Happy Monday!

Jacob
Amber
Austin
Jake and Trin
Nicole and Ashley
Jacob and Austin
Ashley,Nicole, and Tabitha
Jacob


It's been a good day. We got up early and I ran the kids to their appointments and then we went to the park to let the kids play. I carried as many kids as my van would hold and they had a great time. Here are pics from our fun day.
BTW- just a reminder, I can't show my foster kids faces, due to their safety. Thanks for understanding! But the pics are cute even if you can't see their faces.

A much better weekend!

Jacob Noah
Katie and Jacob
Katie and Ashley
Jacob on the big slide
Ashley holding Bay


Finally things are looking up. We got up this morning and all the kids were finally well and feeling good...yay!!!!! So we decided we would meet up with some of our church friends, they were going to monkey joe's today...so we did!!! It was soooo much fun for the kids. Amber loved being able to run free,Bay loved watching everyone, and Jacob loved having all his church friends and his new foster brother Trin to play with there. They played a few hours and then we rode over to the mall to get the boys some shirts for the 4th of July. It was just a really good day. I added pics to our family album. If you are a close friend or family member, you will be able to sign in to our family album(on our family site-www.geocities.com/sevenhowells/family.html), to look at the pictures from today . I hope you enjoy them!
For the rest of you, here are a few pics that I can share, but for my foster children's privacy, I can't share their faces here...sorry!
If all goes well, we plan to go to the lake tomorrow to take the boys fishing. If so, we will post those pics too! Have a great weekend!

Something to make you smile

Yesterday, Jacob's friend Matthew ,from next door ,came over to play for a little while. When Jacob and Matthew came in to get a snack, the new foster baby Amber came through the house. Matthew said, Jacob who is that? I've never seen her before. Jacob said,that's the new foster baby. Matthew said, Ohhhhhh.
Then the new foster boy Trin spoke up and annouced he is the new foster brother. Matthew thought about it a few seconds and then he spoke up and said,
Jacob how many family members are ya'll gonna borrow?
I thought that was toooooo cute. I guess it must seem strange to other kids that everytime they come, we have a new kid... or two...or three...lol


Life as a foster family...never dull...never boring...always busy...we are blessed.

Things are looking up

Well, it seems there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Everyone seems to be getting better. Bay is still running a small fever, but I think that may be due to her cutting teeth. However, so far noone has gotten sick since last night....yay!!!!!!!!!
This morning, the new case worker for the new foster kids came by for a visit. I had never met her, she is new to the county. I asked her about how long the kids will be with me and she said atleast 6 months. Unless, a family member comes forward before then, that is willing to take them.
As for now we don't have a visit schedule and I have no idea what their plans are for these kids. I have got to transfer Trin(his nickname for privacy) to our local school. He is going to be in first this year. He is the smartest little boy. He reads way above his level and won the spelling bee at his school last year and he was only in kindergarten. He is an amazing little boy with a sweet personality. He is an easy to love kid:)
Amber, his sister, is having a harder time adjusting. She is so scared of me leaving her that she instantly starts crying the minute I get out of her sight. As long as I'm in the room, she is fine and plays. I'm hopeing she will get better, because it's hard having her under my feet every second. Other that that they are doing fantastic!
Well, as always, I've got to run. This is my last calm day. I have dfcs coming again tomorrow from the other county and Bay has visits that start back up tomorrow....grrrrrrr Have a good day!
BTW...only one more day until the weekend...yay!!!!!!

Keep praying for us

I thought all of us were finally over it, because no one had been sick all day, but while ago about 10:30 pm, I went in to check on Bay, before going to bed, and she was asleep in her bed covered with vomit. I picked her up, and she just kept vomiting over and over. She was so pitiful,but she still smiled even though she feels so bad.
I'm so discouraged. I'm exhausted and worn out. I have cleaned 24/7 since Saturday. Everything in our house smells like Lysol and bleach and the smell just makes me feel sick all over. I don't think I'll ever look at lysol and bleach the same anymore. I almost believe lysol doesn't work, because we are now on our fourth bottle and we have not let the babies even touch each other and I've sprayed everything that Amber has came in contact with, and yet Basy still got sick. It's so hard when you don't feel good yourself, but you just have to keep going and going. This is a strange virus ,because it comes in waves and it lasts for days. Amber had it for 4.5 days,but Jacob just had it 24 hours. So it seems worse, the younger you are.
Just please keep praying for us. I feel so bad ,because I've really not got to bond with the two new fosters, because of all the illness in the house. I've been forcing Amber to take her meds and to drink. I don't want her to think I'm mean, but I've had to make her so she wouldn't have to go in the hospital for fluids...which probably would have been easier, now that I think about it.
Anyhow, yes I'm having a pity party. Just keep us in your prayers.

