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9:57 am by Penelope

When a Shopping Trip Becomes a Lesson in Thankfulness

Last weekend, my husband and boys went out of town for a few days. As a busy mom of two rambunctious boys, I was thankful for the chance for some alone time.  As a new resident of the Texas Hill Country, I was excited to visit Austin’s Barton Creek Mall for the first time in years, and finally have a chance to do some serious shopping – with no agenda, no time limit, and no kids to chase down!!!   Ahhh! But that shopping trip for relaxation surprisingly lead to overwhelming emotions I hadn’t experienced in over ten years. As I walked through the various stores adorned with Christmas decorations, I began people watching – couples walking hand in hand, a mom with kids in tow, a man rushing by.  And it was odd. All of a sudden, I felt invisible – just as I did as a single girl living alone in the big city of Houston for the many years until I married just before my 40th birthday. Although I enjoyed my carefree single life in the city, throughout those years, I would many times feel alone – and invisible.  As I got older and my friends began to marry, my Saturday nights became lonely walks through the mall – not necessarily to buy stuff but to escape the walls of my home that were closing in on me. lonely-shopping-quote-#ThankList But that loneliness slowly changed in 2004 with a surprising connection of long-lost friend from my youth. As a young teen, I became a pawn in my parent’s contentious divorce — forced to testify in court against both parents, and then blamed for the outcome.  I carried an incredible burden of responsibility and shame.  That summer, a youth counselor at church camp mentored me.  His guidance that summer helped shape my faith through those turbulent teen years. In a surprising twist, I married that youth counselor 25 years later. In our marriage, we’ve faced many challenges, including infertility, adoption loss, special needs children, and my cancer. He is my rock! I’m so thankful for him! wedding-kiss-thanklist Throughout this month of thankfulness, American Greetings is partnering with United Way Worldwide as part of the ThankList campaign to give back during the season of gratitude.   For each #ThankList shared on social media, American Greetings will donate $1 to United Way Worldwide. Funds donated during the campaign will be allocated towards hunger prevention.

Take our #ThankList #30DayChallenge and show #gratitude to all of the people who have helped to shape your life! Thank them in a post using #ThankList #30DayChallenge A photo posted by American Greetings (@amgreetings) on Nov 2, 2015 at 5:48am PST

thankful-love-quote-thanklist

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

10:00 am by Penelope

Enrich Your Marriage – Respite Care is for You!

Marriage is tough! Marriage with kids is tougher! Marriage with foster kids is possibly the toughest all-around!

Having a revolving-door family, as sometimes couples have in foster care, can leave foster parents so busy and exhausted that sometimes respite care can become necessary for foster parents to be their best.

Respite care is a temporary resting period or break for caregivers.  In Texas, respite child-care is defined as care lasting longer than 72 hours.  (Therefore, shorter periods of care are not regulated as respite child-care.)

Last weekend, FosterDad and I took a long-overdue couples’ getaway! My sister provided the respite care of our 2-year-old foster boy, Lil Bit, and our 4-year-old, Stinkpot for the long weekend.

It was FosterDad’s birthday, so I surprised him with a trip to East Texas where he attended college for 2 years. Online, I found a bed and breakfast in the small town of Jefferson for $150 for 2 nights.

We stayed at the lovely Steamboat Inn.

View of hallway looking out.

We stayed in the masculine Mens Room

When I chose Jefferson, I had no idea the incredible history and all this small Texas town of only 2,000 folks has to offer!  Jefferson is in northeast Texas and was the riverport to the Texas frontier in the 1800’s.  You wouldn’t think that now; however, a huge log jam on the Red River connected the town to the Mississippi River and the ports of St. Louis and New Orleans, making the town an important Texas port abuzz with steamboats. The log jam was blown up in 1873 and riverboat traffic all but ceased. What is left is a quaint, little small town that is now the Bed & Breakfast Capital of Texas with over 30 active bed & breakfast inns.

