Adoption: Homemade Laundry Detergent --- cheap!!

I have been using my own laundry detergent that I made for about a week now and I am so happy!!! When each week you do at least 16 loads of laundry it helps out money wise!! Heres the ingredients.

 2 gallons of hot water
1 bar of soap (grated and any kind you have on hand)
2 cups of baking soda

...

Melt grated soad in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Cook on medium heat, sirring frequently until melted.

In a large pail or bucket, pour 2 gallons of hot water. Add melted mixture, stir well.

Add the baking soda, stir well.

Use 1/2 per full load, 1 cup per very soiled loads.

Enjoy!!!

Adoption: Meal Time

One of the things that I really need to work on among many.....is meal time.  I usually go looking through my cubboard and try to figure out what I am going to make either the night before or that day.  I need to be more organized when it comes to my meals.  I want a schedule that I can alternate either every two weeks or once a month.  Maybe you can help me out.. What are somethings that you do?

Usually for breakfast I fix the little girls cereal or toast (which ever they request) the big kids they fix it themselves.  I always make their lunch and dinners.  The other day I was in need of grocery shopping but this is what I came up with at the last minute on what to fix for lunch. 

Here are a couple of pictures.  So some of them wanted quesadillas, hotdogs, chips and cookies.

The start of the esembly line with my love notes on each plate.

I don't do this every time but they get a kick out of what I put on their plate each time.

 

 

One of the plates.



Quesadillas ready for the mircrowave

 Hotdogs ready for the microwave

 Lunch Time!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

One of the plates.

So now it is your turn.  What do you cook for your meals.  I need your help!!! Blessings to you my readers!!

Adoption: Respite Care - Another One Added

Before I start my many words I want to give all our success and happiness to Jesus because he has been so faithful to answer our prayers.  It has been 3 weeks since Miss J has been with us.  It has been going GREAT.  I need to capture this moment because I know it wont always be like this.  

I am not a negative person by any means I am just saying that because with foster and children who are adopted there is about a 2 month honeymoon period.  Once that is over the kids let their hair down and start to live how they were before coming to your home.  This could be a quick period of time or a slow one depending on the child.  Then you get in a groove that is just everyday life and they start blending in and figuring out what is expected.  Addressing behaviors as they happen day in and day out.

With Miss J we are still in the honeymoon period.  Even though I know this behavior won't last forever I can still see what an amazing person she is.  Every time we get into a discussion about how she is feeling or different things that is on her plate she quotes me a scripture or maybe a piece of a sermon that we most recently heard at church.  She told me that Jesus is her therapist.  Before she came home I was praying and I felt such a peace of getting her home so she could attend church with us.  I knew that would be apart of her healing --if she received it.  Well Praise the Lord!! She received it!!

Yesterday they had volleyball tryouts.  Neither one of the girls made it.  This was hard for Miss J to accept because she loves it and played it during her junior high years.  She was very sad and quiet in the car.  The first thing she did when she got in the car was reach down and open the bible and put it on her lap.  She started reading. 

We took in another boy just for a few days.  He is a great boy.  It is so sad to see how parents can mess up a little ones life.  There were a few issues here and there but that is okay.  I pray that through his journey in life that he will be able to sort out right from wrong and be an great influence on others that have been though a simular circumstances.

I do love having a full house! I am not sure why but its true.  My husband..............well I don't think it his favorite thing but as long as I am doing my part he seems to have a smile on his face most of the time.

That is it for now.

 

 

 

 

 

Adoption: Update as of 8/13/2012

It has been awhile since I have posted.  I thought I might bring everyone up to speed on what is happening in the Bowers home. I am not sure where to start.

Clay just left yesterday to spend another week in Mexico at the mission.  This place has captured his heart many years ago.  He is 18 years old and has actively been involved with it since he was 15.  Miss J told me tonight that she would love to go to the mission.  I told her that all the orphans there are disabled and she might be required to change diapers of a much older person.  She didn't care.  She said that she thinks that she would really enjoy it and wants to help others.  I am excited to see where the Lord will lead her. I believe that the beginning of September Clay will be headed down to California.  He got a job at a church in Modesto California as a youth pastor.  He is really excited.  The thing is, if you know Clay those plans change at any moment.  That what I know at this moment.

