Rogers Cinema

This past Tuesday we had a "movie night"  in the comfort of our own home. We had hot chocolate, S'mores goldfish, Keebler cheesecake cookies, buttery popcorn, and Christmas cakes. It was one of those rainy and cold nights that made you wanna sip cocoa and cuddle up on the couch, so that's what we did!

We had three red box movies that we hadn't seen yet. Grown Up 2, Hangover 3, and White House Down. We started with Hangover 3 and it was surprisingly much better than the second one. I felt like the first and second one followed each other way to closely in story line. You knew someone was going to be missing, something crazy was going to happen involving an Asian (most of the time naked) man, and in the end everything worked out. The third one was funny, but I didn't think it was as near hilarious as the first one. Regardless, it was good, but I wouldn't watch it again.

We watched White House Down after Hangover 3 was over. Any movie with Channing Tatum in it is alright with me. I did notice though that he always plays a man that no one believes in at first. In Step Up they didn't believe he was good enough to be accepted into that dancing academy and here he is being rejected as a secret service member. I wonder why that is. Lord knows Channing Tatum can play a confident man-- just look at him! I liked the movie a lot, surprisingly. I have never really like action movies, but as I get older I like them more. I loved Red Dawn and The Expendables (1 and 2). Those are both packed full of action. White House Down was really good, and I liked the story line, but I wasn't crazy about Jamie Fox playing the President. I think they could have found someone better. I did laugh when he went and put his Air Jordan's on mid chaos. Lol.

After White House Down I made some Cheesy Hamburger macaroni and buttery garlic toast. We ate dinner while watching Grown Ups 2. Grown Ups 2 was a HUGE disappointment. It was NOT funny to me. I thought it had a sloppy story line, and it was pure boring. I love Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Kevin James. I wasn't crazy with Chris Rock's character and wish he could have had more of a natural role. He is hilarious. I don't care for David Spade though and he had more of a lead role in the sequel than he did in the first one. I wouldn't recommend Grown Ups 2 to anyone. 

I returned the movies Wednesday- which I should receive a merit badge for because I am always forgetting to return Red Box movies! I decided to grab three more since I enjoyed the quality time with the hubby. I grabbed The Conjuring, The Internship, and World War Z. I don't recommend any three, LOL. Waste of three bucks!

Dustin really liked The Internship, but I wasn't crazy about it. I do not like the blonde headed guy. I can't remember his name. Owen Wilson, maybe? They both rambled through the whole movie, and it gave me a headache. It was boring and I found myself finding things to go do throughout the movie- laundry, dishes, etc. Lol.

We didn't watch the other two until Thanksgiving night. The Conjuring wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be. It's based off a true story, ya know? But apparently it was dramatized or something.. On a 1-10 "scary stale" I would give it a 4. 

World War Z doesn't even deserve a review. Don't watch it. It kills me that they made the zombies super fast. Dumb.

Now, Monday night we rented a movie off of Charter's On Demand. Meet the Millers. Whoa! It was hilarious! It's definitely not a movie you'd want to watch with children, but it was hilarious. There is a guy at work that is always recommending movies for me to watch, and if he recommends it I know it's going to have crude humor and my husband is going to LOVE it. Lol. I love Jennifer Aniston! She is gorgeous and never ages! I was impressed that they didn't show much nudity- other than the spider scene... Hilarious movie. 

We are going to go return these three red box movies, and I think I am gonna grab three more.. I love watching them with my husband. It's like a "time out" from our busy lives. We all need a time out every now and then.. 

Dear Santa

While leaving the parental's house on the way to Grandma's house, I was blown away by a little, laminated Christmas letter on my parent's refrigerator. 

There it is, folks. Proof that even when I was five years old, I was wanting "10 babs". For you smart people, I was referring to 10 babies. So, maybe I don't want to actually have ten kids, but if I could make a difference in 10 children's lives via foster care, I think my Christmas list from 1997 will be complete.

Not only was my incorrect spelling adorable, but I happened to slide in a little favor for my favorite sister ;) 

A "stuft twedebed" translates to a stuffed tweety bird, and if I recall properly my sister did get one of those for Christmas.

You're welcome, Haley.

Santa, I love you. Don't forget to tells your "efs" I love them too.

Christmas is magical.. 

Thanksgiving Part One

Today I am thankful that I have a bed to sleep in with lots of warm covers. I couldn't imagine sleeping on a park bench or in a cardboard box. What a blessing it is to have a warm bed to sleep in at night.

I am thankful for having warm running water that allows me to  take a shower in the morning. I am thankful for how convenient it is these days to "hop in the shower".

I am thankful for Covergirl makeup! I don't know what I'd do without being able to rely on that beige 225 to cover up the giant zit on the side of my face!!!

