2013 - In Review and Pics Continued!!!

Sept-  We took a week off of fostering to repair our hearts and to be a family of 3!  It was nice!  But we quickly thought it is too quiet!  LOL  After our week off we decided we would take another sibling group and leave our other bed open (wishful thinking that Little M would come back).  3 1/2 yr old L (boy) and 6 month old M (girl) came to live with us.  Then the next week our licensing agent called me and said that they had a newborn little boy that needed a home and I can't turn down a newborn.  I quickly called Rollie and he left it up to me :)  So of course I said YES!  Full house again! LOVE!  L and M were the hardest children we have had so far.  L had speech delays making it hard to communicate with him and M had been overfed and we had to get her on a schedule of a normal 6 month old.  Then you add a newborn (who didn't have a name) to the mix and one that cried all the time.  I was one busy mama during the day!

Oct-  We learned that L and M had a family member that could take them and their older brother so they left us after only being with us for a month.  The next day we got a call for another sibling group a 4 yr D (boy) and 3 yr old N (girl).  The first 2 weeks were the hardest for little D as far as transitioning.  He is doing so much better now.

Ruth had her first school party and thanks to my sister, I got to go and help!

We also had a park play date with P and A in Oct and it was so nice to see them!

Oh and I got to go out of town in OCT!!!!  To momcon for MOPS!  Here are some pics of the ladies and me!

 YES this is me and Crystal from Money Saving MoM!!

Nov- We got invited to A's bday party!  Little man turning 2!  What a blessing to still be able to be apart of their lives.  So we drove up to the party and had so much fun!

Rollie and I celebrated our 9th Anniversary!  9 amazing years with the wonderful, amazing, godly man that God gave me.

Ruth had her first Turkey Trot!  Thanks mom for coming over so I could go last minute!  Ruth wanted to run the whole thing!  Let me tell you I couldn't stop running cause she was so into it!!!

Dec-  We had the Living Christmas Tree at church and this is the first year that Ruth could be in it!!!  So it was Rollie playing trumpet, Me singing, Ruth singing, and Baby S (he has a name now) as baby Jesus!  I hope that some day I can share those pictures with you :).

Ruth had her first Winter party at school and I planned it!  Whew thank goodness it went well!  Rollie came too to help me and suprise Ruth.

That same day Ruth sang in the Children's Choir at church!  It was fun!  She even had a scripture to memorize and say!  She did great!

 Katie and I helping the kids!

 Ruth saying her verse!

Christmas was amazing this year!  So wonderful to be able to give children a Christmas that they would not have otherwise!  I wish I could share all the pictures...here are some!

 Ruth helped make tamales for the Olson Christmas this year!!!

 This is Little S!!! 

2013 - In Review and Pictures from the year

First I need to apologize for the delay in posting on our blog.  I will try to be better next year with our posts and pictures.

What a roller coaster of a year for us as a family.  I suspect that it will continue to be that way from year to year as long as we are fostering children.

The last post was from Ruth's 5th Birthday so let me pick up from there from month to month!  Hope you find this fun!  Come along with me on this road to memories, hard times and tears.

May-  This month changed our lives in so many ways.  God clearly told both Rollie and me that I needed to quit my job and be a stay at home mom.  Something that I NEVER thought would happen.  God provided for all of this to happen and by His hands and our faith I quit my job of almost 8 years.  This has been a hard transition for me.  At first, I was lost.  What is my purpose?  Why did I do this?  Can I do this?  Those are some things that ran through my mind daily.  I asked God those questions too!  The same day that I asked God those questions Rollie came up to me and said that I was doing a good job and that he appreciated my work at home...WOW God thanks!

I admit that I still struggle because I do not use my brain the way I used to and I miss that.  I also admit that I am not the best stay at home mom!  I am not organized, patient all the time, have a plan for every day, or get all the cleaning done for the day...but I am working towards being a better wife and mom.  With this new year plan to do things differently here in the Olson home.

Also in May we amended our Foster license to have an additional child.  They told us that it would take awhile so we forgot about it lol.  Then one day shortly after I left my job we got a call about a newborn baby that needed a home.  We thought it would be a boy because that is what they told me, but it was a girl.  She was the most precious little girl and her and I bonded QUICKLY.  Love little M.

June/July-  These two months went fast and were fun!  Filled with VBS and friends over daily to play!!!  Oh swim lessons and Ruth's first baseball game!

Aug-  RUTH is in Kindergarten!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  What where did the time go?

It also was one of the hardest months of the year!  We had been praying about adopting our first sibling placement.  God told us that we would not be there forever family and after meeting the family that God found for them we got confirmation from God through Jeremiah 29:11 that they were to be there forever family.  P and A started having visits with them on the weekends and spending the night over there.  During this time we learned that Little M would be leaving too.  She had a family member that could take her.  With in 3 days we lost all our foster children.  First Little M left us.  That was one of the hardest days of my life.  I thought she would be forever mine and my heart desired that.   Then after having P and A here for a year we dropped them off with there new family.  Such a hard day for us as P didn't understand why.

Well, I think that this year in review just will have to be two posts because I am a little long winded.  So check back in 2 days for the rest of the year.

Ruth is 5 (Can you Believe it)

We planned Ruth's party at the park this year and WOW was that so much easier!  We are sold!  We planned on the party being smaller than last year and well that didn't happen!  Loved everyone that could come!!!  Ruth had a blast!

  Here are some pictures!!
 **Thanks Melissa!!!

 Stylin in their shades!