Baby Boys and Plebe Update

I was so good in keeping everyone in the loop on all things Hallie during Beast.

Then the school year started and she really got busy.

She's taking like 19 hours and playing volleyball and traveling practically every week.

Plus inspections, learning random knowledge (that she has to know at any given moment), different personalities all around her, clean uniforms, and maintaining grades.

Nothing about this school is easy.

Not.One.Thing.

She is so homesick and for some reason (I can't even recall why) we made the decision that she would stay in NYC for Thanksgiving and come home for Christmas.  Don't even ask me why we thought that was a good idea.  FOR. THE. LOVE.

It will have been 6 months when that girl finally steps back on Oklahoma soil.  6. Six. Months.  (that's too long)

She's embracing the suck, and getting it done.  For the last two years, she has multi-tasked as hard as she could with volleyball, work, high school, vo-tech and concurrent college, so they say the hardest thing about being a plebe is learning time management.  She had that down to a science before she went, so she has really just embraced it, and trying not to be a procrastinator (which is our middle name).

I will just be super glad to have her home in 6 weeks.  Cannot wait.

On the other coast of the USA, you will find my pregnant daughter, Kip.   I was CERTAIN this baby was a GIRL.  I just KNEW IT.

WRONG.  They called me and yelled "It's got a PENIS" and I almost dropped the phone.  Then I was sooooo OVERJOYED because I LOVE me some grandsons!

The only one NOT thrilled with the news is my diva granddaug, Brielle, who believes she is a human.

I'm pretty sure, she will come around.  She liked DD, ok, even when he tried to eat her tags on her collar.

I love me some little boy humans,  and big old diva granddaugs.

Deaton is getting so big.  He's 2 1/2 now, and calls me "Lols" instead of Lolly.  I'm still not sure how I feel about it.  Just pretty big for his britches.  Told him we were going to a party last weekend and he piped up, "What kind of party?"  He's so sweet and funny and ornery and rambunctious, just the perfect blend of all of it.   He's a great negotiator ("DD, it's time for bed"  "Just four more minutes, lols?"  or  "Ok, last book, then time for sleepy",  "Wait, just two more books")  and becoming a pretty picky eater  ("No eat that, my no like that, lols")

So, life is pretty fun with grandsons.  I'm looking so forward to meeting the newest one in April.

But first, let's get that Plebe home for Christmas, and get that Kip and Brandon here, and move to the ranch, (oh, did I tell you we GOT IN and are FOR SURE MOVING!?)  Yeah, that too.

SO, 2017 has turned out to be a pretty good year for the family.   2018 is just going to be over the top.

I Mean, fo' reals.

God is certainly good,  all the TIME.

The Day That You said Yes

I'm cleaning drawers like a cleaning fool.

And I stumbled on this today, and cried in my floor.

Some may not even get it, but I'm adding it to my blog, because there is not One Day that goes by that I am not proud of my Lacey.  (or all my kids, but today it's Lacey)

I helped her with an event for her non profit that she heads as Executive Director... Legacy Parenting Center.  She had a "Trivia and Tapas" event in Shawnee, and basically put the entire evening together, with the help of some Junior Service League girls, and several volunteers, and our favorite hostest with the mostest, Nona Merriman.

It was outstanding.  Her heart is so open for helping families, and babies, and families with babies...it's just amazing to watch her go.

And it all started because she said Yes to the unknown, the journey with her baby, Laynie.  When all the medical world told her No......she said Yes.

And I found this poem I wrote her in my stuff today as I was cleaning drawers.....


When You Said Yes


A whole new world was coming our way
Everything clearer day by day

Not our control, but One much higher,
And surrendered we'd become, our belief on fire. 

Born to our family, a tiny gift
and in her presence,
our hearts would lift.

God knew what He as doing when He picked
you from the rest,
God Knew what He was doing,
Because you said Yes.

A life created to teach us all,
to make our walks, more loving, more tall
of a tiny gift that made Prayer a call...

The day that you Said Yes. 

Thank you Lacey DeeAnn for saying Yes to Jesus, everyday, in every way.  It's such a blessing to not only call you my daughter, but my best friend, too.

Must be Something in the Water

I've been reading back through my blogs from five years ago (5 years ago!) when the kids came to live with us.

Whoa, those were some interesting times. 

So, what is my family up to, you ask?

Every time one of those ads come up with kids needing homes, I always try to reconfigure my house in a way that I can stick more kids in here.  Because at the end of the day, it ain't about me.  It's about helping people.  And people to me, are kids. 

SO.

God Willing, and the creek don't rise, and the community votes me in, The Take-outs and I are moving north.  To Guthrie.   To Peppers Ranch.

Read about Peppers Ranch Here

I drive almost every day to Guthrie anyway to work, so it makes total sense to move 10 minutes away from work.  (5 if they ever get the bridge built)

My kids will have a built in community of kids just like them, going through the same thing, living life on a RANCH, with horses, golf carts, fishing, community, tutoring ON SITE, and most of all, a big enough house we can live in and actually not sit on top of each other, whilst we are doing a netflix binge. 

And I will be able to take in a few more kids and help them, and love them, and show them life is more than their circumstances. 

We still have to go through an interview or two more, but I would appreciate your prayers and good wishes going forward.  My prayer warriors move mountains for me, and looks like we will be moving a few more over the next ten years. 

Now I'm not sure that "Sound Mind" part really applies here.  Pretty sure I'm not of sound mind right now.   I'm overloaded on Supernatural peace and power that comes from above. 

What I've learned from this journey on earth, is this, you don't have to be equipped with all the education, all the extra room, the extra time, etc, etc... God equips the called. 

If you have a desire to foster, I promise there is a kid out there needing to be living with you.  If you have a stirring in your heart for something more than your currently living....to truly being the hands and feet of Jesus, answer the call. 

DHS Website to get more information about fostering

If you can't take kids full time, you might consider Emergency Placements, Respite (YES PLEASE, and MESSAGE ME DIRECTLY FOR THAT NUGGET OF INFORMATION, FOR YOU SHALL BE MINE) or even simply as Donating to Peppers Ranch, so they can find more crazy people of sound mind to live in the three new houses they are currently building.   Over 100 children live on this ranch.  That's 100 kids that are being given a chance of seeing what life looks like without neglect, abuse, drugs, etc.  That's 12 houses of foster/adoptive parents that are CALLED and EQUIPPED to love kids.  (Yeah that averages out to about 8-10 kids a house)  (Don't let me do the math for my house).    Sound mind, Sound mind, Sound mind. 

It's all good, so we are taking this party north.   I have 10 years of accumulation I have to pack in the next 7 weeks.  Boxes, boxes and boxes are needed.  If you have these things, let me know.   I've decided if I haven't touched something in a year, it's probably going to be donated, or sent to our local dump.  Can't move it all. 

Prayers and more prayers, people.  Prayers for the doors to fly open and my house to sell, and let the adventure continue.

Living the Dream, baby.  And boy, are we going to have some fun blogs over the next few years.  WWHHHEEEEEE, let's DO IT.