I am thankful for whoever invented tooth paste! My breath is minty fresh and for that YOU should be grateful!

I am thankful that gas prices have dropped and the trip to Clanton didn't cost me an arm and a leg.

I am thankful that God kept me and my family and friends safe today while we traveled up and and down I-65.

I am thankful for the food that my parents and sister made for our delicious Thanksgiving meal. I am thankful that we have grocery stores that bring all of the things we need to make a meal together in one area so we can conveniently purchase them.

I am thankful for my husband and his will to get out of bed this morning to go to work at Ruby Tuesdays. Man, it sucks not having him with me when I travel to my parents for Thanksgiving but I am so blessed to know he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep a roof over my head and food in the fridge. He is wonderful and I love him more than words can express.

With that being said, I am thankful for all of the men and women today that are at work. Whether they are busy keeping a gas station open and running so that travelers have a place to refuel and relieve (lol) themselves. I am thankful for the men and women out there busily preparing the many stores that are prepping for crazy Black Friday shoppers. I am thankful for the police officers, nurses and doctors, firemen, and all the men and women fighting for our country. A holiday is just another day away from their family, and I am so thankful they are willing to sacrifice their time for us. All of these people are awesome!

I am also thankful for my Lord and Savior. I am thankful that He sent His only son to die for me. Wow! How amazing is His love for me! Because of his sacrifice, my sins can be forgiven and I can be reunited with my family in Heaven.

I am blessed. I am blessed as much now, in November, as I am in any other month of the year. Everyone is doing this "thankful days of November" and I think it's awesome that we take the time out of our busy, hectic days to realize just how blessed we are. I know I get discouraged and start wondering why God would punish me- or use one of my favorite lines "It's not fair!". But, in all honesty, I am blessed and am always blessed. I might hit a few pot holes here and there, but I am always blessed to have someone help me get out of those holes- whether it be my husband, my family, or my friends.

I love Thanksgiving. I love being surrounded by my family. I love being able to sit and chat with my Grandma about everything from A-Z. I love laughing and reminiscing about memories in the past. It amazes me how much my Grandma can remember. She is such an amazing lady.

This afternoon after we devoured a peanut butter pie- seriously, one of the best things I've ever eaten- my family got up and went and sat outside on the porch. My grandmother and I stayed in the kitchen and had yet another one of our heart to heart conversations.. Her wisdom amazes me, and I will always cherish the talks we have. She is just as excited as I am about this foster care adventure Dustin and I have started. She is my biggest fan, as am I hers..

Thanksgiving in the Perdue/Longsine home is over, and judging by the snores I hear coming from the den, some of us are down and out. I hope everyone else is enjoying their Thanksgiving. I cannot wait until Dustin gets off at four o'clock, and we celebrate a Rogers Thanksgiving :) Good thing I wore my fat pants!

Catching Up (Part Two)

Procrastination sucks. It's got to be one of my worst traits. In high school and later on in college I wouldn't necessarily procrastinate when a paper was due but I couldn't work on a paper over a week's period. I couldn't research a paper on Saturday, write my thesis statement on Sunday, write a rough draft on Monday, revise on Tuesday... I think you get the point. I had to do all of it on one day- in one sitting- on one computer. I never failed an essay, though one professor at UM liked to decorate my paper with red marks until she had rewrote my entire essay... But, regardless, I am sure that is some type of procrastination. I've also procrastinated about washing the dishes in the sink this morning AND about going "lock" shopping. We have to lock all of the chemicals and medicine up in a cabinet with a lock and key. It doesn't sound that painful, but we are renters and I don't think our landlord would appreciate it if we left his cabinets with two giant gaping holes from our key locking entry. I've considered getting the locks with the padlock, but our cabinet doors are spaced almost an inch and a half apart. I don't know if I'd work. Regardless, we are suppose to go lock shopping today. As for the dishes, Dustin can do those later..

Let's get caught up. Better late than never right..