This will be the first year in many years that my children will be attending a public school.  This is very scary for me however, I know the Lord will cover my sweet children as they continue on their journey.  Alicia and Miss J will be attending South Medford High School.  They have been having volleyball camp all week and tomorrow they start a conditioning camp.  The week of the 20th they will have tryouts.  I hope they both make it but there is a very good chance that one will make it and the other won't.  But we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

Nemo and Joshua will be doing Connections Academy.  We are setting up our work stations and getting everything ready to start.  They are both really excited.  I wonder how long that excitement will really last.  I will post pictures as we get closer to starting.

I am still wondering about Little K (5 1/2 yrs old) where she will go.  She is not potty trained and I feel there is a big problem there.  She either needs to go to kindergarten or she needs to go to Head Start (says DHS).  We have an appointment on Wednesday to have her evaluated.  I have a feeling there is psychological damage is the reason for her potty training issues.  She has been in foster care her whole life and removed from a bad foster home before coming to our home.  I am praying my way through as to what direction we need to go.  

Little M (4 yrs old) will go to Head Start.  There are not the issues with her that we have with Little K.  I believe she will be okay but I am still so nervous putting my precious babies on the bus.  Thankfully she will only be gone for 1/2 day.

I decided to have family movie night on Friday or Saturday night.  Not sure which one but one of these days will be our day depending on our schedule. We are going to watch the whole series of Little House On The Prairie.  Two shows at a time with pop corn and all the fixings! Miss J has never heard of it but she has put up a struggle on not wanting to watch it.  All other kids really want to watch it but not her.  I think I am going to insist on her watching it with the family.  We watched the Pilot Little House last night.  It was funny because all the way through it she kept saying -- Oh my gosh -- Ma and Pa are just like you and dad!"  I about choked on my tongue.  No pressure I thought!  I would like to be like Ma and would love my hubby to be like Pa but we live real life!  

Her idea of marriage is her husband serving her hand and foot.  She wants to find someone who loves to cook because she does not know how so he needs to cook for her.  I told her that one day she is going to find that man she wants to spend the rest of her life with and she is going to want to take care of him.  She is going to want to fix those meals he loves, she is going to want to treat him like a treasure and love him completely.  She looks at me like I am some foreign thing.........it is a concept that she has never heard before.  She is use to the fighting, arguing, drinking, drug environment.  My role as a mom and wife has never been so important or impacting right now.  Lord please help me teach her at her young age what being a wife means and what being a mom means.

Alicia is doing well.  I was wondering how all this was going to work.  She is 14 years old and I was wondering about the relationship of Miss J and her.  I was wondering if Alicia would not stand for her beliefs when we got a new child in the home.  Alicia has surprised me.  Alicia has stood her ground and has been a good influence on Miss J.  She is always quoting scripture and reading her bible.  She still has her faults but she is not caving into other behaviors of what I thought we were going to have to deal with.  She has started counseling and is doing so good.

Nemo .........oh Nemo--- He is one of the hardest kids we have.  He is equivalent to 5 kids on his own.  Good thing I love this boy!  He is a boundary hugger and very determined to do his own thing regardless of what the rules are.  He is aggressive when he is out of our sight and he is a manipulator.  He also cannot tell the truth to save his life.  I told him to think of a role model that he looks up to that he wants to be like one day.  He looked right at Joshua and pointed at him.  Joshua's jaw dropped to the floor.  Joshua being 10 and Nemo being 13 -- Josh did not expect this.  He said because Joshua never lies and he is sweet and kind.  We have only 5 short years to break him of his ways that could get him in real trouble when he is old enough to move out.  Lord help me lead this boy!!!

Joshua -- He is doing great!! By adopting these kids he has found his voice inside to state what he likes and his dislikes.  He always has a buddy to play with.  Even though Nemo has trouble being kind to him on most days -- the problems are dealt with and they walk away friends and best buddies.  Some days Joshua is glad we adopted but there are the other days when he thinks otherwise.  He does remember when he was the only kid in the house and he remembers those days as very lonely.  He has grown up quit a bit.

Another celebration for me is that I have been invited join a group of ladies in a adoption support group.  It is a group of Christian ladies where we can actually pray for our kids!!! Imagine that.  I attend a support group that is through the state of Oregon but do you think prayer or God for that matter is apart of the group?  Far from it!! I do attend it and glean a lot from it but I cannot express to you how excited I am for this new group! We get together at 7pm and visit till midnight!! I feel like a giddy little school girl! I get to visit with adults!

To think not even a year ago I was working full time.  I am so happy the Lord knows what he is doing.  There is no way I could work out of the home and do this.  I so cherish where I am at these days!!

