A Little Help From My Friends...

Ok, so here's the deal.
Last week we had two couples who we are good friends with start foster parent classes. YEAH!!! We are very excited for them, and for all of the kids that will get to call them mom and dad in the coming years. After talking with both of my friends as they were coming to the decision to foster, they both commented on similar things. While having friends that are foster parents was not the initial seed that planted interest in fostering - it made it less scary to know someone who is already doing it, their stories, their challenges, and the blessing that it is to foster.
In correlation with all of this...Brian and I have also had a running brainstorm on how we can further allow God to use fostering in our lives to glorify himself. Enter: blog. I would LOVE to be able to use this blog as a tool for advocating foster parenting - along with our regular family updates. I would LOVE to use the stories of our crazy lives to make people less afraid of what fostering is, and to liken people to the idea of fostering. Or if nothing else, just make people aware of all of this craziness.

So....if I haven't lost you all already... I want to know if you have any ideas that could make this more effective. Ideas on how to increase readership with people who may be interested. Ideas on what bloggy-type stories might spark interest in fostering.

This may seem like a strange post...but I want your input! ...We'll see where God takes it from there...

Project 365

I'm going to try to join in on this project for the next year. The idea is to take one picture per day for the entire year - posting each week on Sundays. If nothing else, it will be a fun quest to look back on. ...We'll see how it goes!

Someone help me...

because we're in trouble now. The X-man is WALKING!!! I cannot tell you how excited we are - it feels kind of like the milestone we've been working toward for almost 5 months now - and he did it! That Hallelujah Chorus I spoke of yesterday? That was nothing compared to the squeals of glee and pride as X walked across the room last night.
This new development lends itself to reflection on the last five months of growing and changing that this incredible little boy has gone through. To think that in September he wasn't even able to roll over. To think that in August his little life had no hope. No hope that is, except for in our incredible God who scooped him up out of his dirty pac-n-play and gave his life a second wind, a second chance, an opportunity to experience love. What an incredible God he is!

So now I'm working out my strategy. Do I just duct-tape everything in my house in it's rightful home? Do I sit on X all day and hope I don't smother him? (I joke.) Or do I just throw in the towel now and give him free reign. Yup. Sounds like a plan.
Since we're running out of age appropriate milestones, I've decided that next I will teach him how to do laundry. That should keep us busy for a while.

But seriously. Let's send up some praise for this little guy. He has come SO far, and only by the grace of God.


AMEN!



P.S. I will try to get a video up soon.

2:27 p.m.

They're both still asleep. The angels have progressed from the hallelujah chorus to "What a Wonderful World" Louie Armstrong style. I've never felt this relaxed in the middle of ....


ahhh....there's Sylvia.


She's so pretty, I don't really mind.

2:01 p.m.

Both of the kids are napping. At the same time. All I can hear is the dishwasher running.

And perhaps....what is that? Angels singing the Hallelujah Chorus. Can I get an AMEN?!?!


Now I have to go do something productive with this quiet, non-chaotic solitude. ahhhh.

So Busy - So Blessed.

Well...it's been a while...again, since we've really posted. It's hard to make time to blog with two kids essentially under one year of age. The chaos is joyful, and yet again God has shown us that His plan for us is more fruitful than our own ever would be.
X-man has been with us for four months now - and in any other situation we would keep him here forever - but he has two brothers that are anxiously awaiting his move into their foster home. We are frustrated that it is taking the court this long to get him transitioned into the home with his brothers. The longer he is with us is the stronger his attachment to us - making it more difficult for him when it is time for his move. I know the time is getting closer that he'll leave, and it is bringing back bitter-sweet memories of the same feelings we had when the girls were going. It's difficult letting little ones go - harder than with older kids. There is no way for us to explain to X-man why he is moving, or that we love him more than he knows. To him, I am his mother. And one day soon I'll be gone. It is one of the hardest parts of fostering.
He is growing and changing so much. Very, very soon he will be walking. This week he started saying words - baa (ball), baee (bye), haaad (hat). He is better able to communicate with us all the time and it is incredible to see him learn. He is such a happy boy and sweeter than ever. We're crazy about him.
Sylvia turned 3 months this week! She is making LOTS of noise. She found her voice and is very fond of using it. She sounds distinctly like a dying cat most of the time. But it is a cute dying cat. She is also able to control her hands enough to play with hanging toys and to put toys in her mouth. She's growing and changing so fast it's hard to keep up, but it is such a joy! I enjoy each new day with her, and cannot wait to watch her grow up! She's beautiful and the apple of her daddy's eye. She definitely recognizes Brian and I now, which is also very cool as parents.


Growth and change - kind of the theme of the Popp household. So many blessings and so much joy. I love being a Mommy more than anything. God is good.

Pictures.

A short pictoral update of our last month. Except for Christmas. Because we STILL have not gotten a chance to upload those from our camera.
100% Sweet. It's True.

Looking cute and ready for snow. We're going to ignore that he's wearing kU colors.

Picking out our Christmas tree on the kids' first Christmas. You can tell they are very excited.
....And, classic Popp family photo. X-man looking like the person behind the camera is on fire, Sylvia crying like she's on fire, us laughing because we know there's no point in trying to put this fire out.