Day 13: I am thankful for The Hayes' household! I met the Hayes' one day at the preschool I work at. They were foster parents, and had triplets in our pre-kindergarten program. I didn't know much about foster parenting at the time, and, honestly, had no idea there was such a demand for foster parents in Shelby County. I was (and still am) naive when it comes to first world problems. If I don't literally see it everyday with my own two eyes, then it escapes me and I guess I chose to act like the problem doesn't exist. For example, Obamacare. I still don't understand everything about Obamacare, but, while everyone else was complaining about it I chose to act like it didn't effect me therefore I was oblivious to the fact that our own family plan jumped fifty dollars in price- A WEEK. That's another rant for another day. Anyhow, I met the Hayes' and was interested in what they were doing. I love children- always have. I am a preschool teacher to a classroom slap full of three year olds. I am pretty sure loving children is mandatory in order for me to keep my sanity. What I loved most about the Hayes' is that the foster children they always had loved them dearly. The Hayes' didn't just give them everything they wanted- food, toys, etc. they gave them hope, discipline, guidance, Faith in the Lord, and a true understanding of the word "family". Mrs. Hayes talked to me about foster care and tried to get me to come to the first foster care meeting at her church. I didn't go. I wasn't one hundred percent sure, and Dustin thought the idea was crazy. A year passed, the triplets headed off to kindergarten and I never saw them again- until- that following summer they came back to the preschool for after school care. Hallelujah! The Hayes' were back in my life! I spent all summer with the triplets +1 and I knew for sure I wanted to foster. Towards the end of the summer, the triplets had their birthday party and I drug Dustin along with me. Dustin played with them like they were his niece and nephews! I was blown away by how easily he was able to accept them and play with them even though he is one of the shiest people I know. We finally made the decision together that we would consider fostering, and believe it or not, the classes started in less than two weeks. Funny how God works. We are at the beginning of our fostering journey, but Dustin and I have already grown to be so close to one another through the ten week class. We've discussed things we've never talked about before, we've accomplished things as a couple, and we've grown closer to God. We've had so many blessings already from this experience and we've barely even got started. This was all possible because God has angels he sends down to this Earth to work, and Mrs. Hayes happens to be one and I happened to be so very lucky to meet her. Oh, and I have to give Mr. Hayes some credit! I was extremely intimidated by him before we took our classes- even though I still am a tad bit. We didn't know this prior to our first class that Mr. Hayes would actually be one of the teachers of our class. They all took turns doing their part each Wednesday night and Dustin and I both agreed that listening to Mr. Hayes was our favorite part. He is one of those teachers that can teach without the book. He doesn't read line  by line, instead he talks from the heart. He shared his feelings, his fears, and his accomplishments with us. What a wonderful group of people living a life for God! 

Day 14: I am thankful for my crazy, hectic, gonna pull my hair out sometimes job. I've been working at NP for almost two years. There are days that I absolutely hate it, but I have more days where I absolutely love it. I love being around the children. I love being able to teach them things that they will use throughout life. I love having Bible study in the morning with them and praying with them (and a little patience and guidance for Ms. Page). I love crafts, though I hate doing the same craft eighteen time with two small hands, but, hey, it's part of the job. I love hearing the kids laugh and sing and just talk to one another. It's a fun job. It's a tough job though, and it takes a special person to be able to do it day by day. Not only do I love what I do and being with the children, but I love the ladies I work with. We have our ups and our downs, and sometimes we all get so ill and bent out of shape and take it out on one another, but we are still friends at the end of the day. I love my director even though sometimes I disagree with the way she handles things. She can be a great friend, a wonderful listener, and an overall great person to cry to. She puts up with a lot, and I am grateful she puts up with us. 

Day 15: I am thankful for running water and electricity. I couldn't imagine living somewhere that running water was a fantasy. We have it so easy compared to our ancestors and other people around the world. I literally just got out of a warm shower, am drinking ice cold water, and have my laundry going. That is A LOT of water I just nonchalantly used in twenty minutes. I am so thankful we have these luxuries. Sometimes I have to remind myself how very blessed I am for the little things in life that I so easily take for granted. 

Day 16: I am thankful for my car. We had so many problems out of it back in August, but with the help from my Dad we were able to get them taken care of. I love my car, and it fits my personality. Not only that, but it gets me from point A to point B and for that I am grateful! 

Day 17: I am thankful for my dogs! I have two beautiful, happy, healthy fur balls that I love with all of my heart! They are great dogs, and I am so glad that they have adapted to apartment living! They are my best friends! I have literally told them every one of my secrets. They have seen me at my worst and at my best, yet they are always wagging their tales at the front door when I come home! (I just realized I wrote a thankful post for my dogs last time! Oh, well! I am double thankful for them!)

Day 18: I am thankful for the Internet. I grew up around computers and mastered a Windows 95 at age four. Internet has and always will be something that fascinates me. Though I was very young, I feel like I watched the "Internet movement" come alive. We went from dial up to high speed to wireless in less than a decade. It blows my mind. I wish with all of my might that my Grandfather and I could have one more day together where I could show him all of the latest advances in technology. My grandfather was a huge part of my life growing up and we shared this love for technology. He taught me things that I still use today! When I was young I would tell him I was terrified of driving. He taught my sister how to drive, and I paid close attention to every lesson he ever gave her, because I knew when it was my turn to learn he wouldn't be around to teach me. I was only nine years old when he passed away, but I remember him telling me when I got older they would make cars that drove themselves- I would just have to tell them where to go. I laugh now because I guess what he was talking about was the early talk of what we now call a GPS. I use to think he was so silly to think that they would make a car that could drive itself, but just recently I've been seeing the commercials for the cars that break themselves and auto-park themselves. Maybe my Grandpa was right, maybe there will be a car that drives itself...

