Foster Care

We have begun our training and certification process to become foster parents. People have been interested in hearing about how this new adventure came to be, so I will try to share in a semi-condensed way.

Foster care is something that has been on our hearts since before we had children. We then had three back-to-back pregnancies and didn't have the time to commit to the classes until now. We only know a couple families who foster and we do not have much experience with the system, so it is pretty unfamiliar territory to us.

This summer, the topic of adoption came up between the two of us. Welcoming other children into our home and family has long been a calling of mine. We both decided this probably wasn't a good time, even if it was something we might like to do someday.

Toward the beginning of September, we had a few different conversations with people where adoption came up. One story that really hit home was one of a family who found out they were expecting another child just a week after adopting a baby. One Sunday I felt the Spirit speaking and placing the burden on my heart to pray about moving forward with something in this direction. I prayed some more and then talked to Matt. After more prayer, scripture searching, and research, we felt like God was directing us in the direction of foster care.

To be honest, foster care always sounded (and still sounds) scary to us - this decision was difficult because we wanted to be wise about how this was going to affect our children. It could be harmful to them if we aren't careful. At the same time, we are beginning to consider the other side- that this is a huge opportunity for spiritual growth in our children as they will learn to appreciate the blessings God has given them and experience the joy of serving others and living out the gospel for others. But, yes, we have our share of fears. A scripture that really spoke to me was one that was equally comforting when I had my proposal six years ago and was very fearful about what lay ahead:

I John 4:4, 7-8, 11-13, 16-21

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

God continued to provide his reassurance to us by revealing to us through the scriptures that it is His will for us to serve Him by serving others. This one was especially meaningful:

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:34-40

The Process: We submitted an inquiry online for more information and then moved forward through an online orientation, an initial stack of paperwork, and signing up for classes. We also started getting our house ready to meet safety specs for foster care. The biggest project was installing the egress windows, but we also have been working on a lot of other little things, like locking up our guns and  ammo, door alarms (because we have an unfenced pond), etc. And then we got another stack of paperwork. And then another at our first class. I think the worst of the paperwork is over as far as this initial class/home study goes. The TIPS-MAPP training class is on Monday nights in Burlington for ten weeks. Our home study will also take place during the next few months.

After two weeks of class, I am feeling more of the weight of this undertaking. We knew we were going into this rather clueless. While we still feel peaceful about this being what God is calling us to do, I am also realizing that we are inviting a lot of grief, loss, and vulnerability into our hearts. We cannot reach out to brokenness without being broken ourselves. It would be easy to stop at any time and crawl back into our comfortable, predictable lives...but we know we will miss out on much spiritual growth and other blessings if we don't go forward in faith.

Our hearts have always ached for children in broken families and poor home environments. We both love children, and we have been given so many blessings in our lives: a stable home, marriage, and family; good health, a wonderful support system, a close church family, all of the material goods we need, a large home; and - most of all - a hope we have found in Christ. God doesn't glorify the comfortable life; He calls us to love Him by serving those in need. We are humbled and thankful for this opportunity.

We don't really know what lies ahead for us. The break in having children provided a good opportunity to get certified, but we will be prayerful about when and who God wants us to foster. Perhaps we will only be available for respite care if we become pregnant again or the time isn't right. Maybe short-term, maybe long-term, maybe a child who ends up becoming a permanent part of our family. Maybe God is just using this step to bring us to something greater. We really don't know. Hopefully our lack of a plan of our own will be a good thing. :)

Most of all, we ask for all of your support and prayers for wisdom. It will be a big undertaking for us, but we also know that our potential foster children will need the support and loving arms of all of our family and friends. So thank you all for your support.

Anyone with foster care experience who has wisdom to share, please reach out to us!

Have a blessed week!

Thankful for Health

We are so excited to welcome in the month of December as we prepare to celebrate Christ's birth! We've got the Christmas music on, the decor up, and our paper chain countdown to Jesus's birthday is underway. 

But first, we will backtrack to where we left off.

On the first Thursday of November, the Hartter children spent the day at our house while Seth and Brenda went on a getaway and shopping trip. The children all had a lot of fun playing together and the day went well!

Going on a nature hunt (Shadrach was great at entertaining the younger ones!)

Lunch time!

Matt cleaned out the garage that weekend. Levi decided his car needed some engine work. 