Please help me pray

I received a prayer request this morning and I am asking all of my prayer buddies to please help me pray for this young man. When I read the email, I thought, that could be my child.
Thank you for helping me pray.

FYI
On Wednesday, June 18, a young boy named Brad began complaining that his head hurt.He was sent to Childrens Hospital in Birmingham where he was diagnosed as having Hydrocephalus in the Pineal Region of the brain, a tumor in the most dangerous part of the brain causing fluid to build up in the head. Before this he never had any health problems at all, but was a very healthy, energetic teen.
Brad is only 15 years old, and he will be having a biopsy done this morning at 10:00 a.m.. We have set up a profile for him at http://www.bigbaptist.com/brad so that people can see pics and send him a word of enouragement. Anyone who will can also email him at brad@bigbaptist.com to let him know you're praying for him.

Sick day...grrr

Well, I thought the tummy bug was gone, but it's not. The new foster baby "Amber"(this is her nickname for privacy reasons) started back up being sick last night and then I got sick. I feel better this evening, but Amber doesn't and while ago, Bay started throwing up...grrrrrr I just hope that Bay won't have it as bad or as long and Amber,because she has had this since Saturday.
Anyhow, I'll try to post again when all is well. Please keep us in your prayers. I'm sooooo exhausted from cleaning up and staying up with sick kids.

Toooo funny!

When I got up this morning, this is how I found Jacob sleeping. He went to bed in his bed, but at sometime he got up and got on the couch and I guess he fell off head first..lol
Toooooo funny!!!

My Myspace site

Here is the link to my Myspace site-
http://www.myspace.com/mom2howells

Just a quick update

Just wanted to stop in and say hello! So far it seems things are looking up around here. Jacob hasn't been sick anymore since last night and the new foster baby hasn't been sick in several hours. I'm really praying that they are getting better and that noone else will get it.
We decided not to attend Sunday mornings service, just incase they still have the germ, because we don't want anyone else to get sick. Plus, Jacob is still asleep. He was is so exhausted.
However,the other kids and Brent did go to church this morning.
Well, that is all I have time to write at the moment. I've got so much that needs to be done.I hate working on Sundays, but it has to be done before tomorrow. I know that both county dfcs will be at my house sometime this week, because now I have kids from both counties.
Oh btw...
The two new foster kids are doing very well at adjusting. The 5 year old and Jacob hit it off so well. The 14 month old (other than while she was sick) has been very content. You would think these two kids had known us their whole lives. I did take the time yesterday to call the relative and let her know that they are doing really good. It makes it so much easier when they adjust fast. Kids are just amazing!

The Flip Flop Test

What Your Flip Flops Say About You

You are a very sweet and sensitive person. You connect with other people easily. You're the type of person who feels bad about killing bugs. You hate to see anyone - or anything - in pain. Your ideal warm weather place: The Beach

The Flip Flop Test

Sick kids...grrrr

Well, the tummy bug has hit our house...again About 6am, Brent woke me up and ask me to please get up because Jacob is sick. I got up to find that Jacob had been sick since 3am. Brent tried to handle it,so that I could sleep, but he was exhausted. So I got up and done what I ALWAYS do to try to keep the other kids welll.....clean, clean, clean. I bleach and lysol every surface in this house.
Over memorial day weekend Bay had this, but Jacob didn't catch it,so I guess it was his turn. I just hope the new kids and Bay don't get it this time around. I was afraid it might happen, because Emma came here sick on Wednesday,but who knows...It seems everyone around us has had this stuff. I'm so frustrated.
We are suppose to be going to Jada's 1st birthday party today. I'm not sure if we will get to go ,if anyone else gets sick.I just feel bad for Jada because everytime we try to make plans with her something comes up.
Well, let me go check on the babies. Hope your weekend is going better than mine.
Update...
Well, the new baby woke up with it too. All of our weekend plans are cancelled. I guess I'll be setting home taking care of kids and cleaning house. I'm so discouraged. The weekends are the only time I have just to relax and do what I want (and my kids want to do). Because all week, I'm so busy with work and dfcs visits. So the weekends are special for us because we can just relax and not have to worry about running, appointments, exc
Well, guess I'll go. The new baby just started crying and she is just soooooo sick. Jacob seems to be feeling some better for the moment.