We strolled along the brick roads, enjoying all the historic markers and homes, visiting the antique shops and the Jefferson General Store.  We had a romantic dinner at the charming Stillwater Inn and even took a romantic moonlight ride in a surrey with fringe on top!!!

Spending the weekend focusing on us as a couple will help us be better parents. Just in time, since school starts Monday!

12:08 pm by admin

Our Love Story – The Night We First Talked

I’m really dragging this out, aren’t I? Here is the next part of our love story as told by my foxy husband, Steve!

The first part of this story is when Steve arrives at our church (as told by me). Read it first!
Then, don’t forget to read his side of the beginning!
And then read my side of our first conversation.

The story continues…(according to Steve)

After the long, uncomfortable 15-hour drive to another state, I had gotten very little sleep. I did, however, manage to meet most of the young people on the bus.

The second night at camp, after our group devotion, several of the young people came up to me and told me that this cute little brunette I had met on the bus, was upset and needed to talk to one of the counselors. I made my way to her and asked her if I could help.

That night, she opened up to me, sharing all that was going on in her life. We talked and talked for nearly 4 hours. By the time we got to our rooms, it was 2 am and everyone in both dorms was fast asleep. As a counselor, I was in big trouble!

But, the hours we spent talking that first night would only be a small dent in the many hours we would spend talking when we returned home.

Upon the return to Central Texas, it became our ritual after each church service to meet by the propane tank at the back of the church. Sometimes, we each would share what was going on in our lives, and other times, we would just be silly and joke around. Each week, we would talk for hours, and it was always very late when we would finally say our last goodbyes.

One night after church, we had talked for several hours when I realized how late it had actually gotten. I felt guilty and insisted that I drive her home (she usually walked to and from church). I felt I needed to apologize to her father for keeping her out so late. I’m not sure Penny ever knew how scared I was to approach her father that night, (I thought there was a chance he might shoot me), but he was gracious and thanked me for driving her home.

Our friendship grew deeper during that summer and I began to care very deeply for this young girl, though dating her at this time was totally out of the question…

Come back next week for the rest of the story…

Don’t forget to link up a funny post to win a cool giveaway!

5 MINUTES FOR MOM


Simply Being Mommy 125x125

12:34 am by Penelope

Our Love Story Continues: Our First Conversation…

The first part of this story is when FosterDad arrives at our church. Read it first!
Then, don’t forget to read his side of the beginning!

My parents had separated just before Christmas of 1978 and were divorcing.  My grandfather had recently died, and my mom was now living 4 hours away. Being 14 years old at the time, I was embroiled in the middle of a heated court battle over the custody over me and my 2 younger sisters. I had no idea where I was going to be going to school the next school year.

And if my world wasn’t falling apart enough, my best friend, Sonya, was moving away that summer!  Somehow, someway, I was invited to spend a week at church camp with her before she moved away.

Sonya and I were so excited over our first “real” camp experience and being able to spend a whole week – 7 full days together!  Long before the bus pulled out for the journey across Texas to New Mexico, Sonya and I were sitting on the bus together giggling and being silly together as we did so well.

THEN, that foxy preacher’s son strolled onto the bus. He was making his way down the aisle and sat in the seat across from us! GULP! My heart skipped a beat when he spoke to me, and my shyness overtook my personality.

Me at age 14

“So, what’s your name?”

“Penelope”

“I’m Steve.”

“Hi.”

“So, what grade are you in?”

“I’m gonna be in the 9th grade.”

“Oh, nice meeting you. See ya’ around.”

Of course, this is how I remember our first exchange…..

To this day, FosterDad will probably tell you that he got called to play cards, but in reality, as a college junior, he was not interested in talking to a little girl that just finished junior high!

Stay tuned for his side of the story!

11:42 am by Penelope

Our Love Story Begins – as told by FosterDad

The first part of this story is when FosterDad arrives at our church. Read it first!

