Mother to FIVE!!!

Early Saturday morning my dear friend Becky went into labor at 32 weeks.  She was transported to Bismarck (an hour away) and delived her THIRD baby boy, Benton.  Because the hospital is an hour away and they are from Oklahoma with no family close, we stepped into the role of parenting their 2 and 3 year old boys (along with our three).  We had the boys from Saturday morning until Tuesday evening...and I learned a lot in those few days!!! 

The boys are both fun-loving, silly, typical toddler boys....and they easily adjusted to our schedule and home...BUT I realized quickly there are so many little routines that each family sets up (when baths are given, how to wash their hair, when to change undies, bed time routines, etc).  I learned that caring for children overnight is much different than the few hours I often do.


Getting in and out of the car was a treat....trying to get all three boosters buckled in the back of the van was a process in itself...trying to keep everyone together and counted for was another issue!  We got a number of stares on our few jaunts out of the house.  While eating at Wendy's after church on Sunday I almost busted out laughing at the people in line who were watching me try to get all five of them to the bathroom and situated at the table while Bobby ordered our food.  One lady moved her hand across the air motioning at the five kiddos I was wrestling, obviously asking if they were all mine.  Another family was in line to order and the mom and teenage daugther turned around at least 20 times then would turn back to each other whispering....a few minutes later their dad/husband came up to me and asked, "I don't want to be rude, but are ALL OF THESE your kids???" 


This statement got me thinking....what if they WERE all my kids???  I understand having a 1, 2, 3, 3, and 5 year old is pretty uncommon and maybe even a bit crazy....but what if we adopt two children, one being close to Ayla's age and one close to Owen's...AND two of them are black.  What kind of stares will we get THEN?!??! 


We've all heard the old saying "God doesn't give you more than you can handle."  But Katie Davis (Kisses from Katie) made me look at this statement through a different lens.  She (and I) believe God does give you more than you can handle.  God puts tough, hard, challanging, stressful situations in our lives so that we become dependent on HIM.  Times like these are when God takes over, makes us surrender, and does the impossible in our lives.


Our days with Baker and Beau were not a test....it was not a test to see if we can parent five children.  It was a blessing.  A blessing God gave us to be able to show love to our friends.  To be able to reach out to these two boys who will be living in transistion for awhile.  It was tough, exhausting, and overwhelming at times.  The four days may have seemed more like a week or two....but it was good.

Bobby and I have decided to get trained for foster care while we wait for our referral...down the road we may just get a phone call in the middle of the night that some children need our home...need our love....and we will welcome them into our home just as we did Baker and Beau. 


I always prayed and hoped I would marry a man who loves children the way I do.  I am often approached by wives who say, "How did you get Bobby on board with your adoption."  What people don't understand is that his heart for children is just as big as mine!!!  HE is the one that had to get ME on board with adoption.  HE is the one that after a very long church service/sunday school (orphan Sunday), a long weekend with five kiddos, and when we had plans to work on our remodel project, decided it was best if we jump in the car and travel to Bismarck so the boys could see their parents and meet their baby brother.  It was Bobby who pointed out that the other things didn't matter and "if it were our kids we'd want them to be there." 


I know foster care, adoption, or whatever else God has in our future will not be easy.  It will be more than we can handle.  But He will be with us and we will depend on Him.


When Baker and Beau left our house on Tuesday evening Ayla cried....she wanted them to stay....to come live with us.  Don't children have such huge hearts?!??!  Children are welcoming, loving, kind, and joyful!!  Oh what joys they bring to our life...just as all the other children God has in store for our family will!


Philippians 4:13
I can do everything through him who gives me strength

Love from our family to yours!