Children (A foster parent poem) by Ina Hughes

We are responsible for children
who put chocolate fingers everywhere, who like to be tickled, who stomp in puddles and ruin their new pants, who sneak popsicles before supper, who can never find their shoes.
And we are responsible for children
who can’t bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who are born in places we wouldn’t be caught dead, who never go to the circus, who live in an x-rated world.
We are responsible for children
who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, who sleep with the dog and bury goldfish, who cover themselves with Band-aids and sing off key, who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink, who slurp their soup.
And we are responsible for children
who never get dessert, who have no blanket to drag behind them, who watch their parents die, who can’t find any bread to steal, who don’t have any rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren’t on anybody’s dresser, whose monsters are real.
We are responsible for children
who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, who like ghost stories, who shove dirty clothes under the bed and never rinse out the tub, who get no visits from the tooth fairy, who don’t like to be kissed in front of the carpool, whose tears we sometimes laugh at, and whose smiles can make us cry.
We are responsible for children
whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat anything, who have never seen a dentist, who aren’t spoiled by anybody, who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep, who live and move, but have no being.
We are responsible for children
who want to be carried and for those who must, for those we never give up on and for those who don’t get a second chance, for those we smother, . . . and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.

Mercy

A Tidbit about my Thursday

Well, it started out really good. Most of the kids are gone off today and only a few are here. I've been blessed, because Tiffany is here helping me out today. Dylan has even been coming on his off days to help me out...which has been a huge help. It's hard trying to work and then trying to run Bay here and there 2-3 days a week, on top of taking my own kids to appointments, exc. I feel like I run a free taxi service...lol
I took Katie tuesday to the doctor and she has a UTI that turned into a kidney infection. She has been really sick, but she is getting better.
So far the only bad thing today is that little Emma got sick. Tara brought her for me to keep and she got sick on me. They have been battling the tummy bug for over a week now and we all thought little Emma was better, but she wasn't. Now, I'm just praying noone else catches it. I hate that stuff.
I got a call yesterday, and we are getting 2 new foster kids today. We are getting a 5 year old and 1 year old. I'm not sure how long we will have them. They are just coming into care and that usually means a new case plan and the parents usually take atleast 6 months to complete a case plan. So I guess we will see how that goes.
I'm just enjoying having an easy day. I don't have to many days like this one. I still have to run to dfcs to pick up my camera that was accidentally lost in the foster kids bag.. We had two girls ages 9 and 10, over the weekend.
Well, I guess I 'll get off and get ready to run to dfcs. I hope you all have a good Thursday.
Just one more day until the weekend...yay!!!!!

Thank you Felicia!

Pictures from Anna's wedding














Thank you so much Felicia for my beautiful
frame & pictures. I love it!
Hugs, sandy

Thanks Amanda!

Ahhhh... thanks Amanda! Thank you for the sweet message you left me. You and your family have been a blessing to us too. I'm glad that I was able to be there for you.
Write me or call me and let me know when you are coming back to Ga and we will plan to get to together and go to O'charleys again *wink*
Also, the kids told me you called the other day. I'm sorry I missed your call. It was crazy around here that weekend. I wish you could have been here for the wedding...we missed you. Anyhow, I love you guys bunches. Give Blake hugs and kisses from us.
Hugs, Sandy

