Ok, time to spill the beans..

Remember at the end of this post, when I said I had an announcement to make? I have finally pinched myself enough to realize that it is in fact a reality, so I guess I can actually speak it ( well, y'know.. type it)

www.forkeeps-michelle.blogspot.com

Stop by and check out our new blog
Can you believe it?? finally..MY TURN!!

I HEART FACES 2

I decided to enter a photo in the adult catagory of the iheartfaces contest, because I love this picture that I took of my dad . I wish it had come out a little sharper, but I think it captures the cowboy in him! :)

It's been really cool to see all of the great photography out in bloggyland! you really should check it out! :)

I HEART FACES

I just discovered this site iheartfaces It's a photography site and they have a contest each week. It doesn't matter if you are an amateur or professional, It's all in fun! :) I love photography, I am a complete wanna be! ;) Here is the photo I submitted, This is my niece Madelyn, I have always been entranced by her eyes!

Why not check it out and enter your own photo.. come on, it'll be fun! :)

Oh Hope.. how I love you!!

I am running short on time today, but I thought I would post a few pictures of little Hope that were just too cute not to share!

These first two pictures are backwards ( imagine that!)

This was right after she opened up her gift from the kids.

Logan and Gabbie showing Hope her new toy.

I think she likes it! :)

Little sleepy head.. she just woke up here.

She just learned to blow raspberries!

Oh yea, she's perfected it! :)

Riding in Santa's sleigh..

There are no words..

She is BEYOND wonderful!!!

MAN.. we love this kid!!!

More Baby Love!!

An update on my precious boys!!

CA-UTE.. is what they are!! Here are a few pictures of them when they were in our care over 2 years ago.

( I have been wanting to post about them, but I never post about a child without a go ahead from the parents.. I got it.. so hear ya go.. you'll love these little buggers!)

They too have an amazing story ( you can clearly see God's hand in each case)

Meet Jonathon and Jacob

Jacob was diagnosed with Hemophilia while he was in our care and I was completely devastated. I cried and prayed over this baby like you wouldn't believe. I had no idea what hemophilia even was! ( here is where God said.."watch this" or that's what I assume he said ;)) Would you believe that his adoptive mommy was a nurse in the neonatal unit?? He was going to be in the best possible hands, what an answer to prayer! ( he's the cutie with his eyes open in the picture, lying next to his oh so precious brother.)

Aren't they just the most precious babies??

We became very good friends with their mommy and daddy and are so happy to get constant updates and pictures. Their mommy has also been kind enough to send me boxes of their outgrown clothes to use with future children. There is this unspoken bond there.. well, maybe not unspoken but a bond none the less. The friends we have made through this entire process is unbelievable!! People who we never would have met otherwise, Many of them clear across the country.

Here are a couple of recent photos, are they not a beautiful family? I am so happy to call them my friends, they are just amazing, amazing people!! If your reading this.. I love you guys!!

I have some exciting news to share soon.. It's hard not to blurt it out, but we have to get all our ducks in a row before the announcement which will probably have a blog to itself!!

Reflections of love and a nice surprise Part 2

One thing that I love about Christmas is that our mailbox is over flowing with Christmas cards, letters and pictures of our babies that have gone to their forever homes. We look forward to running to the mailbox everyday during December for the gift of a photo from our babies. When I say we get ALOT of cards, I mean just about every family that we have had the honor of meeting sends us a card and update along with a photo ( we've had 60 babies in 6 years) so yea, ALOT. It's wonderful!! to see how they've grown, to hear about their milestones and to just reading the letters, they are dripping with love and pride, it's a priceless gift to us.

We had a baby last year, Aaron. Oh my goodness, how we loved him!! he had the biggest, brightest eyes. Gabbie fell instantly in awe and even though he was newborn, he seemed to sense her love for him. If he cried, she could walk up and touch him and it calmed him. It was amazing. It was very, VERY hard on her when he left, although she fell as much in love with his new parents as she did him. I can't explain the bond she had with him.. only she and Aaron understand that!

Aaron's parents sensed it too ( it could be that she rambled on and on ...and on.. about him their entire stay) As a surprise, Aaron's mommy made her a scrapbook of him for a Christmas gift. Gabbie walks around with it tucked under her arm. She shows everyone she comes in contact with and as they are looking through the album she tells them that "her" baby is growing up. ( cute, I know) and then when she talks to someone on the phone, she makes sure to tell them about the album and says " Did you know my baby is a kid now? ( again.. cute..)

They were also kind enough to send Logan a care package full of his favorite goodies, Cookies, candy, cologne, etc.. a very nice gesture. She thought that Logan might think that a scrapbook may have been a little sappy for a 15 year old boy, Truth be told, it wouldn't have been. He looks at Gabbie's and talks about how much he misses him and how special he was. Logan isn't much for having his picture taken,but trust me when I say that he is right there along with the rest of us, holding, kissin' on, loving the babies.

Here are a few shots of the scrapbook. There are many more pages, but I didn't want to keep you here all day!! ;) If I had to say goodbye, I am so glad to was because he was going somewhere where they would treasure him!

Below are a few of the photos from his time with our family.

Here are a couple of shots with Gabbie and Aaron. If he was awake, she wanted him, if he was sleeping, she was right by his bassinet checking on him, if he grunted, she jumped, she truly bonded with this baby.

Sweet baby Aaron!

Gabbie and "her" baby.

Here is baby Aaron with his mommy and daddy on the day they came to pick him up from our home. I will never tire of the serene looks on the faces of the parents when they hold their baby for the first time.

I feel so honored and blessed to be a part of their story. When Terry and I began our ministry as foster parents, we thought that we were just going to love and bless these babies, never realizing how much they would bless us in return. I can't even put into words the joy they have brought to our home and hearts. God didn't only use us to change their lives, he used them to change ours.