The Parent Rap

Do It For Them!

The past few weeks have been some trying ones... emotionally, mentally and physically. It kicked off with 5 of my 6 kiddos being sick for a week straight (a fun mix of RSV, vomiting, fevers, bronchial pneumonia, rashes, etc) Then, a week ago this past Sunday on of our little foster babies was rushed to the ER... he was turning blue and had gone limp, it was beyond scary! Here we are almost 2 weeks out and my husband and I are still, daily, tag teaming the hospital and our home. Its been trying on our whole family but, you can ask any adult or child in this home and I know for sure we would all agree... this little man is worth it! He kept stopping breathing, his heart rate would plummet, he had PIC lines surgically inserted, ventilator and feeding tubes down his little throat, and was medically sedated and paralyzed. It has been an emotional roller coaster watching this precious little man endure so much. We have to believe though, that God has placed these children with us, to be there for them, at this very time in their lives. I struggled last week with how God could let me get so attached to these babies and go through we are with them, only to have to let them go in the end?!? And... after I threw my fit... I had to check myself! The very words I use to others (who say they could never foster because they would get too attached and it would be too hard to let them go) - "you're not in it for you... you're in it for them!"  Wow! How true that is! I am not at that hospital on a daily basis, up at night with his twin sister and meeting all the demands in between, for me. It was at this moment... with exhausted, tear filled eyes that I realized that... no matter what God has in store for these babies in the long run - they were born His {not mine} 2 months ago today, they are His today, and they will remain His. I am blessed to love on them, care for them, and pray for them... just as with my biological children. But in the long run, they are HIS and He knows whats best for them FAR beyond what I could comprehend, even if that means some tears in the mean time for me, because- I AM IN THIS FOR THEM, NOT FOR ME and when all is said and done we need to believe....

James 1:27

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

This has always been one of my favorite verse. I have always had a heart for "orphans". What I did not realize is that, just as God has adopted us into His family... we too are called, as Christians  to be like Christ, to care for the orphans and the widows. Websters defines "Christian" as "exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christlike. It is an "adjective", which is a descriptive word. Therefore, if we are claiming to be "christian" we are describing ourselves as a follower of Christ, that we are striving to be like the one we claim to follow. As I have gotten to know God more personally over the past 6 months I have found Him to be a God of unconditional love, grace, compassion, healing and a God of open arms. So, If I am going to claim to be a "christian", then these are only a few of the words that I should be striving to be used when someone is speaking of me personally. So... how are you putting your Christianity into practice?! How are you setting yourself apart to be used?! We all have a testimony to give, someone we know that is struggling, an empty bed in our home, or even 30 minutes out of our whole week to spare to mentor a teen. Pray about how God is going to use you to be like Him, the one you claim to follow. Being a "christian" is a daily calling. The amazing part is, no matter how many times you fall down in battle... He is still asking you to fight for Him. If God has this much faith in us... who are we to second guess the calling He has for us. OHHHHH, because you feel inadequate! Yeah, been there! Unfortunately, that excuse get thrown out the window when we read REPEATEDLY, in the bible about the individuals God chose to ROCK for him! Check this out...

All ready for church. These little ones are amazing! oxoxo

no sleep. english101. twin foster babies. family of 8. still smiling.

no sleep. english101. twin foster babies. family of 8. still smiling.

Within the past couple of weeks we have gone from 4 kids to 6 kids, from a mini van to a passenger van, from sleeping to not sleeping, from big boy cups and undies back to bottles, formula and diapers and... as I am typing was just thrown up on by a tiny little 6 lb baby who somehow managed to cover herself (head to toe), me, and the carpet! However, when the laundry is piling up around me, the day has come to a close, and my caffeine has worn off hours prior... I am still smiling, knowing how blessed we are to have what we have and to be where we are at! Last May we were blessed with a house and we have decided that we use our blessing to bless others. Funny thing is, bringing these twins into our home... we are the blessed ones!

