Parker Family

Our friends Mike & Sasha are bringing home their adopted son Joseph from Ethiopia this week! They have such a sweet story on their blog about how the Lord has been grafting Joseph into their family. I think I've cried while reading every blog post! Click here, then scroll back and be BLESSED!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Home Study Completed!

Today we had the last home inspection of our home study to become foster/adoptive parents. This process began last August and has involved many meetings, classes, paperwork, appointments, and more personal questions than I care to recount (God forbid you tell them you have ever been to counseling! Opened that can of worms way too many times.) I feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. We should have our final approval within a week and then can accept a placement at any time.

I have to brag on my wonderful husband who has been a solid rock partner and never failing encourager during this process. I should write more about that soon. But for now I'm just going to enjoy my nice clean and deceptively barely organized house. And we are on our way to hang out with our friends Ben & Julie for an evening chat taking with us a fresh baked chocolate beet cake. Yes, David Leibovitz Moist Chocolate-Beet Cake.

Booster Shot Needed

My husband recently asked me if I had my pertussis booster (whooping cough). He had just had his booster shot. I told him I would call and check before we become foster parents. Then I got a cold. Then they announced an outbreak of whooping cough at our school. It does feel like I work in a germ factory during the winter. An early dose of antibiotics has suppressed the illness in my body but I spent the last week feeling MISERABLE. On the mend now and scheduled for a shot next month.
But the commercial keeps playing over in my head "Your arms should be the safest place in the world for your baby.........". Make sure you've had your adult booster if you are around kids!

DIY Disaster

For about a year I've been making my own laundry detergent. It's saves me tons of money and I only have to make up a double batch about 2-3 times a year. Though money is not the main drive behind this DIY routine. I hate buying cleaning products and resent bottles of laundry detergent. Can't really explain except to say that I really hate them.

Lately I noticed that my liquid detergent was leaving the whites kinda dingy so last night I doctored the recipe. Note to self: Do not add oxy clean while you are still cooking the detergent. Foam was everywhere and kept growing. Had to throw it out and start over again. Oh well.

Kid Stuff!

I've said that the thought of becoming "instant parents" has been daunting to me and John. I'm less scared about how-to's of parenting, but worry more about making our home a place where a small child would want to live. We've been given a few baby things and know the basic equipment needs of babies/toddlers. We are open to taking in children ages 0-5. I want to be able to have a few things on hand for each of those ages so we are a litle prepared before we get the phone call. If you have young children, what are some of the things that you can't live without?
Can you advise?????

Due Date

This week our home study is due to be completed (minus the licencing inspection). The process started in August with an initial inquiry sent in via the web while driving back from family vacation in Michigan. Once our application was submitted, the state agency had 100 days to complete the home study. This has included three home visits with interviews, about 24 hours of training classes, mounds of paperwork (thank you John!), moving around bedrooms to make a "kid's room", a few tears, too many anxieties, and MANY prayers. After the home study is reviewed this week, a different state agency has 30 days to complete the inspection. Which means that I have less than 30 days to make this house "kid safe".

Why Foster Care?

I realize that many of you may have questions about why John & I are progressing down the route of caring for foster children. Hopefully this post will answer some of those questions.

What type of children are in foster care?
Children who are in foster care have usually been removed from their parents custody because of abuse or neglect. All ages of children are in foster care. The purpose is always for the parents to work toward reunification and they usually have about a year to do so. If they don't fulfill the requirements, their rights are terminated and the child becomes available for adoption. (This is the most straightforward explaination, however, there are about a million variants in individualt cases.)

Are you struggling with infertility?
Yes and No! Shortly after getting married we found out that I had a congenital defect resulting in a malformed uterus which would make it impossible to carry a pregnancy. Two surgeries later I supposedly have a safe womb. However, there have been many bumps along the way that have forced us to reflect on what it best for us and how might God have already planned to put our family together. This opened our hearts to pursuing this journey toward foster care and adoption.

