Writings….Writings…..

I realized something great while riding in the car at 1:00am this morning; There is truly no place like home.Travis and I had an awesome week spending time with friends and family in Tulsa. Sorry if we missed seeing you, but there are only so many hours in a day and believe me they were all full!

It was really great visiting Tulsa, but what was even better was that I actually felt like I was visiting, and that my home was in Florida. I wasn’t sure that I would feel that way, not that I don’t love Florida and feel I belong here, but that with all the familiarity of the last 15 years that is in Oklahoma, I just thought it might not happen.

Well, of course I have way more thoughts to share but I don’t have the time, so I will leave you with these adorable pictures of the grown up bunnies I came home too!

Mommy and her kids!

I remember when all five could fit in this basket!

Bailey was so excited for us to be home!

The sweetest little face!

First, I would like to say a big “Happy Mothers Day!” to all the mothers reading this. I know that Travis and I would not be the people we are today without our amazing mothers.

Second, I figure since I don’t have any children of my own (yet!) I would just say happy mommy day to my bunny by updating you all with some adorable pictures. Sadly, today we found a 6th baby bunny that did not make it…. not a great mothers day present for little Candy, but I think she will agree that she does have 5 great little babies to be thankful for. Ok, so it may seem cheesy or dumb to some of you that I am talking about my rabbit so much, but I think you’ll at least appreciate the pics Here you go!

All the sweet babies! (in a tiny basket of course)

Finally black and white instead of black and pink

Brindle in color just like mommy and daddy!

I love these little guys and girls!

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to let you know that Travis and I have started a new site called Chosen Journey. As some of you may know, we have started foster parenting classes, and we feel we need to keep those interested updated. There are so many confidentiality rules that you will not learn much about the actual children or the foster system, but instead this is an outlet for our emotions, thoughts, lessons, etc. from our journey into what God has ultimately called us to do as a couple. That is to care for, love, and protect God’s children. Anyways, check it out…

www.chosenjourney.com

Being a nanny is like being a mom in that I learn so many things from these children that I may already have known, but they are shown to me in a such a new light and appreciation. Let me show you what I mean…

Pictured above is a plane made from cardboard, duct tape, and rope. At first glance you think, “awww… that’s so cute.” Little do we “adults” often realize is that if you give a little boy a simple cardboard airplane that he can step into, put the ropes over his shoulders, and zoom around the room in, you have pretty much just fulfilled a childs dream. Remember, this is just a little cardboard. But is it really?

Often times, life presents itself to us and we think, “awww…. that’s so nice.” But we fail to recognize the potential in everything around us. As I watched Justin play in his cardboard airplane, I thought to myself, “why don’t I have that much fun with such simple things?” The problem is not that I don’t have my own cardboard plane, but instead that I have tons of little cardboard planes that I choose not to enjoy. We all hear about keeping our joy and being joyful all the time, but what would happen if we really put joy or hope into action every single second of every day? We would all be zooming around with our spirits sky high, that is what would happen. I am recommitting in my heart to be joyful about everything, no matter how small.

Romans 12:12 – Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.

I challenge you to remember what it was like to be a child. Remember how the simplest things could entertain you for hours. Remember how walking on bubble wrap was the closest thing to magic. Remember how it felt to zoom around in  a cardboard airplane.

Ok, so any of you that know me, know that I am a big time animal lover. Well, you will understand why I am so excited about the new arrival of 5 brand new baby bunnies. Candy, our female bunny gave birth this afternoon. We have two black and white babies, and 3 brown and white. They look pretty much like little naked mole rat aliens right now, but I still think they are absolutely precious.

I suspected she would have them today or tomorrow, and when I got home from work, I peaked in the cage and saw her huge nest and thought,”wow, she must be getting ready to have them!” Then I saw the huge nest move. Before I could peak in the nest, Candy jumped over and right under her was a tiny little black and white baby! This baby must have been the last one born because when I returned him/her to the nest, there were four more to keep warm with. Here are some pictures from the blessed event… no worries, its just baby bunnies, no birth pictured

The Proud Mommy

Candy's safe and warm nest

The first one I saw!

A little closer look at the barely born bunny

A sweet little brown and white one

Growing up, I lived pretty much out in the boondocks. (Queue music, “down in the boondocks….”) I lived in a single wide trailer with about two acres of land. Part of that land was fenced off for our two dogs, Susie and Ginger. Well, not too long ago, Susie passed away and it got me thinking of the many amazing things about her. Susie had an uncanny ability of finding snakes anywhere in her yard. She would then bark a very high pitched bark, signaling that it was time to get the shovel because there was a snake in the yard.

To truly understand this story, I have to fill in some background information. We lived in Oklahoma for most of my life and I always had this fear of finding a rattlesnake in my yard. In the 10 years living there, I had yet to even see a rattlesnake, but nonetheless, the fear was there. Well, every time Susie would bark her “there’s a snake in the yard” bark, I would run following my dad with his shovel, while he went to take care of it.