The past couple years have been quite the challenge  I have fallen, failed, and then chose to deal, heal and rise! I asked my mom (before we got the twins) why it wasn't scaring me to take on more kids?! (especially when we already get "the looks" in public just having 4) She stated, "when you are carrying less on the inside, it opens you up to do more on the outside!" And, wow! how true that is! My plate is fuller now than it's ever been, and yet, it seems to seem like so much less. I went from, "holy crap, I am falling apart!" to... "bring it on, I've got this!" and am thanking God every step of the way, knowing that He is the strength that was missing and that I now have, in an unending supply! I have always heard it said that, "God knows the desires of your heart", but to see it in action has really been amazing! Even when I was young I knew I wanted to someday grow up and take care of orphans. But to look around me and see it playing out, with an amazing man by my side who's heart is in this with me... makes me realize how abundantly blessed I am! I mean, come on, 6 kids?! Heck... we are a full time party!  

God is blowing me away!

   Well, I have not posted anything in a while, but the funny thing is that my last actual post was on "giving it to God" and that just why I have not had time to blog... He is answering prayers and moving faster than I can keep up! I had decided to give to God the timing of our foster care relicensing , the health and birth of twins in phoenix that I had become aware of, and my daughters anxiety. Well... all I can say is, when God moves in such a way that it just leaves you speechless, it really can make you feel like a fool for all the hours you spend stressing and worrying about it! Guilty! Anyway, lets get at trying to relay the short version of a long story.
   A few days before Christmas I received a call from a friend regarding twins being born that we had decided we would foster. However, the big ol' problem was... we were not even licensed yet to do so. Well, I hung up with her and immediately contacted our awesome licensing worker, Carrie, to update her on the news and to see where we were at in the whole process. I told her, "I know that this is all in Gods hands because we have done all we can on our parts and all we can do is sit and wait for papers to process and be approved." Her response is what blew my mind! She said, "well, funny you should call because I was out the other day and when I got in this morning and checked my email I see that your license was approved yesterday! There are families in front of you waiting and yours cleared!?" And this is where I got goose bumps and could simply laugh! Really God?! Talk about timing! We had no control over our license nor did we have control when those babies would arrive. But, God did and in giving it to Him, He rocked it! And, let me throw in there that my 9 year old that really struggles with anxiety (which breaks my heart) is also baby OBCESSED! She has been so excited about these little ones coming into our home that she is less anxious and more of her old fun loving self! Babies are like medicine to her little heart! So, this week we will be taking on twins, and expanding both our family... and our vehicle! All though driving a 12 passenger van is far from a dream... loving on babies that need it and showing them and my children the unconditional love that Christ has shown me, for sure is!!! So here's to the 6 kids (half of them being under 3), passenger van and many sleepless nights that are awaiting me in the week ahead! If God has proven Himself awesome just in the past week alone... who am I to doubt the incredible plan he has for my family and I!?

Project 6.8

PROJECT 6.8 is worth checking out... and getting involved with! Check them out...

Project 6.8 is a movement in Arizona focused on engaging the local Church in domestic foster care and adoption. Specifically, p68.org is aimed at providing a tangible resource & connection point for this movement, one we believe is very close to the heart of God. We hope this site provides you with helpful information about getting involved in foster care and adoption, upcoming partner gatherings, and much more!


Project 6.8 is a movement in Arizona focused on engaging the local Church in domestic foster care and adoption. Specifically, p68.org is aimed at providing a tangible resource & connection point for this movement, one we believe is very close to the heart of God. We hope this site provides you with helpful information about getting involved in foster care and adoption, upcoming partner gatherings, and much more!

Partner Gatherings Partner Gatherings are fun evenings with food, music and hanging out for prospective and current foster/adoptive families in Arizona. We hold these quarterly and provide FREE childcare. 

Mentor a teen aging out of foster care
Each year in Arizona 500+ teens "age out" with no support system as they were never adopted into a family. Less than 5% of these teens graduate from college and a significant number end up homeless, poor or in the criminal justice system.

These teens are full of potential and often just need a caring adult to encourage them and give them practical advice.
No special qualifications needed. Become a Community Advisor through AASK today!

Adopt a foster family     Monthly calls, notes of encouragement, babysitting, meals, etc. 

Join our Facebook Group 
Go to facebook.com and search under groups for "Project 6.8"