We are so excited that you have decided to look into the life of the Normal Beaty Bunch. We hope that these words will encourage you to fall passionately in love with Jesus and follow him with your whole life and heart!
RSS
Showing posts with label adopted. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adopted. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

The Devil made me do it!

N seems to be doing 'ok' then his face gets cloudy, and he gets an angry/mean/confused look on his face. Sometimes he goes to sleep, sometimes he goes outside, or walks to the street - refusing to 'hear and obey' when we ask him to put the rock down, or come to the porch.  

Today - we cleaned up lunch and he sat back beside me to work on schoolwork.  He stopped, and got that strange look on his face.  I drew a '?' on his paper - and he filled it up with details.  Let me explain the picture (in the order he drew it - and as he shook his head yes to me guessing what he drew.  He used no words through all of this)

He wants to run out the front door, and get hit by a car in the street.  (in the middle of the page) 
That would make him "RIP" .  Here he is in a coffin in the ground with a "RIP" headstone. (above the middle)  
I asked him how he got the idea to go into the street, and he drew the train on the right middle, with the evil laugh ("mewhaha").  He sees the nightmare trains when he is in bed at night (moon) and it scares him.  (He's talked about these trains for a few days)

I asked if the trains are something he thinks about...his eyes panicked and he shook his head NO!  I said do you see them on the ceiling?  He shook his head YES YES YES!!

He drew that would make Mom and Sarah cry - and the Devil so happy. (on the bottom)
At the top - it would make God sad, and would break God's heart.

I took a second piece of paper - and drew a very strong God with 3 muscles on each arm (don't laugh!) and then the nightmare train - 'WEAK'.  (Noah filled in the smoke!) 
I drew the devil confused - with one weak muscle in each arm.  
Noah drew the Adam and Even - in the garden - that made God sad.  He drew the heart- that God loved Adam and Eve anyway.

Then, he went back to the first piece of paper and  beside the question mark that I drew - he drew the Devil again.  The devil is making him scared.  He said he can hear the Devil.  

I asked how I could help him.  He wrote 'text Sarah'.  Poor kiddo!

Monday, July 10, 2023

Such a short honeymoon


S has been home just over a week.  He was dropped on our doorstep at 1am Saturday morning (July 1).  He was excited, scared, happy, sad, frightened, relieved, anxious, etc.  Probably every feeling possible was in his little heart!


Saturday was a 'get to know you again' day and a Cornbelter's game.  Sunday - CHURCH!  We were all excited to have him back and to go to church together.


The first week was busy.  S needed to get back into the routine of school.  We do homeschooling all year around - so it was 'back to the grind'!  



Also, B helped S do his job charts.  I'm not sure either boy was excited about this partnership!!  It did make the rest of us smile a LOT!  



When the jobs were done, and the school (mostly) finished for the week, next was the traditional weekend movie night.   S requested to watch 'The Chosen", so we did that plus a Disney movie!  



THEN, the honeymoon ended!  First, a couple of yelling fits (followed by a quick apology!) 


Next, 'mr.sticky.fingers' came back.  Silly stuff: a comb, some D-rings, soap, spray paint.  He started going off on his own - (against his safety plan)...but always followed with 'I'm sorry. I'm trying, it's just hard."



THEN:  I find a tablet in his room, hidden under his towel.  "It didn't matter, no one was using it!"  So, as we start to talk through his safety plan - and how there are rules to follow, I find another very
disturbing situation!


We find the trim from the window in his bedroom. It was laying on the window sill.  He pulled it off Saturday night - and we found out Sunday night. 

The glass on the left side is now exposed.  Andrew most likely will try to caulk it, just to keep the glass in and keep Samuel safe from getting cut (or cutting himself).  Again "I'm sorry Mom & Dad. I wasn't in my right mind. I'm so sorry. I messed up.  I goofed."

FRUSTRATING - the window is a special order size (it was clearance years ago when we bought it) so of course - between seeing RED and being so upset, we are seeing  $$$$$$  

Of course - true to form, he apologizes.  And, I wonder how in the WORLD does God forgive me - when I sin, and apologize, and sin, and apologize, and sin, and.... over and over and over.  