Why foster care?
Foster care was something that we talked about before we got engaged (initiated by me, Christine). For many year before I was married I wondered if my calling in life was only to love and care for other people's children (through my vocational ministries and relationship with families). I was much at peace with this idea. Foster care was modeled for me at the youngest age. My grandparents had over 100 foster children in their care. I can remember playing with them when I was a little girl. I worked with foster kids in a group home when I was just out of college. For years I have envied the many families I've known who have done Bethany Cradle Care (caring for infants before they are placed in adoptive homes). Foster care was just always something I hoped to do in life. I also loved the idea of adoption. Foster care and adoption after biological children. John was open to the idea though he also thought it would follow having biological children. The Lord used some hard struggles to help us accept that the picture we had in our head may not actually be what He has drawn for us. Slowly our hearts began to change and we were led to pursuing foster care now. Sometimes all it takes are the simple words of a friend to change your persepctive a great deal.

What if you get too attached?
This is a common question, along with the comment "I would get too attached.". Turns out that attachment is the purpose of foster care! While children are not with their parents they need to form loving and secure bonds with their primary caregivers. They need to know that they can trust you and that you will care for them. Healthy attachment  is the best thing that can happen in a foster family. The hard part is letting go. And it will be hard. Maybe too hard. It just makes me think "I'm so glad that John is my partner in this adventure." Sure and steady John.
For a good rant on foster attachment, read this.

This post is too long already! That's all for now (though I always have more to say).

Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas to you, our friends and family!

Every year seems to pass more quickly than the last. 2011 allowed us a chance to “catch our breath” after John completed the 2010 Census. We enjoyed making memories with vacations to California and Michigan. Christine got a new job working in a Glen Rock elementary school as a third grade assistant. John is currently being challenged through supervising a survey for the eastern half of the country.  We are so thankful to have jobs that we love. In January we “adopted” a small mix breed dog named Bodi. She has been a sweet blessing in our home and we enjoy her so much.

We have great expectation that 2012 will be full of adventure for us.  We are about to complete our home study to become foster/adoptive parents. This has been a huge faith challenge for us. The object of foster care is to help children develop healthy attachments while they are not able to live with their parents. Our hope is to give temporary care as well as build our own family by adopting children that become available through the system. We trust that God has written our family story for us and our hearts are steadfast in trust that He will reveal His plan one step at a time.

As you celebrate the holiday season we hope that the greatest story ever, the Word becoming flesh, is made real in your hearts. Joy to the World!

(Dog picture not included with Christmas cards. Just an added bonus for those reading here. ;)

Resurrection and New Life

Hello friends! Happy New Year!
I'm resurrecting the blog (again) but with new purpose. John and I are completing a home study to become foster/adoptive parents! While we have spent much time in preparation for this, we realize that many of our friends and family may be still in the dark about this new adventure in our lives. It is daunting to think about becoming parents overnight or showing up at church one Sunday with a new child(ren). I can imagine the questions and funny looks...... So this resurrection is a small attempt in keeping loved ones informed of our growing family life. We are incredibly thankful for the love and encouragement family and friends have showed us thus far. Here's to 2012 - we expect it to be a great adventure!

April Showers

I've been trying to learn from my husband who is much more disciplined than me in his morning routine. He rolls out of bed and immediately showers and gets fully ready for the day. Me, I like to lounge around in my pajamas, drink coffee, watch morning news, etc and then get ready for the day. But I realize I am much more likely to waste precious morning hours.

So today I got up at 6:30am and immediately showered. Then I decided to go out and work in the garden - just some light work. By 8am I was drenched in sweat and went inside to shower again. Then I realized I would shower for a thrid time after being in the pool tonight. And this afternoon I have an appt for a haircut which will include another washing. This what I get for trying to be more disciplined in the morning.

The good news is that the garden is being primed for May flowers.

D-Day for the Bakers

Many of you know that John works for the US Census Bureau and is supervising census operations in Manhattan for the 2010 Census. Yesterday was the official start of the 2010 Census (though he has already been working on it for 2 years). Sunday night we were laying in bed at 11pm and I said "Well it is march 1st. D-day has arrived." John stared at me and said "It's not March 1st yet." Typical response from my ultra-literal husband!
John is amazingly gifted for this census work yet he is being stretched beyond belief right now. We expect the next few months to have a lot of ups & downs but thankful that come fall, life will start to get back to "normal" for us. Whatever that is.

