Finally! A hearing! Of course, it happened while we were in Seattle. We debated over canceling our trip and then decided that the only way the hearing would actually happen is if we didn’t wake up at the crack of dawn and drive to LA.Anyways, we are so excited to share that things are finally looking good. The judge did the arraignment and disposition on the same day, and set a trial for the TPR (termination of parental rights) on Sep. 24th. She waived the usual 120 day wait. We are again . . .
Our First Family Mission Trip
We just returned from our first mission trip as a family. We went with a team from our church to a small village in Baja, Mexico, to build houses for three families. We had an amazing time, and wanted to share some pictures and stories with you.The village we visited was remote and rural, and very different from the Mexico we have visited before. The people lived in extreme poverty, more like the conditions we’ve seen in Africa or India. Most of their homes were shacks built of found materials, . . .
About Me
Hi. I'm Kristen. I am a mom, wife, family therapist, writer, book nerd, musical theater fanatic and Jon Stewart stalker (at least that's what the restraining order says). Blogging is my own little form of therapy . . . and it's much cheaper per hour.If you are looking for a blog with great ideas for kids, amazing craft inspiration, scrapbooking help, and stunning photography, then AWESOME. There are a lot of those blogs out there. You should go find them.Around here, you will find some . . .
A Day in the Life at Family Court
Once again, we drove to the courthouse this morning to find out that there was no hearing. Apparently one of the attorneys was out for the day, and our attorney "forgot" to tell us. It's cool. We love taking time and pay off work, hiring sitters, waking at the crack of dawn, and driving the scenic 710 to Los Angeles a couples times a month. They are most likely going to reschedule for August 9th (Mark's birthday), and we have a trip to Seattle planned for that week. So we'll be biting our nails . . .
Jafta’s case is going to trial
We went to court this morning and there was a hearing, finally. His birthmom did not show up (an answered prayer) but she has a very aggressive attorney who contested the hearing. The result was that Jafta's case was set for a trial on July 20th. This will determine whether or not there is reunification. We are still a long ways from an adoption plan and have many hearings to go through before we get there. Frustrating and nervewracking. . . .
The Poop Hits the Fan
I got a call from our attorney this morning. She basically told me that she and the county’s attorney are worried that there is a chance that Jafta could be returned to his birthmom. She wanted to shoot straight with me and wants us to be prepared for this possibility. The next court date is June 26th, and it is likely that the birthmom’s attorney will call for a contested trial which will drag this out for a very long time and could end in reunification.Right after my conversation with her, I . . .
same story, different day
Well.Yet again, the Department of Children and Family Services failed to file the necessary report for today's hearing, so we spent the morningg sitting in a crowded lobby to find out nothing would happen. We've been rescheduled to late June. Birthmom did not come, but this buys her another chance to show up. The judge noted that we were there, and Jafta's attorney said he would file for a new social worker.On the bright side, I got to see a guy in the parking lot get a gun out of his trunk and . . .
Hi from Haiti
Hey friends and family,Mark and I are alive and well in Haiti. I'm on a satellite-and-generator run computer in the missionary's house, safe and secure behind a barb wire gate, an armed guard, and two dogs as big as horses. It's a different world over here.We arrived early this morning, with suitcases packed full of supplies for the orphanage. We spent the day hanging out with the kids. It is an amazing ministry they are doing here. The kids are beautiful and so well cared for. We are struggling . . .
Family Portraits
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My Journey to Parenting
I met my husband Mark during freshman orientation at bible college. We started dating my sophomore year, and we got married right before I graduated. We wanted to wait for a few years before starting our family. We went to grad school, traveled Europe, and tried to get in some quality time together. We kept pushing back trying to have a baby, waiting until we felt like it was the perfect time. Little did we know it would be years after that before we finally became parents.We started trying . . .
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