The next week, Matt and I went up to Minneapolis with some coworkers (and Phil and Kelli) for an engineering conference. It was a very welcome reprieve as I was still feeling really burnt out from everybody being sick for the past month. Even though I didn't see Matt at all during the days, we still got a lot more quality time together than we would ever get at home! Kelli and I spent Tuesday at the Mall of America with two ladies from Lester, and Wednesday afternoon the two of us went shopping in Eagen. A highlight of the trip for me was the amazing restaurants we visited for supper! I love good food (especially when I don't have to cook)! 

Meanwhile, our children stayed with my parents for the week. Tuesday night, Levi threw up several times between midnight and six. My poor mother. I think they all had a fun week overall though. 

We came home Thursday night and it was so good to see the kids again! Friday evening, Joanna threw up twice. Then Micah got strange spots all over his face (still unexplained, though he has always been our rashy child so it was probably just his way of getting the flu). And Saturday morning, he threw up too. So...I guess you could say we were back to the daily grind. :)

Everyone was feeling better on Sunday, so we didn't have to miss church another time. Then on Tuesday after work, Matt went to urgent care and got diagnosed with strep throat again. I kept overdosing on vitamins and apple cider vinegar (a new one I learned about) and was once again able to narrowly escape getting it myself. 

A big pile of leaves!!

 

Thursday morning, we went to Baby Joy at Prairie Ridge and then to Brooke's for lunch. Friday evening, we had young couples hosted by Jordan and Julia at Jeff and Monti's.

The boys loved driving this thing around in their basement!

I spent Saturday getting groceries and doing some baking for church serving on Sunday. Saturday night, we went out to eat with Mom and Dad Schulz and then spent the rest of the evening at their place while Matt helped Dad out with his new computer. 

Grandma got a new llama costume that was perfect for Levi!

Sunday I served lunch at church and we were thankful to have several from my family there with us! That evening was my family's Thanksgiving at Mom and Dad's. Wednesday morning Levi threw up again, so he and I spent the evening at home together while Matt took the other two to his mom and dad's for the Myron Schulz family Thanksgiving. Levi was actually acting fine by lunchtime, but I didn't want to take any chances. So Thursday we all headed back to church for the Thanksgiving service.

Since Thanksgiving morning at church felt so much like a Sunday, we came home and had "church lunch" - I still had leftovers from Sunday. The boys thought it was great! :) 

Thursday evening a small group of Lanz family gathered at U. Keith and A. Tonya's for Thanksgiving. It was kind of relaxing to have a smaller crowd than normal! By "small" I mean 33 people as opposed to the potential 175ish.

Friday we were home bound as I had to get my house cleaned for company. Saturday noon we attended the Adolph Massner family reunion. We went home and promptly headed back out to Burlington, where we saw the lighted holiday parade (first time we have made it since we've been married). The children loved it! We went to Pizza Hut afterward with some family, then got groceries. 

All of the oldest Massner generation in attendance. Back: U. Harold, A. Rosie, U. Dick, A. Bert, A. Norma. Front: A. Barb, U. Bill, U. Allen, A. Dorothy, A. Ada. We were missing A. Annette, A. Betty, U. Lloyd & A. Mary, U. Dale, and Grandma (Phyllis).

Sunday evening, we hosted the Burlington church for a Christmas singing in our basement. We had a great turnout - about 70 in attendance. It was a very blessed evening to welcome in the Christmas spirit!

I spent Monday and Tuesday on the phone arranging the Burlington Christmas caroling schedule for this coming Sunday.

Tuesday evening we hosted Vienna's baby shower. Everything went very well and we had a good turnout!

We are thankful to report that everyone has been relatively healthy for eight consecutive days now, save runny noses and coughing. With no more major events going on, it has been nice to he able to give my children more of my attention.

Playing "ice cream store"!

Now I am ready to crash! That is, enjoy the holidays without any responsibilities besides making food and showing up. :) Have a blessed Christmas season!

Seasonal Mix

Snow has stuck to the ground...November has arrived...and I am almost done with our Christmas shopping so I can sit back and enjoy the holidays. Well..enjoy them anyway. I don't think there's going to be much "sitting back" going on anytime before 2020.

October was kind of an exhausting blur. Everyone except Mama took their turns being sick, so that kind of consumed a few weeks. Levi started with a fever, sore throat, and achiness for a few days. Then when he was feeling better, Joanna and Micah got fevers and stomach aches. 

The second Saturday of the month, people were seeming relatively healthy so the kids and I took up my dad's last minute invitation to attend the ABB safety day in Burlington (it was a cold day and it wasn't looking like a very promising turnout). The children loved their day there!