Day 19: I cannot believe it's taken me this long to say this, but I am thankful for my Grandpa! He was (and still is though he is not physically here) a huge part of my life. My Grandpa was a wonderful man, and I cherish every minute I spent with him growing up. I have so many memories of us being together. Just this past week Dustin and I went to my Grandmother's house to get some Christmas decorations to put out in our apartment. I got so many Christmas decorations that reminded me of my Papa. One in particular is a glass, hand painted setting that has movable pieces. As a child, I would rearrange this piece a million times. There was a Mrs. Clause in a rocking chair that was my Grandma and a Santa Clause playing the piano which was my grandfather and two elves that were my sister and me. I now have it set up in my living room, and every time I see it, it reminds me of Christmas with my grandparents. I can honestly say I don't need anything else for Christmas. My grandmother gave me this piece of my childhood that is way better than any gift you can buy on Black Friday. As I type this I feel the presence of my Grandpa in this room, and I know he is always with me. I love him more and more each day, which people would say is crazy since he is no longer with me, but he very much is still with me. When I was little, when I would say my prayers at night, I would always say- God, can you hand over the phone to my Grandpa now? I would not only pray to God every night but I would talk to my Grandpa. I am twenty two years old, and I still ask God to hand the phone over to my Grandpa, and I still believe with all of my heart that he is on the other side listening. 

Day 20: I am thankful for the company of my husband. I know I already said I was thankful for my husband, but I am also thankful for his company. I am so blessed to have someone to wake up to that loves me as much as I love him!

Day 21: I am thankful for Blue Bell ice cream. It is my weakness! 

Day 22: I am thankful for the on-going support Dustin and I have been shown through our fostering preparation. I have been overwhelmed by how many people have donated things to us to help us prepare for a placement! I am so blessed to have such awesome friends and family, and I am also blessed to live in such an awesome community where people will openly help one another even though they don't know each other. We've had complete strangers give us boxes and boxes of clothes! 

Day 23: I am thankful for the police officers, firemen, EMT runners, and all of the men and women that fight for this country. They willing risk their lives each day to keep us safe! I am so blessed God made special people like them to take care of us. I am thankful they have families that are willing to deal with not having Dad home on Thanksgiving or having Mom home at night just so they can protect us. I am so thankful for their sacrifices for us! 

This is a picture of the Christmas decoration that reminds me so much of my childhood and past Christmases with my grandparents. 

Graduation

Dustin and I had our very last GPS class this past Wednesday night. It was bittersweet. We have grown to enjoy the company of our teachers and classmates. We hate that it's so late and we are basically zombies by the time the class lets out, but we loved it none the less. We learned a lot, but we still have so many questions. Who doesn't have questions about parenting a child who came from a broken home? It's a frightening situation. The only thing we've raised together is our almost two year old Pomeranian, Puppy (originally named Spartacus). He is pretty awesome, but we still don't know anything about raising a child. We both have tons of experience with children. We know how to keep them safe, fed, and happy. I know how to teach a child how to read and how to tie their shoes. I know that you can't leave a toddler alone and that schedules are crucial for babies. I know that's every light socket should be covered and I scan recite the "potty song" backwards in my sleep. I am just scared of "raising" a child. I am responsible for teaching a child right from wrong and teach a child morals and manners. These things are pretty much "pre installed" by the time I meet a child. We took turns speaking Wednesday night. Everyone thanked the teachers and mentioned how they planned to stay in touch with one another, but, what surprised me the most is everyone said they were excited yet terrified. Dustin and I are the youngest couple, and one of the two couples without children. It's reassuring knowing we aren't the only ones terrified. We are so excited though, and we cannot wait until we have our second in home visit. We are ready to be licensed. We've done so much paperwork, homework, preparation, doctors visits, etc. We are ready to be that's much closer too getting that phone call...

With that being said, my husband took my dad to the Bama game today and I've been home alone all day. I managed to clean house, do a million loads of laundry, and put out Christmas decorations. I was also able to box up and label all of the clothes we have collected for foster care and I have them stored away in the closet ever so neatly. 

This is one side of our foster child bedroom closet. It is piled high with boxes marked with gender and size!
 

Clothes, clothes, clothes, and more clothes

We are open to newborn to 8 year old boy/girl. Many of the foster parent's that I talk with recommend having a few outfits in each size encase you get a placement that doesn't have anything. 

While I am thinking about it, did you know that some DHR workers refer to foster children as "trash bag kids"? Sounds awful, right? It get's worse. They aren't being mean, they are being literal. Most foster children end up on foster parent's door steps with a trash bag full of their stuff. Geeze. If someone came to your home and told you, you were leaving your family to go live with another family and you only had five minutes to put everything you can fit into a trash bag, what would you put? Makes you think. 

