Category Archives: daddy

Florida Family Vacation 2020

adventures, blessings, children, daddy, Family, Lego, memories, vacation February 9, 2020 Leave a comment

It only took about 8 months of saving and planning and secret keeping but we were finally able to surprise the kids with a trip to Universal Studios and Legoland. We had a wonderful time. The weather was a little chilly a couple of days but mostly it was warm and beautiful. We landed on Saturday and spent that afternoon/evening getting checked into our condo and shopping for groceries and supplies at the closest Walmart. It was packed. We were in a town outside of Orlando, in February and it was still the busiest Walmart I’ve ever been in!

Sunday we went to Shades of Green, a military resort, to buy some deeply discounted tickets to Legoland, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. We were able to get a 5-day park hopper pass and I’m so glad we did. We ended up spending Sunday at Legoland and then Monday-Friday at Universal and Islands of Adventure. We took one evening after the parks and one morning before we flew home to shop and eat at Disney Springs. The highlights of Disney Springs were the Lego store, Star Wars store and the Rainforest Cafe.

Again, the crowds were crazy for February. We know we chose well as far as timing though, most rides only had between 15-30 minute wait times. That applied to everything except Harry Potter. All the HP rides and those areas were packed every day, with wait times between 30 minutes to 200 minutes. Crazy!

When asked what their favorite parts of the trip were, I received the following quotes:

Chris: “Hagrid’s Motorbike was the best ride. My favorite part was seeing the joy in my kids’ faces.”

Foster: “The best thing was the Horror Make-up Show.”

Katie: “Going to Islands of Adventure because there was a lot of Harry Potter stuff there and it had more thrilling rides.”

Theodore: “I liked all of it but I think I liked the rollercoasters the best.”

Parker: “Probably getting to see everything, just walking around and seeing all the cool stuff.”

Jonah: “Probably when we went to LegoLand. No, probably when we went to Islands of Adventures because there were a bunch of 3D rides, because they were surprisingly realistic. Especially the venom one, that was just – wow.”

And my favorite part was just being with my people, in a new place, on an adventure for 8 days! Oh, and the sunshine and warmth. I could get used to those temperatures!

 

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Daddy Graduates (again)

daddy, priorities January 8, 2020 Leave a comment

Last month, in all the busyness of the holiday season, we took a little road trip so we could see Chris graduate with his MBA. It was a long, hard year for him (and for us!) and we are very thankful it’s over. We are all so proud of him. Graduating with honors is no small feat. And doing it while working full-time, serving in the Air National Guard and raising a family makes it all the more incredible. I am very proud to call him my husband!

Christmas 2019

daddy, Family, Foster, gratitude, holiday, Jonah, Katie, Lego, memories, Parker, Theodore, Uncle Anthony January 3, 2020 Leave a comment

Christmas break has been just the right amount of slow with small spurts of busyness. It’s been full of sweet surprises and moments and laughter. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with this family of mine!

Enough Said!

daddy, faith, Family, gratitude, memories, Nana, struggles May 12, 2019 Comments: 2

THIS IS CHRIS!  Enough said right?

At least I want everyone to know that the poor writing that you are reading is not from my lovely wife but from me, myself, and I.  I shared with Annette earlier today that I had a thought rolling around in my head today.  I mean it is as if there is just empty space with cobwebs and the sound of a dripping faucet in the corner echoing throughout the abandoned area of my head space.   My  mind is not unlike the blankness of an empty tomb that has been locked up for centuries and the dark and dank smell of mildew wafting through it.  I would even say that the space (my head) might even be comparable to a large empty warehouse in which no one ever enters except a tiny creature foraging for food.  The emptiness is there today except for this bouncing ball that I will call LOVE floating through the air and hitting obstacles and ricocheting every which way and it just keeps on going and going and going.  The only way I could think to get rid of it was to write it.  So here we go…

