Our Quiet House

The last two nights I have found myself wondering what to do next. It's not that my house doesn't need cleaning, I don't have a vacation to pack for, or that I am not busy raising children. It's just that for the first time in four months we are not going through a bed time routine with five kids, laying out five outfits, folding the fourth load of laundry, sneaking in a late night grocery trip, or collapsing on the couch because we are just so exhausted from keeping up with 5 bundles of energy. Just as quickly as our family went from two children to five. Our family went from five children to two. After four months our "new friends" were able to be reunified with their mom.

What a four months it has been! Saying we learned a lot feels like an understatement. All the pre-foster parenting classes in the world really couldn't have fully prepped us for what being foster parents really means or looks like. I am so happy that these three came into our lives.  They have taught us a lot and were a blessing to our family. Sure it wasn't always easy. There were more long drawn out tantrums than I wish to remember (and times I wish I could be the one having the tantrum) and days that I thought maybe it was best to changed my name so I didn't have to hear "Miss Amanda" one more time. But, thinking back to their first day with us and seeing the kids on their last day really makes me smile. They did a lot of growing! Kyle and I could never have taken on such a big responsibility with our own two little ones without the amazing support of our family, church family, friends, and neighbors (who are our friends too!) and of course keeping God at the center of it all! Our foster children were blessed to have so many people love and accept them from the start! A BIG thank you to those who supported us through this journey. The impact you have made on their lives is tremendous and I am so thankful they have a wonderful image of family and friendship. 

Our "postable" family picture minus the babies. They are too busy to stop for pictures! 

Just as Kyle and I had to adapt with a rapid growth to our family, it is time to adapt to a much smaller and quieter family! Ava became quite content with having built in playmates, but I think she will once again enjoy having more attention for herself and Dominic too! I won't lie, it is wonderful to have time to devote just to our own children. I am excited to welcome more children into our home when the time is right. More stories to come!