I would always yell, “Is it a rattler?”

Every time, I would get the same response, “Nope, just another king snake.”

Then my dad would proceed to pick up what was left of the snake, and toss it over the fence. This happened hundreds of time at our little, country trailer. One night, though, it went a little differently. Be sure and picture this in your mind as it is happening.

It is just past sundown, and we hear the snake bark coming from the yard. As usual, dad goes to the back porch to get the shovel with me trailing along behind him. He goes down the steps and into the dog’s yard as I wait safely on the porch while he approaches the snake.

As usual, I shout, “Is it a rattler?’

Before my dad has a chance to answer, he starts swinging at the striking mystery snake. About the third swing in my dad shrieks, drops the shovel, grabs his knee, and starts jumping up and down. Panic took over at that time as I sprinted inside yelling, “Dad got bit by a rattler! Dad got bit by a rattler! Mooooooom!”

Of course my mom is panicking by this point as we both run outside to check on my dad. Imagine our surprise when we see him walking calmly to the back fence to throw the snake over the fence. When he gets back on the back porch, he looks at us strangely and says, “What in the world is going on?”

We were pretty surprised and relieved to find out that my dad had not, in fact, been struck by a rattlesnake, but that he hit himself in the shin with his shovel while swinging at a king snake. Boy was that a relief. This has been a great story to tell for a long time, and I am sure that will not be the last time I freak out about something that is not really as it seems.

Ok, crazy title I know, but I just have to take a minute to say how much I absolutely adore the kids that I am a nanny for. I need to start writing down all my fun stories to share, because 10 stories later in the same day, I have forgotten them all. I can’t imagine how it is going to be when I have my own kids that are doing all the adorable and funny things you think people make up. You know what I am talking about…. how many times has a parent been telling a story about their incredibly adorable kid, and they finish telling you the most adorable thing he or she said and you think to yourself… “I wonder if he or she actually said that, I mean, he or she is only 2?” Well, I will believe most anything after being around Justin and Amelia for a while.

First, let me introduce them, sort of, I am not going to include pictures or anything cause, umm, they are not my children. But anyways, Amelia is a sweet little girl who turned one in February. She is almost always nothing but smiles and could probably entertain herself for an hour with a blank piece of paper. Justin is one hundred and ten percent a three year old boy, with one exception, he is the size of a kindergartner. Not joking. But both children are absolutely beautiful.

Well anyways, I just thought I would share some of the great things I hear from day to day, and just know that these are a few I remember…

Every day, Justin wants to get in his boat (by this I mean sit on top of this big wooden chest full of toys with our fishing poles that are made of whatever he can find first). This boy absolutely loves to fish. I have never met a 3 year old with a bigger imagination.  Let me also remind you that he just turned 3 in Feb. so he is very young. Anyways, here is how our fishing routine goes every single day:

Justin- “Wet’s go fishing!” (Just assume most of my w’s are l’s and my f’s are s’s) He then runs over to the toys, grabs our fishing poles for the day and jumps on the toy chest. I follow him over there, and we toss our fishing line into the play room floor, occasionally catching sharks, little fish (which are the only ones you can eat, unless they are for soup) and sometimes even baby ‘melias. (his sister loves to grab the poles) about 2 minutes into our fishing trip and a hundred “You got sumpin?”s later…..

Justin- “You got sumpin?”

Me -  “nope, not yet.”

Justin – “You tink da fish are fweeping?”

Me – “Maybe.”

Justin – “I’ll get my clock…… (he reaches behind him) DIIIIIIINNNNGGG!”

Justin – “You got sumpin?”

me – “maybe.”

Justin – “You tink da fish are fweeping?”

and so the story goes. I love that kid.

Ok, so I know this is a long post but I have to tell you my favorite, ummm, but very embarrassing story. First, I have to tell you that I am getting used to being called “Mrs. Hill” by the family. They are doing a great job teaching their kids to respect adults, and it really is super cute.  Oh, you also need to know that Justin likes to ummm….pass gas, alllllll day. When he does, it is known as a “stinky.” Also, since he is potty trained, when he yells “Gotta Poopie!” You run. Ok so here is how one of my first days there went.

The day was ending, and the kids’ mom just got home. As she passes Justin in the hall going into her bathroom….

Mom – “woooo…. Justin you are stinky!”

Justin – “Not me…. Mrs. Hill made a stinky poopie!”

Me – Holy cow, that is embarrassing…… waiting in awkward silence

Mom-  “I don’t think so…”

Justin – “No, baby did it”

Me – Whew. Still embarrassing.

Anyways, I know they don’t really think I made a “stinky poopie” but still…. awkward. Well, this post is super long so I digress… I will definitely have more tales to tell.