Some of you may have seen the post I wrote on Wednesday…only to delete it a few hours later. It was entitled “Everything Has a Season”. I quoted Ecclesiastes and wrote about our plans to take a break from foster parenting. However, a few hours later, the agency called with a placement. I turned it down and then called Josh to tell him about it. A few minutes after I hung up with Josh, he called back. **Keep in mind, the husband is usually not the emotional one that takes action based on feelings, etc, etc…** Josh said, “I don’t know why, but I feel like we’re suppose to take this placement.”

Let me back-track a little…. Josh and I had decided over the weekend (last weekend) to take a break from fostering. On Monday morning we received a call about a placement. Four year old girl and one year old boy. We turned it down. When the call came on Wednesday, it was for the same placement. Something happened with the other foster parents, they dropped the children off at the agency and quit. It didn’t have anything to do with the children. There was a chance the children would be going home the next day. They needed a place to sleep Wednesday night…

Soooo, I called the agency back and said we’d keep them Wednesday night. The children are absolutely wonderful. WONDERFUL. The little girl is precious, well-mannered, courteous, and gets along well with my boys. The baby is a doll. He doesn’t quite walk yet, jabbers all the time, laughs every time someone looks at him, and sleeps wonderfully. I called Josh when the case went to court on Thursday.

I needed to know, “What happens if they don’t go home?”

“They’re staying with us.” He replied without hesitation.

They’ve been with us for three days now. I use to dread the weekends when we had foster children because there was so much added stress, knowing they all had to stay content and busy, but not with these children. We got up this morning, made pancakes, the children are all playing nicely outside while I clean the kitchen blog. We’ll put the baby down for a nap shortly, and head to the pool when he wakes up. When the children went outside after breakfast, Josh was holding the baby and he said, “Obviously God intended for these children to be in our house. I can’t believe how perfectly they fit.”

Now all of our plans have changed from a week ago and we’re ecstatic. I don’t know how long they’ll be with us, but we intend to enjoy every minute.

~audrey

I have no earthly idea why I’ve been so drawn to farming and homesteading. If you had told me ten years ago that I’d be homeschooling a brood of boys and looking at farm land so I could have chickens and goats and a milk cow, I’d have laughed and choked on my latte!

I thoroughly enjoyed my large garden this year, even if 50% of my efforts were for nothing thanks to those cursed vine-borers that killed my entire crop of squash and zucchini. We now have three tiers on our worm farm that consistently composts our organic kitchen waste. I’m preparing for a small fall garden in the backyard and I just found all the right county ordinances to tell me I am allowed to have chickens in my backyard! Do you know that three hens will give you about a dozen eggs a week? They don’t require all that much space and they’ll thrive on eating the bugs and such in your own backyard (in addition to their feed of course). To be honest, my sweet old neighbors (on all sides), don’t even hear well enough, nor spend enough time outside to likely even notice the addition of such urban farm pets.

I’m not real sure how my husband will feel about this addition, but I think I can warm him up to the idea by spring. We could build their coop through the fall and winter months; there’s hardly anything to it! And by March, we could head over to the Tractor Supply Store, or preferably a local organic farm and pick up a few baby chicks.

I recently purchased a really great book called, The Backyard Homestead

It has a wealth of information on becoming more self-sustainable.

Again, I have no idea where this urge has come from. I’ve even resisted going to the doctor lately, which isn’t really like me. If I’m sick, I want medicine and I want to feel better now. Joshua and I had fevers on Sunday and Monday. My throat hurt terribly and my glands were so swollen it hurt to talk or eat. Instead of rushing to the doctor only to be told it’s likely just a virus that would pass on its own in a few days, I headed to the store for Vitamin C, Echinacea, and soup. We started drinking extra water and going to bed early to give our bodies all the time they needed to fight this off the natural way. Go figure, it’s Wednesday morning and I’m feeling 75% better with nothing more than what I just listed and a few doses of Tylenol.

Unfortunately, now Owen has a nasty, crusty, green nose and a low fever. We’ll fight his the same way and all be healthy enough for a visit to Nana’s by the weekend.

I know it’s only Wednesday, but it feels like Friday already. We’re starting to have cooler mornings-in the upper 60’s/low 70’s- so the boys have been heading straight outside in the mornings. It’s refreshing to hear my children playing outside again on a regular basis after sheltering ourselves from the sweltering heat of a record-setting Georgia summer. Fall is just around the corner. I can feel it in my bones and smell it in the morning air.

How I love fall.

Happy Wednesday!

~audrey

There’s nothing better than a soft, clean-smelling baby straight from the tub.

His soft, blonde hair smelling of citrus and berries.

The chill on his skin makes him curl up in your arms.

And there’s nothing like a picture to show you that your little baby is most certainly not a baby any longer.

I love you Owen.

~audrey

That is the title of the quaint little book store inside the new Goodwill by our house. It’s not necessarily the biggest Goodwill I’ve ever seen, but they have a great book/media section and a sweet little cafe where they serve treats from Very Vera, a Southern Living featured caterer/business owner from right here in Augusta. I look forward to having lunch there sometime soon.

