How to Cook the Thanksgiving Meal

This year I asked my students what they like to eat for Thanksgiving. Using a graphic organizer students were able to write how they think you cook the food that they enjoy eating. We made a Voice Thread for all the recipes that were made. You can listen to each student tell how they would cook their dish. You can also click on the comment section and type or speak a comment to one or all of the voice threads. We hope you enjoy How we would cook the Thanksgiving meal.
http://voicethread.com/share/2464524/

Christmas Card

Photo Card

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Thank You God Shutterfly Book

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A Happy One Year Ago

One year ago today Hannah came to live with us.  It has been an exciting and interesting year.  We have had a lot of fun together going places such as Discovery Place, Bicentennial Garden, Hickory especially Mimi and Papa's and Glenn Hilton Park, etc.   We have also enjoyed time together at home making a gingerbread house, playing board games, reading books, watching movies, cooking together, etc. 
We are excited that the adoption social worker came Thursday and we are all planing on being finished with all paperwork and home visits and being in the courthouse for the adoption ceremony on Hannah's 10th birthday.

One Year Ago

One year ago today Jason, H,and I were doing laundry and packing to prepare to leave the next day on vacation.  Around 5:00, we got a phone call saying we had to return H to DSS because the judge was allowing her to live out of state with a relative.  We were all three completely and totally heartbroken.  Within an hour she was packed up and on the way back to DSS.  We knew that this would be the hardest part about foster care and at one point the reason we were not going to do foster care.  After hearing another couple say that if God gave them a child through foster care just long enough for God to know someone would be praying for that child then it was worth the heartache of losing them, we decided to do foster care.  Yes that was one of if not the hardest days of my life but after a year a day has not gone by that she has not been prayed for. 

The Final Space Flight

Today I watched NASA space shuttle Atlantis leave Earth, marking the program's final flight. It is unclear as to what will happen to the space program.  It has been said that there will be no more space flights.  Does this mean that there will be no more astronauts?  What about NASA?  It is sad to think that 5 or 10 years from now children will not know what an astronaut was or what a space shuttle looked like.  It is so hard to believe that this is yet again something that will have to be taught from a textbook or the internet.  My heart is heavy for the ones that will either be without a job or will have to go and work for the Russians.  I guess this is just another job that is being sent overseas.  What about the kids right now that have only dreamed of being astronauts...what will happen to their dream?

What is a mother?

This Mother's Day was difficult and frustrating for me.  After listening to people and reading Facebook posts, I have learned that many of my family and friends only few mothers as those who have children that they delivered.  These same people only accept children into their family if they are biological or maybe adopted.  Many people that I know do not realize that giving birth does not make you a mother.  There are so many women in this world that pop out children all the time but they have NO idea how to be a mother to those children.  Giving birth DOES NOT make you a mother.  Loving, showing Jesus, teaching, correcting, disciplining, holding, hugging, raising, comforting, meeting needs, providing for...these are all things that make you a mother.  Below is a poem written by a person that was adopted from foster care:

Some Mums and My Mum

Some mums have kids,
Just, one two or three
Mine has had hundreds
She's special you see
She's not my real mum
But with that I'm ok
Some mums can't hack it
And send their kids away

So I sure am lucky
Cos the mum I have now
She makes me feel safe
Though sometimes we row
Cos no mum is perfect
And we all have to learn
How best to raise kids
When it is our turn

Kids don't come with a guidebook
It's pretty much trial and error
But no kid should suffer
Anguish, torment and terror
Thank God for those willing
To share family and home
With kids less fortunate
Thro' no fault of their own

We know there are times
When tempers will fray
But that's kids and parents
At the end of the day
And my mum is special
She guides me her best
I know truly I am loved
Whatever life's test

Pauline Oliver

There are so many people that would not be where they are today, if it were not for the love, support, and care from a foster or adoptive mother.  The next time you eat at or pass by a Wendy's you can thank a foster/adoptive mother because without one who knows where Dave Thomas would have been.  Next year, I am praying that people will remember that just because a woman does not give birth, it does not mean she is not a mother and just because a child is not biological or adopted it does not mean they should not be included/accepted in your family.  Thank you God for calling me to do this very difficult but very rewarding thing called motherhood to a wonderful, beautiful, funny, and sweet little girl.