Fostering Love...not just to the babies.

today should be an outfit post.
but honestly there is way more on my heart
than what I am going to wear this week.
heck...I'm lucky if I get my hair done each day.
and if I did take pictures of my outfits each day
you would see that more than likely I wear the same jeans
that were on the floor from the night before....maybe three days in a row!

This foster care journey we are on definitely isn't an easy one.

Not only have we fallen in love with the babies.
But we love their parents.
We have met them.
We have hugged them.
And I have told them that I love them.
Both of them.

We are their biggest cheerleaders.
We want for them to experience success.
To stay positive.
And they are so appreciative of us.
It is so sweet of them.
Their gracious words.
Their heartfelt thankfulness.
So much so that when dad's translator started to translate to me
how grateful he was that his babies were in our home
 even she started to cry.

I cry a lot when I am in their presence.
I ache for them.
As I fall more in love with their children,
I ache for their pain.

When we first received the call to go get our fingerprinting completed
because children were being removed from their home that afternoon
I cried the whole way to the sheriff's department for my appointment.

I cried for mom and dad.
Imagining how their whole world was going to change
in that one afternoon.
Imagining what it would be like to sit in an empty house
once filled with lots of little children.

It didn't matter what they had done or what happened
or didn't happen to have their children removed.
They were still going to experience pain.
Pain and heartache I can't even imagine.

It was one of the first things we learned in our classes.
But I didn't have to learn it there.
It is what Jesus Christ himself taught while he was on this earth.
Not to judge others.

In our classes we talked about not judging the parents.
We don't know their history.
We don't know how they were raised.
Who taught them or didn't teach them.
They need to be loved and respected.
They are the parents and these are their children.

So many people want to assume that horrible things happened
and that is why the children were removed.
They ask us if we hate the parents.

We surprise them with our response.
We love them.
Because we love their children.

And that is one of the most special parts of this foster care journey
that has surprised us the most.
Our relationship with the parents.
They don't feel threatened by us.
They feel loved.
We feel loved.

and that is what Fostering Love is all about.


  1. This is so beautiful April...I would have never expected this kind of love for the parents but it makes total sense. What an amazing gift you are giving those children and their parents.

  2. omg April. Such beautiful words and your family is so amazing. Your journey has touched my heart. Thank you so much with sharing with us, you're teaching me so much about what it means to love. thank you so much.

  3. I thought many times about fostering children. I always thought that my heart wouldn't be able to take the pain the day they had to leave after falling in love w/them. We have family and friends that do this very same thing, it's truly a gift to those families and most importantly the little ones. You are an angel sent from above. =)

  4. Beautiful. I think about this all the time and what a heart wrenching thing it must be to be involved in. As parents losing our children in any way is the worst pain we can imagine, I am so happy that this whole family is blessed with compassionate people to be a part of their difficult journey. Bless you all!

  5. So beautiful, really. What a wonderful experience.

  6. I see that I might sound like a broken record after the previous comments, but my first response to this was "beautiful". What beautiful words. What a beautiful expression of real love. Thank you for sharing your heart so openly.

  7. You are everything that is right in the world and I wish there was more of you! Thank you!

  8. So much love. I love that you feel this way towards them as you love their children. It really is a beautiful thing.

  9. Thank you...just thank you. We are just starting the fostering journey (beginning classes in the new year) and learning so much! I have 2 adopted siblings, so I know a little...but not nearly what I need to know. Thank you, thank you...

  10. I read your blog all the time but haven't commented in ages but I could NOT leave without saying how your post gave me goosebumps. You have a great way for putting your feelings into words and expressing how you feel. I know it fills your readers hearts! It does mine. Thanks so much!

  11. I really needed to read this...I am so far from where I need to be...we are foster parents to a little girl for 7 months now and we adore her...but I don't want to be friends with her parents and they want to....I'm praying that I will get closer to where you are...thanks for your words.


I heart comments! Just one rule that I'm sure your momma taught you...if you don't have anything nice to say...please don't say anything at all!

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