Goodbye Smart...

Well, the day has officially come for us to trade in the Smart Car.  It was been a great little car, and the third Smart we've owned over the years.  With a growing foster family, it has become impractical.  We've decided to go with what I call a "smart van" to replace it.  Basically a 3-row seating wagon with much better fuel efficiency than a minivan.  That, and the fact that my husband flatly refuses to drive a minivan.

So goodbye Smart Car and hello smart van - a Mazda 5.

New Parents!

We are so excited to be foster parents!  Our journey officially started a few weeks ago as we welcomed a lively little one into our home!  It's amazing how being an instant parent affects you!  I guess the biggest shock has been the early mornings! Equally shocking is having regular home cooked meals at consistent intervals rather than our usual working from home habit!  I'd say being a parent is good for us!

I guess it's also been good for expanding our hearts because we simply didn't realize what we were missing in terms of family life!  Now there is tons of laughter and games in our house...some crying and tears too, of course!

One thing is for certain, whether it's helping them discover a canoe ride or holding a frog or making apple sauce - parenting comes along with so much pride and joy!  Even after such a short time, we feel like we've climbed mountains over small accomplishments.

In a few weeks, I feel like so much of the little details I used to worry about don't even matter compared to this.  And even raising millions of dollars for charities doesn't quite seem as important as giving a scared little kid a hug when they are crying and confused!

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue to explore this new territory!

Nearing the end of summer

I can't believe it is already near the end of August!

It has been an incredible summer of beauty around the property.

Both during the day and as day turns to night.  We have enjoyed our zero gravity chairs that we gave each other as an anniversary gift.  They make a great spot for star gazing.

Though we may not enjoy the warm air and animal encounters as much in other seasons - the stars are something that stay constantly with us to experience in every season.  Looking forward to the fresh fall nights.

Family Changes

We are enjoying our 6 year anniversary today!  We've taken a short trip to Toronto to explore the city and have a fun weekend together.  I am calling this our fostermoon as we take some time to enjoy each other before our family changes!

Mike and I are expecting, but in a different way than we described earlier this year!  We are planning to become foster parents and this week our house has been formally approved.  We still have some other paperwork and hoops to jump through, but we are looking forward to accept a sibling group of children into our household later this month or next month!

This Sunday would have been my due date if our pregnancy had worked out.  As we let go of one dream, we remember fondly our little baby Sam that we lost.  We also feel strongly that our call to be parents means that we can make a good home for others.  When one door closes, another door opens so we wait excitedly for our family to change in a new and unexpected way as up to 3 siblings join our family this year!  Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare.