FAMILY PICTURES

Leah Minogue Photography came out and took family pictures for us. She did an AMAZING job. Here are a few of my favorites!

ADDING AND TAKING AWAY

Last week one of our girls left for reasons that break my heart. Today a new girl was added to our house. Emotions are mixed and high - it's an interesting, crazy thing, taking away and adding to a family. This girl is sweet and talented and comes along with a heartbreaking story, pretty much like all the rest. I am thankful she is here with us. I'm glad I get to be her mom, no matter how short or long that time may last. I have not ceased to be amazed by the way God has filled in the gaps we may have been missing in order to do this job. He is so good and so adequate when I am nothing close to either.

I love working here. These children who would not have a home (or at least not one that wasn't abusive or frightening or awfully unstable) if not for this place. God has blessed us to have called

our family here.

Bennett was so excited when he heard we were getting a new girl. He must have asked me a hundred different questions about her before she came this afternoon. And when she got here, I introduced them to each other. There were smiles and high-fives all around. Now she is unpacking in her room - the few precious belongings she owns - and I am sure she is wondering what will happen to her now as she starts a new school, attends a new church, learns new schedules and rules, and tries to fit into a new family. It blows my mind.

I am glad she has come to a good, safe, godly place, even though she may not know it yet. She will know it soon, and my prayer is that she will grow and flourish, even as my prayer for the girl who had to leave is that God will be with her and give her what she needs, and that she takes with her whatever small lessons she learned while she was here.

On a lighter note, we are hosting Thanksgiving Day for my entire extended family (my mom's side and my dad's side) this year, so in the midst of everything, I am slowly gathering table ideas from Pinterest, picking up candles and pinecones, acorns and weathered wood, and other bits and pieces of Thanksgiving goodness, and putting together a menu for what on earth to make (luckily it's a potluck-type affair - I may cook for eight now, but eight to thirty is WAY too big and stressful of a jump for me!).

Anybody have fabulous Thanksgiving plans this year? Who's hosting? What's on the menu and what's the plan for decor?