2012 in review

This past year has been filled with ups and downs!  I don't remember much excitement happening in January or February  March brought our family to Foster Care training.  We were certified in a month which normally does not happen and had a placement the Monday after Easter.  I was at the store buying mattress for our newly acquired bunk beds.  Josh calls and says "I am on my way to the DCS office to pick up FOUR siblings!"  For 3 long months we had seven children in our home ranging in ages from 9-3.  It was an adventure and very heartbreaking when it was time for those kiddos to move to a different place.  I grieved.  During this time my Grandmother Cobb passed away.  We went out for the funeral while my father was in the hospital.  He has had cancer for nine years.  Closing that chapter of my grandparents was difficult.  Over the summer we worked towards adoption of a 16 year old girl but that was not meant to be either.  Then my dad retired from working for Green County Hospital.  The kids started school Aug. 2.  William was in Kindergarten, Timmy in 1st grade, and Lily in 4th grade.  I was busy being the PTO President.  My dad came out to visit us and enjoyed spoiling the kids by buying them new shoes, swimming, and time spent at the Children's Museum!  Little did we know that would be the last time we saw my dad here on earth.  In October I started a job working full time for Sallie Mae.  I work in Muncie so it's about a 45 minute commute.  I enjoy working and celebrated my one year post op back surgery with NO DOCTOR appointment!!!! YEAH GOD!!!!  During the fall we were kept busy with both boys in soccer and Lily in piano and choir!  It was interesting juggling it all.  We are resting this winter from activities to my sadness.  I enjoyed the activities but can't work and do it all! :)  My dad passed away from his earthly home to his heavenly home on Tuesday December 18th, 2012.  I am forever grateful for the relationship that I had with him.  It truly was one with no regrets.  2013 is looking to be a year of change.  Stick with me and see where it takes us!  May you have yourself a Merry Little Christmas and remember he is the reason we celebrate!

Show Us Your Singles-Jill

Presenting the Queen

Jill Campbell!

She is my cousin! Thus no match for her and my brother below! :) Here is the 101 on Jill from Jill herself!

Fun, adventurous American girl living 35 minutes north of the Washington state border in Canada. I know this shouldn't qualify me, but I am so close that I fly out of Seattle for most of my trips. And I grew up in Colorado and still consider it my home sweet home.
I am a nurse and I love my job. I came to Canada for nursing school and got attatched to the friends I have here, so I stayed. I do have a job that would allow me to go anywhere in the world. It is one of the things I love about it.

My family and friends know that I am generous and they are loved unconditionally. And I could go on and on about my nephews Lyndon and Sylis.

I love animals, especially dogs and I have a cat named Kona. Hawaii in 2008 was a highlight that I still love to this day.
Hobbies include camping, fishing, hiking, photography, roadtrips, and concerts. My favourite concert is a tie between U2 and Coldplay and Snow Patrol. I have safely traveled to distant places like India, Ethiopia, Japan, and oh yea Canada. It really isn't all white winter in the area that I am living. It is more like Seattle, rainy and green.

I am looking for a man that can interact with me on different levels. I am well versed in many topics and can keep up with the best of them. I would love to make you laugh at some point too. :)

A few last minute facts:
I love international films and would love to one day be in Africa for missions, even if it is just for a short time.
I also don't like to eat raw tomatoes. lol.

If your interested leave a comment and she shall see it! :)

September 11th

Where were you?  This question get's asked frequently on this day.  I was coming downstairs from Grandma Shaefer's house, just waking up watching The Today Show.  I watched as the second plane hit the tower and was glued to the t.v. for the rest of the morning.  I remember being in disbelief that this does not happen in the United States!  I remember thinking as I was watching that the towers are going to fall!  They were infernos and there was not way they could with stand the heat.  I remember watching them fall and thinking it was Ghostbusters with all of the dirt.  Josh and I were just a few weeks from getting married.  We were in Indiana finishing up a few details.  I remember going to Men's Warehouse on Grape Road that afternoon and getting his suit.  Grape road was a desert!  I remember worry of gas prices going high to the $4-$5 range a gallon.  I remember driving home two days later and the interstates being packed full of cars because that was the only way to get home.  I remember the days following how our country came together and reached out to cling to something, anything.  Many went to church.  The churches were full but then people got back into their comfortable routine of sleeping in on Sunday's.  Why should it take something so tragic for people to turn back to their faith?  Why should it take an attack?  During this day take some time to reflect on your life today and if you were to die would you have lived a life well marked?