Well I think that is all folks! I am sure there is more but at the time -- I can't think of anything else.  I am keeping on loving my kids, loving our Lord and knowing that no matter what is happening in my day the Lord is so much bigger!  

Pressing On,

Sheri

Adoption: So Many Things.......

I found this that I just wanted to share with all of you.  I can't tell you how much this fits me to a "T".  If your a busy mom I am sure you can relate.

Although I don't think it talks about going into a room and forgetting what thought brought her in there. 

Enjoy--
Sheri

Adoption: Another Memorable Moment

I know I post alot of my frustrations but I also have tons and tons of moments that I know will be here today and gone tomorrow.  So I wanted to share with you a small moment that happened this morning.

What is a mom to do? Little M (4 years old) woke up two times last night. Once at 2:00am and then at 5:00am. Then I can hear her door open at 6:45am. Trying to keep calm but still so selfish of my morning time she comes down the hallway with a big smile on her face, her deep dimples pressed into her cute little cheeks and waves at me like shes in some kind of parade and says "Hi Honey!!!" It was all over from there.

Adoption: Could This Really Be True?

My mind is in a whirlwind! I have been awake since 4:00am marveling at how the Lord has taken our situation and personally handled it.  I am in awe! Have you been in a situation that you just know this is so right? If you were to do it again would you pick the same path that you chose from the millions of choices that are out there?  Well that is me (us) to a "T".  Yes I would pick the same path.

Many of you have heard this before but I must take you back a little over a year ago.  So hang in there as I remind myself of the work our God has done for me and my family! Every time I tell this story it is so clear the Lord is in this 100%! I not only tell this to fill you in I need to keep reminding myself of the miracles that the Lord is preforming in our own lives.

So -- after we finished our classes and just after starting our homestudy I found 5 children that I would love to have (I told you that story in the last post).  Well the Lord was going to give me five children but in another route different than what I had planned.  He knew it was going to be a big job so he split it up into breaking me in easy.  So he gave us two children in April of 2011. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE in the foster and adoption world was telling me it is long drawn out process.  All the while I knew God could preform miracles.  That adoption was finalized in January 6, 2012. Our adoption worker was shocked!! She kept saying "I don't know what it is about your family but this holds the record".  Well I told her we have faith that if the Lord wants this for us it will be easy and he will clear the way. 

Anyway-- So then after that adoption was final we decide on to adopt more.  The Lord brought the second batch to us.  Three girls!! This group made it very clear to me why I do this! These kids needed so bad a stable home.  They had been through 2 bad foster homes.  To think that all these kids ages 4,5 and 13 have basically been moved here and there their whole life just breaks my heart! and if I were to tell you just how great these kids are -- you wouldn't believe me! These kids openly tell me how much they wanted a "good" mommy.  Am I in this for me? Am I in this for them?  Going into this I did this for them but I believe the Lord gives back so much more than what you give out.  Oh my heart is full and overflowing.

Okay so now the kids have been with us for a little over 2 months.  The plan for these children right now is return to parent.  The adoption world is telling me that this will be one of the longest cases they have handled.  It probably will go on for another 2 years or so. They told me that Miss J would not want to be adopted but would want to stay with her sisters (which that was okay with us) and blah blah blah!  Didn't they know God was much bigger than this situation?

Yesterday the case worker met with the little girls dad about his parental rights and asked if he is ready for all this.  In November they are expecting twins.  He seemed very overwhelmed.  He said that he would like to talk with me about signing the children over to us.  My heart went straight to my throat!! Regardless of what mistakes someone has done in their life I cannot imagine being in his position making that call.  He wants it to be an open adoption where he would be able to see them periodically.  I told me him that we feel it is very important for these girls to know who their bio dad is and to have visitation still in place.  Not as often but they still need to happen. Anyway-- so -- That will happen in a matter of days now.  And.....Miss J told me that she does want to be adopted.  She said she is very sure and that she is not going to change her mind on that. All of these are mountains and walls and unmovable situations that God moved out of our way with a snap of a finger.

Another HUGE victory is..................When a child is placed with you for foster care, if the kids become legally free they have to be with you 1 year before you can be the only one who they will consider for adoption.  That is unless there is no family member out there that is interested. This is very cut and dry.  It is their policy and there is nothing you can do about it.  The case worker needs to advertise these children on the website to see who else is out there that would be willing to take them in.  Wednesday I got the word that the supervisor told our case worker she wants to put a special execption that we would be their only option of placement!! The case worker didn't think they could do that but the supervisor said this is what they are doing and the kids are staying where they are at.  The case worker is not to recruit for another home for these kids. 