Trying to make Daddy jealous for staying home...got to see a Tesla and watch it in action! 

All kinds of fun on the bouncy toys!

Micah and Joanna got fevers that night that stuck around on Sunday, so we stayed home from church. We had to get out of the house that night so we went on a walk. It was getting cold outside and all three children with their big winter coats on made for a cozy fit in the one-person stroller!

Micah and Joanna felt better for a day or two and then started complaining about their ears. I took Micah to the doctor on Tuesday and Joanna on Wednesday and they both had ear infections. I can finally breathe now that we have officially had our first need for antibiotics since becoming parents. We have been blessed beyond measure with healthy children! 

Daddy's audience

??

Matt is the best Daddy. His lap is getting full and there are lots of wiggles going on! But it is such a joy to fill their hearts with the story of Jesus!  

Everyone was on the mend in time for Matt and I to leave on a two-day getaway to celebrate our sixth anniversary! We went to Peoria this year and spent two nights at an Airbnb house. On our way over on Thursday we ate lunch at GOOD - the new restaurant in Burlington. It was SO delicious and such a fun place! 

We got checked in to our house in Peoria, ate supper at a spaghetti house, then went and had a nice visit with Grandma Knobloch at the Skylines! On Friday, we entertained ourselves at the Riverfront Museum. 

The cozy little house!

By the time we were done at the museum, Matt wasn't feeling very well. We went back to the house and rested a bit, ate supper at a Mexican restaurant, and then went to Morton for the first part of the Cultivating Connections marriage conference at the church. We returned on Saturday morning and enjoyed each of the messages we heard. It was such a nice chance to reflect and focus on our marriage away from the busyness of our life at home! The fellowship with people from other churches was another blessing.

Mom and Dad Schulz cared for the children while we were gone and were kind enough to let us stay for supper when we got back! By the time we got home, Matt was starting to suspect he might have strep throat, so we decided to spend our anniversary on Sunday morning together at Quick Care. Mom and Dad were kind enough to take our children once again. Matt got his medicine and then went home and rested while I spent the rest of the day in church with the kids. 

So, we spent our sixth anniversary with a sick Matt curled up on the couch. I finally had an emotional meltdown as the exhaustion of dealing with sick people and the disappointment of more sickness on our trip and anniversary all came crashing down on me. Yeah, it was the least romantic anniversary we have ever had.

We did redeem our time on Sunday evening by reenacting our wedding for our kids. I put on my wedding dress (I was planning to wear it to church, but then I didn't want to wear it to the doctor or to church without my husband), Matt put on his suit jacket and draped his tie around his neck, and we played our wedding sermon. We even had a "reception" and then showed the kids pictures from our honeymoon while they ate their snack!

Matt slept in Monday morning and ate breakfast with us before going to work.

Our 1-2-3 kids. I needed to make sure I got this fun age stage on camera.

...and, what do you know?! It adds up to 6, which is how many years we have now been married! (In case it is not all the way clear, THIS IS NOT A BABY ANNOUNCEMENT. I got myself into trouble with both families for sending this clever picture out.) :)

I spent the rest of the week waiting to wake up with strep throat...and by some miracle it never happened! Thus ended our two weeks of sickness and we have been able to return to a functioning lifestyle.

Grandma Knobloch sent home this cap for the kids (I think it was supposed to be for Joanna but the boys liked it, too)!

"Hat" is one of the words she is able to say. She loved it! 

So...we finally decided we were healthy enough to meet our new niece and cousin, little Rebecca Karen! Andrew and Hannah's baby was born the night we got home from our trip. She is a sweetie!

I love this picture:)

Hopefully these little girl cousins will be good friends!

That day (Thursday), the guys showed up to cut holes for our egress windows! Matt took the day off work so he could be there. All of the supplies showed up right afterwards so he was busy the rest of the day getting the wells put in!

The kids loved their new tunnel!

On Saturday, Andrew (yes, the exhausted but kindhearted new daddy) spent most of the day helping Matt put in the windows!

Meanwhile, the kids kept busy "mixing their eggwhites." Whatever keeps them occupied... (it was water, by the way.)

Hannah and Rebecca came over for a bit so we got to see them again! (Levi was extremely amused at the rumbles he was feeling from her diaper when he held her.) :)

Matt, Andrew, and Zach then ran on over to Peoria for the rest of the afternoon and evening to go car shopping. They were successful at finding a new car for Andrew and Hannah! I spent the evening cleaning up the window mess in the basement bedrooms and putting the kids to bed early.

