Changes Changes Everywhere!!

It seems as if we Andersens live in a constant state of flux. Which is OK and definitely not boring!  

The latest change to come to fruition has been with our foster kids. For all 3 of you who read this blog, you know we've had Tink in our home since February. We have loved having her around and watching her thrive, and get beat up, and beat up other people, and learn to eat, and eat everything, etc....

A few weeks ago we were told that the judge had ordered that Tink and her biological sister needed to be in the same house. So, conversations started about what that would look like. We thought that maybe the girls would both be in our home, or they would go somewhere together, or to her sister's foster home. We hoped they would stay in our circle of people because we love Tink and didn't want her to not be around!  

However, the Lord, and the social workers were working 

something much different for everyone involved! 

One day the social worker called and said they had come up with a plan if everyone was in agreement. and this is the gist of the plan....

Tink and her sister would go to a different foster family but that foster family already had another foster child who just "happened" to be Caleb's biological brother. So, they were wondering if we would be interested in trading Tink for Caleb's brother, Shaun Travolta Blackwood Jr. (the second - our Caleb being the first). Well, of course we said YES!!  We had known that Shaun was born and in foster care but that was all we knew until this plan came around. 

So, in what was a ver bittersweet season for us, we began to excitedly prepare for a new precious baby to come in while at the same time soaking up every precious moment with Tink that we could. 

We had lots of help in moving rooms around and getting enough space together for our boys to play and sleep in. :)

Man Cave turned into the Boys room! 

(don't worry we just moved Chris' man cave downstairs)

and then yesterday came and we got the call that the move was happening. So, we squeezed Tink extra tight and prayed lots of last minute prayers over her, and handed her over to a social worker who, in turn, handed us Shaun. 

We are so excited to have another Shaun in the house!!

The only biologically connected siblings in the house!

and so today - our first real day with Shaun, we've seen quite a bit of the boys trying out all the new baby stuff ;)

Everyone has had turns holding "baby Shaun" as he has been named around here. Cadence is a HUGE help and the boys do what they can :)

 We are so thankful for the way the Lord has worked to bring this precious baby into our home - and for the time we had with Tink. One of my favorite things about fostering is that we get the opportunity to fall in love with different children for all kinds of reasons - even on their hard days. And it reminds me of how much MORE God loves me for all kinds of reasons - even on the hard days. and I'm so grateful I don't even know how else to respond except to live this crazy life we live where we take every opportunity we are given to be the hands and feet of Jesus to kids who desperately need to see Jesus.