I am not a writer.  In fact my English scores from all of my schools will show you that.  I have lots of thoughts, but organizing them in a way that whisks the reader away to another place is not my thing. SO this leads the question of what is my thing?   IS it working with my hands? Sometimes, but not today.  WHAT about raising 5 kids and a family?  Yes, I can do that as well, but again not today.   IS it planning and organizing work to be accomplished and leading my coworkers to achieve the goal? Sure but again, not today.  WHAT about leading the mission and ensuring that my airmen are safe and doing the best job they can?  Yes that is always there but it is not my thing today!!! NOPE!  NOT AT ALL! NOT ANY OF THESE THINGS ARE WHAT IS ROLLING AROUND IN MY HEAD!

I labeled it earlier today as LOVE.  This four letter word that has so much meaning that countless books, poems, songs, sonnets, haikus, etc…. have been written about it.  Then there are the movies, plays, podcasts, radio programs, and all of the other entertainment avenues that try to show it and explain it.  BUT, I MEAN NOTHING can explain it to an individual unless they have experienced it.   I HAVE!!!!!!!

Now this would be a good time to go all spiritual and say that true love comes from God and the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus paid on the cross gave is true love.  YES!  I agree with that statement, but that is not the thought in my head.  The thought in my head is LOVE!  And I have experienced it.

Today is my 39th birthday.  That’s right, I am an “old turd muffin” (Jonah’s words).  I mean one more year and I turn 40 and it all goes down hill from there, right?   I don’t think that is true but we will see when I get there.  For now though, today is my 39th birthday and I have felt loved all day.  In little ways, like my wife rubbing my shoulders and my son smiling at my jokes, my daughter making me no bake cookies, and the thousand hugs from my kids, and the cards and well wishes I have received all day have not gone unnoticed.  They have been fantastic and allowed me to feel so loved.  They have boosted me to enjoy the day in a surreal way.  THANK YOU for all of those things.

BUT TODAY IS ALSO MOTHER’S DAY!!!!!!!  Yes, I am screaming this at you because you have better appreciate your mother!!!!!!I do not care how annoying she is, or how many times she bugs you about anything in life, or how many times she asks for your help.  Appreciate her!!!

I didn’t!   There I said it!  I didn’t!

This is the tenth mothers day that I have not had my mom here.  Ten years have gone by without me being able to tell my mother I love you and appreciate you.  Ten years of my life that she has not seen of me or my children.  She has missed two births of children, me graduating college three times, ten of my birthdays, a 6 month deployment,  me battling pneumonia and almost dying from it, my wife having a major back surgery, 3 kindergarten graduations, countless choir performances, piano recitals, ball games, awards banquets, fishing trips, hunting trips. phone conversations, deaths of her mother and in-laws, and the list goes on and on.

EVERYTIME I WISH I COULD SEE HER AND TELL HER I APPRECIATE YOU MOMMA!

EVEYTIME I WISH I COULD SAY ‘SEE THIS IS YOUR LINEAGE”

EVERYTIME I WISH I COULD SAY THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME EXPERIENCE YOUR LOVE!

But I can’t.  No I have to settle for a memory of what used to be.  I struggle to remember the sound Of her voice.  I struggle to remember how she said my name.  I struggle to remember her smile.  I struggle to remember her touch.  I did not appreciate her enough.  Oh I thought I did.  I thought I gave her all I should, but I did not.  Now I long to tell her thank you for loving me.  Now I desire to show her love by lavishing her with conversations, photos, cards, and gifts.  Now I desire to invite her to anything and everything I can BUT I CAN’T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And that’s ok…….

It is ok because my momma.  My mother.  My mom, she is where she is supposed to be, with God.

