the athletic ability God has given them on either a basketball court or soccer field. They each did really well and enjoyed their sports and I managed to muffle my cheering if foster-baby was in my arms. Saturday evenings you would find us at church. We love our church and our church friends. I have no idea what we would do without the support of the body of Christ. Benjamin has now joined us in the service and it is neat to worship as a family. Sundays were varied and different from slow days at home to busy on the run from this to that days.
Here are some pictures from the last 3 months.


This was the first time the kids played on basketball teams. They had fun and we have discovered a new sport to have fun with. The newly added basketball goal has been a great addition to our backyard. You will often hear Benjamin shooting hoops here and there throughout the day.







There were quite a few snow days this winter. A kind neighbor took a picture of the whole family; this is a rare shot of all 4 of us plus the dog!! Below is one of many action shots of a snowball fight that I happily offered to keep record of rather than participate in.



Dallas hosted the Superbowl and the kids and I took advantage of the opportunity to visit the NFL Experience.


We also were an official Verizon Superbowl Watching Party and enjoyed watching the Packers win. At halftime all the kids danced away and I'm sure the whole neighborhood could hear how much fun they were having.




Once the snow cleared, we thought it was warm enough for a family fishing outing. Funny thing was a cold front came in at almost the exact time we were getting out of the van to fish. We made the most of it and found a different slightly warmer spot. Memories made and no fish harmed = success??




Yet another soccer season was upon us. Benjamin decided to try his foot at it once again and on a different, much more successful team, so this has been an enjoyable season for both of them; goals made and winning games has been icing on the cake of soccer fun!


Soon baseball/softball season begins. Hopefully I'll post those pics before Labor Day!

Keeper of Comings and Goings

I know it has been a while hasn't it. Well, since I last blogged, we have had another foster placement. We were blessed with a sweet little boy who was a lot of fun and we became attached to pretty quickly. We were told that this would be a longer term placement, so we moved forward with that mindset. However, our plans and even CPS' original plans are not in control. After one month, we were surprised to find out we had one more month with him, but then the next day, he was gone.
We were sad and surprised, but trust in God's plan not only for us, but also for this little one. The day we learned that we were not chosen as his permanent home, I made myself sit down and do my Bible study. That day the passage was Psalm 121. It was verse 8 that God used to encourage me, "The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore." God is the Keeper of not only my coming and going, but each child that is placed with us; we just need to trust His keeping!

Late update of the latest

Well, we finally got the call we had been waiting for on Dec. 29th. It wasn't the best day to get a foster placement (chest x-ray for Benjamin for possible pneumonia), but it was a "long shot" for us to be picked so I said OK to throw our name in the mix. Well, God doesn't know the term "long shot" and we had about 3 hours to get ready to welcome two brothers into our home. The next month would be a long one filled with sleepless nights and argumentative days. Benjamin and the big brother were too close in age and just didn't mix well. This added stress made me question our decision to foster. The comfortable days with just our two kids were looking so good.

We did survive the tough times and were blessed with times of multiplied fun and laughter. We were blessed by the help of friends (we have the best friends and family ever!!) and strangers and now that they are gone, I can look back and see what God wanted to teach us in this refining fire experience.

I think we all learned a different lesson, but I am sure that one reason God placed these boys in our home was for the following....
We made it a point to read a Bible story every night before bed. The older brother was old enough to let us know he had not been to church nor had he heard any part of the Bible. While we were reading one night, he asked me "Who is God?" and that is when I realized that this placement was not about me. It was about God and being able to share who He is with some children who had never heard of Him.

We were blessed to be able to show them God's love for one month. Our prayer is that the seeds planted in their hearts will take root.

"So shall My word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." Is. 55:11