Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I've been thinking about it all day.

Of course my family is at the top of the list. Three years ago, I had no children and only a great husband. Today, I have 2 fantastic children and a wonderful husband. God has truly bless our family. I am honored that God has chosen this family for me.

I am grateful that Rebecca is with us this year. A year and a half ago, I got a call to do respite for a little girl for 10 days. We were interested in a adopting another little girl at the time and figured it would help the time to go by faster. Who would have thought that call and that child would start all of this. We now have her biological sister and we are working on getting her adopted as well.

I am thankful that God always seems to create ways for us to get by. My husband was laid off work right before summer. That was exactly what we needed really now that I look back on it. Joe was able to stay home with Jasmine and get things ready for the adoption. It also gave us more time to spend with Rebecca. Our friends and people we don't even know gave us little miracles and I am grateful for God sending them to us just when we needed it.

I am thankful that I can be a part of the deaf culture and have an opportunity to pass that along to my children. The deaf culture has really opened my eyes to alot of things that the hearing do. I am grateful to everyone who has shared the culture with me.

I hope everyone had such a "thankful" year as I have had. Happy Holidays!! May the blessings continue to flow.

Mainstream Or Not To Mainstream

Mainstream...what does that mean to you? To me it has meant frustration and disappointment. I can't imagine that Rebecca could possibly be happy struggling in school. We are spending about an hour everyday on homework after school just trying to get her to understand what the project is or what the questions are asking. Once she understands she gets it. She is very bright, but understanding the comprehension of the questions or problem is the problem.

Last week they did testing with her. She has been mainstreamed for aobut a month now, 2 weeks in her old school & 2 weeks in this school. I don't know if she is just not ready to be mainstreamed or if she just needs modification to her homework. We just got the results from the tests today and everyone is reviewing the results. I'm torn on what to do. They say that she is only about 6 months behind her grade level, but I just don't know if that is completely accurate. Her sister is in the same grade and there is a huge gap between what Rebecca can comprehend and what her sister comprehends.

She has an interpreter to help her and another student in her class. I'm happy with the school so far. We are going tomorrow to do her FM testing for her FM system and that may help her too.

This is such an important time in school and I don't want to hold her back if she is ready to be mainstreamed, but it just may not be the right fit for her either. I just want her to be the best that she can be and if that means that she will never be mainstreamed, then I am fine with that.

National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. This is near and dear to my heart obviously since I have domestically adopted one of my girls and we are in the process of adopting her sibling. If you have room in your heart and room in your house, adoption and/or fostering children will change your life.

Both of our children were adopted from Texas and each state has their own laws, but if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask me questions. We have been a foster home for almost 3 years and adopted one of those children. Now we are fostering her sister and waiting until she is available for adoption.

There are so many children that just need families. Fostering is not an easy task, but I can tell you that it does pay off and you can change those childrens lives.

Some famous adoptees are Aristole, Nat King Cole, Halle Berry, Melissa Gilbert, Scott Hamilton, Faith Hill, Langston Hughes, Malcolm X, Eleanor Roosevelt, Nancy Ragen, Leo Tolstoy, John Lennon, Marilyn Menroe, Mark Twain, Gerald Ford, Alexander The Great, Louissa May Alcott, Richard Burton & George Washing Carver. Someone had to make a choice to change each one of these peoples lives. Who knows who they would have became if someone didn't decide that they could change their lives.

I've included some links that can help you if you are considering fostering, adopting or are an adoptive or foster parent.

http://foster-child.adoption.com/
http://adoptivedads.org
www.adopting.com
http://www.howtoadopt.org/
www.adoption.com
http://adoptivefamilies.com/
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/adoption_and_foster_care/
http://www.tapestrybooks.com/default.asp?r=c1

I've heard it said that 1 out of 20 people are somehow affected or know someone who is affected by adoption. Please take a moment out of your busy day and pray for these children, foster parents & adoptive parents.

Here is a prayer that I pray weekly (I try to do it daily, but I only make it about 4x's a week):

Lord, I pray for the physical, emotional & spritual health of all foster/adoptive children & their parents. I lift up all children that are currently being abused that you will provide them with an abiding sense of safety and security during their lifetime and give them the courage to face the problems of each day. I pray for you to give all people affected by these lost children a calm spirit to hear your voice Lord, to direct them through their day today. Give the children a clear mind, both to learn and to recall and an unshakable self-worth and personal dignity. I pray for wisdom for the teachers, mentors and counselors that will be a part of these families lives today. Thank you Lord for my children that you have blessed me with, help me to live up to your plan with them today. Fill me with your love, so that I can enstill that same love in them.