Male Bonding.

Thing I learned in the two days that we had a pre-pubescent boy:

 

1. Boys smell.  Girls may be made of sugar and spice, yadayada, but boys? Boys are made of sweat, grime, two days of pretending that you brushed your teeth when you didn’t, and farts.  s.m.e.l.l.y.

 

2.  Boys need masculine love.  I’ve noticed this with kids of the male persuasion that we’ve been blessed with before – but I really felt like having an older male made that need even more apparent.  *Popcorn* was glued to Brian at the hip.  During meals he asked to sit next to him, he wanted to ride next to him in the car, and any time he was doing something he wanted Brian right there just in case something cool happened.  Popcorn lives with his momma, and I think he really soaked up the male bonding time.  I think I even heard a few grunts and pounding of chests.

 

3.  Popcorn’s momma has done a good job at teaching him manners.  He says please and thank you, he opens doors, he informs Brian how to treat me like a lady (Ha!), and he apologizes when he feels like he’s done something wrong.  Chalk it up to the honeymoon phase, but I think it is sweet, and I want to make sure that I teach any boys we may have these very same things.

 

4.  If you let boys watch lots of rated ‘R’ movies, Southpark, Family Guy, and listen to unending amounts of rap music – it will probably come back to bite you in your rear.  This kid needs some serious detox from all things bloody, violent, and four lettered.

 

I definitely enjoy boys.  I feel like I connect more with girls, but boys have their own list of cool.  And Brian doesn’t smell so much anymore (mostly)…so maybe they grow out of that one.

 

 

*For confidentiality reasons, I lovingly gave him the name Popcorn, because this kid had a HEAVY duty case of ADD.  He is on medication, and still something new and totally unrelated pops into his mind at the rate of about 20 ideas per minute.  I liken it to popcorn in an air popper.  Thus, his nickname.*

Introducing…

Our new nephew, Timothy!  So sweet!

born at 5:30 a.m.

8lbs 12oz, 20 1/2 inches long.

Project 365 – Week 8

This is what happens now when I put Sylvia on the floor with toys.  She promptly rolls herself under the bed/couch/table – whatever is available really.  She’s learned how to direct her rolling now so that she can get where she wants to, and has even started scooting!

Sylvie loves snuggling her Daddy.

Sylvia and her friend Elliana having fun looking out the window.

My flowers, compliments of the boys.

Sylvia meeting her friend Coralyn for the first time!  We were in the same Bradley class as her parents, used the same birth center, and the girls were born on the very same day!

 

Sylvie was a little bit more aggressive in her introduction – not sure Coralyn knew quite what to think.

Whoah!  Checkin’ out her pretty red hair!

Sylvie and her brother from another mother.

“You have power tools?  COOL!”

They made ‘swords’ and ‘shields’ together out of wood.  Good male bonding time.  Then they pretended to be pirates in the front yard.  So cute.

(I fail at this.  I either don’t have enough pictures, or too many.  So this is my very own version of Project 365.)

Obviously a Gentleman.

We’re staying busy with this young man.

This morning he got up bright and early.  Brian got up with him so that I could try to let Sylvia sleep a little longer.  He was antsy for something to do, so they took off to the store to get some breakfast goodies.

I heard the garage door when they returned, and Sylvie was waking up, so I got up and went down stairs.  I heard some whispering, and when I rounded the corner he popped out at me with a bouquet of flowers!

“I told Brian he needed to get these for you.  I told him you are a good wife, and you’re pretty.  And that he’s a lucky man.”

 

 

 

I like this kid already!

What is that? …The familiar sound of our phone ringing?

It is no later than 3:38 p.m., and we have already gotten 2 (TWO) phone calls today for placements.  My sister says they’ve got our proverbial number (“Yeah, call the Popps, they NEVER say no.”). 

I say that if any foster home is getting calls overlapping calls, that there need to be more foster homes.  mmhmm.  How many of us have an extra bedroom?  In how many of our homes to each of our children have their own rooms?  Really?  Sharing is good.  But I digress.

Both phone calls were for respite.  We said yes when they called us with the first.  A nine year old boy, tonight through Sunday night.  He’s diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (it’s exactly what the title says) so I had intake call the caseworker to check on physical aggression.

While she was doing her checking, we got another phone call.

“I know that someone just called you for respite for a little boy, but your worker told us we should call you with this one.”  (We have a very good working relationship with our worker.  And obviously – she DOES have our number.) “We need respite for a sibling group of six, ages 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 9 – tonight through next Friday.” (Gulp. How does that even happen??)   After listening to the referral, finding out the 9 year old is physically aggressive, and calling Brian, we decided that we would be able to take some of them, but not all – they won’t fit! – and not the 9 year old due to said PA.  She’s going to call around and see if she can place them together, if not, she’ll call back.

I hung up, and the first intake caller called back.  The 9 year old is not physically agressive, and there is an infant where he currently lives that he does well with.  OK.  So, for now, we have a 9 year old little boy coming today at 5:00. 

We are already having people over for dinner tonight and tomorrow night, so I hope he likes company!  Speaking of company, we know two couples who are good friends who are finishing their fostering classes next week, and we are getting together with a couple tonight for dinner who want to discuss fostering to adopt!!  So exciting. (All of which read this.  I’m so excited for you and where God may lead you!)

 

This was long.  Sorry.  And may or may not have made fostering sound a little scary.  But it's more of a blessing than it is scary.  I promise.

False Start.

You’d think I would learn.  You’d think I’d just wait to post anything about any potential placement until the kids were actually standing in my living room.  But alas, apparently I’m a slow learner.

 

You guessed it.  I know you did.

We are not having four children coming to stay with us.  Not this week anyway.  But it is such a praise.  Not because I will maintain my sanity for a short while longer, but because the reason they are not coming to stay here is that they found an adoptive home for them!!!  All four of them!!!  Together for good!!!  I am so thrilled and thankful.  What a blessing for those children to not have to ever move again, to have a forever home, to know real love!

I have to say I was a little bummed, after all, we had already started making preparations for a very large increase to our small family.  However, the system did not let us down.  ha. 

We got a call not ten minutes later for another placement.  I’m mostly convinced that it just took them a while to get our profile changed back to being open for placements after the X-man left – because since the start of this week we have not failed to get a phonecall for a placement in any 24 hour period.  Once a day.  Once a day they’ve called us with children who need a home. (Have I mentioned you should become a foster parent?)  We had to turn down a couple of placements due to physical aggression on the children’s part.  If there is one thing that we can not risk, it’s that Sylvia would get injured.

Anyway.  We are expecting a call on Sunday to set up a *pre-placement visit* with a 7 year old little girl who is soon being discharged from a residential facility.  I’ll tell you more about her in another post.  But there I go again – too early to know for sure – so I’m not making any promises that she’ll be joining our family either!  But like I’ve said before – all this is a little like a roller coaster, and as foster parents you have to be flexible.  (Not like, touch your toes flexible. More like tie yourself in a pretzel flexible.)

 

And just for kicks and giggles (I’m certain my Nana’s version of that saying wasn’t quite so clean, but…) I’ll share a picture of this pretty girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*A pre-placement visit is when a foster child visits with potential foster parents for a little while (an hour or so) so that both parties can get to know each other before the actual move.  It’s supposed to help cut down on disruptions, and help the child feel more comfortable when they move.

Why Foster?

 

Get Involved:

Reasons 148, 149, 150, 151 

 

 

 

 

 

Because these four kids need someone like you.  (By the way, when I post, and I refer to you, I’m not just talking about that person you think would be perfect for the job, or the person who is magic with kids, or the person who never loses their patience <do they exist?>, I’m talking about you.  The person reading this post.  The person that for *whatever* reason keeps reading these posts on why you should get involved.  That person.)

 

All four of these kids are actually up for adoption here.  You know you want to check it out.

 

 

(I always feel like I need to put some kind of disclaimer on these posts.  I realize fostering isn’t for everyone.  But it could be for you, so check it out.  Also, there are a million ways to impact the lives of children in foster care.  If you’d like info on other ways to help out, let me know!  Questions?  Send them my way!)

The Roller Coaster That Is…

  …taking placements via the intake department.  We haven’t had to go through the intake department since our girls came to stay with us – all of our other placements have come to us through our Resource Family Worker which involves much less drama.

