by Julia | Mar 8, 2018 | Foster Care
First of all, I forgot to mention we had a lot of snow for about a week in January. Both the amount and the length of time are rare for TN, so we were thrilled!
And because I had birds again this winter!! I just love watching my birds and quite delighted with all the red cardinals. It was not rare to count 20 plus at one time 🙂 Such a beautiful sight, morning sunlight glistening off the snow with dots of red outside, and yes Christmas clings on the window. 
OK, I’m done with the weather.
We got lil miss Glitterbug back soon after the holidays and just before her 4th Birthday. Last year she came to live with us just days after her 3rd Birthday, so I wanted to do all I could to make it special for her. Turns out she was still going thru too many transitional fears and only wanted her party at our house, with no additional guests or gifts. What we have for her is enough she declared. But after excited party talk & explaining the layout of the party to her every day, she finally consented that I could invite a select few of my nieces and in-laws, our family around here. Also she kept lamenting every few days how she never got to see Santa Claus. So I knew I wanted to try to somehow combine a lil Christmas into her party to help her feel celebrated in both, thus the lights.
We kinda have this tradition of waking up to balloons and fun; then calmly celebrating their birthdays at home that night with candles & cupcakes. We have a party with family & friends later. It helps the celebration to go on a lil longer and hopefully avoid an overload of emotions. Having been warned of ‘birthday triggers’ I’m always hoping I’m taking the best precautions in keeping it fun for the kiddoes.
Here’s the thing about trauma.. you can never fully prepare because sometimes a child feels things they never felt before & doesn’t even know what is going on or why they’re upset, but suddenly all their safety flags are up and on high alert. No one is prepared. All we know is that we wanted to sing Happy Birthday. Sometimes what you think you see in behavior, is completely opposite from what is going on inside. Sometimes too much attention is terrifying and not enough is scary. For a child that craves and begs for attention, but then melts down at times when given too much attention – it’s purely exhausting. I’ve learned alot but I’m still learning so much that I hesitate to put too many words out there just yet. But yeah it was a little hard to know how to handle all the emotions that came with it but we decided to err on the side of caution and compassion & understanding. I wish it were that easy everyday…… Like I said, it is exhausting. (or maybe I’m just a lil over-tired right now 😛 ) 
I did have fun with her cake! I couldn’t really find what I was going for so I concocted my own design. She wanted a pink cake, with pink frosting in a heart shape. I only had this pan in a heart shape, that I had picked up at Aldi one day. It leaked out a lil, but worked just fine. I made her my favorite yummy Strawberry Cake. (if you want the recipe, I’ll gladly share) She was so excited because she got to help me make it and lick all the spoons. But then I surprised her with the decorations which she totally loved! I did have her name on the cake but edited it out for privacy. Â 
We got her a VTech Write and Learn Creative Center for her birthday and a sticker book. Both were great choices and have provided much entertainment for her and her 2 year old brothers. Â Although I cannot say enough good about the sticker books, I think we both equally love them. She does super well in matching the pictures and words. I was a lil frustrated at first because how is a 4 year old supposed to be able to find the correct stickers for the correct page? But they are all well organized and numbered, I get all the stickers on the couch or table beside her and she can do a 2 page spread alone. Â 
We spent many hours getting her hair combed out those first few weeks, because they came back in a matted mess. Yes it almost made me cry, her hair is so beautiful! But thankfully, after much diligent searching I found an amazing salon for black kiddoes. She was very helpful and gave me a comb that worked, plus shared lots of other great tips and resources. Seriously, the comb was amazing and I have searched everywhere online and cannot find one like it. But yeah, Crisco and olive oil are actually quite helpful in the hair department. So, after all that pain I allowed her to fulfill a dream; having beads in her hair. 3 hours was a long time, but the smiles and sheer delight in her eyes made it all worth it! She couldn’t stop twirling and saying how much she loved her beads. 