Their children’s section is not enormous, but all children’s books are either $0.99 or $1.99 depending on the size. Here is today’s booty:

I had homeschooling in mind and what we’ll be learning about this year in co-op, so I jumped at these Kingfisher science books.

and this book on Great Inventions

I was thrilled to find some of our favorite oldies but goodies from the Little House series and the Boxcar Kids

as well as a few great picture books

This one made me smile, so I bought it with the hopes of reading it to Owen in the coming months. (not pregnant yet)

Who would’ve ever thought cheap children’s books could make me so blissfully happy? 🙂

~audrey

~audrey

I can’t believe it’s been thirteen days since my last post! Between sticking with a schedule for our homeschooling, preparing for three foster children to stay with us for eight days, and today being our first day of co-op, we haven’t had a spare moment.

School is still going wonderfully. I have a feeling that Joshua and Jesse will be on the same level in just about every subject by the end of this year; it’s incredible how fast they pick things up when they’re doing it together (like math and spelling for example).

As soon as I peel myself off of this chair, I have to finish cleaning the house and putting sheets on the spare beds in preparation for the three foster kids that will be staying with us for the next eight days. Boy 5, Girl 4, and Boy 2. I’m looking forward to it and I’ll keep you posted on the craziness that will surely come.

Today was our first day of co-op. I used Classical Conversations curriculum with Joshua last year, but this is our first year participating in the co-op held at a local church. It is three or four hours a week on Tuesdays and it allows the children to get in a classroom setting with a “tutor” (teacher) and learn their new memory work for the week. Every week they have memory work for history, science, grammar, Latin, math, geography, Bible, and Timeline (historical timeline). They also get to practice drawing their maps (this year their focus is on Europe), participate in science experiments, and learn about art. It was absolutely wonderful. I will be singing about European waters and chanting the timeline for the next week for sure.

Happy Tuesday!

~audrey

I smile every time I hear the country song Beautiful Mess. The song has nothing to do with this post, but I still like the title. 🙂

I can’t quite describe to you how the last three days have been in my house.

Quiet.
Calm.
Right.
Adventurous.
Loving.
Sweet.
Splendor.

I feel like I’ve arrived at the place in which my family has always meant to be. Mom and her boys, gathered around the table, hands folded, listening intently as Mom reads from an old King James Bible. Smiling as we take turns praying, knowing God hears each word. I’ve been praying and reading and praying and praying that God would help me to have a meek and quiet spirit. I want to speak life into each of my children as I spend time with each of them individually. I want them to ask me anything and know that they’ll get a wise and gentle answer.
I was on the phone earlier today with a new friend. Together, we’ve taken on some nursery coordinating responsibilities regarding our homeschool co-op and things are getting stressful as we try to comply with the hosting church’s rules as well as meet as many needs for our co-op families as possible. She was getting to her wit’s end when she suddenly stopped and said, “I love talking to you. You’re so calm and encouraging.” Tears filled my eyes as I realized God was using me to reassure her, even when I was feeling anything but calm and encouraging. My pastor said many times from the pulpit, “You can act your way into a feeling much easier than you can feel your way into an action.” Knowing God desires for me to be patient and calm and loving toward my children, I’ve been consciously using a calm and gentle tone in my voice, even when I’d rather yell. I’ve been extra encouraging with my middle child, who often needs the most love and affection. As a result, I’ve been so incredibly relaxed.

I leave our breakfast mess in the sink and on the counter each morning, knowing I’ll get to it within the next two hours.

I don’t fear our next foster placement, knowing God will fit them into our lives just as He has intended. We got a call about two more children today. After praying, calling my husband, and deciding to say ‘yes’, I called the agency back. Of course I immediately begin making plans and arrangements. I need to pick up the other mattress from the Bailey’s, set up the other twin bed, take down the crib, pick up enrollment forms from the elementary school, etc, etc. About 30 minutes later, the agency called back. Apparently DFCS couldn’t wait the 35 minutes it took us to make a decision about the children, so they placed them with another agency. Without getting flustered at all, I simply looked at the boys and said, “Sorry boys, God put them somewhere else. We’ll get another call soon.” That is the 4th call we’ve gotten in the last two weeks. Two fell through and we had to say ‘no’ to two because they were too far out of our age preference.

I’m overwhelmingly excited at the thought of taking a pregnancy test at the end of each month, not knowing what it will say. I haven’t seen two lines in almost four years. That’s hard to comprehend. I get a knot in my throat as I watch my boys (particularly Joshua) hold Ashley’s twins and oooh and aaahh over newborns at church.

All of those things have lead me to see my life as a big beautiful mess right now.

Through it all, I remind myself daily that God is not the author of confusion, nor does He give us a spirit of fear.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

~audrey

Days, that is.

