Porters Portals

Sad to say Spring Break is coming to a close. I have loved having the kids home. I have loved having no appointments, no sta te visits, no morning alarm clock, and no w atching the clock constantly. The week went quickly. We didn't have money or time to take a trip out of town so we stayed home and I tried to do something at 3 of the 5 weekdays with the kids. Day 1 we spent with Papa Larry. Just hung around the house and enjoyed being a family. Day 2 we went to a new (to us) park in Portland. It's called the Rose Garden Children's Playground. After we left there I took the kids to the Oregon Rose Garden but none of them wanted to get out...so I got out and took a few photos. We picked up Taco Bell on the way home. They were thrilled with that. Day 3 we went to a new (to us) park in Sandy Oregon. It was awesome. the kids loved it, I loved it and what a beautiful setting. It had a slide the little one loved so I didn't have to spend my time chasing her through the pl...

Ok, so in a previous post "I n the air..." I shared how I had no motivation for spring. How I didn't have a desire to even go into my back yard and all the reason for that. BUT...then....the day was sunny, the skies were blue, the yard was dry and it was calling out to us. I came home from a field trip with my 3rd grader and my babysitter (my mom) was there folding some of my laundry. I asked her if she wanted to go outside so we could take the littlest one out to play. She did...of course. My mom loves being outside. So we did...I got two lawn chairs set up and she got the baby's shoes on. We headed out and before I knew it...we working on cleaning up the back yard. Attacking the old fall leaves and the blackberries. We never did sit in the lawn chairs. We cleaned up the yard...it looks sooo much better. Though the grass, what's left of grass, may need help...or not. At least it's easier to see snakes in the dirt than in the grass. The best parts of all of i...

Just feeling a little emotional tonight...not sure why. So I decided to look through a few of my pics and post some that lighten my heart and make me smile! Blessings Blessings

We received some documents from the state for the next step of the adoption. We need current back ground checks and we need medical forms filled out. How much I weigh would be covered under HIPAA wouldn't it??? LoL! So I need to get those completed and sent back in. I was told by our caseworker, our certifier has 3 months to gather all the adoption information. It has been one month. I have already put off for a week the completing of the paperwork. I need to get on that!!! I have not received word of the 'show cause' hearing for the bio dad. That happened last Friday. Just curious if he showed up or not....but I guess it doesn't really matter if I know or not. I just need to focus on getting our part done. I love this baby girl so much. Everyday is a precious gift with her. She is such a character. She makes us laugh every single day. My parents kept her for two nights last week and that is all they have talked about since. They had a blast. She was so good for them wh...

Spring is in the air. You can feel it coming. People are all abuzz. It only took 2 nicer days to really get people going. Then the temps dropped to t he 30's and the rain came. People are starting to hit the 'nurseries' for seeds and soil. I love Spring but I am just not feeling it yet this year. Our back yard is a mess. We moved into this home in 06. We paid have the yard leveled and planted. We put in a patio area, a small garden area, and worked hard to get everything healthy. It has been nothing but a failure. It's too dark for a good garden, a mole/gopher ran rampant last year, and this year? I have no idea what is back there but there are teeny tiny mounds all through the dirt (use to be grass) and most of the grass is gone. The blackberries have taken over the back fence and the bushes are overgrown. Blah. I don't mind the overgrown bushes and blackberries so much, but the grass? I don't know what the heck is up with that. I had so looked forward to our l...

Something that has been heavy on mind for some time now is our elderly...more specifically our Widows. I read blog after blog about orphans and adoption but, honestly, I have not read any regarding our charge of widows. I love our older generations. I worked as a CNA at a nursing home (nope not a retirement center...a nursing home!) and the only bright side was caring for and getting to know those who had lived this life and were finishing out their days. The story's they have are beautiful, fascinating, and sad. ALL worth listening to. I still enjoy our older set, but I am guilty of not taking time to get to know them or to minister to them. In recent weeks the Lord has laid on my heart to start reaching out to them, the widows. Start by writing them a letter. Letting them know they are thought of and how I would love to get to know them. I write one letter a week. So far it has been 2 weeks and the response is....beautiful. I plan to get together with them as time allows. That w...

I made a huge mistake this morning. I made the mistake of thinking what a nice and easy day it was going to be. Yep...I let that thought creep through my brain for several minutes. I enjoyed the thought of fewer kids at home, no appointments or meetings. Just a free flowing day of little ones, laundry, a few dishes, and some reading. Well that did it...that stepped over the line. Must have been the thought about me reading. No sooner did that pleasant thought bring some relaxation to my body did I hear these words...."my tummy is hurting!" Suddenly the door was closing as quickly as it had opened. The weight falling back onto my shoulders. I spouted some quickly thought up reasons for this 'tummy ache' such as maybe your are just hungry, maybe you need a drink of water, maybe you need me to rub your tummy, maybe I need to send you to Grandmas so 'I' can still get 'MY' day! Ok...I didn't really say that last part With just 4 words my day has hit a ...

Sometimes something so basic, so simple, and so amazing comes along. I just read this idea on another blog.... 'The 12 Project ." I love this idea and have already set the reminder on my cell phone! Every month take a family photo...at the end of the year make a book of the pics! How fantastic is that!?!? I love this blog world! Blessings!

Show us your life from Kelly's Korner is featuring what a typical day is like in our lives.... My days have some regularity to them and yet not. Everything can change with just a phone call or text message or the knock on the door. I haven't been homeschooling lately like I should. My brain has seemed to be on hiatus and the girls have finished some of their text books so I am looking to get new ones. I have also been babysitting my 2mth old grandson 3 days a week for the last 3 weeks. That really switches up my day....juggling two babies. The kids listed by number are not numbered by age. Just numbered by schedule. 6:15 alarm goes off. Potty dogs and I either jump in the shower or go and check facebook until time to wake up first kiddo. 6:30 I wake up kid 1, get her breakfast, check e-mail while she eats. Then I fix her hair. 7:00 send kid 1 to bus. I have prayer time. 7:15 wake up kid 2 and kid 3 usually wakes up also. Help with breakfast, pour myself coffee. Finish email or...

I reread the last post this morning and realized I left out some critical info. I shared how the kids love their parents and their parents love them but what I left out is this. The state did have great reasons for removing these two babes and I know what those reasons are. I didn't want to leave my post sounding like these kids had a great home with great parents and the state stepped in and removed them. I was making a point earlier that the kids were not physically abused, they were not emotionally neglected. There was love there in their foundation. They were are loved. Sadly we as humans make devestating choices, choosing to sin, and those choices have devestating consequences. Many times sin in our lives has consequences that carry on into months, years, and sometimes generations. I hope I can be used by God to help break that cycle. >God bless the kids in State care. >God bless the parents who are working at getting on the right track. >God bless the state workers w...

Yesterday we had another 'Caretaker Committee Meeting.' This time it was for the other two foster kiddos in our home. This one was very different for me. I didn't have a sense of desperation like I did with our baby BG. I love MK and LB very much but I feel very torn for them in regards to where they spend the rest of their childhood. They know their parents. They have regular weekl y visits with their parents. Their parents love them. These kids had a loving foundation, you can tell by how they interact with us. But the state knows the situation better than I. Since I don't know the past events and I don't even know the current condition of either parent, I will put my trust in the Lord. The Lord has us working with the state, so I must trust the state will make the best choice for the kids. I do know in my heart I would want them to return to their Mom if living conditions were ideal, but if they can not return to either parent I know I desire for them stay part ...