Who tips $6.85? Would it hurt that much to round it to $7.00? Just a thought. Not that I’m [really] complaining…

It’s been a whole lot of days since I posted on this blog. (I had something a whole lot deeper planned…but I decided to let it marinate in my mind just a little longer.) {Marinate. Yes.}

Boston is incredible, and I can’t wait to go there next month!

Speech and debate wears me out. Period. As much as I enjoy all this, there’s something in me that’s beginning to feel a bit restless.

Those adorable little foster kiddos I’ve mentioned for the past year? They’re becoming Maisanos. Or, as Hayden informs my mother, “YOUR-sanos!”

I did an [almost] 360 on a wet road two weeks ago. Thanks, God, for small towns with no traffic (either to come in contact with my car…or to see me freak out afterwards.)

Hayden came into my bedroom yesterday and said [and I quote]: “Oh, Beth! This is beautiful!” …he apparently liked my shirt. I appreciate three-year-old compliments.

It’s been too long since I’ve been able to go riding.

My bestest friend, the amazing Hopie, placed 7th in Team Policy at her Regional Championship. I’m kinda proud of her. (Actually…she got me into speech and debate.)

College is in three and a half months! I’m scared of this whole “pot-luck roommate” thing…but excited too. However that works.

Some days…I really want to write again. This summer, maybe? Yes? Hopefully?

Okay. I’m not one to ramble on here, but hey, I had to do something to fill y’all in on the past month and a half. Don’t complain.

[And don't worry...I'm stopping now.]

It was one year ago, in the parking lot at Chick-fil-a, that I met Hayden and Ruth. He was two; she was eight months. He stared at us with his big brown eyes; she smiled and laughed. He called my parents ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’; she held our hands and fell asleep in our arms.

It’s been an amazing year.

For anyone who might wonder, this journey called ‘foster care’ isn’t an easy one–but it is a wonderful one. These are two lives, two human beings. Through the investment my parents and my family have made and are continuing to make, those lives will be forever changed. Forever affected. Forever loved.

From a practical perspective, we’re not entirely certain where Hayden and Ruth’s futures will take them. Keep them and all of us in your prayers, as the next few months are full of court proceedings that will decide what happens from here. Who knows? Sooner or later, you might be able to see some pictures, after all.

As I write, my family is busily packing our van for a trip to Tennessee for Thanksgiving.  That’s nine people, eleven seats, and eight hundred miles.  We’ve made the trip before, but things are a bit different traveling with Hayden and Ruth.  Keeping a 10-year-old entertained for 15 hours is one thing; a 3-year-old (not to mention a 1-year-old) is a new challenge entirely.

Thankfully, there are plenty of solutions to this potentially unhappy experience:

• Portable DVD players
• Pillows and blankets
• Extra pacifiers
• Food
• Books on tape
• MP3 players and earbuds
• …and more!

So…will we make it?  I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.

And with that, consider yourself up-to-speed.  More to come!

But when it comes to “why,” two-year-old Hayden has me beat.  That child can fit more “why’s” in a conversation than I ever would have thought possible.

Me: “Stay on the driveway, please!”

Hayden: “Why?”

Me: “So I can see you.”

Hayden: “Why?”

Me: “Because I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Hayden: “Why?”

Me: “Because…I want you to say safe.”

Hayden: “Why?”

Things get rather circular from then on out.  Apparently, in a two-year-old’s eyes, everything in life has a big question mark after it.

Hayden: “Mama cat!”

Me: “Yeah, she is.”

Hayden: “Why?”

Me: “Well..because she has babies.”

Hayden: “Why?”

Me: “Those are her kittens.”

Hayden: “Why?”

Me: “She…had kittens?”

Hayden: “Why?”

Me: *silence*

See what I mean?

I love holding your hand.

I love it when you ask to sit in my lap.

I love how you wrap your arms around your baby sister.

I love the way you smile when you’re doing something you shouldn’t be doing.

I love it when you run up to me and hug my leg after I’ve been away from home.

I love how you come into my room every evening to say “good night.”

I love the way you say “I love you,” and it sounds like “I lub you.”

I love the way you say “Thank you, Bef.”

I love you.

Ruth,

I love it when you wrap your fingers around mine.

I love the way you laugh when I tickle your stomach.

I love seeing you hold out your arms for me to pick you up.

I love watching you learn to walk, and holding your hands and walking with you.

I love the way you hug your blanket when you fall asleep.

I love it when you lay your head on my shoulder.

I love dressing you up in adorable clothes.

I love showing you off to all my friends.

I love your beautiful smile.

I love you.

Then I stop.  And laugh.  And realize how ridiculous that is.

What would a blog be without a life behind it, anyway?

Snowfall in Texas?  Major news story.

All that to say, my life is keeping me rather busy lately.  Hayden and Ruth have been with us for more than three weeks now—isn’t that amazing?  It’s hard to get into a routine, but we’re managing somehow.  Hayden has settled in to pretty much everything except eating.  Apparently he likes McDonalds, but not much else.  Ruth is popular wherever she goes, and not surprisingly—that child continues to astound me with her adorableness.

Speech and debate is much the same as usual.  Still fun, still busy, still amazing.  In less than two weeks, we head to New Mexico for our last qualifier of the year.  I’m looking forward to a fabulous tournament…not to mention a pretty epically long car trip.

It’s cold and white.  What is this stuff?

Next week, my sister has her first photography gig shooting a wedding out of town.  I get to be the backup photographer.  That means I get to spend the next few days learning the ins and outs of my borrowed Canon 30d.

There’s also this thing called school work, but we won’t talk about that.

What can I say?  Life is in the way.  But I’m cool with that.

We started working on our foster care license last fall, but didn’t get everything done till this past week.  And just today, we got a call that two little kids needed a home: Hayden, a toddler, and Ruth, a baby (no, those aren’t their actual names, but they’ll work for the purposes of this blog).

Hayden and Ruth came home with us this evening.  I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t this.  Little Hayden had a hard time at first—I can only imagine how confusing all this would be for a child.  He didn’t say much at the beginning, but by the time we got to the house, he had opened up a little.  As of this writing, he is thoroughly enjoying all the attention (and is completely enamored with our dog).

Ruth is the [almost] perfect baby.  She’s all smiles and giggles, and, of course, doesn’t really care what’s going on as long as it involves interesting toys and room to crawl around.  She found a best buddy tonight: a stuffed teddy bear almost as big as she is.  They hit it off right away.

I am beyond thrilled to have these kids be part of our family, for however long they get to stay.  What an incredible chance to show love to two children who have never experienced it!

…of course, I’m enjoying it, too.