Helping Other DRUG ENDANGERED KIDS!

Governor Sam Brownback of Kansas has signed a proclomation making APRIL 26, 2011 DRUG ENDANGERED CHILDREN AWARENESS DAY!

WE have worked closely for years with THE KANSAS ALLIANCE FOR DRUG ENDANGERED CHILDREN and THE KANSAS METH PREVENTION PROJECT.

A couple of weeks ago we went before our county commissioners who have also declared the entire mothe of April as DEC Awareness Month emphasizing April 26 as DEC Awareness Day. A story about our family is included in all the media information being sent out to our state.

I called our local Child Social Services Agency and asked what we could do to help Drug Endangered Children.

She said that they are ALWAYS in need of diapers so we are doing a diaper drive. In addition to that, she said that many kids who come into custody are afraid and lonely so she thought tied fleece blankets would also be a good idea for them to have something to "attach" to.

Our family is collecting diapers as well as childrens themed tied fleece blankets. The kids have had a ball making the blankets.

I think this mission is SO IMPORTANT.

OUR KIDS WERE THESE KIDS

who got taken away from their parents.. They may have benefited from diapers or one of these blankets.. It makes my heart sad.. But HAPPY that God has given us the PASSION to help others out!

Please pray for us as we will be speaking for 3-4 minutes in a Press Conference held on the Capitol steps on April 26th! Pray that God will give us the right words to say. Words that may help someone... Words that may influence someone to adopt or stop using drugs..

5...How time FLIES!

For her 5th birthday, MyMy requested 2 things

• 
  
  1-go shopping with mommy alone for skirts
• 
  
  2-a party at the historic CW PARKER CAROUSEL

We set off EARLY last Saturday. The Captain and the other 5 littles stayed at my parents while MyMy and I went to the big city & hit the mall..

OH HOW I MISS IT living in the sticks...

She picked out several dresses & skirts and got hungry.

It was FREEZING outside so we went to the first restaurant we spotted-she had never been before.

She is SO GRATEFUL & has the KINDEST spirit!

She wanted broccoli cheese soup & a strawberry smoothie at Panera.

She ranted the enitre time about HOW WONDERFUL everything was.

The manager must have noticed her ADORABLENESS & offered her this pink heart cookie for her birthday treat-it was DIVINE, she shared with mommy!

After heading back to my parents & trying on all those new clothes, it was time to head to the carousel for her party!

The 6 littles and even some of the big peeps colored various carousel pictures.

Then came the entrance of WyWy's hero, Our SIL home from Iraq.

I think WyWy surprised him by clinging to his legs for quite some time.

My My designed her own DQ cake, I would have thought some type of princess or something but this is what she picked out-wording and ALL!

2 of her friends from home were able to make her party since they were nearby visiting family for the weekend-WONDERFUL!

EVERYONE enjoyed riding the carousel from young to old....

Happy 5th Birthday to our little MIGHTY MOUSE!

We thank God so much for delivering you to our home to love!

She is TRULY a MIRACLE!

Take a minute.. 

To read how God saved MyMy CLICK HERE!

Yesterday...

I left the house at 6:30am yesterday and got home at 8:15pm-babysitting gets expensive with those hours and 6 kids. I was EXHAUSTED physically and emotionally when I got home.

My first stop for the day was to meet with a fellow blogger BEKI. Is she gorgeous or what??? Her little man came a long too and we chatted over breakfast at Braum's. Just 2 moms brought together by blogging-that ROCKS! After breakfast, we set out to do what I wanted to come do.... Remember baby CORA? Taken to be with Jesus after a short 3 week battle with cancer. I don't know baby Cora, I don't know her family. BUT IT AFFECTED ME.Beki offered to take me here-to the future site of CORA'S PLAYGROUND. We had some emotional moments and I got tearful many times..over a baby I never knew. We were blessed to chat with the woman in charge of the project who said over $40,000 had been raised so far and all the equipment was already ordered to include a princess castle! THANK YOU SO MUCH BEKI for taking the time out to take me.Then it was on to Wichita to speak at a "substance abuse during pregnancy" workshop. I changed from my capris and T into my standard grey suit, pink shirt and lucky 5 inch heels (which I can't walk in). I'm sure my "PEOPLE" get tired of seeing the same old outfit at EVERY conference!Every time I speak, I get emotional, I can't help it. I am so THANKFUL that MY PERSON-CC was there along with my persons PERSON-LS and a special attorney SC who despite my babbling are ALWAYS in the audience supporting me! Thanks ladies. I also had another special guest. My cousin Sarah came also and we had a great snack & chat at CHIPOLTE afterwards.
I shared my faith as I always do and one guy in the audience asked me how people usually "react" to this. I told him that I spoke in front of a few hundred at the national conference and didn't get ANY negative feedback on the comment cards. Then I shared one of my favorite scriptures with the crowd