Richmond County requires that homeschooling students log at least 180 days of school per year. Of course, if we sent in attendance sheets year round for everyday that we learn great stuff at home (or in the car, or on vacation), we’d probably log more like 300, but we’ll just report what’s required.

Today was a total success. We started the day off right, reading out of Ephesians 6 and praying together. School time went smoothly with no complaining. I’m really really excited to have all of my boys home with me this year. I look forward to the days and years to come. I’m excited about all of the things we will learn and discover together. I’m so thankful for the freedom to teach my children at home. I hope to never take it for granted.

We finished school around 11:30 this morning and the boys ran off to play, like puppies released from their leashes. No TV, no computer, no DS, not even any music played as I packed up the books for the day and listened to the boys play trains with their little brother. It was a sweet time. Moments like those make me so very excited at the thought of another baby. We’re trusting the Lord for His perfect timing. After trying for a year to get pregnant with Owen, we’ve decided to leave it up to God (as if it really would have happened any other way!!) as to when we will get pregnant with number four…or number four and five! LOL! See, while twin pregnancies seem to be happening ALL around us, I actually do have the genetic cards stacked in my favor (or against me, depending on how I choose to look at it).
Twins are only genetic on the female’s side and only from her mother. Twin pregnancies tend to skip a generation, but I’m not sure that is scientific. In any case, my mother and her TWIN brother were numbers four and five in their family! My mother did not have twins, so not only is it my turn, but your chances increase with each year of age and with each recurring pregnancy. Twin pregnancies fascinate me, but I prefer one at a time, so that is certainly what I’ll be praying for. I just wanted to clear up the misconception that twins can run on either side of the family, from any family member, identical or fraternal…it’s just not true. Identical twins on the other hand, are a completely spontaneous miracle!
Tomorrow, school must start early so Josh and I can make an 11:00 training at the foster agency.
Can’t wait to hear how everyone else’s first day went!!
Happy Monday!
~audrey

It’s hard to believe that we will be entering the last week of summer vacation in two days.

I plan to have a little ‘team meeting’ with my boys this week so we can go over some house/school rules and discuss what our expectations are of one another. For example, I expect the boys to focus and work with excellence until they finish their daily school work. I expect them to treat me with respect and honor me as their mother and teacher (no arguing, complaining, back talk, etc.) In return, I will give them my undivided attention during school time. I will not answer my phone, get up to do chores, or get on the computer during school time.

I hope this next week will be fun and relaxing. We’ll probably go to the pool a few times…or maybe everyday. We may go to a dollar movie or have a picnic in the park. The great thing is, when you homeschool, you can do all of these things during the “school year” as well! However, I feel that the key to our success this year will be routine and consistency. I need to go ahead and send my letter of intent to the school board and fill out our attendance sheets for the first semester. I didn’t do a very good job with that last year. In fact, I sent in about six months of attendance sheets in April and I have yet to fax May’s. Good thing our county is overwhelmed with more important things than sending a truancy officer to my front door for my last month’s attendance sheet!

ahh, the foster kids are here; gotta go!!

~audrey

This morning I hit the ground running, knowing we had nothing on the agenda. I had some croissants left over from when we had chicken salad the other day. I decided to cut them in half, spread nutella in the middle and close it back up. It was just as good as any chocolate croissant I’ve ever eaten at a cafe. Yum!

Since I’ve been on a roll lately with keeping the house clean, laundry folded and put away as soon as it comes out of the dryer, dishes where they belong, blah, blah, blah, I decided to pick something big on my “Deep Cleaning/Re-Organizing” to-do list. My bathroom has been half finished for over a year. The color no longer tickles my fancy and I’m ready for a change; all the way to the finish preferably. I’ve decided to repaint my bathroom the same color as my kitchen, which is just a subtle blue/gray. It is light, but not baby nursery light. I’ll definitely take before and afters. I’m doing it right this time; 100%. I took down every single thing that could be removed from the walls. I wiped the walls down with a wet cloth, spackled all holes and imperfections, pulled off a few remaining remnants of the 40 year old wallpaper that was removed when we moved in four and a half years ago. Now I’ll have to wait, likely all weekend, before I can actually paint. I may, in the meantime, paint the vanity while I wait. The vanity is small, with two small drawers and four cabinets. I think a coat of white, high gloss paint and some simple new hardware would really spruce the thing up.

I’ve also decided to let the boys help me throw around some ideas to revamp their room. As I’ve said before, I’m really tired of the sand color throughout the living room, hallway, and boys’ room, so I’m going to start changing it, a little at a time. I have no idea what I’m going to do in the boys’ room, but I’d like them to help me decide and we’ll repaint and choose new window treatments.

We’re keeping someone else’s foster children tomorrow, tomorrow night, and until after church on Sunday. My boys are spending the night with my in-laws so the sleeping arrangements for the foster children will be simplified. As a result, I won’t get anything more done on the house until next week. But thankfully, we have another wide open week, so I foresee lots of creativity and productivity!

Pictures to come!

Have a great weekend!!

~audrey