Our first DSS Whirlwind of Emotions!

This week has been busy as usual. Last night, my mom kept Cai overnight and Hart and I jumped on the opportunity to use a giftcard he got for his birthday from my brother and SIL, and we went on a little date!

 This past March, Hart and I realized that we HAD to get our marriage in shape. Date nights and getaways were non-negotiable. We had to make the time for them or our marriage would continue to suffer. It's made all the difference, so we make it a point to do a date, even cheap coffee dates, if we don't have much budget where we sit and talk and enjoy one another doing normal things outside of running a family. So, last night, we were on one of these dates!

We'd rather do more frequent "cheap" dates, than less frequent more expensive ones! Haha! Enjoying Five Guys together! We've also made a list of things to do together and every so often we try to do something off each other's lists. One thing on mine, was go to the mall and walk around together! I can't remember the last time I went to the mall shopping, for reals. We spent zero dollars, but walked around and I kept looking at all the little girls clothing, bc you never know we may get a call saying we have a baby somewhere.... Right about the time we were trying on mustache glasses and laughing at one another taking photos like teenagers, I realized I had a missed call from my friend, Alicia, the wife of the couple we met in Adoption Orientation that are already Foster Parents.

She had texted me saying "CALL ME!!!!" Usually on our date nights, we have a "no cell phone talking rule", but I asked Hart if I could call here back! She wouldn't be texting me something like that unless she had some info she HAD to tell me! Sure enough, I called her back and my heart dropped into my stomach when she said she just got an emergency placement for 2 children, an 8 month old and a 1 year old. We share the same social worker and she had told Alicia she wished we were approved, so that we could take these two kids that were perfect for us! Alicia asked if she could keep them for us and could they rush our approval process in any way? Of course, after this, all I could think about were the 2 precious children that could be our "beloved babies"--- our term for our "foster babies". We've decided we don't want our kids, foster or adopted, to be stigmitized as "foster" children, even though they are in fact foster children. In front of them, we are going to try to use the terms "beloved babies". We've read so many things that they grow up knowing they are different and to treat them better. The thoughts that ran through my head was, "Oh, my goodness, it's possible that our babies are going to be with our friends, the Harris' family! What a blessing!" "We could have a son and a daughter!" "We may be approved faster now!" "Wow, our babies have been neglected! I hope they are okay" On and on... I called/texted parents/friends asking them to cover these kids in prayer... Then, long story short, they are going back home. I have no more details, except that they are not our first set of "beloved babies". Talk about a whirlwind of emotions!!! I think this is just the start.... The good news is that I've been getting more and more of an idea of what it's like for some of these children. How scared out of their minds they are, what they've faced, how some adapt easier, how some have trouble, there could be language barriers for some children you have to face. It's also nice to know we were thought of and remembered! We may get approved quicker. We also realized that The Harris Family and us need to be considered Alternate Caregivers for each other, so that we can switch kids around if necessary. It's a blessing to have such sweet friends to come along side with and to talk to! We truly have a peace that God will bring the exact children that need to be in our home in his perfect timing. We rest in that! And pray for these little ones that have to go through such scary things!