"Learn to do good; Seek justice,Reprove the ruthless, Defend the cause of the orphan!" Isaiah 1:17

Another gal told me what a blessing I was afterwards and said "I'm so glad you shared your faith." I said "How could I not? God has given so much to me and if I have a platform, it's my job to talk about HIM! The one who has blessed us OVER AND OVER."

It was a 4 hour drive home after and I was SO HAPPY to see my littles! Felt like I had been gone forever!

Why...We do what we do...

Please keep The Captain and I in your thoughts and prayers as we go before the Kansas House of Representatives tomorrow to testify on House Bill 2333. We will be taking 3 kids with us. Pray that the members of the house will listen and be open to this bill making using illegal substances during pregnancy a crime-putting pregnant moms in MANDATORY REHAB until the birth of their baby.

The video above depicts what some of our children went through at birth. Take a minute to watch.

"He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the JUSTICE OF YOUR CAUSE like the noonday sun." Psalm 37:6

Testifying for KIDS!

I just wanted to share with you all that Nick and I will be testifying in front of the Kansas House of Representatives on March 11th at 1:30pm to TRY and get Kansas House Bill 2333 passed. This bill puts pregnant women using illegal substances in mandatory rehab. Join us in praying that it will pass this year.

This law would have REALLY helped out our 6 children from the abuse they suffered in the womb-we will fight until this law gets passed, no matter how long it takes. These little faces are the reason we WILL NOT REST..

To see where your state stands on this issue CLICK HERE. And remember.....One person CAN make a difference in the life of a child.

My dream is to make a Public Service Announcement (starring my kids) to advocate for adoption of drug endangered children and foster children.

Maybe some day!

I GOT A JOB!!!

What??? You think I have enough to do with my 7 kids, farm, home schooling, public speaking & advocacy for Drug Endangered Children.

I am thanking God today for running into my kids old case worker late the other night at WALLY WORLD!

God has been calling me FOR MONTHS to do more to help the orphan.... I have been dreaming about black children and have felt drawn to Ethiopia for some time. I have been praying, reading books and buying stuff to support Africa.

I mentioned this to our social worker-I told her I felt our hands were tied since we can no longer foster here in our state because we have 6 children under age 16 (over the licensing limit). That's when she said "Oh, but we are desperate for Host Homes and you don't have to be licensed to be a Host Home." She went on to explain what this entails and gave me the number of the point of contact-"Dave". I came home, told The Captain and called the next day.

What is a Host Home? It's a safe place children stay for 1-2 days until their court date. These children are often removed from their homes with drugs, abuse or some type of danger. They are knows as "CINC" Child In Need of Care. Most of this happens on the weekend or the middle of the night.

I told "Dave" our history and he told me this "YOU HAVE MADE MY DAY!" I faxed him a copy of our old foster license and training certificate and they ran our background checks and he called me today to tell me that we are approved to be a HOST HOME. We could get a call as soon as this weekend. Only one other person in our county is doing this-he truly was desperate.

He also offered me a job-a difficult job. The job of an intake coordinator-I would be there with law enforcement to take a report when a child is removed from a dangerous home. I asked The Captain and he was very supportive. We live in a very spread out rural county and there is only one other intake person in our county. I told him I would do it the 2 weeks a month The Captain is home.

Thanking God today for using me right here in my community when I didn't think I could help-thanking Him for opening my eyes to a need to truly SERVE HIM through these children. What are you doing to help the kids in your community?

Once our eyes are opened, we can't PRETEND we do not know what to do. God who weighs our hearts & keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us RESPONSIBLE TO ACT! Proverbs 24:12

Mark 9:37 Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.