  The intake department consists of a rotation of workers who make phone calls for any children in care in need of a placement.  That means that they play the middle man between you (foster parent) and the children’s caseworker.  That means that any time there is a question, conflict, or you hold your mouth the wrong way when discussing the placement, they have to get in contact with the caseworker (could take days.  literally.) and then find the time to get back to you.  Long story short, it makes all this take a lot of time, a lot of waiting, and in the end everything is as clear as the air in L.A.

SO, no news as of yet really.  Just waiting for the intake department to get a hold of the caseworker, who has to get a hold of her supervisor, who has to call the adoption worker. 

Ahhh, bureaucracy.

 

Things I am slightly nervous about:

• How to divide my time between five kids under the age of 10.  This will take some practice.  I just hope I get good at it sooner than later.
• Hair Care.  I am moderately sure that the kids are African American (Yes, that’s how informative the intake department is when they call).  I’m giving myself a crash course on hair care.  Any tips would be greatly appreciated. 
• Laundry.  If I don’t suffocate in it, and I don’t lose Sylvie in it, I’ll count myself ahead of the game.  Maybe we’ll make it a house rule that everyone gets dressed out of the laundry basket.  A game maybe.  Who can find their clothes in the massive pile the fastest?!?
• Mostly, I’m nervous about my selfishness.  Ugh, I hate it.  I’m nervous that I will want to be selfish with my time.  I’m nervous that I will want to be selfish with my time with Sylvie.  I’m nervous that I will want to be selfish with my time in the bathroom. (Did I mention we only have one bathroom?)  This one could use some heavy duty prayer – if you could add it to your list of prayer requests for the week, I would really appreciate it.

Foolish.

God will never give you more than you can handle with His strength.

How’s that for a cliché?  I don’t think that most people lead lives, by choice, that require them to rely on this idea.  Sometimes when something really terrible happens, or your having a hard week, month, year – this is the line handed to you.  But I don’t think it’s frequent that people choose lifestyles that truly require them to fully rely on God’s strength to get them through the moment.  I think that because people don’t generally make choices that require that kind of dependence on Him, that kind of trust, that when someone does make a choice of that variety – they are looked at as being foolish.  When we actually decide to fully rely on Him, to follow Him wherever he leads us, with no lifeboats stored on board other than His grace, love, and strength – that’s when people start to question if you are being wise, if you really know what you’re getting into, if you can do it.

I want to have to rely on Him to get me through this life He has given me.  I want the peace of knowing that there is nothing I can do to make it work – it’s all Him, and that’s where he gets the glory.

 

We got a call for a placement this afternoon.

And call me crazy.  Call me foolish.  But we said yes.

 

The intake worker called and very hesitantly asked me if I would be interested in hearing about a sibling group that needs a home.  Of course.  They were calling from out of county – they had already exhausted any chance of placing them in a foster home in their home county.  They only have until Friday to find a place for them to go – or it’s likely that they would end up in a homeless shelter for kids.

Four kids.  Ages 2, 4, 6, and 8.  Three boys and one girl.  By Friday we’ll probably be a family of 7.  There are things I’m nervous about.  You know, the kinds of things you’re nervous about when you’re about to add four kids to your family simultaneously.  But I think most of my reservation comes from people acting like we have lost our ever-loving minds when we have told them.

But I’m going to let that go.  I won’t accept that.  God has brought us here, and we’re going to follow in the path he’s given us.  Dependent on Him.  Cause I’m not going to pretend that I think I know what it’s like to have 5 kids.  But He knows what it’s like for me to have 5 kids, and that’s where he’s put us.

 

So here we go, foolishly dependent on the maker of the universe.

 

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”

1 Corinthians 1:25

Project 365 – Week 7

There aren’t seven.  And they aren’t all from different days.  But I’m doing my best.

 

It Happens.

Poop that is.  On the shirt.  Blowout.  Epic.

 

Just when I was thinking that spring would never come, I looked out the window and saw these growing in the front yard.  There is joy in these flowers.

(I should mention, however, that now these flowers are covered in

6 inches of snow. hmph.)

Sylvie also loved the flowers.

 

 

Barbequing with Daddy for the first time this year!

 

Watching the sun go down over the river valley from Grandma and Grandpa’s

front porch swing.

Playing piano with Daddy.

  Bright Eyes.

Better late than never.