Security

Security what does that mean to you?  Health, Money, Home, Family, Love, Friendships, the list could go on forever!  I have not read Beth Moore's "So Long Insecurity".  Maybe one day.  These days I find myself filled with insecurities in my health and who I am.  As the time approaches to the one year mark of my surgery I am unsure of what the Dr. Khairi will tell me when I see him sometime in October.  I am fearful towards the x-rays.  I have been through so much and have trusted and clung to Jesus during those times so why I am allowing this fear to creep in?  Today I took one of my children in for their well child visit and the doctor said he heard a innocent heart murmur and said he saw slight scoliosis in his back wanting him checked.  These things while they are just that innocent that scare me to death!  Why?  I have been through so much with one child and heart defects I don't want to go down that path again.  Even though I know that many children have these innocent heart murmur's.  It's just uneasy for me.  And then starting x-ray's this young for scoliosis scares me to death!  Yes, I know we are just WATCHING it for now and keeping an eye on it to see if it progresses or not but I don't want my children to have to go through what I have.  And yes I fully know he is young enough to catch and fix any problems.  I know all of this but knowing and believing and two different things.  I know he is in God's hands and I am too but in our human flesh that does not make it easier!  May the Lord give me the strength I need to deal with the things I can not change.  If you would please lift me in prayer over the next few weeks and months.

Come As You Are ~ Pocket Full Of Rocks

Come Just As You Are

These past few weeks have been especially hard as three beautiful children were moved to another Foster Home.  It hurts.  I have cried alot!  God knows EXACTLY where I am at and what I needed!  Little did I know it is coming in the form of an event that I did NOT want to go to this year because I was upset about less conference time and the ticket price increase.  Needless to say God has a message for me this weekend and I am going to Women of Faith conference in Chicago called Beyond Brokenness with Ken Davis, my friends Shelia Walsh and Lisa Harper!  I am looking forward to a time of tears and being spoken to.  My friend Kim called me last week and said she had gotten a call from Women of Faith to  see if she wanted to attend and they were offering her a buy one get one free ticket.  She called me and I said SIGN ME UP!!! Come heck or high water I was going!  A weekend in Chicago with my Best Friend and NO KIDS!!! YES PLEASE!!!!

Back to last week and the children being removed.....as most know who read my blog my husband had wanted to Foster to Adopt for along time.  I agreed to check it out.  We were certified this past spring and had a call for children the day after Easter.  We were told it would be a few days respite but turned into 67 days!  We had in our home a 9 year old Foster Daughter, 9 year old Daughter, 8 year old Foster Son, 6 year old son, 5 year old son, 4 year old Foster Child and a 2 year old Foster Daughter.  Yes, we had 7 under 9 in our home!  It was filled with laughter, fun, memories, exhaustion, tears and love!  On Mothers day the 9 year old FD got moved for a few days due to being very aggressive.  Note you are NOT trained in your Foster Parent classes on how to deal with such behaviors.  She later was "removed" and due to other circumstances her siblings were moved also this past Friday.  We were really hoping to get her back and try again but nope.  Foster Parents don't get a second chance.  I feel as though I failed.  It HURTS bad! I want to get even with revenge.  I want some one to know how bad this hurts and to know how unfair this is to us and to the kids!  But there is nothing I can do to change the outcome.  I will keep going on.  I will heal but for now I am allowing myself to feel the hurt.

Hoosier! Central Indiana

Hello!  I will introduce you to me by using the ABC's! :)
A-Ability to laugh!  This is so very important in life!  I love to make others laugh! 
B-Boys I have 4!  2 of my own and 2 Foster Children. 
C-Candy!  Favorite kind comes from Goodys Candy in Shirley where it is made FRESH with no perseveres!  LOVE their Chocolate covered cherries!
D-I am a child of divorce and have made it my mission to not do this.
E-Extravagant Grace, Love and Joy from the father above given to me!
F-Friendly.  I know no strangers!  Drives my husband crazy!  Also, Foster mom too!  This is new
G-Girls I have 3!  One of my own and 2 Foster
H-Heart Mom....I am one!
I-Iowa is where my heart is and will always be!
J-Joy...I try to find it wherever I go.
K-Kyphosis.....I have had it and have survived 2 major back surgeries!
L-Looking at old houses!  So much character to them!
M-memories are so fun to make
N-Nosy I am!  My husband can not leave Christmas gifts in our house!
O-Over comer!!!!!!
P-photos-love taking them and preserving them
Q-Queen of my house! :)
R-Reader.  Karen Kingsbery is my FAVORITE!
S-Survivor of surgeries, health issues and many other things!  God has been with me!!
T-Time you spend with a person is more important than the material gift
U-Underdog is my favorite Audio A CD!
V-Victories in Christ!  May not always see it at the moment but it shows up!
W-Wife
X-X-rays-I have had toooooooooooooo many to count!
Y-Y must you ask?  We go to Beaver Island every summer for vacation!!! Love that place!
Z-I need to get some zzzz's!

My kidos are ages 9,8,7,6,5,4,and 2!  And I am a pastors wife but that does not define who I am! 
Look forward to meeting you all!