Anyways, since our age range is so open and we don't have a specific gender, we had a lot of "stocking up" to do when it came to clothing. We have had more than enough support from family, friends, coworkers, and parents from the center I work at. We have so much clothes you'd think we owned a department store.

We MUST have at least 22 different girl bathing suits. Good thing our apartment complex has a swimming pool. 

Catching Up...

I have some insane catching up to do on my blog. I've learned I absolutely hate typing on my iPad, and sitting in this uncomfortable computer chair isn't the best. I guess I need to invest in a keyboard for my iPad or a more comfy computer chair. To bad the money tree stopped growing last week...

Day 5: I am thankful for my sister, Haley. Haley and I have always been secretive best friends. My parents, or anyone for that matter, might not have thought we got along growing up, and there might have been a lot of name calling and door slamming but we loved each other and would have done anything for each other growing up. She was the best big sister to have around, and I cannot tell you how many times she came to my rescue. One night, in particular she rescued me from a not-so-smart-decision that I made at a party involving lots and lots of liquor. I don't remember much, but, I do remember my sister rushed to my side and made sure I made it home safely. Though we laugh about it now, I don't know what would have happened that night if I had tried to drive home. I was very lucky to have such a loving and understanding sister as Haley. I am lucky enough to work at the same establishment as my sister now, and I am glad that we get to see each other on a daily basis. We might fight and bicker now, but she will always be my "sissy" and I know I can count on her for anything- any time! It means a lot to me that she supports Dustin and my decision to foster, and I know she is going to make a great aunt! 

Day 6: I am thankful for having a place to call home! Not only am I thankful for the wonderful apartment that my husband and I live in, but I am also thankful for the fact that I have a family that always welcomes me when I come "home". I grew up in a three bedroom home in Mineral Springs. My parents moved out of the home I grew up in the summer of 2011. Though I understand their reasoning, I hated the fact of not being able to come back to my home. How could I celebrate Christmas now or Thanksgiving? I had celebrated countless holidays and birthdays in that house. I grew up in that house! We spent every morning waiting for the school bus to pick us up in that drive way! I spent summer after summer throwing the ball in the back yard. We must have walked up that hill a million times, soaking wet from playing in the pool. I laughed and cried in that house! My four legged best friend was buried under the Dogwood tree, and my school pictures once hung in that hallway! I didn't want to let that feeling of "home" go, but I had to face that reality because my parents were moving. End of story. I soon learned that no matter where my parents moved, just being with them at the kitchen table, talking and laughing and spending quality time- that was when I would get that feeling of being "home". It doesn't matter if my parents moved to Florida, I would still feel at home when I am around them. This entire fostering process has opened my eyes to show me just how lucky I am to have grown up with such great parents and such a wonderful family. So, November 6th, I am thankful for such a great home!

Day 7: I am thankful for technology. I am thankful for iPods, iPhones, and iPads! I am just being honest! I was born in a technological generation, and I am very thankful for that! I love technology and I seriously don't think my life would be as great as it is if it wasn't for Apple!

Day 8: I am thankful for my dogs- not just MY dog but ALL dogs! I love, love, love dogs! God made dogs so we would always have hope. Dogs give me hope! They are so loving, forgiving, and compassionate. I absolutely love my two fur babies, Tinker and Puppy! They are such a blessing to come home too! They are the perfect apartment dogs, and for that I am blessed!

Day 9: I am thankful for my in-laws! Though I might not show it all the time, they have helped Dustin and I in so many ways, and I am very thankful that they have accepted me as their daughter-in-law!

Day 10: I am thankful for Law & Order! Whew, I can get lost in Law & Order and once I realize it, three days have passed by! 

Day 11: I am thankful for the Veteran's of this United States. How lucky are we that people are so willing to give their lives for us to have ours? I am so thankful for the men and women that fight to keep this country safe! Not only am I thankful for them, but I am thankful for the many families willing to share their mommies and daddies and brothers and sisters with us! Thank you!

Day 12: (Who am I kidding? If I don't do it tonight, I never will!) I am thankful for one of my best friends and coworkers, Olivia! Olivia is a wonderful listener and always listens to my problems, rants, and/or stories. She is such a wonderful friend and she is always putting people first. She is so compassionate and is an absolute God send! She is a great teacher and the children that she teaches just adore her! She is a great friend, and I don't know if I could have made it through this past year without her! Not only is she an awesome friend and coworker, but she is also an awesome supporter and she has been there with me every step of the way through this foster care process! Love her! 