And it’s good-bye to the birthday & balloons…Â 
If you enjoyed this post and would like to connect on a more personal level, please connect with me. Or if you need prayer, I would love to be in touch with you! Email me at capturingjewels@gmail.com -Follow me on Facebook or on Instagram. To follow along on our journey and not miss any posts, subscribe to the blog or follow my blog Facebook page, not just my personal one.
by Julia | Feb 22, 2018 | Foster Care, Our Captured Life
A New Year always brings hope. Even though we all know we can start new habits, make new plans any day of the year, there is something about January 1 that does it to all of us. Or at least those of us that like to categorize/ organize, there is just something about pulling out that new planner. Which reminds me, I am super excited to try my first Emily Ley planner this year! I’ve been a follower/fan girl for years now. 🙂
2018 just looked like an open year to us…finally. We decided to totally give ourselves space & grace, and focus on security n attachment bonding with our twin boys. I had a some mixed feelings, or like maybe I should feel guilty, but I was mostly relieved and happy knowing we were not taking any new placements for a long time, probably the whole year. We had some other big decisions to make and things to accomplish and I was getting so excited to just.slow.down.
My first goal was to utilize and practice the word “simplify”. One of those ways is getting rid of things that hold sentimental value but just clutter up my house. Another was to shush up some online voices for a lil while and listen more intently to God and my family. Focus on face to face relations first. There are a few things pretty heavy on my heart that I believe God wants me to see through His eyes and hear His heart. And I want to learn how to prioritize my time. Insert here, most of my updates will be through my blog, so if you don’t want to miss a post, please subscribe via email on the top right corner here. I’m sure my Instagram followers have noticed I have not been very active, sorry guys! I’m setting some goals and new habits, I’ll be back! We are so blessed by you, our family and friends close and via social media, that follow and share in our journey. My husband and I don’t want to leave you hanging, we covet your prayers and want to keep you updated. But we also realize that our priority is to be present in our family life first. Blogging is something I love doing and is one of the priorities I want to focus on this year. Dan is always encouraging me to write and so I want to give it a go this year n see if I can hit publish on all my draft posts.. (He always reads my posts and adds or takes away for me 😉 )
My hubby n I have a notebook with goals made for the past few years (not planning on sharing those). But if you want an idea where to get started, please watch Dave Ramsey’s video. He gives 7 steps that make it super easy to start and it really helps! Our goals are very similar to last year. Reading books & saving money seem to be the ones we reach the best. 🙂 I’ve been doing a Word of the Year for a number of years now.. I have been praying about my word for this year and Hope it is! My definition: “A confident expectation that a desire will be fulfilled.” I wasn’t sure what all it entailed when I recently began hoping in who God says that He is..but the more I proclaimed it and studied it, I began to realize there is a huge difference in the world’s view of hope and Biblical hope. The world’s view when using hope is often ‘pretty sure’ or ‘wanting something to be true’. Biblical hope is ‘100% sure’ because it comes from an infallible God. Our hope is in Him not in things or circumstances. Psalm 71:5 For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. I want to keep studying it and truly live my life like that. Everytime I delve into studying it and every day that my faith is shaken, I learn something about this. So I’m really excited to see what all I will learn about it this year.Â
“For not to hope is to allow something inside of us to die.”Â
Not gonna lie, January has already really shaken it and I kept hearing this whisper, if all else is taken away, “Am I enough?” It has been rough, but I want to not have to hesitate when I answer that question, that I know without a shadow that IN Him I have all I need. These valleys and painful times seem too much at times but I am so grateful for the growth and intimacy that comes when it is placed in God’s Hands. I don’t tend to thank God for a trial or something that is clearly not from Him, but I am thankful that He allows it & redeems what the enemy meant for evil!
So, back to the daily grind, January 4th we were made aware of an emergency situation with our 3 year old (her nicknames were Divagirl n Glitterbug) that left in November. Due to health issues with her Grandma, they asked us if we would take her back into our home. It feels so broken, but we knew that although it wasn’t the perfect plan, and not the outcome we had wanted for her. It was something where God wanted us to be part of His redemptive work and we welcomed her back into our home on January 9th. It has definitely been a rough couple weeks, we tried to cocoon her just a lil bit to help her unravel the confusion and establish trust again. She is having visits with her newly-established father and so we will help her through the coming transitions. It’s been emotionally hard for me because she’s so grateful to be home with her “Mom” again & I have no idea how I will be able to make her leave again. I have to really work on the truth n not let the ‘I’m abandoning her’ words over-power me.