Here’s the second part of how we met told from FosterDad’s point of view…

It was the summer of 1979. I had just completed my sophomore year of College, and my parents had just moved to a tiny little community in Central Texas. The Church my Dad had just become Pastor of, were taking their teenagers to Glorieta Baptist Conference Center (in New Mexico) for a Youth Camp. I had no plans to go on this trip and besides I had already secured a job for the summer and needed to make as much money as possible before the fall semester started.

Our church group at Glorieta

A week or so before the group was to leave, the Youth Pastor came to me and asked me if I would be willing to go with them to Glorieta as a sponsor, as well as, help drive the old church bus to New Mexico. I gave him several reasons why I couldn’t, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer, and I finally relented and told him I would go.

At 19 years of age, I was the youngest sponsor on the trip, but still several years older than most of the young people who had signed up to go. I had not had time to meet most of the young people on the trip, so getting to know them would be my first order of business.

I spotted an empty seat next to a very cute little brunette, and made my way to that seat…

4:49 am by admin

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY!

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” 
~Colossians 4:2

Today I am thankful for my incredible husband, FosterDad, on the second anniversary of his 49th birthday!  Happy birthday, sweetheart!  You are my one and only!

But, also, I am thankful that one year ago today we adopted our Stinkpot!

For all you Math people – Yep!
We adopted Stinkpot on my husband’s 50th birthday!  YIKES!

That was one of the most incredible days of my 44-year-old life!

Husband putting on Stinkpot’s shoes as Lil Bit tries to help. 8/8/10

What are y’all thankful for today?

4:45 am by admin

WHEN WE MET…

Who doesn’t love a good romance story?  Well, here’s the beginning of mine…

In Spring 1979, a new minister was hired for our small rural Baptist church. In May, his oldest son arrived from college. He mesmerized all us girls with his thick dark hair parted down the middle, dark mustache (ala Burt Reynolds) and blue eyes that could pierce a young girl’s heart. He was a FOX!

However, at 19 years old and in college, he was WAY too old for this pre-pubescent 14-year-old girl.

BUT…

He had a younger brother!!!
(He was finishing out his senior year of high school before he joined the rest of his family.)

I (along with a number of young ladies) anxiously
awaited the arrival of the younger brother…
And then his brother showed up —
with all his goofiness…
Uh, nevermind!

However, that July, two of our lives were about to change…

To be continued….

Come back to hear — (in Paul Harvey voice) the rest of the story!!!

Y’all have a great week enjoying your loved ones!

7:14 pm by admin

Our 3-Day Date

After completing a critical deadline at work, my hubby and I had a 3-day date. After having 4 kids this year, we needed time together to regroup and reconnect. We traveled to Houston, where I lived as a single girl for 15 years.
We stayed at the extravagant Hotel Icon and had a butler prepare our bath!

We toured downtown on foot, ate at Brennan’s, ate at Cheesecake Factory, and gained 8 pounds each!

We took in an Astros game at Minute Maid Park! (ASTROS WON!! YEAH!!!)

Unbeknown to us, we saw Lance Berkman play as an Astro for the last time! sniff sniff

The end of the Killer B era! sniff sniff

******************************

Now back to our crazy, everyday family life!

******************************

~penny
http://foster2forever.blogspot.com

3:30 pm by admin

HAWAIIAN VACATION!

What a busy life I have! Not just being a working mom of 4, but those “other duties as assigned”. Of course, those “other duties” are of my own making.

  • I’m proud that I was able to organize a successful fundraiser for our local cancer charity on May 22nd – collecting over $6,000!
  • My stepson graduated from high school on June 3rd!
  • Last Thursday, Brian Birdwell came to our home for a “Meet and Greet” party. [He’s running for a vacant state senate seat in our area – the election is next Tuesday]

I’m ready for a little reprieve! Now my hubby and I are planning a vacation next month to Maui!

And do we need a vacation!  We became foster parents over 2 years ago and have only spent ONE night away together. We really NEED this vacation!!!!

Y’all have a blessed week!
Hugs!
~penny

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