I’ve never loved Mondays quite as much as I do now.

Weekends are hectic and it’s quite a challenge keeping six kids active and occupied so they don’t kill each other. :)

Sundays are good. Church, a liesurely lunch, rest, and family time before bed.

Ah, but Mondays. Mondays are still my favorite. Like a blank sheet of paper, I get to start a new week, fresh and clean. I leave the worries of last week behind and set my sights on the potential that lies ahead.

Today will be filled with laundry. Lots and lots of laundry. You know, I do at least three loads a day and I have yet to see a house full of empty laundry baskets! How is that?

I run the dishwasher twice a day and I do so many pots and pans by hand that my fingers a cracking.

I’m in a routine now, fluently moving from one task to the next. School work, meals, cleaning, snacks, laundry, errands, picking up kids from school. Somehow we’re making it work.

Someone said to me at church yesterday, “I’ve heard once you have three children, it’s no big deal adding more. Have you found that to be true?”

Um, no! I think that only applies when you add them one at a time, from birth! Haha! Doubling your children over night is not quite as simple. :)

Okay, time to add fabric softener and get Joshua started on his school work.

Happy Monday!

~audrey

You just don’t understand how much fun I’m having with a little girl in my house after seven years of BOYS, BOYS, BOYS! Don’t get me wrong, sticks, rocks, mud, bugs, and frogs are tons of fun, and boys are VERY easy to please, but come on, can you put a little boy in tutu jammies!?

~audrey

MY God sent me three hungry foster children with one hour’s notice and hardly any groceries in the house, but I had JUST enough bread to make three sandwiches for their dinner.

I didn’t have one spare moment to go to the grocery store the first two days the new children were here, but MY God knew that and sent an absolutely wonderful, plentiful dinner through the hands of one of my dearest friends.

MY God knew that I’ve always wanted all boys and ONE girl….so, how cool is it that He gave me exactly what I’ve always wanted, in our first foster placement…five boys and one girl, all under MY roof!

Our foster children came to us with almost nothing. Within 48 hours, MY God provided more than four bags of clothes for the children and a few toys as well; all through the hands of His saints.

We desperately need a freezer for our garage to contain the extra groceries that we’re now needing. I prayed that I had enough scrap gold to sell at a gold party so I could buy the freezer from Sam’s. The freezer is $175….my gold sold for $210!

…but it doesn’t stop there!

What I really wanted was an upright freezer. They’re easier to organize, so you can see what you have, rather than the chest style freezers where you just pile everything on top of eachother. However, upright freezers START at $400, so I was going to be thankful for a 5 cuft. chest style freezer for $175. As I got out of the van at church this morning, our worship leader approached me and asked if we were still looking for a freezer. I told him yes, but that MY God had just provided the money to buy one. He said, “Save your money, someone at church was going to sell theirs, but they heard you guys were looking for one and they want to give it to YOU…It’s a big upright model.”

OH MY GOODNESS!? SERIOUSLY!?

Last week, I found out that because of a change that our agency made in their pay periods, I would not be getting a full ‘paycheck’ (which includes the children’s “boarding” allowance that helps with groceries, clothing, etc..) until December 30! You mean, I have to pay for DOUBLE the groceries, DOUBLE the water usage, and DOUBLE the Christmas gifts on our current income?!? Ok Lord, I hope you’ve got this!

SOOooo, I got a phone call on Monday afternoon from a lady I go to church with, but hardly know. She works at University Hospital and called to inform me that some ladies she works with would like to ‘adopt’ our foster children for Christmas! They will take care of all their Christmas needs! MY God is THAT BIG!

I stressed about the DFCS worker, from the state, coming to ‘inspect’ the house today. But, to be honest, I really didn’t even have time to get the house picked up and get baby girl’s room looking decent. When the man showed up, he was wearing leather biker gear, with a big smile on his face. He walked in, laughed with us for a few minutes, asked a few short and easy questions, thanked me for my time and left! MY God gave me favor with that man and as a result, our agency had perfect inspections all day!!

I sure am glad that I serve a God who cares for our EVERY need, down to the tiniest detail.

MY God cares enough about me and my family that He hand-picked our foster children to fit perfectly into our home.

I’ve never been in such a place as this. I wake up each morning, relying on TODAY’S manna from heaven. I am surviving on His new mercies for each day. And each and every day, I receive, from the outpouring of His love for me, his child. I am a daughter of the Most High King. My Daddy owns the cattle on a thousand hills. My Daddy’s resources aren’t affected by a failing economy and He continually provides above and beyond our basic needs.

I Love you Father God!

~audrey

This is going to be short and sweet because I’ve got a full day ahead of me…

…you know, I’ve been praying for a freezer for our garage. I gave a friend some of my ‘scrap gold’ to sell for me at her gold party. The freezer I want at Sam’s costs $178.

My gold sold for $210! Thank you Lord!!!

Please pray that today goes well and that I find favor with the “guy from State”. Our agency is being audited, so someone from the state will be going to all of the foster homes in the area to make sure we all meet their standards and comply with all of their millions of rules and regulations. We’ve only had our children for a week, so our house isn’t quite at 100% for three children since that was not what we were expecting. Please pray for mercy! :)

I’ll let you know how it goes!

This quote was in an email from my aunt yesterday,

“Just was I was getting used to yesterday, along came today!”

That made me smile.

~audrey