January we also got hit with the flu, of course! Wiped me out for awhile and left me with no desire to accomplish anything. But, no matter what comes, we will continue to look ahead with excitement and hope for this New Year!
If you enjoyed this post and would like to connect on a more personal level, please connect with me. Or if you need prayer, I would love to be in touch with you! Email me at capturingjewels@gmail.com -Follow me on Facebook or on Instagram. To follow along on our journey and not miss any posts, subscribe to the blog or follow my blog Facebook page, not just my personal one.
by Julia | Jan 19, 2018 | Foster Care, Our Captured Life
It’s been a lil too long, my fingers and brain have been itching to write but my heart doesn’t always know where to start. So, we’ll just start.
2017 is over and gone, just memories remain. I’m pretty much okay with putting that year behind me and looking forward to what is ahead. We started out the year as just the 2 of us, not really expecting it to change or adding any foster children anytime too soon, to give us time to heal and process from our twins leaving in December. Â But by the end of January we had the twins back, 11months old, Â and had said Yes to their 2 sisters, coming in the month of February. A 3 year old, and baby from the hospital.
We also started an organization called Blessing Basket, a clothing/items closet for families associated with foster care. We accept & give everything for free, basically just a bridge for the community to help out. Needless to say, with 4 toddlers I was a little overwhelmed and sold my fudge inventory, said goodbye to the business part of my life and tried to learn how to embrace this busy mom life.
We fought through lots of sicknesses and visited way too many Dr’s for our baby girl, but she came out ahead and strong by the end of the year! I learned pretty quickly I needed my people and family for support and accepting it was the key to making it through. I accepted help from my nieces for wks and food from friends all the time, breaks were granted to me by my husband and so much more.. I hired babysitters and cleaning ladies as needed. Even with that there were times it felt we were just surviving instead of thriving.. We did quite a bit of ‘necessary’ travel, but not nearly the recreational travel we thought we might 😉
Seriously, I don’t really know where the year went, it seemingly evaporated. It was probably a year I will always look back at as a blur, but I am thankful for journals and photos that help me remember the little moments that truly made it into a fun and amazing year. Not gonna lie, I wouldn’t choose to go through it again, but I learned a lot and would say yes to those 4 babies all over again. However, I probably ate more words and ideals than I thought I would, its not all roses being a needed human 24/7!
I clearly remember when we started this journey of foster care, secretly thinking and hoping that we’d have so many kids hanging at my legs I wouldn’t know which way to turn and I wouldn’t have time for anything else. But then there were times this past year I wondered what kind of fantasy I was dreaming about. I love loved the experience and the kids, but it was exhausting. Not only being a mum but navigating thru the visits, co-parenting with the legal, bio and grandparents, searching everywhere for answers to trauma added to the whole picture. Even though I still sometimes say, imagine what we’d be doing tonight if ‘no kids’, there is no way I would trade it for being a mom!
Spiritually I spent a lot of the year fighting God and learning how to do things on my own, because without realizing, I quit ‘really’ trusting Him. Oh I said I trusted Him and I thought I did. But He became the God who does what He wants, brings all this pain and turmoil into my life and no matter what I ask, He does what He wants anyway.. Graciously He showed me all of that and who He really is towards me. Lets just thats another post for another day, that changed my life. I think that’s why I am so grateful for all of last year and it bringing me to the end of myself so many times, and allowing me to truly find my Father’s heart. My word for 2017 was love, and it was definitely taken to a whole new level in a way I had no idea it could be..
So, anyways, as 2017 drew to a close, we said good-bye to our 3 year old, #divagirl moved in with her Grandma in November. In December #miraclebaby, now 10 1/2 months old went to live with another Grandma. If you follow me on social media, you know that it’s been pretty hard on all of us. We still get to have sibling visitation once a month, so that has helped. Christmas was quietly spent in TN with family and at home with our two lil remaining boys. We closed out the year by being taken out with a stomach virus, then the kids got strep. I think the word best used to describe 2017 would be ‘full’.
Whoops, I started out wanting to write about the New Year, but see what happened? When I start writing it just kind of spills out. I don’t really want to make this post super long, so I’ll divide it up and share a little how I feel about 2018 next time..