The Little Things

One of Dustin's cousins had a beautiful baby boy the day after Halloween. She named him Brantley and Brantley was nothing less than perfect. Honestly, Brantley was the very first newborn baby I've ever seen, never the less hold. Upon arriving to her room- which was a miracle in itself (I swear, there was NO one in the halls- I basically had to snoop around until I was in the right place), Brantley had been taken back for a check up while Mom rested. When they finally rolled Brantley into her room, I couldn't help but cry. Why? I still don't know. He was the most precious thing I've ever put my eyes on. 

It took me at least six hours until I was comfortable holding him. Lol. I had him lying on my chest, and at some point someone made me laugh and my horrible, loud, hyena laugh made his little body jump. An hour or so later, Brantley got the hiccups  Holy smokes. They were the cutest hick ups I had ever witnessed. Babies are such a blessing. 

I had experienced lots of emotions that day, but later that night while I was laying in bed my heart was breaking for all the unwanted babies out there. All the babies that people stuffed in garbage bags or purses. All the babies that were aborted before they were the size of a peanut. All the babies out there that were taken from their parents and placed into foster care because their parents didn't have their best intentions in mind. Then, my heart hurt for those people who would never experience child birth, and for the people who have experienced loosing a child whether in womb or while living. 

I know why God is pushing me to foster. I have this urge to help children and babies in need. God sent me down here to help someone, and I don't feel like I've helped that person(s) yet. I hope through this fostering experience that I feel like I helped the intended person(s) that God has urged me to help. I just want to text God and let him know- I got the message! I am working on it, boss! We are three classes away from being finished with our GPS training. One more step closer to finally being able to help someone. Yay!

Thankful November Day 4 My Grandmother

The good Lord broke the mold when He made this one. My grandmother is a Heaven sent. She is my light at the end of the tunnel, my role model, my inspiration, my smiling hero, and more. She is the most wonderful person I've ever met, and I am the luckiest person alive to be able to call her my grandmother. She supports every decision I've ever chosen, even if she thinks I should do something else. She has always been willing to help me accomplish all of my goals- ever since I was a young, young girl. She was always reaching out to help me with school projects in grade school, and when I started college she was constantly making sure I had all of the things a basic college student needs- books, food, money, and inspiration! She pumps me up when I feel low, and helps me see the positive in every situation. She has always, always, ALWAYS put other people first whether it be family, friends, or church members. She is always trying to think of ways to help others out, and better their situations. She has a strong relationship with God and I am thankful that she taught me the importance of becoming close with our Savior. My grandmother is a wonderful woman, and I am very blessed to have her in my life. 

Thankful November Day 3- My Mom

Today I am thankful for my mother. She is the ONLY person I want when I am sick. She has all of the answers, and is the perfect person to "spoil you" when your coming down from the flu or just feeling queasy. She is a wonderful role model, and showed my sister and I just how much she loved our family when she made the decision to go back to college after my father fell ill. She did what she had to do to support our family, and I will be forever grateful for that unselfish decision she made. She is a strong person, much stronger than you and I. She is a hospice nurse, and literally takes care of the people who are nearing their last breaths. She comforts not only the sick, but the loved ones being left on this Earth. She is an angel on Earth and she has touched so many lives, including my own.

Around this time last year, my grandmother suffered from a stroke that left her paralyzed on her left side and unable to live alone. She needed constant supervision and help to move from one place to another. My mother gave up her own personal time and basically her own life to dedicate her time to helping my grandmother, her mother. She deals with everyone's bullshit, pardon my French, just to make sure my grandmother is taken care of. She is an amazing, strong, compassionate woman and I am lucky to have her in my life. 

Thankful November Day Two- My Hero

       Today I am thankful for my father. Now that I've gotten older I can look back on my childhood and see the countless numbers of things my father did for me just in the name of love. He was my chauffeur, my personal chef, my dry cleaner, my homework helper, my softball, basketball, and volleyball coach, my "Dad, I need five dollars" giver, my "Dad, there is a roach!" killer, my protector, my advice giver, my "everything is going to be okay" teller, my "get in the storm pit now" tornado weather man, and a "fix this, fix that, this needs painting, that needs nailed down" fixer upper. 

        I have always been able to count on my Dad to help me with whatever mess I had gotten into. He was always there to give me advice or to shove me into the right direction. Not only do I get my big head from him, I get my sense of humor from him. He makes me laugh- like really, really laugh. He looks like Godwin from Duck Dynasty, lol. That alone makes me chuckle. 

        He is the strongest person I know. He has battled being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and has put up with us three girls ever since we entered his life. He takes care of everyone around him before ever tending to himself or whatever he needs to do. He is the best, and I am extremely blessed to have him in my life. 

        I decided to take a trip down memory lane today..

