We now have no littles under the age of FOUR! Whatever will I do! :) I do miss the "little" age, and simply can't believe that my Liam is now FOUR years old! wow!

Liam came to me at nine months old. As is often the life of a foster parent, I received a call at work midday and asked if I "wanted a baby?" Of course I said yes! I had parent teacher conferences that night, but being a special educator, unfortunately I had no conferences lined up except for one and a friend across the hall who said she would watch him during that time. So he showed up at work, driven by a CASEWORKER, at nine months old, not properly strapped into a car seat at all, and facing forward. I couldn't believe it! Well, yes, I could as I've seen similar many times, but it still didn't cease to floor me. Anyway, I digress from the point of my story, system ranting for another day...

Prior to coming to live with me, Liam had lived with his birth mom and then with another foster family. He was at the previous foster family's home just over four months and the agency was concerned that he wasn't developing properly. Upon coming to live with me at nine months old he couldn't sit up, crawl, stand, etc and was making only one true sound.

This was Liam within one week of being placed in my home...

Such a blessing to be able to see such obvious progress in such a short time!

He has caught up in many ways, still lacking a bit in the area of speech, and he's kind of a little peanut, but what a personality! :) And his eyes are amazing! He is certainly a member of our family and we love him to pieces!


Today we had originally planned on going to the zoo with our membership, but the frigid temps and the fact that he's been sick the past three days made that unable to happen. Instead we found a few things to do around town...

We first went to a local candy shop the kids had not been to. I gave them each one dollar and they actually found a fairly good sized bag of goodies amongst the 10 and 20 cent candy! :) (Gotta love the bday decorated Krispy Kreme hat my parents sent him!)

Next we headed to the grocery store to finish picking up his bday dinner supplies. On their bdays the kids each get to pick the makings of their bday dinners.

From there we went to Barnes and Noble to read some books, play with the trains, and help Liam pick out a little something from Grandma and Grandpa. They sent him one "large" gift and wanted to still get a little something else as well. He chose a reading Mickey light from the $2 clearance table and a Max and Ruby Valentine book.

Next it was home for his bday meal...
For Liam, we had McDonalds cheeseburgers, pancakes, cheese (The kid could LIVE on cheese!), orange pop to drink, and frosted cookies for dessert!) He was in heaven! :)

My littlest is sick. :( Poor Liam was home yesterday with fever, chills, congestion, and just that yuck feeling. Luckily I found someone who was able to stay home with him today and possibly tomorrow if he needs it, which I think he will. I really hope he's better by Saturday as it's his birthday! :( Last night he felt so yucky he didn't even want to stay laying on the couch watching some tv when I came into the kitchen to make dinner. He wanted to be with me, and this is what then transpired...

Have had a few rough weeks at work due to a new student, sorry for not blogging much.

Today's workshop at the University of Chicago was AMAZING! I was humbled and blessed to be able to be a part of such a wonderful partnering between professionals at U of C, possible or future adoptive parents, and current adoptive parents.

We were blessed to have professionals from the International adoption clinic, HIV practitioners, Pediatric Neurologists, Neuropsychologists, social workers, etc. There were four families who together are adopting 7 of the girls on Reeces Rainbow from the Ukraine who are HIV+. One of these had driven in from OHIO! It was great to be one of the few parents present who was currently parenting a child with HIV, to be able to share the everyday life experiences with these wonderful people. The ease of parenting a child with HIV, the realization that still many today, including many pediatric physicians, are in need of correct information when it comes to the spread of HIV, the fact that for many of us, our HIV+ children are actually our healthiest in our home! :) How many of us decide to NOT keep HIV a secret, in order to help alleviate the stigma, in order to help educate others. There is a lot to take into consideration when venturing into adoption, and HIV doesn't have to be a negative aspect at all.

I am so completely not someone who is comfortable speaking in front of peers, especially peers I don't know. Give me a room of students, I'm good. But a room of adults, I practically hyperventilate! My hands turn ice cold, and my train of thought is NIL. I shared a few thoughts today, but had more on my mind I would have liked to have shared. I need God to be able to step in and use me in these times, I am not a good speaker! :)

But, speaking aside, I was in awe of God's work today. In all that those at U of C have done, and would like to plan for the future. Project Hopeful, Carolyn, are wonderful advocates for HIV adoption! This is something that is needed country-wide. It sounds like these workshops may be made into webinars at some point to get this wonderful information out to anyone around the country, possibly even the world, who would be interested. Praise God! :)

Heading here tomorrow...

Project Hopeful

Can't wait to see everyone and find ways to pray for and help families thinking or starting on the road to adopting HIV+ children.

It's doable! It's easy! It's a child who desperately needs a home! Love it!

We have two new additions this evening... not the two-legged kind though, the four legged versions! :)

For Christmas, Santa gave the kids a gerbil cage set up. The one thing they each asked for was a pet. We didn't get the actual animals as Santa said that they needed to learn how to care for them and travel back to IL first. Tonight was the night that we decided to look for our pets. We went to one chain, to find NO GERBILS! :( When we stopped at the second I was sure it was going to be the same result, but we were blessed to find a grouping of six young sisters, cute as can be. I let Olivia and Braeden each choose and name one, and while I would have chosen the adorable tan one and black and white one, Braeden picked the white one, and Olivia one of the three browns. :)

So, introducing...




Sorry for the poor pics, I only had my cell available tonight. The kids are enamored and can't wait to hold them. We're giving them time to adjust and acclimate. :)

We're officially on the market! Lots of prayers and faith that this is HIS plan! You Go God! :)

My friend Holly (I should say my online blogger facebook friend whom I have not YET met but wish to someday! friend Holly) posted a beautifully written blog post recently. If you have not yet read it, please take a minute to do so! Inspiring and heart wrenching and beautifully worded!

I'm clay... or hoping to become clay. Clay for God to mold as HE sees fit. I'm working hard toward this goal, daily, weekly, hourly. I'm especially learning a lot right now about relying on HIM. Seeing with FAITH. Believing without KNOWLEDGE of my own.

We did make it back just fine! The ride went really well with only a few issues the second day due to some tired kids... that's what I get for letting them stay up late at the hotel in Chattanooga! :) I have some more pics to post... but am beat and getting back into the work routine today!

I was tagged, somewhat :), by Molly in a Challenge. Post about 10 things that make you happy and then tag ten people... So here goes!