July Things

July! We did a lot of fun things (some of them are in separate posts I'll publish after O is adopted). I feel like there is so much going on in life now. Everything is still weird because of the pandemic, weird and contentious ;) There is so much going on, both with out little family, and in the world, and I have so many thoughts swirling about it all, but not much time to process it. Writing helps me process things though, which is why blogging is therapeutic for me. I only wish  I could write about everything going on with our foster cases.

Anyways, back in March, Esther entered the bird house competition at the nature center. She has been begging to make one so we finally did it this year. Leland helped her make it and she painted it all herself. She won an award with a prize. She was so proud and we are too.

These are the prizes she chose from the gift shop. 

Later we went on an evening "hike". I love this location. I'm no photographer but the lighting was beautiful and I got some shots that I love. 

Our first sunflower blossomed.  Adele wanted a picture with it with her favorite doll, Marie. 

Star Hair for the 4th of July. We kept it low key and just went to Leland's sister, Tanya's house. The kids loved playing with their cousins and their street had AMAZING fireworks. 

A little sleepy boy.

Oh this baby. We love him so. He had his big court hearing in July and we found out he will be going home to his mom soon if all goes well. I'm happy for her, but we are heartbroken. We all just adore him. He is so attached to me too, and my heart just breaks for how he's going to feel about it all being too young to understand anything. I've just been letting myself be sad, and honestly it feels like there's been a could of sadness over us ever since we found out. I'm trying to enjoy the time we have left with him and hoping and praying we can stay in his life after he leaves. 

Fun at forest school with cousins. Israel LOVES his cousins "Book and AK" as he calls them. 

Fairy obsessed girls reading a fairy book together. 

Feeding bottles

Esther takes about a hundred pictures of Birdy a day :)

The girls and I planted these sunflower seeds on March 24th. I remember the exact day because it was the same day I picked up a scared little three year old boy and brought him home to live with us. Now these sunflowers are taller than I am and blossoming beautifully. Fittingly, O has grown so much and blossomed beautifully since that day too. 🌻

They say foster care is a rollercoaster of ups and downs and yesterday felt especially that way. We are so happy to be adopting O, while at the same time feeling heartbroken over Baby Boy leaving soon. We are so happy that O will be joining our family forever, while still mourning the brokenness that led to him needing to be adopted. We love both these boys and I feel so lucky to have had the chance to be their Mama, whether forever or just for a while. 🌻

Baby Boy had his first birthday! and he took his first steps! Foster care is such an emotional roller coaster. Usually on my baby's first birthday's I am sad about their babyhood being over.  I don't feel like I'm allowed to feel that way about Baby Boy because I've been here everyday of his first year and his mom missed it all. It was a good day but also touched with sadness like every day in foster care. 

He is so cute though. Just so adorable.  A few days after his birthday I took him to a photo studio to get pictures taken of him. When I got the pictures back I just cried (everything makes me cry these days and I am NOT a crier). He is so beautiful. He has perfect blonde curls and striking blue eyes. How did we get so lucky to have the world's cutest baby for the past year. He smiled for every picture and they turned out amazing.Looking at the pictures made me think of how much he's overcome and changed since we first got him, how hard those first months were and what a joy he is now. Of course I thought about how soon these pictures might be all I have left to remember him by. I just can't. I don't know how I'm going to say goodbye to him. 

Adele wanted a braid like mine for church, it didn't stay in long but it was cute while it lasted.

After our camping trip I started weaning Israel. I'm sad about it but it was time. I made Leland take these pictures of one of my last times nursing him. 

Esther is so creative, Adele wanted yellow fairy wings so Esther made these for her. I love it! Esther is always coming to me with ideas of things she wants to create, sew or build. It is a little overwhelming but when she does it all on her own and cleans up her mess I love it. 

We made a mud hole in the backyard. Only Israel and Esther were interested in it. 

Lots of park days. This day we got rained on it but it was so much better than all the heat we've had lately. 

A picture the girls took. 

Pioneer Day, one of my favorite holidays. :)

"Take a picture of me and Fawn!"

Swimming at Aunt Kris's pool. Conveniently none of them were looking.

Israel doing his two favorite activities, looking at books and playing legos. 

Yesterday we went on a hike to Cecret Lake. Hiking with five young kids is rough. But in the end we forget about all the crying and complaining and just have pretty pictures to show for it. :) There were SO many wild flowers. I wore my wild flower shirt for the occasion. We even saw a moose which is always fun.  

Adele said she was Heidi and Israel was Peter. :)  It looks like the scene could be one from the Swiss Alps.