Don't forget to check in on Isaiah at HIS BLOG and give Jen some encouragement. We've raised over $1100 on facebook in 2 days-GOD IS SO GOOD!

4...ALREADY?

Scared out of my mind....That's what I was 4 years ago when I got the call about MyMy-our first foster baby. Born into some "very rough" even "deplorable" circumstances-AND exposed to methamphetamines and marijuana in the womb. Could I handle a "drug baby?" "What if she had to go home-back to her birth family?" God knew...

The Captain was out of town and I couldn't get ahold of him so I told the social worker "YES, we will take her." I WAS A NERVOUS WRECK!

I had just a few hours to gather ALL things needed for a newborn. Several friends rose to the occasion and helped us out instantly.

We had spaghetti that night..We (The oldest, bean, T and I) were eating when the car drove up. It was the social workers first delivery of a foster child since starting her first job out of college.

This is how she came to us..In the below photo are ALL the worldly possessions she had. A pink blanket and hat, a diaper and a t-shirt.
I asked the social worker "Are you going to stay with me?" She said "No, I have to go home and get supper for my husband." ARE YOU SERIOUS? You just drop her off and expect me to know what to do with a newborn? I haven't had one in 15 years.

She was loved instantly by all of us...ESPECIALLY the oldest..
Daddy got home later that night and I don't think he put her down for days!! The joy this girl has brought into our lives has been phenomenal!Her adoption was finalized just short of her first birthday!She has become a little violinist-something she most likely would not have done if God would not have saved her life that day 4 years ago.Happy 4th Birthday our princess-little MY MY who has become a beautiful young girl right before our eyes.
Most people say "Oh, you have saved those kids." NO...Thank you MY MY for helping "SAVE US!" And for the MANY blessings your life has brought us.

"The Lord will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and your going now and forevermore." Psalms 121:7-8

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY by 11pm Friday!

IN THE HOUSE!-Me and The Captain.

We got a call from our state representative last week. Last year in February The Captain and I helped initiate, present & testify for House bill 2602 in front of The Kansas House of Representatives.

This bill makes using controlled substances during pregnancy a crime. 15 other states have passed similar bills into law. To find out if your state has this law click here. We will most likely be testifying again sometime in February.

Many bills take SEVERAL times to get from the house to the senate. The main reason this bill did not pass is because the way the bill was written-it gave women a FELONY and put them in jail immediately until the birth of the baby. The reason it was written this way is because it was just copied from another state. The bill is now being revised to make it mandatory REHAB instead of the jail time. Which I think will help it to be passed. Either way, with cut backs and the economy, this will cost our state money-another reason it may not pass. BUT so will raising special needs kids affected by drug abuse in the womb.

PLEASE join us in praying that this bill will pass the house and be moved on to the senate this session and that we are IN THE HOUSE-God gives us the words to speak.

GOD HAS GIVEN ME A CALLING AND I WILL NOT REST UNTIL I KNOW THE UNBORN ARE PROTECTED FROM THE ABUSE THESE 6 SUFFERED IN THE WOMB!

PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO WATCH OUR FAMILY VIDEO-so you can put REAL faces with our children who were abused in the womb!

Goodbye BABY!

BELOW is a picture of "the TRIBE" I had at home in September 2006 when I got THE CALL

16 year old

7 year old

5 year old

2 almost 1 year old

1 almost 2 years old

We were also in the middle of transforming our 1000 square foot home from THISTO THIS-doing ALL the interior work ourselves.
SO I WAS IN NO WAY PREPARED FOR THIS
(yes this is really his birth mama)
But God had other plans and on January 19, 2007 our baby boy joined our already swollen family.

A FULL SIBLING TO MY MY
His gestation and even the day of his birth were filled with methamphetamines, cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana. BUT GOD AGAIN PREVAILED! Protecting our BOY in the womb!
MY MY is so proud of her baby brother-they TRULY have a special bond.
I didn't think I could handle another child with The Captains schedule and all that we had going on-but GOD KNEW!
He is LOVED!BIG SISTER...A BOND THAT CANNOT BE BROKENGOODBYE BABY!HELLO LITTLE BOY!HAPPY 2nd Birthday SON!WE TIP OUR HATS TO YOU TODAY!
You are a true and precious GIFT to our family!

TO READ more click HERE!