        When I was about nine years old we visited Vision Land (currently known as Splash Adventure). We had passed by one of the carnival games that had gigantic stuffed Tigers from Winnie the Pooh as the ultimate prize. In order to win the massive animal, you had to through a ball into a cup. Sounds simple enough, right? In all reality, the ball was bigger than the cup itself, so, no one could really "ring the cup" with the ball because it wouldn't fit. Me, being the hard headed nine year old I was, would not take no as an answer. My parents knew it was a waste of six dollars, but, after ten minutes of nagging, my Dad stepped right up to the front of the line and payed his six dollars for his three chances. The first and second ball were well over thrown and hit the back of the wall and fell down. He had one more shot. I was praying so hard that my Daddy would win me that big ole stuffed Tiger, and, to everyone's shock, the last ball thrown went over the cup, bounced off the floor, and sat perfectly on top of the cup. Lights flashed, horns were blown, and before I knew it we were surrounded by spectators throwing money at my Dad to try and win them a stuffed animal. I had a four foot tall Tiger that towered over me. I dragged that Tiger through that entire theme park while everyone owed and awed over my prize. Tiger was so massive that he had to ride in the back of the truck with us girls with his head out the window. I still have that Tiger. To this day, my Dad will always be my "winner".

    I've been especially blessed this year when my father helped me pay for my car that had broken down days after buying it. I was so heart broken knowing someone would sale me a car knowing something was wrong with it. I felt like I had made a huge mistake and that I was going to end up carless and unable to get to work and around town. My Dad was quick to help me figure out who to take it to and to help me pay for it. I am extremely blessed to have such a loving father who is willing to help me in the hard times, even when I am grown and out of the house. How did I ever get so lucky?

   And, last but not least, shortly after getting my car out of the shop my father and I took a trip to the Alabama/Georgia line to buy some lottery tickets (and to push the Cruiser to it's limits to make sure it was fully functional and fixed) We must have spent an hour buying and cashing in scratch offs. Our clothes had scratch off pieces all over them, and our fingers had turn black from rubbing the stuff off. At one point, my Dad had thought he hit the lottery. He needed one more lucky seven. Before scratching off the last one, he rubbed that lottery ticket all over his head and prayed to the cash-in-ticket Gods and scrubbed off the last ticket, just to find out he won all of seven dollars. What a goof! 

This is my Dad's selfie. Can you believe my Dad used the word "selfie". Geeze, I love this man. 

2 Empty Bedrooms

I browsed the Kindle book store last night looking for books on fostering. I was kind of looking for instruction manuals, but I ended up finding some books of real life stories. My number one Kindle reading rule is- If it's more than $4.99 for the download, I don't buy it. I'd much rather pay $5.00 and up for a hard back book that I can actually hold. Otherwise, I pretty much stick to ninety-nine cent books. I found a book called- Two Empty Bedrooms. It was in my price range, so I grabbed it and dived right in.

Three pages down and I was already crying.

The author, Michelle, talks about her first foster care placement and the ups and downs of experiencing motherhood for the first time. I was impressed and moved by her dedication and willingness to have a strong relationship with the foster mom. She went above and beyond to make a scrapbook (also known as lifebooks in foster care lingo) for the foster mom to have only to be rejected when the foster mother didn't show for her first visit. The foster child, only two years old, didn't fully understand what was going on so he wasn't hurt by this no-show visit, but Michelle was hurt, not only for herself, but was hurt for him. I won't give away any of the other details, let's just say it's worth the $2.99. My only complaint is, it's only 56 pages long. I read it in under 25 minutes and it left me wanting more- not just more reading materials but it left me wanting my first placement! Come on, come on, come on! 

I'd love to know of any other reading material out there that shows an inside scoop of the heartbreak and happiness of foster care. I read tidbits of the story to my husband whom I think was more interested in the football game on television. He is a great guy, but he is ALL guy. Football triumphs reading any day. 

Thankful November Day One- My husband.

Day One:

I am thankful for my husband, even on the bad days. He is the only dude on this planet that can deal with me. Seriously. Ask any of the exes, I am sure they will testify. I have more anxiety than a knocked up fifteen year old taking their first pregnancy test. I worry about everything- money, rent, work, family, dogs, cleaning, laundry, etc. Dustin is the complete opposite. He "goes with the flow" most of the time, and if he isn't "flowing" then he is calmly bobbing and weaving. Not only do our opposite personalities work in our favor, but he accepts me for me. He doesn't "pick fun" of my anxieties or make me feel strange or different. He makes me feel loved and accepted and I don't have to walk on eggshells or try to be someone I am not. It's a relief, because in past relationships I tiptoed through what seemed the entire relationship. Dustin has been so wonderful through this entire forster care journey. At first Dustin was very skeptical about foster care. We had actually discussed it a year ago, and he was on the NO side of the fence. I brought it back up five months ago and he was on literally "on the fence" about the situation. Now, not only is he on the YES side of the fence, but he has built a strong, solid foundation on the YES side of the fence and is well on his way of completing the process. He is so wonderful. He attends all of the classes- sometimes encouraging me to go when I am the one saying "lets skip this one". He speaks up in class and though he is skeptical of role playing in front of the class, he has successfully done it once. He does his homework and fills out all of his paperwork. He has been more than willing to help me set up our potential foster child/baby bedroom and has also sorted through tons and tons of clothes. Funny story, Dustin put together the baby crib in the living room in hopes of just scooting it into the bedroom. Funny enough, it wouldn't fit through the door. So, Dustin took the door off the hinges. Still wouldn't fit. Poor Dustin had to take it apart in the hallway and reassemble it once it was slid into the room. I am not kidding when I say he is awesome! I could go on and on about how he was specifically made for me... But, I won't keep y'all any longer! 