Is it really Monday already??? grrrrrr

Well, the weekend went pretty well. I'm starting to feel some better. I've had a sore throat and headache for the last few days. I get this way about this time of the year, every year. I pretty much took it as easy as I could this past weekend. I actually got a lot of rest, thanks to my girls. They helped me out all weekend.
On Friday, I brought home 2 foster children to keep for the weekend so that their foster family could have a break. They were ages 9 and 10. I was so worried that I would have my hands full, because these two girls have major issues. But, they didn't give me any problems at all. Actually they were some of the best kids I've had so far. They got up early Saturday morning ,because they had to go to counciling ,and before they left they cleaned their room and made their beds. I was like wow! Maybe I should just send my bio kids to stay at the foster kids house next weekend, so that the foster mom could train mine...lol They cleaned up after themselves and helped me with everything...not because I asked, but because they wanted to. They were sweet. I took them home on Sunday, and the shy one told her foster mom if she decided to go on vacation that she just wanted to go stay with Mrs Sandy...It made me feel good:)
Yesterday was Father's Day. We didn't really do anything for it. Brent's Dad lives in Alabama, so he just called his dad and wished him a happy day. Me, I have 2 dad's. My real dad actually called me instead of me calling him. He lives in South Ga, and his phone doesn't have service there, so he called me instead. However, I missed his call, because I was at church *tears*, but I left him a Father's Day message on his voice mail. My other Dad was in bed sick with a fever. I'm not real sure what is wrong. He is stubborn...just like my mom and won't go to the doctor when he's sick. So pretty much Father's Day was spent resting.
Well, after a good weekend, I ended upgoing to bed around 11pm. By 1 am, Bailey woke me up screaming. I think she may be getting sick. She was so fussy and didn't go back to sleep until after 3am and even then she fussed in her sleep...which is not like her at all. Bay is the sweetest natured baby I've ever been around. I may have to take her to the doctor today. It is 7:06 am and so far she is still asleep. I gave her tylenol and maybe that has helped her rest better.
I already have one appointment today. Katie has to go back to the dentist for her cavity to be fixed. We cancelled her oral surgery because it was the same week as Anna's wedding and I was afraid that Katie would not feel like attending Anna's wedding. I've got to reshedule it soon.
Well, I should get up and get busy. It's Monday and it's always a busy day for me. Just trying to catch up after the weekend keeps me pretty busy. Have a good day!

Ahhhhh what a wonderful day!

Just two kids today and boy it's nice. It's not that I mind the kids, because I adore them, but it's nice when you have a day off, like this. It is so quiet and I am actually able to do what I've been needing to do for days ,which is catch up on my housework and rest. When you have a lot of kids in and out all day, you feel like all you do is clean all day, but it doesn't show. You get one end of the house tidy, but turn around and the other end is messy...it's a back and forth 24/7 kind of thing and it drives me nuts. If it were up to me, I'd have nothing in my house but what we have to have to live, because I am so tired of cleaning the same things over and over every day.
This week didn't start off so well. Tuesday, Jacob's little friend Joseph came over to play and he busted his head open and had to go to the hospital for stitches. He was trying to flip on the trampoline and flipped into the bar. Then Jon's friend Baily B, put baby Bailey on the couch and let her fall off...which scared me to death. She already had a bruised head from the accident over the weekend.
My stress level for the last couple of weeks has been like top floor. So having this day to rest is like having a looong vacation on a deserted Island.., yay!
Speaking of vacation.... I really need one. Brent and Lee are planning some kind of special trip for us (Judy and me) to somewhere special, but I'm not sure where. I really hope it's not a cruise because I'm afraid I'd get sick. I hope it's by plane, but who knows, Brent is scared of planes. It is suppose to be a surprise. They have Mindy helping them plan it, is all I know. It will be nice to get away, but I don't know what we will do with the kids for those days. I think we are going sometime in August.
However, I really just want to take a family vacation. I want to take the kids to the beach. We haven't been in a couple of years and it is really needed. They begged us last year, but Brent was so sick the whole year and didn't have any vacation days left.
Brent is still having problems and is sick right now. He sounds like he has fluid in his lungs again when he breathes. He really needs the surgery that they want to do on him, but he keeps putting it off. I don't know why he won't go and get it over with, but he is a grown man and he is going to do just what he wants to do.
Yesterday, DFCS called me and ask me to keep 2 girls just for the weekend. I agreed that I would "just for the weekend". Come to find out they are the same two that the state wanted me to take permanently, a couple of weeks ago. They have numerous problems, which scared me off from accepting them. They also have a baby sister 15 months old, that I did keep for a few days and may get back in a few weeks. They also have a new baby sister or brother that is due in three months that will also be going into state care. So I guess we will see how it goes. I just wonder if they are thinking that I'll take the older girls and then change my mind and want to keep them permanently. I would have probably said yes,until the other county told me all I would have to do, and I knew that would mean I would be on the road almost everyday seeking medical help and counciling and that would be a lot of work and stress on me.
I just wish I could just keep Bailey and adopt her, and I probably would just quit fostering , because it is so hard. However, I'm almost positive she will be leaving us by August. I really hoped that we would find just a little girl that we could keep forever, but so far that has not been God's will for us. God knows what our future holds and it may be where he sees it would be hard on us with an extra kid . I am just at the point to where I really don't know what I want to do anymore. I love the kids that fostering has brought to us, but I hate the stress that the system adds to our lives every day. It's always something that comes up for me to do and it makes it really hard to just enjoy fostering.
Well, I guess I should get off here and get started. This is one of those days that you wish you could just bottle up and pour it out just when you need it the most.

