My WHY?
His name is Cade...
He is one of the many ways I know how much God loves me and my tender "mother's heart" for children. Growing up as the neighborhood babysitter and onto college to become a first and second grade teacher, I anticipated the day that I would hold my own child. This was, however, not God's plan for my life. Instead, he had something BETTER, as HE always does...
In 2013, after learning about opportunities to hold babies at "Foster Parent Night Out", my husband, stepdaughter and I started volunteering 1x a month to give a break to local foster families. They would drop off their biological, foster and adoptive children for a couple of hours to eat pizza, paint nails, play games and do crafts. I could not believe the sight of these minivans pulling up with piles of kids SO EXCITED to play with us!
I, of course, was in the nursery where parents dropped off the littlest ones. Some so new and tiny, they needed an extra bumper in their carseat to keep their little heads stable.
What struck me most was that these babies and children were all children in foster care FROM MY BACKYARD.
I soon learned our pastor, Casey, and his wife, Kathryn, were fostering and could use some extra support, as they had 2 biological kiddos in travel sports, work and an all-around busy life! BUT, despite this, they entered into the crisis. So, Mike and I got fingerprinted and background checked by their agency, 4KIDS, so that we could provide childcare. I WAS IN HEAVEN! The pitter-patter of little feet in our home, the snuggles and giggles...my mama's heart was full. That little Angel, we will call "Gigi," was reunified with bio mom and, soon, they received a new foster placement, "Baby D". He was 3 1/2 mos old with beautiful brown eyes and loved snuggles. So, I bought a baby wrap, borrowed a Pack n Play and was in heaven on earth!
He has been adopted by his family and his name is Cade. This little guy has had his struggles, BUT GOD. He recently graduated from 4KIDS trauma-informed "EPIC" Therapy (yes, I have his parents permission to share). He started 3rd grade this Fall and was just baptized in September! He is the youngest foodie we know. He loves crab, shrimp and octopus and can shuck oysters, too. He is an Eagles fan and plays flag football and baseball. He calls me "Mama Else" and he knows I love him to my core. Oh yeah, one more detail... I joined the team at 4KIDS Palm Beach at the end of 2019 and LOVE MY JOB...God is AMAZING!
