We are waiting people

We are waiting. Waiting in the carpool line, waiting for Nolan to be fully potty trained, waiting for the election to be over, waiting for the weekend, waiting, waiting, and more waiting. As Christians, we are waiting people. Waiting for Christ's return and when the pain of this world will no longer be felt.
"All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy." Romans 8:22-25 MSG
And now we are waiting for The Call. Our home study is complete and we are approved foster parents! I am trying to be patient (even joyful) in my waiting but I will be honest that it has caused me some anxiety. I jump everytime the phone rings. The hard part is the not knowing when it will come or who it will be. It makes it challenging to plan for anything, not knowing if we will have a new child in our home. However these are minor inconveniences knowing that what I am really waiting for is a call that another family is broken. Everyday I am praying for this family that I do not yet know. Praying for this child that I will welcome into our home and love and care for. Praying that God will protect them in whatever crisis they are going through and they will feel Christ's love for them within their pain.
I continue to pray for God's perfect timing as only He knows the child that is meant to come into our lives. In the meantime we've been busy getting ready! The big news is that we bought a minivan! Yep, I am now a Minivan Mama and I never thought I would love it so much! I owe it all to my amazing husband who worked hard to find a great deal and not only that, he found one with all the bells and whistles too. Which will be great because I have a feeling we will be spending lots of time in the car. Because of this car we will be able to do the work of this ministry and for that I am so incredibly grateful!

The room is also ready thanks to very sweet friends who donated an awesome race car bed to us! We are so thankful to so many wonderful friends who have been so encouraging and supportive. Just one of the many, many blessings that God has given us in this process.
We've done some fun things as we wait too:
Went on a dinosaur hunt with Kaki

Served at a food pantry

Had a great trip to the Southeastern Train Museum

And learned to play the drums in a friends awesome basement studio

Please continue to pray for the children that God has called us to serve. The need is so great and there are so many families and children who are hurting. Until then, "I pray to God -- my life a prayer -- and wait for what he'll say and do. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning." Psalm 130:5-6 MSG

Settling into our transitions...

Well we are 2 months into school and things are going great. There was a little glitch early on in that Nick's teacher became ill and retired after only being there for the first 5 days of school. Not a great way to enter into Kindergarten and elementary school with never meeting his teacher or having any communication from a teacher for weeks. 2 or 3 weeks later we received notice that the long term sub that had been in the class the entire time, was hired as the full time teacher. What a blessing this has been! Nicholas LOVES Ms. Kemp! He talks about her all the time and is doing so well in school. I am so thankful and so proud of him. Here's my big boy when I came to visit one day at lunch ;)

Nolan started preschool and is having a great time! Unfortunately he has recently been putting up a fight in the mornings saying he doesn't want to go to school but as soon as he's there, he has so much fun. It's all a show for Mommy I guess! I remember that Nicholas did exactly the same thing. Grr. But I am glad that he loves it when he's there and has so much fun with his friends. I love being there too and being able to see him occasionally as he interacts on the playground and in his class. He has an amazing memory for names and is very social and always talking about his friends.
Nolan's first day of school:

This picture is of Nolan's first time through the Carpool Line :)

And here's a sweet picture from Graham's very low-key birthday:

Don't I have the cutest guys ever?!

I've adjusted well to my new part time gig at the preschool and am really enjoying my time with the kids. They are the sweetest little kids and are doing so well adjusting to school and their first time away from Mom. I'm enjoying sticking my baby toe into the waters of "teaching", if you can call it that. But it's been fun doing crafts, singing songs, and reading books.
Graham and I have been busy at home getting things ready for fostering. We completed the many different steps we needed to for our paperwork and will be scheduling our first home visit very soon. The boys are very excited about their new bunk bed! Nolan transitioned so well from his crib to his Big Boy Bed. The bunk bed we got has a double bed on the bottom and a twin on the top. At first we did not have the top twin bed so the boys shared the bottom. Nolan slept sideways and kicked Nick all night long and both of them loved it! They are the sweetest brothers. Our sweet friends Jenny and Joe gave us the top mattress and Nicholas is so ecstatic to be sleeping on the top. It is really working out quite well, I'm pleasantly surprised!

I suspect that things will move quickly from here as we complete our 3 home visits and then should be able to receive children. I have so many mixed emotions-- fear and anxiety, but lots of excitement too. Mostly I just can't wait to see who God brings into our lives to love and care for just as we do the boys. I know that God will equip us to do the job that He has called us to do and I can't wait to see the amazing things He does in all of our lives through this process.