A few days later...SNOW! On October 29th. I love the delight in a young child at their first sight of snow! Micah was absolutely THRILLED. Once I put on his boots, he went out and started jumping all over!

Micah and Joanna were in awe!

We got all bundled up and pulled the sled around outside.

Even got a little snowman built before it melted!

Thursday, we went to story time at the library. Friday evening we went to the nursing home singing. Saturday the boys went to Mom and Dad Schulz's for the day while Matt and Dad went to help Grandpa Schulz. Joanna and I went to a baby shower and then spent a quiet afternoon at home. The boys got home just in time to race through supper and run off to testimonies at Mediapolis. Once we were able to settle down and focus on the evening, the testimonies were such a blessing! It was refreshing to hear the testimonies of three souls who the Lord never gave up on! Praise God! On Sunday, we attended Mediapolis church in the afternoon for the baptisms, and then went home and crashed for a couple hours before going back to Burlington for the singing.

Joanna must be a girl. She loves accessories...hats, shoes, and now she has glasses too!

Monday I felt like doing zero housework, and it showed by bedtime. 

We decided to paint our last few pumpkins instead of cooking them! Paint is so stressful with children. It went pretty well though.

Matt had to finish the project they were working on at Grandma and Grandpa's, so we brought the kids and we spent the evening inside with them. 

Quote of the evening:
Micah: I'm going to Iowa City.
Grandpa: Iowa City?! What do you know about Iowa City?
Micah: Oh, it's by Jerusalem.
(He must have picked up on that word from his Bible stories!)

Have a blessed week!

Fall Fell

Well hello there, friends! I know, how dare I call you my friends when I can't keep you updated for two months on our super duper exciting lives. 

Today is our area's annual "Shop 'Til you Drop" day...or, the path I am taking today: the "Just Go Home to Flop" day. Some very sweet mothers from church spend the day watching the young children so the mothers can have the day off. We are so blessed! I decided it is more difficult for me to get anything done on the computer with children around than it is to go shopping, so this day has been set aside for a couple "computer" projects. This blog update was one of those projects. However, the flies seem to be taking the place of my children today. They keep buzzing around my head while I sit at the computer and every time I get up to swat them they suddenly disappear! Hehe. Sorry, my beautiful children and the pesky flies really have nothing in common.

We have been busy. Typically, I expect the outdoor projects to start winding down when September and October get here (obviously we aren't farmers), but this year the projects are all in highest gear until winter arrives.

Namely, the landscaping. I don't know when I agreed to this project, but I obviously wasn't under the impression that it would be three years and counting before it got done. We hired Jesse to help Matt over the summer to force ourselves to work on it regularly. Since then, we have had several good work days and some of Matt's family has helped as well. Now the one wall is finally coming together and we hope to see this phase completed come spring.

 

Matt's dad came over to help one night.

 

It is so good to see progress!

Then we decided to put in two egress windows on the other side of our house before winter. So that's our other side project. I spent a week getting the rock out of the landscaping along that wall, then we got the holes dug with a backhoe. Now we are waiting for supplies to come in so we can cut the holes and install the window in the next couple weeks.

These kids are falling in love with all the dirt and mud!

Meanwhile, life has been happening too. The last weekend of August, we traveled to Morris for Keegan and Callie's wedding. We went part way on Friday night and then enjoyed visiting Alice at her apartment on Saturday, where she made a Chinese meal for our lunch! We spent Saturday night with Caleb and Heidi, where the boys had a great time playing with their youngest boy, Collin! The wedding and weekend were very nice, and we were thankful for safe travels both ways. 

The following week, we tried out another Chinese food: steamed eggs for breakfast! Alice said it is what she liked to eat for breakfast growing up, so we gave it a try. Given my supplies and resources, it worked best to mix the eggs and water (2:3 cup ratio) in a pan, cover it, and cook it on the stove without stirring until it is cooked through. It wasn't the method described in recipes, but I think we got the basic experience. It is kind of custard-like in texture and then you drizzle a bit of soy sauce on top. We thought it was pretty good, but Matt hasn't let me make it for him yet because he likes his cheesy scrambled eggs.

