So Hard to Prepare

This week has just been so very busy with all the appointments and things we had to get done.  I really need to set aside some time, next week, to get some gardening done as the weeds are making themselves welcome right now.  I also have a lot farm work to get done next week in preparation for baby goats that are all due to arrive the first week of June.  I have four pregnant does!  Time is ticking.

At the beginning of the week I had a wonderful mother’s day.  I got up early to go to Chaplain at the hospital and do my rounds.  I saw 66 patients.  When I got home my grown son Stephen, came to visit, brought me flowers and played me a really intense game of Scrabble. 

My husband grilled out for us all.   He had bought me a steak.  Yum!   DFCS did come on that day and do our home inspection.  It all went very well and we felt encouraged and relieved once the gentleman left.  It was a very lovely day.

Monday, I went antiquing with my dad, for the day, for a fun time out.  We do that about once a month.  I found a really nice used wooden high chair that matches the look in my kitchen.  I always see so many toys from my childhood.  If I had kept them all, in good condition, and in the original boxes……I’d be rich!  But would not have enjoyed being a kid as much as I did!  :)

Tuesday, we had one appointment after another.   The whole day went by so quickly that I fell into bed exhausted  late at night after four appointments thru out the day.

Wednesday, I take all our kids for their therapies they get, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech.  They each get various ones they need.  We have to be there by 8:00 am.  That is… get all the kids up, Antonio toileted, bathed and dressed, all the barn chores done including milking and all the normal morning things done and to the therapy place by 8:00am.  Whew.  We have done this once a week for 14 years.  I would rather all the kids go in all on the same day and get it all done and over with, than to come to town so often at various times to do it all.  We would never have time for home schooling.  Last year we cut back to every other week therapy sessions and it settled down our schedule a whole lot.   None the less it was a very busy day.

Thursday, I had a doctor’s appointment in a town thirty minutes away, first thing in the morning.  So we had a redo of the day before getting ready and out the door.  I sat on the doctor table (you know the one, covered with white crinkly paper?)  and had this view for over thirty minutes waiting on the doctor to come in and see me.  I hate sitting still.  

Then we proceeded down to Marietta to pick up a very nice used crib a family was selling at a great deal, Praise be to God.   I usually don’t drive that far anymore as I get very tired when I drive.  But on the way down we had a break at my doctor’s appointment and on the way back I stopped for a little while to let the kids window shop and got a break.  So Praise God it was not too bad.

Friday, I had to clean my sorely neglected house.  Catch up on laundry and get the house picked up, cleaned and back in shape.  I was sooooo tired by Friday night.  I fell asleep while I said my prayers.

I am sharing with you our very busy week so you can see a little of how our life gets sometimes.  Each of those days we still had farm work, meals to prepare, and daily care of our family to do.  We home school year round because we have days that we have so many appointments at times.  Also surgeries and unexpected hospital stays.  I try to get several appointments on the same day if I can to help with our home schooling schedule.  

But...... the whole time I was working or driving or whatever I did all week long.  The one thing that was always on my mind was preparing our home and family for foster care.  It is so hard to prepare for something when you don’t know what exactly that will be.  You know?   I mean we are opening up our home for ages newborn to 3 years old.  We have nothing for children that young in our home anymore.  We have had to put safety plug in all our outlets, put latches on doors where we keep chemicals and dangerous things.  Think where to put baby gates if we need them and think about sleeping arrangements.  (Zeke is praying for a girl.  I thought it was odd.  When I asked him he said, so it won’t be in his room and he won’t get woken up in the night or have to smell diapers.  I thought that was cute.) But in the next breath he said he hopes its a boy so he will have someone to play with his wooden trains with.  ;)  The crib does happen to be in his room right now.  We can easily move it if a girl comes.   

We prepared a changing table area, bought a crib and a highchair.  But what else can I do?  What else to get when you don’t know age, gender and perhaps special need of what child might be coming?  Back years ago, when we did foster care, I had boxes of a few sizes of all clothing, both gender, on hand all the time.  Now, I just don’t want a lot around that might not ever get used.   So I guess we wait.  I have found a good deal on a used swing.  But we might get a 2 or 3 year old that might stay a long time and we would never use the swing.  So I guess we wait and trust God to provide, as He always has, for everything we need when we need it.

Philippians 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.  May God keep you safe in His mighty hand where ever you go, in all that you do.

susan