Do you remember when I told you about that great deal back in February? The free 8x10 picture printed on a canvas? Well, I finally got around to ordering ours, and it came. I'm actually really happy with it. I was a little skeptical - it was free after all - but it really turned out nicely. It even printed clearly enough to be able to see Sylvia's well placed cow-lick that she's going to hate me for when she's older.


I wanted to share - just in case any of you want to order one! An 8x10 is significantly smaller than I was imagining, probably just because I'm used to seeing them framed. But it's still a great size to hang with other pictures or to put on a bookshelf!

Soaking up Sylvie.

So, as you know, I’ve been slightly anxious to have another child (or children.) placed with us.  However, in the last few days I’ve been so sweetly reminded to really soak up this time I have with just my Sylvie girl.  Any time has the potential to be the last hour, day, week, that she is an only child – and I am really working so hard to make sure I don’t miss a beat.  Like this morning when we woke up and she babbled for five minutes before she even opened her eyes.  Then she proceeded to charm me with her squeals, smiles, and baby kisses for half an hour before we got out of bed.  These are things we can’t do when there is more than one.  This is such a precious age, and I’m so glad that I get to share it with her one on one.

It feels a bit like being a grade-schooler trying to soak up the last few days of summer break.  Knowing it will be over soon, but not quite being able to grasp what it is you’ll be missing.  Having multiple kids is just a different kind of beautiful, but I want to remember this beautiful as well.  When our time alone is over, I want to know that I enjoyed lovin’ on my baby girl, and didn’t spend half the time pining over who would be placed with us next.

Not to mention the fact that just in the last few days – Sylvia has decided it is a good idea to take naps.  This is newsworthy.  2-3 hours every day to accomplish whatever it is I’d like to get done?  It’s incredible!  That, and the simple reminder that just a few short weeks ago I was barely able to leave the house (two children who can’t walk + errands = INSANITY.) gives me good reason to soak up the relaxation that is having one child.

 

 

 

Mommy and Sylvie on her first real walk outside! (It’s been too cold until now!)

 

Here’s a picture of the last time Sylvia went on a walk ouside…

 

 

So, change will come, but right now, me and Sylvie girl are soaking it up.

 

P.S. Probably a good time to add that our respite placement for this weekend was canceled.  ugh.  oh well.  I should remind myself, also, that no calls means there are less kids coming into care, which is fabulous.

Why Foster?

Good Info to Have:

Adoption Through Foster Care I

I’ve gotten a lot of questions from people who are either pursuing adoption through foster care, or are interested in it.  I’m not a total wealth of information on this topic – I worked as a caseworker for children in care, not as an adoption worker – but I will answer the questions that I can, with the information I have, and maybe point you in the right direction of who to ask for further explanation.

Because I’ve gotten so many e-mails and questions about this, I’ll likely do a few posts on it over time.  I’ll start by letting you know that   I’m a huge proponent for adopting through the foster care system…but you probably could have guessed that.  Adopting privately is also awesome, and is very needed.  Foster kids are just my heart, and given the chance, I’ll advocate for them!

Let’s get to the questions.

Cost.

I’ve gotten several questions about the cost of adoption through foster care.  I only have experience in two different states, so you’ll have to check with your own state’s guidelines – but in my experience:

there is no cost.

This surprises a lot of people.  Particularly because adoption through agencies or internationally is so darn expensive.  However, if you adopt through foster care, the state generally takes care of most everything.  If you are licensed through the state, they pay for your home study, your attorney, and your legal fees – and said licensing is free as well.  Also, you develop what is called an adoption subsidy to cover some future costs that you may need assistance with.  This can include, but is not limited to:  daycare, medical insurance/care, any therapy needed, and any residential care needed. Also – you continue to get the monthly subsidy as adoptive parents that you would get as foster parents.  (Some states do this in a lump sum.)  This is all to help people adopt who may be financially strained.  And in the case you’re not, this is a great start to a college fund.

So, there you have it.  Adoption through foster care generally costs nothing.  So, now click here and go change someone’s life.  Check out these beautiful kids.  They need you.

(Again, I have experience in two states, but laws and guidelines vary from state to state.  If you’re interested, please contact your local state foster care agency to get more specific information.  Please feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment with any other questions, I’ll try my best to get you the answer or point you in the right direction!)

Links:

Foster Care Adoption

Kids Who Need To Be Adopted

Dadadadadadada.

