We miss you Drake !!!

Today, yet again, we lost another one of our boys. Drake is an amazing young man. We knew that this day was coming, we just didn't want to accept it. It's so hard because on one hand you want to do everything you can with them before they go, but then you don't because that just means that you are preparing to say goodbye. Neither Donny nor myself are good with goodbyes when it comes to times like this. We have witnessed a great transformation right before our eyes. A young punk who initially talked his way out of going to school in the mornings. Failing classes here and there. Spending all his time playing video games or sleeping. An unmotivated kid who thought he was depressed. Throughout our time with him, we have seen huge improvements in school, including a full schedule, more smiles and laughs then we could ever hope for, and memories that will be forever in our hearts. Drake is a big ol teddy bear at heart. He is kind, loving, funny (despite his odd sense of humor), talented, and knows what he likes. The best part of the whole thing is that we got to claim him as our own. We are so proud of you Drake! You have come so far. You have amazing potential in life. We look forward to attending your graduation in 2010. And remember, don't forget us when you make it big (he always told me that he will be rich one day). We love you !!!

3 Years and still counting !!!

Today is our 3 year anniversary !!! I know there were days in the past that I wondered if we would ever make it this far. But now, all I see is many years to come. The day started out just like any other day. I woke up around 5 am to allow me to get ready and be to work by 6am. Donny slept in a little longer until Miridyan woke up. Towards the end of my 12 hour shift I got a call from the lady in dispatch asking if I could come down to her desk. I have to admit... I was a little nervous at first. For some reason I was born with a guilty conscience. Anyhow, as I approached the desk I saw a beautiful vase filled with a stunning arrangement of flowers. There were three flowers of each type. The three tallest were Dutch Iris', one of our flowers we had at our wedding. When I got home later that evening, Donny told me that we had to be somewhere by 7:15 pm, so I needed to hurry change my clothes. For dinner, he took me to The Painted Pony. As we walked in, the lady looked at him as if she had seen him before. She then made the statement " We made a little change, but I think you will be happy with it". I knew he had something up his sleave. They had set up a table in a very intimate corner with a beautiful view outside. And on the table was a single red rose. It was like something you would see in a movie. The food was amazing as well. Half way through our meal, our waitress brought over a gift bag. It was a lovely poem in a frame. I have to admit... my husband is a romantic. The night reminded me of when we first started dating. And you know how that all changes after the wedding! It was perfect. Now... just so you don't think that I didn't buy him anything... my idea for this year was for us to buy a Wii. My thinking was that it would give us something fun to do together and as a family. I stuck to the plan, however, as you can see, he didn't. I love him for that! Thank you for the perfect evening Donny. I love you very much !!!

We miss you Travis !!!

Just a few pictures of our Travis !!!San Diego

Travis & Donny

Travis

Our family at a Christmas Party

Today was a very difficult day for both Donny and myself. Some of you may not know this, but we have been foster parents for almost 2 years now. We have had a total of 8 kids in our home. We started out with girls, but quickly realized that they were a little too much for us. We have never seen so much drama in our lives. Don't get me wrong... we love each and every one of them. In fact, there are a few that we still keep in touch with. Boys just seemed to mesh with our family a little better. For the past 15 months we have had to young gentlemen as part of our family. Drake is now 16 years old and Travis is 14. They also happen to be brothers. Let me just tell you that these these two amazing kids came into our home as just that... kids. We have been blessed with the opportunity to see them grow into young men. I can't even begin to tell you just how much they mean to us. They are our sons.
Today is the day that Travis gets to go home for a trial. This means that he is still in the states custody, but he will be living with his biological mom. Is it bad to say that I hope and pray that this "trial" fails? This kid has become one of us. He even dresses and cuts his hair like Donny. I have loved watching the transformation he has gone through. I know I will have to just trust Heavenly Father more than ever at this moment. Travis not only means the world to us, but the rest of my family as well. It is like we have lost a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, and a cousin. I know that we will get to continue to talk to him and have him over, it just won't be the same.
Travis... we miss you already!!! Thank you for all the amazing memories you helped our family make. You will remain in our hearts and our prayers no matter what. And please remember that you are always welcome in our home. We love you !!!

Amazing !!!

I just wanted to share an amazing story with you. It isn't my story, but it has truly had an impact on me. If you look on my friend list there is a link called Bring The Rain. It is a must read. This woman has been blessed with the ability to write, and to touch every soul in a unique way. I realize that we all have trials in our lives, but we need to keep in mind that they are all for our own good. One day we will see that this "trial" was actually a blessing. This particular story has helped me remember that we can make it through anything. All we need is Faith.