If you enjoyed this post and would like to connect on a more personal level, please connect with me. Or if you need prayer, I would love to be in touch with you! Email me at capturingjewels@gmail.com -Follow me on Facebook or on Instagram. To follow along on our journey and not miss any posts, subscribe to the blog [top right corner] or follow my blog Facebook page, not just my personal one.
by Julia | Nov 11, 2017 | Foster Care
I was outside watching the kids play & the baby right inside the door watching me, because it was just a tad too cold outside for her. Buddy was pushing around his dump truck like he does everytime they go outside, filling it with rocks and dumping them out immediately, in his own little world. Big sissy was trying to coax Bubba into running out to the trees with her to no avail, he’d rather stay close to momma. With my suggestion of playing Hide & seek he took off running with her right beside him, hand on his back. Buddy’s attention was interrupted and he goes running after them, not wanting to miss out on the fun.
Then it hit me. These days of them being siblings that are living together are coming to a close. In fact, with this weather it may be one of the last days I witness this bonded outdoor innocence. Big sissy will be moving to her respective Gma in less than 2 wks.
And I start reliving the reality of a phone call just a few hours previous. “Everything has been approved for lil MiracleBaby to be moved to her Gma, so we want to start overnight visits this wknd while we wait on the paperwork. If all goes according to plan, we should be able to move her mid December.” I really thought I was handling it quite well, asking all the necessary questions until my FSW asked, “Are you gonna be okay?” I don’t even remember what I answered because her next words, “yea, I can hear it in your voice” did me in.
Y’all I knew this was coming for months already, but the reality never hits till it’s right here. Partially because the system is famous for delays so it’s just not a good idea to plan that a “plan” is happening until it happens. Also, because I just need to be in the moment. I can’t prepare for what it’s gona look or feel like, but trust that Jesus is going to hold me each step of the way. I can’t plan for the grief, but embrace it as it comes.
As I sat there on the porch breathing it all in, the love, the joy, the grief. I took comfort knowing that my Father is weeping with me. His plan was for the family unit to be complete. And yet it’s wrecked so we as mortals try to patch it up, family with family, or family becoming family. It’s not perfect but it’s redemption. It can become beautiful. But here in the messy, how can I feel you here with me Jesus?
I remember exactly a year ago we were preparing for our twin boys to be leaving in December. Now they’re back, with no plans in place of them leaving, which we are more than ok with! And yet we hold it with open hands because it only takes 1 phone call to change it all.
I begin picking up their toys and look up to see this one perfect, very sweet smelling rose blooming in my rose garden. I was completely shocked because I thought those roses were long done for the season. Be that as it may, I immediately heard a soft whisper, “It’s for you, see, I’m right here. Find the beauty among the thorns.” And as I’ve pondered that, gazed at & smelled the rose, I know He just wants me to know that I don’t have to love or appreciate or be happy with the thorns. But to search for His beauty & find joy in that (Him).Â
We had our last Sunday outing as a family of 6 and didn’t even know it. Thur night was our last night with just us, so we tore it up, laughter, plenty of rides and a few pictures. We still have a few more days and we will still see each other, but it’s gonna be different. As much as I’m stressed from this crazy busy few months that turned into a year. My heart still breaks because pieces of it are leaving. I don’t know how it’s gonna be, but I know it’s ok to not always be ok. And in case you wonder what I meant about it being our last night alone, my 17 yr old niece has been wanting to come so she’s here for the week and I’m definitely NOT complaining about that! 🙂
This is foster care.