More about my life changes later.

Favorite New Movie

John and I went out last night to see Julie & Julia (the story of Julia Child and and a woman who works through her cookbook in a year and blogs about it). I was soooo looking forward to this movie and as I learned more about it I had an inkling I would "connect" to the main character very well. Guess I'm just feeling like I need some inspiration in life like she did? My sweet husband will often caress my arm or hand during a movie to communicate something - it means different things at different times. But it is a point of connection for us, communication without words. John does not like to talk or be talked to during the movie or even the previews (even when his wife gets upset during a very scary preview). So as we were sitting there watching the movie first something happened and John gave my arm a little rub to say "That is something you would like." The next time it turned into a little slap on my knee. The next time he flat out said "That is so you!!!" I wasn't the only one feeling the connection. Unfortunately, I think John said that when the main character was having a melt down over not getting a recipe correct and was laying on the kitchen floor in emotional turmoil. Not like me at all!

My Nemesis: The Reappearing Yucca Plant

This spring I wanted to tackle a "small" garden project in our front yard. There is one corner of the front yard that has the best light in the entire yard and I very much wanted to clear the very old yucca plant, weeds, vinca, and no longer flowering bulbs and give it new life. I hacked, and hacked, and hacked at the yucca, eventually creating a hole about four feet long, three feet wide and two feet deep, pulling out all of the exposed root. Yucca roots run deep. I called a gardener friend and he said it was probably fine if I left the rest of it in the ground.

I only half finished that corner garden project because of more pressing yard projects and then vacation season. Sometime in the last couple weeks I realized the yucca had grown back strong and healthy!!! So today I went to the local garden shop and asked for help. They gave me a product that I had to paint on the remaining the roots deep in the ground (knowing it would be impossible for me to pull it all out). This afternoon I opened up the hole again, cleared out the new growth, sat inside the hole and painted poison on every bit of root I could find. I'm so stinkin' sore. And John reminded me that last time I wrestled with the yucca I was sore for two days!

Before our landlords bought this house a couple years ago (unfortunately they spent one year working very hard on making the house "livable" before moving overseas for work), the house belonged to an elderly woman who had let most things go, including the yard. The Kropps did TONS of work in the yard before moving including taking out a big tree in the backyard. We tenderly cared for the new grass put in its place and planted a raised bed full of perennials. But every time we turn around there are new overgrown weeds trying to establish themselves as small trees. I'm scared to even enter the back left corner of the backyard! Weeds taller than me.

Good news is that I scored a MAJOR bargain on end of the season perennials and now I have plenty of flowers for next year for front and backyard! My hope is that I can give the house back to the Kropps having defeated the weeds and with beautiful full (low-maintenance) gardens.

Backyard before tree removal.

Backyard after tree removal. That is the flower garden. I just purchased creeping flowers to plant at the top of the wall to creep down and cover it. I think I actually have to plant them in the neighbor's dirt. Don't tell them, OK?

Acadia National Park

My eagle scout husband is an avid outdoors man. I like the outdoors - would much rather be outside than inside - but alway require having indoor plumbing nearby. So John has accepted that camping with me means that we sleep within 30 ft of the car and about 100 feet from the bathroom. And that makes me a happy camper. Along with one outlet for a hair dryer. I know, high maintenance.

I loved Maine and would go back every summer! Here are some picture highlights.

Started the Maine experience with a stop at LL Bean. Bought a new rain coat and a screen house tent after driving in torrential rain which was expected to continue all weekend!

This is a sandbar that appears every afternoon during low tide. For a couple hours you can walk across to the Bar Island and hike to the top. The picture of Bar Harbor and Cadillac Mtn in the previous post was taken from the summit of Bar Island. When we first began to cross the sandbar the tide had just gone out and we would walk, then wait for more land, then hop over water, then wait. By the time we crossed back, there were cars that had driven out on the sandbar.
This is me looking for shells and pocketing them. John was horrified that I was stealing from a National park. Maybe he took the picture as evidence?