Enough said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foster Parent Conference 2017

baby, children, daddy, faith, foster care, foster parenting, God's goodness, gratitude, marriage, motherhood September 11, 2017 Leave a comment

We were able to knock out a ton of training hours this past weekend. Now we have until next June to get one last hour and we can do that online! It’s one less DCS induced stressor that won’t be hanging over my head. (Still need to get the dog’s shot records up-to-date…shh…)

The best thing about the weekend was just getting to be with Chris. He is rarely the only person I need to pay attention to and it’s a luxury when that can happen. We spent 14 hours in training or listening to keynote speakers, so there wasn’t a ton of free time. We did get to hang out with another foster parent couple from our neck of the woods on Saturday night. Sunday we cut out early so we could go visit some family at their church.

I had been holding my breath waiting for September. I needed this trip and I needed for our little foster baby, Pipsqueak, to get some good news about going home to her forever family. Her first birthday is this month. I was wrestling with God trying to push and push and getting frustrated at His lack of compliance. (I’m not sure why the ruler of the universe won’t just do what makes my life easier…but He doesn’t.)

What was making things harder for me, personally, was that every day I was feeling more like I can’t let this human go. If she starts walking, if she starts calling me “mommy”, if she cries when I leave her in the nursery, I’m not going to be able to do it. I felt like I was ready to let her go. And I had accepted her being adopted by her forever family 6 months ago. So she needed to just go NOW. Which is when I like things done.

God is so gracious. Patient with my impatience. He had worked it all out ahead of time and I just needed to trust this is all in His timing. But, man, foster care will take you through the ringer. Two months before we were to leave for the weekend conference, Pipsqueak’s family had planned to come and keep her over the weekend, then hopefully take her home right after her first birthday. Speaking about this and not divulging too much is a fine line. Basically, they live FAR away. They can’t just pop in and get her when they want to, or be here at the drop of a hat for court or visits.

Then just a few days before we were to leave, I get a text from her forever mommy that says that a certain DCS office has still not sent some extremely important paperwork to the licensing office. At that point, I had to just give it to God. I had to accept that His plan was greater than mine. That she would take her first steps with us. That it could be another month or three before they finally got to take her home.

Have you ever had one of those experiences where you wanted something so badly and you are praying and waiting and thinking it’s never going to happen and then you finally let go and it does? That’s what this was like.

Literally 42 hours before we left (I was counting down, don’t judge), I got a text saying that licensing had received the packet and was coming to visit their home 2 hours before they needed to leave their state and head to ours. It was a miracle. THEN the next day, shortly after we arrived at the conference I got a call from Pipsqueak’s caseworker, letting me know that ON HER BIRTHDAY we were going to have her last CFTM (big important meeting) and that she would be placed with her forever family.

You guys, God. I just sit in awe and wonder of His GRACE, MERCY, LOVE.

Because I got that call, I was able to relax and enjoy the time with my husband. And we were able to begin to talk about what it will be like to let our little Pipsqueak go. We were able to start processing together the changes it will make in our family and for the big kids.

God is so good. 21368707_10212821857768999_2279935667135562710_o

I’m 41, he’s 37

blessings, daddy, gratitude, marriage, memories August 26, 2017 Leave a comment

I guess we didn’t get any birthday cake with number candles for ourselves this year. We need to do a better job with that in 2018.

We do our best to make each other feel loved and special. With this busy life, we tend to put ourselves and our marriage on the back burner. But we listen to one another. He gets me special chocolate that I love or sends me an Amazon wish list item just because. I try to surprise him with concert tickets and make sure he gets his *gross* sushi.

Most of all, we count ourselves blessed every birthday that we have together. Couples aren’t guaranteed any time together. Our anniversary is March, my birthday April and his is in May. Then we spend the rest of the year focused on everyone else.

I love you sweetheart! You’re my handsome baby-daddy that I love so, so much.

15 years and counting

adventures, daddy, gratitude, marriage, memories August 26, 2017 1 Comment

Since it was our FIFTEENTH wedding anniversary. We decided to skip town for a weekend. It was one of my favorite trips we’ve taken together. It was simple and slow, with a little historical sight-seeing and antique store shopping. A few good meals out. A nice hotel. An amazing concert in a cave. And best of all? Zero children.

First call (calls, actually)

children, daddy, faith, foster parenting, gratitude, military August 18, 2016 1 Comment

Yesterday it finally happened. I was enjoying time with my children and a couple of great friends at my parents’ pool. We were just about to pack up and come home and get ready for church and my phone rang with a local number I didn’t have listed in my contacts. It was DCS Placement! I quickly walked to a quiet spot and held my breath while the lady gave me the details. I told her that I needed to talk with my husband and I would call back as soon as I could. The catch? Chris is in Guam. That’s a HUGE time difference (14 hours to be exact) and he was trying to sleep. It was early morning hours there. She told me that she would continue to try and find a home and then she would call me back if/when she did. I told her I would call her back as soon as I was able to speak with him.

Chris and I had agreed that we would not take a placement without first discussing it and getting a “yes” from both of us. While I waited the 3 or so hours for us to be able to communicate, I prayed like crazy. For any placement, I want our family to be THE place that God would have the child be for the time they need us. I am not so concerned that the child will be a good fit for us, rather the other way around. I want God to be able to use our family, church family, friends to minister to that child. He has to be in control or this whole thing will be a train wreck.

Before I could get Chris on FaceTime or via text, DCS called back. They had found the little girl a home. I was so thankful. Thankful that she would have a place to sleep and more than thankful that God handled the situation better than I would have. In fact, if Chris had been a phone call away, which he almost always is, I would have probably relied on my own logic and arguing to get him to say yes. I don’t know that he would have. We’ve prayed and planned and know that 0-3 years is the age range we feel equipped for right now. But I am a good debater. And Chris, well, he’s a big, ole teddy bear.

That first call came at 3:30pm. When she called me back about 5pm and said “we found her a home,” she was sure to reassure me that they would be calling again. At 8pm, as we pulled into the garage from church, they did call again. This time for a boy, the same age as Foster. I knew I had to say “no”. But that “no” was more heartbreaking than the first call. Thinking of my amazing 12 year old and his friends. The ones who are so full of life, humor, confidence, ideas and insecurities being taken out of their home and placed with strangers? It’s enough to keep you awake at night. Foster said, “I need to start building a room on the house so we could take kids like that. It’s not fair.”

I completely agree with him.

TBT: Ghetto Pool

blessings, children, daddy, Foster, GSMNP, Katie, memories, parenting, Parker, siblings, Summer, Theodore, Throwback Thursday May 5, 2016 Leave a comment

This throw-back Thursday is dedicated to the ghetto pool and the years where we were basically drowning in littles. Good thing we have some pictures because it’s pretty much a blur.

 

18,799 words, stitches out, expander in

3 year olds, daddy, Jonah, Katie, writing November 13, 2014 Leave a comment

So my word count for NaNoWriMo2014 is at 18,799 and it’s feeling so good. I wasn’t sure my characters were going to get off their butts and do anything but tonight they did. So exciting.

Jonah got his stitches out of his toe.  His temper tantrum from 10 days ago left him with 4 stitches in his big toe. It was gross, bloody and black.  He screamed like a crazy person getting those things in but of course, daddy took him to have them removed and NOT ONE TEAR was shed.

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I love the irony that he was wearing a shirt that says “Mom’s Happy Camper” when in fact if mom had taken him he would not have been a happy camper.  Go dad go.

Katie had to have an expander put in at the orthodontist today.  She’s getting the fun of spacers, impressions, appliances all at the ripe old age of 9.  Bless her.  But the experts (who never heard her high-pitch crying baby screech) say her mouth is too small and room must be made.

She did well with it today. It’s making her talk a little funny and she doesn’t appreciate when I laugh at her so I’m trying not to do that. Hey, don’t judge, I had braces for 3 years, I know it sucks. We keep telling her she’ll get used to it. Hopefully she will.