If you enjoyed this post and would like to connect on a more personal level, please connect with me. Or if you need prayer, I would love to be in touch with you! Email me at capturingjewels@gmail.com -Follow me on Facebook or on Instagram. To follow along on our journey and not miss any posts, subscribe to the blog [top right corner] or follow my blog Facebook page, not just my personal one.
by Julia | Jul 6, 2017 | Foster Care, me & my jewel, Our Captured Life, When God Writes your Baby Story
Been pondering what to share this month and I suppose it may be time for a bit of a personal life and family update.. Fittingly so with this being the month marking 1 year ago that we received twin baby boys into our home. Seems a bit surreal and sorry if you already know all the stats, but I wanted to write it down for my own remembrance 🙂 
Last July 5th we said good-bye to our first lil boy #MrSunshine and a few days later we welcomed twin 4 1/2 month old boys into our home on July 11th. Because it wasn’t any legal or criminal issues, but merely a lack of proper support, as soon as birth mom was back in shape the boys returned home, no questions asked. I won’t say how many questions and doubts I had, but I chalked them up to me being overly sensitive n attached to the boys in wanting to keep them. In those 5 months we had definitely fallen in love with Bubba & Buddy and were heartbroken telling them good-bye on Dec. 7th. We were not in any rush to take new placements in allowing ourselves proper time to heal (more on that another day.) Also I kept somewhat in contact with mom and told her we would like to support and help her with the boys when she delivers new baby girl in February.
On a personal life level, just prior to the twins leaving we felt led to do a few tests and check out why I have been having such severe menstrual cycles. Crippling to the point of vomiting and, well, I’ll just end it there. We didn’t really receive the quick fix we had silently been hoping for, except that the Dr. recommended I double or triple my pain meds and swap off with tylenol and ibuprofen. My body had become immune to ‘2 advils’.. He, however, felt pretty strongly that I probably have endometriosis. And if you know anything about it, the only way to confirm it & repair it is through surgery. He suggested we check out the Creighton Model FertilityCare System and do some blood work as cheaper alternative ways to definitely track what is going on with my body. So during this kid-break, we took the opportunity to take the classes & learn the CrMS charting. We have been really impressed with it so far. God opened and closed some doors pretty clearly to us in what to pursue, and at this point we are happy & at peace where it led us.  If you have any questions feel free to ask, & hopefully we will have more answers in the future.
December & January We took a Florida vacation, celebrated the Holidays with family, partied in the Smoky Mountains and just did life TOGETHER.. Â Emotionally we just really needed each other. And I didn’t see myself being ready for another attachment in quite awhile. The end of January, I was in contact with the twins’ mother and we ended up watching Buddy while she was in unexpected labor with baby.. she was not early but with many complications, it was prolonged and we ended up getting Bubba a few days later and were so enjoying babysitting them! They seemed kind of in shock but definitely recognized us and our home. Baby made it, but by a series of complete miracles and would end up having a month stay in the NICU.
And then the text came…I was actually rather shocked and my heart was kind of confused with all of it: “The boys’ trial home visit has been disrupted and they will be staying with you again for awhile.” Babysitting was suddenly placement. Of course I was excited to see them, love on them and watch them grow again. But so much had happened in those short 8 weeks and my heart was not prepared for this at all.. They turned 1 a month later & we got to celebrate their birthday with them! But at the same time, it tore me apart. So confusing and traumatizing for them. So disappointing for the bio mom & family.  That’s not all, we also got 2 more of their siblings, aka sisters. Two days later 3 year old Glitterbug came & a month later we brought Miraclebaby home from the hospital. Yes we are busy and yes it can be overwhelming. Also YES, our hearts are full!
Look at all those hair!
There are so many things I wish I could tell you about them and their lives.. But obviously it is not my story to tell. Just know that these are some of the sweetest and most beautiful children around. 3 out of the 4 are high energy kids, and cause me pure exhaustion by the end of the day. They have adjusted to us and life here quite well, perhaps better than what we have!
It has been over 4 months now being a family of 6. Let me tell you, becoming an instant family of 4 kids, ages 3 and under is no joke. And 1 year twins in the middle?! Of course the first month is all fun and everyone is doing great. Month 2 the crazy is high and the real is coming out, turns out 8 wks can raise alot of insecurities for babies. Month 3 we all just want to quit; but we keep reminding each other of that moment we knew God wanted us to say Yes and we keep pushing through, verbalizing that we embrace this life and family. Month 4 we have found a new normal and most days we feel like we are ready and ok for the long haul this appears it is going to be. And we are learning how to specialize in each individual to bond with them instead of lumping them together in an overwhelming sense where no one feels valued. We actually love doing this again & treasure having a family. Routines have definitely taken shape and bring security to us all. I don’t know how I do it most days, but have discovered that the best way to not become overwhelmed is to not ‘plan’ to accomplish anything. Lessen my expectations. Be satisfied in playing on the floor most of the day. Feel full and accomplished without crossing off a to-do list. Believe me, it is still a work in progress, that last one. But I have to constantly remind myself what is most important and not just in a cliche type of way. FOR REAL. Currently I am learning how to carve out time for what God wants me to do on a personal level and am in search of soul rest even in the daily ‘crazy’ schedule.
