The Looks

  One of my favorite...and sometimes least favorite things about having a seven year old is the looks people give. We receive all kinds of them. Most of the looks start after we are called mom and dad. These are some of the obvious.
•Look 1: "They don't look old enough to have a seven year old."
•Look 2: "They must be older than they look."
•Look 3: "They had to have that kid when they were 14."
•Look 4: "That's a young family."
•Look 5: "They must be siblings."
  Honestly, I have a love/hate relationship with these looks. I love the looks that make people question because it gives me a chance to explain what led us to foster/adoption. It gives me a window to share about what God is doing in our lives. I love the looks because it's a reminder to me of how this is totally a God thing. When people don't understand or can't rationalize in their head "why or what" God tends to receive more glory.
  I also love the looks because it humors me. It humors me to watch people torment themselves trying to guess the age we are now or the age we were when we had him. It humors me because people get themselves in a tiz because they don't know what is going on.
  But on some days, it doesn't humor me and I don't love those looks. The looks don't humor me on a day that starts with forgetting his backpack and having to turn around, then stressing at work, then getting home to find the meat you planed on cooking still frozen and having to get back out to go get something for dinner which makes the bedtime routine start a little later.

  On a day like this, the last thing I want to do is explain why I'm 20 and have a seven year old. On a day like this, I want to blurt out "It's really none of your concern.", "I'm 31!" or "I had him when I was 13. We are living off of your tax dollars and I don't have a job." I always end up saying the nice one...and as soon as I do, the bad day kind of slips away and I'm reminded of how blessed I am. I also gain some relief in telling them so they don't have to worry themselves to death.

  Some people are more than "lookers." We have had several people brave enough to actually ask us how old we are. We haven't had anyone ask rudely so I have grown a respect for these people. They are usually the ones who respond with "That is so awesome!"
  The looks and questions are something we knew we would get and for the most part, they are kind of fun. And now that it's been about two months, we hardly notice. And when we do..we just smile. :)

-Makayla

This is M posing like a manikin in the mall. 

Walking by Faith

  I know there are many people who have followed us through this process and have shared our emotions with us. From being nervous as we started, anxious when it was almost time, and excited for us when M arrived. I know there are many people who love reading my posts and love seeing our family develop. There are so many people who have supported us through this and pray for us daily. For you, we are very thankful.

  However, just like I know there are people who understand, I know there are people who don't. Some people don't understand how we operate our lives off of faith. Some people don't understand how someone can walk so blindly and expect God to tell you where to go. Some people have faith in Jesus and still do not understand our story. To you, I hope our story can show you how radical God can change your life when you allow Him to have complete control. I also ask you to pray that you may be able to walk by faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we walk by faith, not by sight."

-This post is for you and I'm going to start from the beginning.-
  
  Kyle and I have been together over six years. From the beginning of our relationship we shared our heart with each other. One thing that was always heavy on our heart was children with no home and loving the ones people have tossed aside. We always said after we were married a couple of years we wanted to take needy children in our home. We also have always wanted to start our family with adoption. Adoption is something we have always known we were called to do. We just didn't know when.
  When we decided to foster, AFTER MUCH PRAYER AND TIME, we didn't go into this wanting to adopt and start our family. However, if God led us to adoption we were okay with that. We knew fostering could lead to adoption because many cases do, but it wasn't our intent. One reason it wasn't our intent was because we expected to receive a child straight from their birth family. Our intent if we received a child from birth family was to do everything in our power to help them reunite.
  However, from the time we heard M's story (about two weeks before our class ended) I began praying for him. Not that he would become ours, but that God would give him a forever home because he was already available for adoption.
 

  I SAY ALL OF THIS BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WE DIDN'T GO INTO THIS PLANNING ON ADOPTING RIGHT OFF THE BAT. WE WENT INTO THIS WILLING TO GO WHERE GOD LEAD.

  When we were asked about taking M, we did it under one circumstance. We didn't want to tell him we were going to be his adoption home. We said we were open for adoption and would allow it to lead to that but we didn't want to be a false hope. We told them as far as he knew this was a temporary foster home.
  We were asked about him on a Thursday. Since we were going out of town, we planned on getting him Saturday. Thursday and Friday we learned all about him. We seen pictures and we talked to the foster mom who had him. God placed everything in order for us. God made it clear we were doing the right thing.
  We were told M would attach quickly. What we didn't expect was how quickly we would attach. We were attached far before we met M. We loved M before we laid eyes on him. We went to bed thinking about him, woke up during the night thinking about him, and woke up thinking about him. Our hearts were in constant prayer for him and ourselves.
  God made it obvious to Kyle and I that His plan for M was to be with us. He made it clear through the peace He gave us and the way EVERYTHING fell into place. This whole process just shows when you trust God and allow Him to lead, He gives you more than you ever expected. It also shows His ways are not our ways but they are always best.
 
-Makayla 

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)

M drew a picture of "our family."