Wedding Pictures!

I have a few wedding picks from Anna's wedding, that I have collected off of other people's MySpace sites. If you want to see the pictures I have so far, just click the link below.
I will be adding tons more when I get the pics from the photographers. Enjoy!

Click link below to view pics...

http://mom2howells.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album58

Well, we made it...lol

My daughter got married! What took up every spare minute of my time for the last couple of months, was done and over with in just a matter of minutes. It turned out beautiful.
I don't think we had a dry eye in the whole church when Anna took the mike and sang "Jesus, Daddy, and You" by Rebbecca Howard. I don't know how she done it ,but she did. I am so proud of her!!!!
I can't even begin to tell you all how blessed we are to have such wonderful friends and family...God is good! I was so overwhelmed by all the ones that came to help us before, during, and after. "Thank you" just seems so small for all that was done for us.
For all the ones that where there and saw the accident that took place, I just wanted you to know that Bailey and Samantha are fine. For those who didn't know what happened... Samantha took a fall and dropped Bailey on her head. Bailey ended up with a bruised forhead and Samantha with scratches and bruises on her legs. But both are fine.
Other than that, It couldn't have gone any better. It was just a sweet day.

Mood-Exhausted

Well, I found a second to sit down while I am waiting to get my hair done. It's been a very busy couple of days and I am worn out. We got in bed about 3:30 am and had to be back up by 7 am. Lastnight, we had to decorate for the reception, but we couldn't do it until after the rehearsal dinner. We didn't realize that all the new table cloths had to be steamed to get wrinkles out, and that took us many hours ,but I was blessed with help. Martha, Tara, Felisha and my three girls helped and we worked until after 3 am this morning.
The rehearsal dinner was catered by Olive garden and Sharon and Sherry done a wonderful job with it!
I'm really excited about today ,but I'm very tired. I'm just glad that I decided to have the reception catered, because It would have been so hard to do that food myself. We are using sugar bakers for the reception.
Well, I'll add more when time allows...

okay...where do I start?????

It's been a crazy week. I can't believe we are 2 days away from Anna's wedding. I don't know who is more nervous...her or me. It's hard to believe it is here already. We start today taking things out of the church and decorating. I have so many ideas in my head, and I keep thinking of other things I could do. I just want it to be special. I just hope it turns out well, because I've never done a wedding before ,and I'm still not real sure of what I'm doing.
This whole week has been so stressful. Jacob finished up his school year...yay!!!!
Then we got a call to carry the baby for another DNA test. It seems after 9 1/2 months a man decides to show up claiming to be daddy. I'm not sure what part this will play in Bay's case. I'm so angry ,because this man was contacted when Bay was 1 day old and he was not interested in her and hasn't been ,until now. He knew about her, but hasn't even made a point to see her or get tested and the test is free (the state pays). It just makes me so mad. Just pray for us and please continue to pray for her. He whole life could change in a matter of days. Since she started family visits of 4 hours, her whole personality has changed. She has been so fussy after every visit. I think it's because the visits twice a week are during her nap time and by the time I get her, she is so ill she can't sleep. It's really hard on her and us. Sometimes I wonder why I do this? Why do I foster? Why do I want to get so attached and get my heart broken...over and over I guess, because someone has to do it and why shouldn't it be me? However, it is hard...so hard.
Well, that is all I have time for. I'm suppose to be meeting Sharon and Angie at the church shortly. I hope you have a great day!