Recently I was kind of berating God, why He had brought us to a place of peace in saying Yes, and then just left us sit and fend for ourselves in this difficult journey? Why does it suddenly seem like a heavy burden to bear?! He reminded me of the verse my yoke is easy and my burden is light and that I had been trying to carry this yoke alone. I need to come away with Him, into His yoke and it will be free & light. That takes intentionality. Time to stop. Rest. Commune with Him and allow Him to guide every footstep and not just go go go…. In the midst of 50 things pounding in my head that need to be done, schedules & appointments nearly colliding, visits being rescheduled 5x in 1 day….I am learning to literally lift up my hands and say, You control it God and make it work out. Show me what I can cut out or do to make it work. I know You care & You will make a way. 
I just really wana shout out to my amazing husband & partner in all of this, he pulls more than his share of the load. He changes just as many poopy diapers as I do, bathes the boys 99% of the time, does the nightly ritual of putting baby to bed & 100% cares for the boys if they wake during the night. Not only is he the entertainer of all things play in the evenings, he is also the first one out of bed & has coffee brewed for me when I drag myself out 10 (or 20) minutes later. He often cooks us breakfast, or half of it at least & never complains about helping me with last minute meal prep. He never leaves the kitchen until the table is cleared. If it looks like the dogs may fare too richly under our table he will find the broom & remedy that. He washes many dishes, and loads/unloads the dishwasher whenever there is a need. Many laundry-day evenings will find him helping me clear our bed and put away what I didn’t get folded yet. If I’m feeling like I need space, he usually figures out a way for me to get groceries alone or takes the kids on a drive or takes them outside. Anytime there’s even the slightest opportunity that one can ride along with him, he will be the first to suggest it. My chocolate stash stays well supplied. I am so grateful that he helps me around the house until the toys are picked up and things in order so that I can sit with him after the babies are in bed. There’s alot more, but you get the picture, he is Super Amazing & I wana be more like him. I’m seriously so humbled how well he loves me in word & action. 
We were very grateful to family for watching our brood so that we could celebrate our 5th Wedding Anniversary in May. It was seriously one of the cheapest and best vacations we ever had. Originally our plans were a bit more elaborate to celebrate the big five. But then when we had to downscale we knew right away it was the perfect opportunity to relive our first dates and part of our honeymoon in MO. Something we had often talked about doing, and I’m so grateful circumstances led us in that direction. While it is awesome to make new memories, it is so soo good to stop and remember where we came from and how it all started. Even experience those first heart flutters again. 😉
We took the kiddoes to the zoo and the parade.. felt like big accomplishments and they loved it! They spend many hours on our swing set Dan built and the pool has been brought out of storage. We also added 2 baby kitties to our family and thankfully their airways seem to handle frequent squeezing quite well. They absolutely love pizza, so Lil Caesars has seen us quite frequently! We have had more than our fair share of sicknesses, Dr. appointments and teething irritability and are always so grateful for the few days of good health! And we have gone on multiple road trips, we love traveling and the kiddoes do fairly well with it as well. So yeah, its been pretty interesting around here.
And just like that we are halfway through 2017 already and it feels like it was just January. I’m presuming the rest of the year will evaporate just as quickly. One day blends into the next and the months slip away without us hardly noticing. We hope to look back at these days with fond memories and not just a blurred image. Are you saying Yes to what matters today?
If you enjoyed this post and would like to connect on a more personal level, please connect with me. Or if you need prayer, I would love to be in touch with you! Email me at capturingjewels@gmail.com -Follow me on Facebook or on Instagram. To follow along on our journey and not miss any posts, subscribe to the blog [top right corner] or follow my blog Facebook page, not just my personal one.
And it’s good-bye to the birthday & balloons…Â 