Gone to lunch

So, I've learn to love paper work.. said no foster parent ever.

I've filled out so much paperwork it is unreal. I've answered the same question differently 22 times. I am a teacher, therefore, I am given the privilege to have awesome, spunky, legible handwriting- until I am on page 23 of 45, and, then, my awesome handwriting becomes that of a drunken third grader experiencing cursive writing. By this time I am abbrevating words that make no sense i.e. unfortunately becomes "unforly" and associated becomes "ass" <--- Love that one, lol. Not only do my 5+words get shrunken down to a non-legible second language, but my spelling goes down hill and I start writing like I speak, therefore, I use words like totally, ditto, LOL, gotcha, and whatcha. I hope my case worker has a sense of humor. She is going to need it for my sake..

If you personally know me, you know I am a list maker. I get my list-making-syndrome from my Dad. He makes grocery list that intertwine with his errand running/next big project list. Only he can read his list, because though they are written in English we would be prompted to pick up the prescriptions on isle four of WinnDixie while calling the gas man to order propane for the speed boat he needs to wash. Make sense? Nahhh. Anyhow, I make list and this new journey of foster care has my list obsession kicked into overdrive. I am pretty sure I will be keeping post-it notes in business twenty plus years from now. I refuse to talk to some computer generated lady that is responsible for reminding me of what ingredients i need for supper and what appointments I have in three weeks. I will ask Siri to tell me a Jewish joke though. She has such a great sense of humor, that Siri. 

I had a pretty lengthy list that had to be somewhat accomplished between an hour long lunch break. I was responsible for calling the lovely workers at DHR to schedule a time to be fingerprinted- once said appointment was made- inform boss lady of what day I needed off. Once boss lady approved said time off, contact the animal clinic to schedule dogs shots on that same day, contact someone to schedule a TB skin test for both myself and hubby (harder than it sounds- I will explain later), schedule physical for both myself and hubby, and, last but not least, schedule a time to obtain marriage license that is probably in some field in Mexico. I had to do all of this on my lunch break. And, guess what? Everyone else in those said offices were ALSO on lunch break and wouldn't be back for another 42 minutes...

In my head I kept hearing Dory from Finding Nemo say, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming."

Someone said the Health Department did free TB skin testing. Someone then corrected her and said it was not free but a small fee. I called the Health Department and they don't do it at all. Strike one.

I called a family clinic from my hometown and spoke to a super happy lady. (I am guessing she was happy because she just ate lunch- something I skipped out on so I could hunt down a TB skin test doctor). She was very helpful- at first- and prompted me to call back in a few minutes when her computer loaded back up. I called back and got a not-so-happy lady (maybe she also skipped lunch) that informed me that the super-happy-lady was new and was "uneducated" about how they ran their office. They only do TB skin test on Tuesday. That did me no good since I already was taking that Friday off to take care of business. Strike two.

I broke down and called the doc-in-the-box. I seriously didn't want to because I hate the service from places like that, and, not to mention, they are uber expensive. (Uber is another word I sometimes write in the paperwork when I start to get delusional.) I call and am blown away by how much it will cost- $80 PER PERSON! I suck it up and go to schedule an appointment just for the little lady to inform me they were out of the TB skin test and they are on back order- not sure when they will be available. Strike three.

She is out.

I broke down and called my doctor. By this point, I was throwing around my mother's name like she is Michelle Obama. At first they weren't going to accept my husband because he is a "new patient", but, luckily, the lady said she would "figure it out". Lord, please don't let her be "uneducated" about how they run things. I just need a TB skin test. At this point, I am up to doing it myself. Can't be that hard, right?

Needless to say, I got everything scheduled for November 15th. It will be a miracle if everything goes as planned. Our day will start at 8 AM and we won't make it back home until 5 PM the earliest. I've got God on my side, so miracles are possible. Hah. If not, I will just have to rely on that sense of humor of mine...