A New Adventure.....REVEALED!!!!

Remember this picture? Remember how I said I was starting a "new" adventure, but it wasn't really a "new" adventure; because it was an adventure I had been on before? Remember how I said this adventure had a twist? Are you confused yet? Are you ready to know what the "new" adventure that is not really a "new" adventure but is actually an "old" adventure with a twist is? Need another clue???

These two little guys are related.....not to me but to each other!!! They are definitely something I have mentioned before!!!! Anyone remember something I have envied and have mentioned, on my blog, envying quite often?
One has brown eyes and brown hair!
One has blue eyes and blonde hair!




Here's the revelation of the "new" adventure and a revelation that occured in my life....both happen to be related....much like the little guys above.


A few months ago in my Bible Study, a dear friend of mine asked for prayers for her sister. She said her sister was having a horrible experience with the daycare that her 3 little boys were in. They had been injured a few times, they were not being treated appropriately for their age, and many other things. My friend's sister who happens to be a teacher was one stressed out MAMA!! This weighed heavy on my heart and that night I started praying for my friend's sister and her family.
It weighed heavy on my heart, because I could relate....It took me back to a time when I had just become a mother and was going back to teaching....Addison was about 6 months old when school was set to start up again. NPayne and I had chosen a childcare facility for her, we had paid our deposit to hold her spot, I had signed my teaching contract; and we were in no financial shape for me to quit working. On a whim one day, about a week before my school year began, he said something like.....Why don't we go up to the childcare facility and just make sure everything is good to go for our precious baby? I said something like.....okay! So off we went! When we went into the childcare facility, everything looked as it did when we had visited several months before....all was well....or so we thought. We were escorted back to the infant room to get any questions we had answered by the caregiver. Much to our horror, the answers we were expecting were not the answers we were given. She told us how they leave the infants strapped in their infant carseat sitting in a crib ALL DAY LONG! This was to avoid them getting in the way of the "infants" who were mobile....she explained. I remember vividly the look on NPayne's face as he listened to her and then asked the following question....."You mean to tell me that our baby will only be taken out of that seat for feedings and changings?" And the caregiver nonchalantly said "YES".....as if that was a perfectly acceptable answer. I stared at Addison's chubby little face and big blue eyes.....looking at me with all the trust and innocence a newborn baby has, and I was horrified and speechless!!!! I didn't have words. NPayne didn't say anything else, and we walked out of that facility and never looked back. Before we were to the car, he said...."You have to quit your job!" I told him I couldn't quit my job....I had already signed a contract and school started in less than one week, AND we couldn't afford that at this time. Long story short....we frantically searched and did find another facility, which cost twice as much, but one where we felt so much better about leaving the most precious gift we had ever been given.
As I thought about this mother and her 3 little boys, that I had been praying for, and remembered the feelings I had so long ago, I kept feeling a tug at my heart! With each day, it kept getting stronger; so I started asking women that I worked with at the preschool if any of them would be interested in watching these boys. I started asking around to see if I could find someone, that I would trust my own children with, to care for these little boys. One night while I was lying in bed asleep.....it came to me.....actually I know now that God spoke to me, and the realization of what He was telling me was....well actually.....quite confusing. I remember saying out loud to Him...."You want me to keep these little boys?? REALLY??" At first I kept trying to dismiss that idea, because I was going to work at the preschool; and I have 5 children with field trips and after school activities and practices and I go to Bible Study every Thursday morning, and my life is busy. This couldn't be what I was being led to do, but I couldn't deny the feeling of calm every time I thought about it. So I knew that is what He was telling me to do. SO......I spoke to my friend about it.....I pitched her my idea....they could stay with me 4 days/week and go to the preschool on the day that I worked there. They could come with me and Elliot to church, on Thursdays, when I do Bible Study, and we could have playdates with friends. If I wanted or needed to go on a field trip or have a meeting, perhaps my friend could fill in on those days and watch the boys.....I mean they do already know her.....she is their aunt after all and quite a doting aunt I might add, so I knew they would feel very comfortable staying with her for a day if needed. Needless to say....after a few phone calls, some meetings and a few playdates this summer....those little boys are staying with Elliot and me. Now you might have noticed that there are only 2 in the picture, and I said there were 3 brothers. You also might have noticed that I mentioned there was something about them that I envied....well this is where the twist part comes in. You see this is an "old" adventure, because I've kept children in my home before.....one time a 4 year old boy and one time our neighbor across the street (after school and on school holidays) when she and Addi were in 2nd grade; BUT..... I have never kept more than one at a time, and I have never had the wonderful privelege of keeping TWINS!!!!!! YEA!!!!! If you have read my blog for a while, you know that I have serious TWIN ENVY!!!! I have always wanted a set of twins.....NPayne......not so much....the thought of twins overwhelms him, so you see this is like the best of both worlds.....I get to have TWINS with me during the day, but NPayne doesn't have to concern himself with feeding, diapering, housing or educating them.....of course the downfall to this for me is that I don't get to keep them and I do, in fact, have to give them back every afternoon!!!! As for the twins' brother, well he just turned 5 years old and although he's not going to kindergarten....he is going to a pre-kindergarten. The twins will be 2 on August 31, so they are nearly 1 year younger than Elliot. They spent their first week here last week when their mommy had to go back to school for training! Since my children hadn't started school yet, they had the pleasure of hanging with the boys as well; and they LOVED every minute of it.....it was so great to see the girls play with and nurture these little guys; and it was truly life changing for me to see my son interact with these little boys.....I guess you could say my children have twin envy as well.

This post is dedicated to my avid blog follower.....Katie and my sort of avid blog follower Chris....Katie, I didn't know you read my blog every day; and Chris, I didn't know you read my blog almost every day!!! I'm going to have to make sure and try to post something every day for your pure enjoyment. ;)