Here’s a video – mostly for those who have, or have had, the last name Popp or Reed – or for anyone who likes watching cute babies.  (I’m not biased.)  Toward the end Sylvie displays her newest trick – babbling.  Brian is extraordinarily proud of this, mostly because her first sound just happened to be dadadada.  He swears it’s on purpose.  I keep telling him it’s just the easiest sound to make – she’ll make more sophisticated sounds later – like mamama. 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and,

 

Thank you for your ideas and prayers yesterday.  I called our worker and told her that we would be happy to have three kiddos this weekend.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized I wasn’t trusting God in this.  I’ve just been so anxious to get another long term placement that I didn’t want to wait for His timing, and I wasn’t being open to how He was deciding to use us.

So unless we hear otherwise, we’ll be lovin’ on three beautiful girls this weekend (in addition to Sylvie.) ages 2, 4, and 6.  That sounds crazy doesn’t it?  Yup.  Crazy.

Respite? Long Term? Selfish?

We got a voicemail about another potential respite placement for this upcoming weekend.  Three kids, in our age range (12 and under), and that’s about all we know.  Most of me says, “Of course they can come here!  What are their favorite foods, movies?, things to do?  Bring it on!”

But there is a small part of me that is thinking that there is a possibility they would call us with a long term placement between now and then, and if we say yes to respite, we’d have to say no to that.  Is this selfish?  I don’t know.  This could sound totally wrong, but I said I’d be honest.

I’m really looking forward to another long term placement.  I feel like we can make a more lasting impact with long term placements, I love having kids placed with us who really become a part of our family, and I like knowing that I’m going to get to love on these kids for some extended period of time.

But, there is also this nagging inside of me, telling me that we should just help however they need us, and that if that means respite, so be it.

Ugh.  I don’t know if I’m being selfish.  This whole thing may even sound silly and blown out of proportion – but it is potentially changing the make-up of our family for then next several months (years?).  Anyway, prayer and discerning comments are appreciated.

Project 365 – Week 6

 

Mommy and Sylvie.

 

Sylvie eating her first biter biscuit with Nana.  She loved it.  I’m pretty sure my mom wasn’t thrilled that I took this picture.

 

This is what I see when I go in to get Sylvie from her naps now.  Gone are the days that she just lays there content – she’s got places to go!

  Because when you’re a baby, even plumbers crack is cute.

As promised, the monthly Chik-fila picture.  Sylvie obviously knows where it’s at.

We help run our church’s monthly homeless outreach – we held a movie night last night and this little girl, NaKayla, was attached to me at the hip.  She informed me that Sylvia was the cutest baby (I’m not one to argue.), I should wear my hair down more often, and that I needed to learn how to dance – of course, she offered to teach me.

What? A picture of Sylvia? I wouldn’t have guessed.

But this picture is special because she’s wearing the first piece of clothing that I ever handcrafted for her.  I am very excited.  I royally screwed up this dress more than once during it’s making.  If it were up to me she’d wear it every day for the rest of her life – it was that much work.

 

Why Foster?

I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails as of late asking me questions about fostering, the process, challenges we face, and about our personal experience. I figure that it would be easier for me to answer some of these questions openly on the blog so that if there are others with the same questions, they can read too! Enter: the weekly Why Foster?. Once a week I’ll either answer a question that I’ve received, talk about reasons that people shy away from fostering, or give you a good reason that you should foster (I’m good at this one!). So….here it goes.

Get Involved.

Reason 286:

The latest numbers show that at any given time there are approximately 510,000 children in foster care. About 51% of those kids are likely to be in foster care for more than a year. That means that at any given time, there are half of a million children experiencing the worst year of their entire lives. They feel alone, confused, sad, angry. Some of these kids will go to homeless shelters because the foster care agency cannot find an open foster home for them. Homeless shelters. For children. By themselves. Another handful of these kids will go to foster homes that don’t really care. I worked in the system, and I saw these foster home more often than not. Foster homes that are ‘in it for the money’ or have become so jaded that they cannot offer love. Homes that I would not want to live in.

One of my very favorite quotes is from a book called “Turning Stones” by Marc Parent. As a social worker in New York he says:

You hear about children falling through the cracks in the system. Let me tell you something: there is no system, there are only people – children don’t fall through cracks, they fall through fingers. The person who says “fell through the cracks in the system” is really saying that someone blew it and that the blame is going to be spread so broadly that accountability will fall to no one.

