Hello, again.

Hi, friends. It’s been a couple of weeks, hasn’t it?

Life is not what it used to be.

It’s louder, a bit sleepless, and slightly more chaotic.

It’s also filled with the sweetest little laughter, post-nap time hugs, and a lot of wonder.

We’re several weeks now into our foster journey and settling in to being a family of three (or I should say, four, with our pup Lacy). We’ve got a good routine going now (for the most part) and are feeling continuously grateful for the people who have surrounded us in this season. You know who you are and we love you big.

Just days after welcoming S into our home, some of my girlfriends hosted a foster shower for us.

I’ll be honest, I was hesitant at first with the thought of having a shower where I was 1. not pregnant and 2. did I mention it already? Not pregnant.

But if there’s anything our story has taught us is that the path the Lord has us on is the complete opposite of what I had envisioned. And when I mentioned the hesitations to a close friend she responded with, “It’s unconventional but so what? Who cares?”

So, on a drastically humid day last month we gathered with 60 or so of our closest friends to celebrate what God is doing in this chapter of our lives. We ate some incredible BBQ, we were prayed over, played some games, and opened up gifts for S and our future foster kids. Which, by the way, our community showed up and out for our girl, and her closet is now overflowing with clothes and her bed with stuffed animals surrounded with puzzles and art supplies. We feel so grateful and overwhelmed with the love handed to us and S that day. I’ve included some of my favorite shots from it, taken by our friend Justin.

So what’s next?

I never got around to it with how quickly S came into our lives, but I’ve included our Babylist registry for those who requested it when I originally shared our story. I’ve updated it with a couple of items we’ve been using constantly or will need in the coming weeks and months.

Most needed? New tennis shoes for daycare! S loves to play outside, and especially to play with mud, meaning most of her school shoes are a nice shade of muddy (and, let’s be honest, destroyed) after a couple of weeks.

And in case you’re curious, S loves Minnie Mouse, Stitch, and fishies. She also has a big love for chocolate milk and cheese in any shape, way, or form (same, honestly). This two-year-old has brought so much joy into our lives, filling in a missing piece in both of our hearts. Pray for her, and us, as we continue to navigate life and the highs and lows of foster care together.

What about the blog?

For the time being, I’ll be going down to one post per month! So you can still expect to see me in your inbox if you’re a subscriber and on the socials if you follow me online. As I mentioned above, things are a bit chaotic at the moment so sitting down to type has been trumped by reading together in the evenings, visits to the park, and playing with stickers. So, thank you, for your continued grace.

Until next month, my friends.