On the summit of Cadillac Mountain. We mostly saw fog.

Hiking around Jordon Pond. Finished the hike at the Jordon Pond Tea House with very famous popovers and lobster stew. My kind of hiking!

Baker Summer

OK, it's time for some updates. Summer 2009 has flown by considering that John and I took three vacations in six weeks. With the 2010 Census approaching John was limited to taking all his leave time during the summer and around everyone else's so it ended up being squished together. Two quick trips and one longer one gave us some good time with both of our famiilies and just each other. Below is one picture from each trip, and I'll post some more.

First, we went to MI to visit my family and while there attended a wedding party for my uncle. I love this picture of my grandparents and great Aunt Mina (even though she's a bit fuzzy.).

Over 4th of July, John and I went camping in Maine. I've wanted to go to Maine for a really long time and it was so fun to have this new type of adventure with John. This picture is of Acadia National Park. We camped just outside the park.


Our last trip was to the Outer Banks of NC with John's family for a week of fun in the sun. We had 2 big beach houses and about 20 people. Fun, fun, fun.

Missing People Everywhere

I'm trying to accept that no matter where I live on the earth, I am always going to be far away from people I dearly love. Here is the list of people that is running through my mind (and don't be sad if you aren't on the list - this is just for today):
Amy in Atlanta; Mom & Michael in MI; McCunes in Denver; Lora in the Springs; all of Chattanooga; Mandy in St Louis; Rachael and Tom in London; Agnes, Andy, and the girls Bible study in Glasgow; Sarah out west; nieces & nephews in MD and TX (Happy Birthday Judah!); Mary who is flying to Ukraine tonight; and Terry in M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i!
Couldn't the world just be the size of New Jersey?

Nursery Murals

We moved into a new church facility about four months ago. Recently somebody offered to paint murals on the nursery wall in hopes of drumming up some business. Jessi Gelber is an incredible artist and is being extremely generous in donating her time and talent to make our nursery rooms a more fun place to be. Here is a small sample of her work thus far. She began in the Baby Chicks and Loving Lambs rooms which explains the farm theme.

THANK YOU JESSI!

Note: This painting has changed numerous times and looks much different than when I took this picture!

I thought this cow might jump off the wall when I first saw it.

Actually a painting of Jessi's pug.


Can't figure out how to turn this picture - but it's my favorite!

Sore Losers Are Sometimes Determined by Birth Order

This is a conversation between my sister and her daughter Ana (age 4) following my sister winning a game of Memory. I should add that Ana has a strong inferiority complex that she is not as smart as her almost six year old sister, Nadia.

Ana (whining): I'm not smart enough.
Lisamarie: Why do you think that Ana?
Ana: Because if I was smart enough I would win every game of Memory!
Lisamarie: But Ana, Mommy is smart too and so sometimes she wins at Memory.

All I have to say is....Like Aunt, like niece! (It's really hard to be the second girl!)

Ana is the middle flower girl. Nadia on the right.

Back to Blogging

So I'm back to blogging....life seems a little more under control and I need to make time for some things such as this. Here's the ramble for today.
John got me Settlers of Catan Traders & Barbarians for Christmas. He got me some other nice gifts but now I think he realizes, there was no need to purchase anything other than this game!
So this is what our dining room table has looked like since Christmas.

Playing games is really good for my sanctification. It is amazing how quickly I pout and crave revenge when John cuts off my raod or steals a port. And the game is absolutely addictive. I'm wondering if I'll burn out on it.....but can you burn out on an addiction?

New Church Facility

In a few weeks our church will be moving into a new facility we are leasing. We have renovated the 2nd floor of a unfinished light industrial building to meet our needs as a growing congregation. We are so excited about having our own space! We currently meet in a university on Sunday moornings. I am eager to establish Sunday school in classrooms where we don't have to operate out of bins each week! You can view some short videos of the facility here. The video of the children's rooms is in the nursery corridor. Way too much yellow right now! A couple of the yellow rooms are actually supposed to be green and they will be repainted soon.

After building the playground at LMPC I swore that I would never build anything again.....and now I remember why.