So this story is super funny. Well it was to me. I am finally getting to, or taking the time to blog about it-you know since my sabbatical is over. LOL
Virginia Beach is a serious military town. We have an exuberant number of military families here. I would wage a guess that AT LEAST 50% of Virginia Beach families have an active duty member of the military in them. Isn't that amazing?
Anyway keep that in mind as I tell my story.
We walk into church a few months ago and sit down. This is an ordeal in itself with 3 children under six. We are getting ourselves settled and were saying hello to a lovely couple behind us when a girl of about 8 walks up to them with a little collection box and says, "I am collecting money for Afghanistan. People are being killed there."
Now, the four adults who heard, all paused-none of us spoke for a moment. the man in the couple behind us reached into his pocket for change and gave her some. She walked away. All of us still looking a little confused....until the wife behind us, who is so lovely and soft spoken says, "Yeah, honey...people in Afghanistan are DYING. If YOU GUYS would stop KILLING them she would not need to collect money for them."
It broke the ice, we all chuckled and made some silly jokes...
It seemed really out of place to have someone collect money for people being hurt in the war FROM people engaged in the war. It struck me as really ironic and a bit crazy honestly.
No one wishes them hurt of course and now that I have had more time to think about it, I am less stunned and can see more the good deed she was trying to accomplish.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Babies
Mothering is an incredible and amazing job. It is an honor.
I have had the fortunate experience of mothering many children.
My sisters are twins and they were premature. One of them came home from the hospital after a week long stay. I can picture the 70's brown rough feeling couch that I was sitting on and I can see the layout of the room, where the small tv sat on a little table. I remember it was a bright sunshiney day when my parents placed that beautiful baby in my tiny four year old arms. As they placed this miniature baby, our new miracle, into my arms, they reminded me that my other sister would be coming home soon. I remember the gigantic smile that filled my face as I held that baby and looking at my parents and said, "One for you and one for me." I felt such a bond with my sisters right from the very beginning.
As life worked out for us, I was very much their caregiver right from the beginning. I still feel, 30 years later that they were my first babies. I feel so proud when they accomplish things and so protective of them. I ache for them when they hurt and I celebrate with them when they accomplish things, birth their babies, and the like much like a mother does.
I have not always been a perfect sister but I have always loved them with a perfect love.
Six years ago, I birthed my first child. That moment changed my everything, as becoming a mother changes every woman. I would forever be a mother from that moment. One can never explain to someone else just how it feels to birth a baby, to know that God created life through you, that your body is so very powerful.
When Allori was a year and a half or so, Wayne and I felt it was a good opportunity to start doing foster care. We had talked at length about it and timing was good. After many hours of training, heaps of paperwork and references from everyone we had ever known and background checks in every state we had ever lived in (I do not exaggerate) we welcomed our first two foster children into our home.
When foster children are delivered to your home, you are generally given very little information and no supplies. These sisters came in the middle of the night. Juliana, the older sister had on a too large pair of sweat pants. Nothing else. Jena had on a diaper and a too large-very filthy t-shirt. It was the middle of the night. They had just been scared out of their wits. Somehow they fell asleep in the police car and I carried them to bed. They woke up in a strangers home. No one told us they spoke Spanish, but not English. The first word that Juliana said to me was, "Bano." (Banyo) She said it several times over the course of a half hour or so. I finally called Wayne and asked what it meant. "TAKE HER TO THE BATHROOM!" LOL
They had a great father. Well. He became great. We knew they would be going home at some point. He worked very hard to learn to be a good father. He became a part of our family. But I tell you, when we packed them up and loaded their belongings into their father's truck, I wept like a baby. After a year, I was their mother. I was the only mother they remembered. The mother they loved. The mother who loved them. I wept. I was sad but I was grateful to have been their mother for a while. And I was grateful that they were going home to a safe place.
Twelve foster children later the knock at the door brought the cutest little curly haired boy ever! We fell in love with him. We never intended to adopt although we were open to it. That was not our goal in doing foster care. We wanted to provide a safe home to children while their parents learned to be better parents for them. We knew with this little boy's history that he very well may be adoptable at some point. He is now a part of my forever family.
Eighteen months ago I birthed my third child. This boy, who I "knew" was going to be a girl has surprised and delighted us (and driven us mad!) every step of the way. After he got home from his four month hospital stay I told him that he had given me my first silver hair and he had scared and worried me enough to last his whole life through and that I expected his toddler and teenage years to be a breeze - that I had already put in more than his share of worry and prayers and such. Fourteen months later I have discovered/remembered that our trials simply prepare us for what is to come. This little tyke will be providing many more silver hairs and promises to give me a run for my money/energy/patience, etc. etc. etc.
A few months ago my sister, Terah had her first baby. My sweet little Porter called Terah's belly by the babies name for months. He would gently hold her tummy and talk to "Madison." When Madi was born I was explaining to him that the baby had come out of her tummy and asked if he remembered when mama had a baby in her tummy?
"Yes."
"Who was in mama's tummy?"
"Porter!"
It was Cayde of course that I was referring to. I absolutely love that Porter thinkt he grew in my tummy. I am sure at some point we will have to address that but for now I love it. I have worried about making sure that he feels as loved as our other children, that he feel just as much a part of this family as every other member. Looks like we are doing ok so far.
I feel so very grateful to be a mother...to be Porter's mother and also to be a mother to these precious babies and to have had the opportunity to mother so many children. It is the most challenging job I have ever had. The pay is terrible but the benefits are to die for.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for all these babies you have blessed me with.
I have had the fortunate experience of mothering many children.
My sisters are twins and they were premature. One of them came home from the hospital after a week long stay. I can picture the 70's brown rough feeling couch that I was sitting on and I can see the layout of the room, where the small tv sat on a little table. I remember it was a bright sunshiney day when my parents placed that beautiful baby in my tiny four year old arms. As they placed this miniature baby, our new miracle, into my arms, they reminded me that my other sister would be coming home soon. I remember the gigantic smile that filled my face as I held that baby and looking at my parents and said, "One for you and one for me." I felt such a bond with my sisters right from the very beginning.
As life worked out for us, I was very much their caregiver right from the beginning. I still feel, 30 years later that they were my first babies. I feel so proud when they accomplish things and so protective of them. I ache for them when they hurt and I celebrate with them when they accomplish things, birth their babies, and the like much like a mother does.
I have not always been a perfect sister but I have always loved them with a perfect love.
Six years ago, I birthed my first child. That moment changed my everything, as becoming a mother changes every woman. I would forever be a mother from that moment. One can never explain to someone else just how it feels to birth a baby, to know that God created life through you, that your body is so very powerful.
When Allori was a year and a half or so, Wayne and I felt it was a good opportunity to start doing foster care. We had talked at length about it and timing was good. After many hours of training, heaps of paperwork and references from everyone we had ever known and background checks in every state we had ever lived in (I do not exaggerate) we welcomed our first two foster children into our home.
When foster children are delivered to your home, you are generally given very little information and no supplies. These sisters came in the middle of the night. Juliana, the older sister had on a too large pair of sweat pants. Nothing else. Jena had on a diaper and a too large-very filthy t-shirt. It was the middle of the night. They had just been scared out of their wits. Somehow they fell asleep in the police car and I carried them to bed. They woke up in a strangers home. No one told us they spoke Spanish, but not English. The first word that Juliana said to me was, "Bano." (Banyo) She said it several times over the course of a half hour or so. I finally called Wayne and asked what it meant. "TAKE HER TO THE BATHROOM!" LOL
They had a great father. Well. He became great. We knew they would be going home at some point. He worked very hard to learn to be a good father. He became a part of our family. But I tell you, when we packed them up and loaded their belongings into their father's truck, I wept like a baby. After a year, I was their mother. I was the only mother they remembered. The mother they loved. The mother who loved them. I wept. I was sad but I was grateful to have been their mother for a while. And I was grateful that they were going home to a safe place.
Twelve foster children later the knock at the door brought the cutest little curly haired boy ever! We fell in love with him. We never intended to adopt although we were open to it. That was not our goal in doing foster care. We wanted to provide a safe home to children while their parents learned to be better parents for them. We knew with this little boy's history that he very well may be adoptable at some point. He is now a part of my forever family.
Eighteen months ago I birthed my third child. This boy, who I "knew" was going to be a girl has surprised and delighted us (and driven us mad!) every step of the way. After he got home from his four month hospital stay I told him that he had given me my first silver hair and he had scared and worried me enough to last his whole life through and that I expected his toddler and teenage years to be a breeze - that I had already put in more than his share of worry and prayers and such. Fourteen months later I have discovered/remembered that our trials simply prepare us for what is to come. This little tyke will be providing many more silver hairs and promises to give me a run for my money/energy/patience, etc. etc. etc.
A few months ago my sister, Terah had her first baby. My sweet little Porter called Terah's belly by the babies name for months. He would gently hold her tummy and talk to "Madison." When Madi was born I was explaining to him that the baby had come out of her tummy and asked if he remembered when mama had a baby in her tummy?
"Yes."
"Who was in mama's tummy?"
"Porter!"
It was Cayde of course that I was referring to. I absolutely love that Porter thinkt he grew in my tummy. I am sure at some point we will have to address that but for now I love it. I have worried about making sure that he feels as loved as our other children, that he feel just as much a part of this family as every other member. Looks like we are doing ok so far.
I feel so very grateful to be a mother...to be Porter's mother and also to be a mother to these precious babies and to have had the opportunity to mother so many children. It is the most challenging job I have ever had. The pay is terrible but the benefits are to die for.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for all these babies you have blessed me with.
Sabbatical
So I have been on Sabbatical for the past year. Blog Sabbatical, that is. What does that mean you say? Yeah, i don't really know. What I do know is i have not been blogging. I really don't have any reason. So, I'm climbin' back up on that pony baby!
Christmas was so nice. I was mostly done way ahead of time (other than the midnight wal mart trip the night before Christmas Eve) and thus got to enjoy it much more than normal. We put our tree up mid-November because we were celebrating Christmas and Thanksgiving with the fosters in November. I LOVED having it up so long. I may do that every year! We (Wayne and Allori) started taking it down tonight. That's like 6 weeks of Christmas lights. And everyone knows Christmas lights are mesmerizing and beautiful! Tomorrow night we will go see the lights at the beach and call it a season.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that we do not just celebrate Christ's birth on a day, but it involves a whole season. He deserves a whole season. More even. :) I love the Savior and am trying to be more like Him.
Merry Christmas everyone! Glad to be back from sabbatical. ;)
Christmas was so nice. I was mostly done way ahead of time (other than the midnight wal mart trip the night before Christmas Eve) and thus got to enjoy it much more than normal. We put our tree up mid-November because we were celebrating Christmas and Thanksgiving with the fosters in November. I LOVED having it up so long. I may do that every year! We (Wayne and Allori) started taking it down tonight. That's like 6 weeks of Christmas lights. And everyone knows Christmas lights are mesmerizing and beautiful! Tomorrow night we will go see the lights at the beach and call it a season.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that we do not just celebrate Christ's birth on a day, but it involves a whole season. He deserves a whole season. More even. :) I love the Savior and am trying to be more like Him.
Merry Christmas everyone! Glad to be back from sabbatical. ;)
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