On Big Decisions and Quite a Change

Well,  I have not been completely honest with you all.   I blamed my lack of posting on my lack of motivation and promised to fully update you and, well, I haven't done that.  And I can't go on updating you on what we've been up to until I tell you our little piece of news that's going to completely change everything in our lives around quite a bit.

No, I'm not pregnant.

(You can exhale now.)

But we are going to become parents in a different sense very soon. 

Patrick and I made the huge decision to become foster parents to a 15 year-old boy.  This boy sat in the front row of my 7th period class just last year.  At that point in time, of course, I had no idea what God was up to and the path He would be slowly leading us down for the next year.  I can look back now and see His hand in it all along the way and it makes me smile.  And laugh to myself a little bit at the sense of humor He has.  Patrick is happy to report that our first child will come potty-trained and hopefully will be some pretty stiff competition in College Football for the Wii.  No, in truth, fostering is something that we have been praying about and thinking about for a while, and, though we thought it would happen much later on in life, the way God has worked out this very situation--the timing, the connection, down to the exact day--can only be the work of His hands. 

So there are some big changes afoot! 

We are cleaning out rooms and moving things around to give this boy a room of his own.

I'm looking at football schedules and wrestling practices and trying to make sure the PSATs happen somewhere in between.

We're trying to refresh our brains for Algebra 1 Part 2 homework.

I'm contemplating what my answer will be when people see us in public and don't know and wonder if I gave birth to a child at the age of 12. 

There are lots of questions.  Few answers.  But we are relying on the strength of our Father and the plan he has for our little family.  Each little step we take daily confirms that this is something He has for us.

The story is a long one and I promise you will hear it over time as we know more details and feel more comfortable in these new roles.  I want it recorded so that I can go back and pour over this time and see what the Lord has done.  In the meantime, you can pray for us!  I'm sure we will all need it as we embark on this new little adventure.