Tomahawk Party of Four

Why, hello.  I'm still here.  I've been quite busy adjusting to life as a mother of two daughters.  Life is going okay here.  We're doing very well, quite honestly.  I love being a mother to these two girls.  They are so easy to love and care about!

Jeff is adjusting well to being a father of two daughters.  Neither one of them can date until they are 35.  :)

We are getting all settled in and adjusted and used to each other.  These girls will be with us for long term.  I don't know how long that will be because each is in a different stage of adjudication, but we gladly welcome them for however long they are here whether it's two/three months or forever. 

Being a mom is hard.  You constantly wonder if you're doing it right.  We took nine weeks worth of classes on how to nagivate the foster care system, what to expect (behaviors/court system/etc) but not really how to parent.  I guess we're no different from a couple who has a doctor hand them a newborn.  We'll figure it out as we go, but we do have a lot more support sources so that's a good thing.

I go to bed each night exhausted.  I wake up each morning exhausted.  And I don't have near the freedom or the money I had a month ago but I didn't have near the meaning in my life that I have now either.  That's way more important than sleeping late when you feel like it or having millions (or even hundreds I'm not greedy) in the bank.

We're going to start school shopping in the next couple of weeks.  One daughter is all kinds of excited while my other daughter is more shy but I know will tear up the mall when we go!! :)

When I take a minute and sit down and think about the journey Jeff and I had to take to get to where we are today I get tears in my eyes.  We had such a plan for our lives but what we didn't know was how much different God's plan was.  We bucked his plan and bucked it hard.  In the midst of the struggle to have a family we lost sight of what was important.

I have learned what no one could have told me years ago: I don't need a baby to be happy.  I didn't need to be pregnant and give birth to be a mom.  I didn't need to spend $30K we didn't have to be parents.  This hasn't been the easiest road but it's been the road that has been the best for us. 

Jeff and I are happy.  We are adjusting to life with teens.  Our girls seem happy.  Now, if you don't mind, I hear a hot shower calling my name.......