Foster Care Placement... Week #1

Well; tomorrow will be one week since our first foster care placement. We will call her MJ even though that is not her name ;)
The first day I was a nervous WRECK. My insides churned, I shook like a leaf for about 24 hours. I woke up 10-15 times during the night thinking, "Oh gosh, I'm going to leave for work and forget that I have a child to take to school"
Thursday was new-school enrollment day. SHE was nervous that day. But she did GREAT... was ready to get home and do her homework after school. She is an AMAZINGLY sweet young girl. Very quiet, but smiles ear-to-ear constantly.
I went to work regularly Thursday and my nerves calmed down a little when I realized that not a WHOLE lot had changed. I still had my job to go to that I love, I still had my husband, I still had the Grace & Peace of God which made all the difference in the world... we just happen to be in charge on an 11-year-old princess!!
Thursday's Valentines Day card from Art Club at school looked like this:

Our church family has been OVERWHELMINGLY tremendously fabulous to us. Thursday night we got a visit from the Hallman's; they brought about 2,312 pieces of much-needed clothing and also assisted with Math homework! When I asked MJ about her homework she said, "I'm going to wait for Kevin to get home to help me with math." I said "Good idea! I'm terrible at Math"..... her response, "What subject ARE you good at?" HA! I could not help but laugh!!!! We ate dinner at Mt. Fugi after our visit and homework. She loved it and even tried Sushi; which she also loved. She enjoys school, homework, reading, going to church, eats well, smiles big and is just such a sweet-spirited young lady. God truly blessed us when He placed her into our home.

So--some things I've just got to share that has humbled me (things we take for granted)
*Lasagna (she'd never even heard of it)
*Vacation (never been on one)
*Electronic Tablets
*A pair of name brand shoes & a backpack
*A hand-stitched bookmark from my mother. This one broke the mold.... I thought she was going to cry she loved it so much
*A Bible and Bible cover (never had one)
*A bed to sleep in (had been sleeping on the floor or sharing a bed with 2 other children)

We had a 48-hour visit on Friday afternoon where the DHR worker commended us that we were doing great and she interviewed MJ and she told her she loved it with us. We are pretty fond of her too. Keep us in your prayers as she will have a visit this week with Mom.