I can see so clearly how there are walls and mountains and a process of how things are done and the Lord is making the way for us! He is parting the Red Sea!

The Lord knew that for me taking on 5 new kids all at once would have been to big.  You couldn't tell me then but now that we have done this -- for me it would have been huge!  I am so happy that I have a loving savior who is looking out for "ME".  I can't believe I really matter to him but I do and he loves me! and he loves these precious kids too.

Please keep praying!! It is working!!

Leave me comments at the bottom of this post.  Click on "# comments" and it will provide a place to write something.  I am curious as to what your thinking and tell me about you!

Adoption: Another BIG Day In The Bowers Home

I am asking friends and family to please pray for us today!! I cannot give details however it is regarding these new children. This day could be the day that could change all of our lives FOREVER!!

I am trying to keep you updated as we go along.  Today it involves parental rights and whether these kids will be come legally free for adoption. Just another step in this long journey but every step is crucial to how this story will end. 

Yesterday was Wednesday and one of our church nights.  Both little girls are sick so I stayed home.  In away I was hoping the Miss J would stay home and keep me company but thought that was very selfish of me.  I was thinking this was an opportunity for us to talk alone while everyone else gone.  My husband looked and Miss J and asked "would you like to stay here or go to church"?  She looked at him and said "Church?"  Oops I guess we kinda messed up and didn't let her know we go to church every Wednesday.  She replied with "I'll stay here I guess".  I was shocked that my hubby read my mind.  She stayed at the house with me and we talked for the entire time they were gone to church!  I loved it!!

I will say this girl is a trooper.  She has been through so much but yet she is still is only 13 years old but still she is a beautiful person inside and out! I told her we are honored that she wants to stay with us.  She has so much potential and will go so far in her life.  I am praising the Lord that I will be able to watch her as she blossoms into a beautiful flower.

Ya know, going into foster care and adoption my worst fear was getting a rebllious teenager that we cannot control.  The Lord has spared us in both of our adoption and foster care experience.

 As our story unfolds I hope that you all will stay tuned and enjoy these beautiful lives with me. As I write it is almost like a journal for me to remember back to the first days we got them. 

Are any of you in the process of adoption or foster care? Let me know.

Adoption: Miss J is Home!!!!

Things have been going great in the Bowers home these days.  It is not perfect but I feel like the kids are becoming more under control or should I say I am able to keep control over myself better which make disciplining my children so much better which means better results.

We now have Miss J with us permanently for foster care.  For this I am so happy and praising Jesus for.  The more time I spend time with her and get to know her I am so happy she is here.  I pray against anything that satan may have a stronghold on.  There is so much that needs to happen in order for our adoption process to begin however things are moving in the right direction.  The homestudy in California which is a relative has been denied.  Whew!!! There not more relatives out there who can sneak up on us out of no where.  One more step that is out of the way.

It is amazing to think back on when we were first going into this journey.  My vision was to adopt 5 children.  Everyone thought I was crazy but that is okay.  I had the 5 all picked out and was praying and praying.  Our homestudy was very far from being done when I found them.  By the times we could have new kids those 5 had already found a placement.  Praise the Lord they were able to stay together. I can see now the Lord did not want us to have them.  He had other children in mind.

We got the call for our two kids that we adopted last year.  Then once that was final we got the call for these three children for an immediate placement. I now have my 5 children that I wanted and the Lord wanted us to have.  The Lord does give us the desires of our hearts.

Delight yourself in the LORD

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalms 37:4

The day Miss J came home to stay with us permanently, Nick Vujicic was at the Expo.  If you haven't heard of him you must see him.  Here is one of his links. www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4uG2kSdd-4. Anyway all of my children including Miss J rededicated their lives to Christ that night.  I do not think it was coincidence that Nick was speaking this very night Miss J came home.  I believe it was a devine appointment!  What a blessing that was!!

I also wanted to share something Miss J (13 yrs old) and Alicia (14 yrs old) posted in their room last night.  I thought this was so funny I had to take pictures!!

Here are the rules posted in their room.  All the other kids want to come in and mess it up so they decided to post laws that needed to be inforced.

Here is their "law talk" telling them the consequences for their behavior!

Blessisngs my dear readers!!!

Sheri