For Labor Day, we went to Francesville, Indiana for Jared and Chloe's wedding. It seemed like a short ride after our trip to Morris the previous weekend. We enjoyed getting to know Phil and Steph's family and appreciated the love we felt in the church out there. The bond of Christian faith is a wonderful blessing!

We've had several baby showers the past couple months, as we have many first time mothers around here! Hannah's baby shower was one of the highlights, and the other was Rachel and Liezel's shower that we hosted here. It was quite fun and went well!

Angela did a great job on the woodland-themed decor!

Then, we've had family nights, potlucks, singings, evening plans, and even squeezed in a date night in September. I love the nights when our calendar is blank...though that usually means we are working on the landscaping.

On the home front...

Joanna was quite fussy the month of September. I was hoping it wasn't her new personality emerging, or a preview of the "terrible twos," but, alas, four of her molars popped through and we are seeing her smiley self coming back. She has also been done nursing as of the past couple weeks. Joanna is becoming quite a handful as she spends a good portion of her day digging through drawers and cupboards and climbing up on tables, counters, desks, or whatever looks appealing. Last week I ended up on the phone with poison control after she drank my dishwasher detergent and was choking/gasping for breath for several minutes. Fortunately we use all-natural Shaklee so I wasn't terribly worried about it killing her. I am failing at training this child. But at least she is happy. 

Micah is as cute as can be now that he is talking in full sentences. The things he says, along with his expressions, are so funny. He tends to get bossed around by his big brother, which can cause some fits, but he is starting to relish his role as big brother to Joanna. He is so sweet and sensitive!

Levi can be a handful, but I can tell he is growing up. His eyes shine whenever he learns something new. And he loves to read - he is pretty fluent up through 2nd or 3rd grade reading level. It is quite convenient for everyone around here.

Every week seems to have its ups and downs. One day I feel like everything is under control and everyone is loving, kind, and cooperative. The next day everybody spends the day wailing and getting into mischief and I find myself questioning whether my children will ever turn out. But such is life. It teaches me to lean on God's grace and I am often reminded that it is my example that is going to teach the most to my children, not my words or my discipline. Raising children is such a long-term journey; it takes faith to believe that we are ever going to end up where we are trying to go...especially when the days get long and difficult. Thankfully, God does grant us a glimmer of hope now and then when we see our children say a kind word or help someone in need.

Now...a lot of pictures.

We went to the park one day for lunch!

I went through my first aid cabinet as one of the final steps of my whole-house declutter project. I gave the boys some of our excess items and they had fun playing vet the rest of the day! (I also have declared that I am basically done with my house overhaul.)

We stopped for ice cream after our last strings performance in Burlington!

The new swinging bridge at Seth and Brenda's

Lunchtime after Baby Joy! 

Someone got an owie on her nose.

Young couples wiener roast! Matt took the boys there while Joanna and I went to Princeville for Sandi and baby Colt's baby shower.

The second Sunday of September, the Bloomfield church hosted the area churches for a potluck and singing at the old church in Bentonsport. The turnout was very good and it was a nice evening!

The apple cider press is complete and made it through a couple test runs! 

We're trying to get a more efficient process down for "grinding" the apples.

 

The bee project is ongoing...

So far this year, our garden has produced two watermelon and four pumpkins. It seems like the perfect amount of produce to me! Nothing else that I planted came up, and I didn't bother replanting. I took it as a sign that I didn't need a garden this year anyway. :)

I got the basement carpets shampooed because they were very stained and dirty. The guy had a great audience. 

This girl. She apparently forgot to put the lid down before she climbed up to get more toilet paper...

And then I have another problem on my hand called my boys. Not sure what gave them the bright idea, but they have been into pulling off mattresses and bedding lately...

Joanna and Adrienne at Schulz family night!

The kids had fun with all the costumes!

My family took Christmas pictures the next weekend. Levi was suddenly in one of his moods when we got there, so he was frowning in every picture. I'm not going to spoil our Christmas cards by posting the big family pictures, but here are a few of the extras.

This is what Super Daddy looks like. These kids are so blessed.

Then we celebrated September/October birthdays.

One morning the boys walked out carrying the changing pad and told me they were having a funeral.

Cookies with Uncle Jesse!

All the "Grandmas" at Lanz Nauvoo

Levi was sick earlier this week, so I was explaining to him about germs. Then I looked over and Micah was giving his cup to Joanna saying, "Want some germs, Joanna? Here's some germs for you. Drink the germs..." Not sure he got the right message.

I have officially run out of time, so that's all for now. Have a wonderful rest of the month!