In opposition to the foster care system, I often hear people say that the government should not be responsible for foster care or for taking care of these children. And they are right. We should be responsible. You and I. And these kids, they’re falling through our fingers.

I realize this is an intense post. I’m not writing this to make anyone feel guilty. Just to open eyes to the need, and the hurt, and the reality. I also realize that not everyone is called to fostering. But I don’t say that to let you off the hook.

What an awesome opportunity to serve. What a blessing to get to be a part of these children’s lives. Don’t ask yourself if it would be comfortable. Because it won’t be. Don’t ask yourself if it would be convenient. Because it won’t be. Don’t ask yourself if it will be easy. Because it won’t be. DO ask yourself if you want to make change for the good, if you want to help kids who don’t know love, if you want to share the love you have.

Cause there’s no doubt you have love to give.

(Again, I realize that fostering is not for everyone. It is just in my soul to advocate for these kids. If you have questions about fostering, or something you would like me to talk about on the blog, please don’t hesitate to comment or to e-mail me – I’m happy to answer any questions I can! )

Update on the X-man...

I promised X-man's new foster mom that I wouldn't call her every other day to check and see how he's doing - and I've kept my promise.  Now I just stalk her on facebook to make sure she hasn't posted new pictures or status' with him in it!  Ha!  H, if you read this, I still promise I won't call everyday - BUT today might be one of those not-everyday calls.  I'm so itching to hear that sweet boy's voice.
Anyway, I have talked to his foster mom a couple of times though, and X-man is doing fabulously.  His brothers are over the top excited to have him living with them, and the transition seems like it was a pretty smooth one. 
Our worker talked to Brian this week, and....drum roll please....
     charges have been filed!
We've been waiting for criminal charges to be filed on both of his parents since he came to us in September - and finally it's done.  There is a court hearing at the end of the month addressing the charges, and starting then there will most likely be a no contact order.  If the charges go through both mom and dad will end up in jail.  (assuming we know where dad is by then - as of now he's MIA.)
I just wanted to let you all know - I know I'm excited, relieved, what emotion is appropriate when someone is going to jail?  Anyway, I feel at peace about this.  Hopefully the boys can finally put their past behind them.

Picasso's going home.

Well....we were supposed to be having a little boy come to stay with us starting Wednesday. He was coming as a respite placement* for ten days. We've done respite for him before - and he is quite a challenge - but he is also so sweet. He is four years old and is not verbal, not potty trained, is a little on the physical side, and is extremely picky about food (which proves to be difficult because of his lack of verbal skills - which is none.). Last time he was at our home he finger-painted our carpet with yellow paint - which was entirely my fault, but due to his artistry, we'll just call him Picasso.
Picasso had a court hearing yesterday and they sent him back home with his parents. This is a good thing. (This becomes the mantra you whisper to yourself as a foster parent - to remind yourself that going home is good, even if not ideal.) If you could just keep him in your prayers though, I'd love you for it. His situation was pretty severe when he came into state custody, and in severe cases it always makes you a little nervous about their homecoming (or homegoing?). There's just so much risk. Which is different than danger (more on that in another post) but is still a little tie-your-stomach-in-knots nerve wracking.

So, if you could keep little Picasso in your prayers, that would be great. I'll whisper a little prayer for him every time I walk across our yellow carpet.



*For any of you not versed in the lingo of Social Services - a respite placement is a temporary placement where you take care of a foster child who actually lives long-term in another foster home. It's kind of like extended babysitting for another foster family. In this case - they were going on a vacation that, due to his developmental delays, he couldn't participate in. So, we would have watched him for the ten days as a respite placement. Does that make sense?

Project 365 - Week 5

Tax time, and Sylvia is evidently worth a lot of money to the federal government.

Sylvie and her friend Elliana. Elliana was giving her some love.

Bath Time!

First real tears! Broke Mama's heart! Actually, Brian called out from the backseat of the car that she was crying real tears, and I immediately said "Grab the camera!"

Sylvie and her friend Charlie - we got to visit with our friends Dustin and Katie while I was out of town for a fostering training.

SO tired of driving across the completely flat plains of the midwest.

Go Tigers!