Bikers

The kids love to ride to the culdesac behind our house and go round and round.  It's a fun, sweaty way to get their blood pumping before and after school.
Is Lily her father, or what?! :)

                                                   

                                                       

                                                             

Isaiah 58:6-12

⁶ 
Someone read this passage of Scripture at church (maybe last spring or was it summer?). My eyes filled with tears and I got chills as I listened.  I don't know how to explain it, but my heart grabbed on.  Or , more accurately, the Spirit grabbed me.  I've read this many, many times since then and prayed this for our lives.  I've asked God how this could look in us, and in our home.  The journey to foster care became part of the answer.  At the moment, a tangible part of the answer is cozied up in a baby swing next to me.  

"Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of wickedness,
    to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
    and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
⁸ Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
    the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
    you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
    the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
¹⁰ if you pour yourself out for the hungry
    and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be as the noonday.
¹¹ And the Lord will guide you continually
    and satisfy your desire in scorched places
    and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water,
    whose waters do not fail.
¹² And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
    you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
    the restorer of streets to dwell in."

Unidentifiable Sweetness

                                 

I'm thinking that I shouldn't post pictures of Baby J until I ask her social worker the protocol on that.  But look how sweet this unidentifiable glimpse of her hand is!

Heard Around Our House

"Her hair is so fluffy!" ~ K

"Her hair feels like sheep wool, but not as deep." ~ E

"Why are the bottom of her feet pink and her hands pink?" ~ K

"God made her like that, but she has probably been in the sun a lot but not her feet and hands."~L

"My lips are pinkish, but hers are a little bit gray."~ K

"I wanna hold her! ... It's my turn to feed her! ... I said I was getting her diaper!" ~ L, E, K

Fostering this sweet baby girl is such a gift.  To watch the 3 big kids love her and sacrifice for her is incredible.  Baby J is soaking it up and returning all the smiles and talking.  She laughed at Jon last night - biological kids, foster kids, everyone thinks he is so fun!

Freedom

The hens are roaming free this morning so the little lady can watch in wide eyed wonder.
Here is Cookie not wanting to be still for the camera.