On a side note - big brother Joseph was AMAZING in talking to Samuel.  My favorite part of all that - Joseph said "Samuel. You and I are a LOT alike. We are both very stubborn." 
(I'd like to end there - but I'll respect Joseph and continue)  "We can use that stubborn spirit for bad stuff, or we can choose to use it for good!  Being determined can be a blessing - so make good choices." 




Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Pet Therapy

This just made me laugh!!  Oh how I needed to laugh today. 


6:45 am - T is out of his room before he supposed to be -sets off the siren alarm.  I think when he realized that I was SERIOUS about staying in his room - he tried to change his attitude.  Let's hope it lasts all day!


9:30 am - N is awake (finally) and takes Cam outside - turns hose on and attempts to run away with Cam.  He grabs a softball sized rock. Dad goes out the front door to the street, turns and sees Noah at the side of the house, pants around his kneed, peeing!    Finally, Dad gets him back inside.  and we  struggle/wrestle to get a safety harness on him.  (So glad no one watched that show!)  I guess I'll have a sidekick attached to my hip all day!

FUN POSITIVES today - I got a text from an Eastview Pastor - saying they had set up some adults to talk a boy for a few hours thoughout the summer - to give us some respite!  WOW! That's amazing.

A gal from the 'funding source' that is making Residential a possibility for S - called today to help figure out what other RTC would take Samuel.  It felt like a small breath of fresh air!

Friday, June 2, 2023

Unintended Consequences

J broke our dishwasher last night.  He was upset that he had been given a consequence.  

He whined. He cried.  He argued.  He pouted. He threw things.  He screamed.  He was so mad he slammed the dishwasher door open, slamming it into the floor.  He cracked the plastic surrounding the control panel.  He popped the front panel open, breaking the tabs that hold the front onto the door.  

Later, after he had calmed down, he tried to start the dishwasher, and realized the door was broken.  He asked for help  "I HAVE NO IDEA what happened."  

EVERY. OTHER. BOY. in the rooms said "J - YOU DID THAT!"  

"Well, Mr. J.  You are going to be washing dishes by hand for a LONG TIME." 

He still claims innocence.  
I still claim sanity.  

He is a high schooler. 

Which one of us do you believe?




Tuesday, April 25, 2017

* * * * S*H*A*T*T*E*R*E*D * * * * *

After school is hard work.  Anyone with kiddos knows that transitioning home from school can really mess with the best!! Today was no exception....

But let me back up first.  Before 8 am I got a message from a friend:


Wow - TRUE religion - is caring for orphans ... (and even those orphans who've been adopted!!) 


Today was a busy day for us... a couple of meetings and then paperwork on top of that... so I said:
(I'm learning to ask for help!  This took me about 10 minutes to ask!)
and she said ... 


WOW!  What a servant's heart!  Thank  you Jesus!  Today is going to be a GREAT day!

I went on about my day - showered, fixed hair (even looked cute!), wore a new shirt, got some paperwork done.  I was feeling pretty good about myself!

Our afternoon meeting was .... interesting.  Concerned friends, checking in on us to make sure we are doing OK.  "Your kids are a handful, they are getting worse. They are struggling, and life is going to get harder and harder for you two.  More than just surviving, we want you to thrive.  What can we do to make sure you're thriving?"  They didn't have the answers, because there are NOT any easy answers, but they care - and they showed that!

Hurry home - kids get off of bus soon - then CHAOS begins!  Titus first, then Noah, then Samuel.  It was rough.  Titus was crabby, Noah was angry. Samuel ... just meltdown material! 

Daddy did an EXCELLENT job of calming Samuel (for the time being) and Noah and Titus went outside to play. 

Our supper arrived, and I talk with my friend... THANKS so much for making our day just a little bit easier.  


Now - we have a LOT of windows in our front room - which is really good to be able to keep an eye on our boys in the back yard.
BANG! BANG! BANG!  Noah has a rock and he's hitting the window.  

I quickly say Good Bye to Jena, and Andrew and I corral Noah and try to figure out what's going on.  Maybe it was a rough day at school. Maybe his clothes don't feel right.  Who knows, but we have to stop the banging. 

Noah stops, and runs inside.   Andrew looks at me, I look at him. We sigh.  Survive...We just need to survive.....

CRACK!!!

WHAT was that NOISE?  
WHOA...the window SHATTERED!!

...survive....just survive...
forget trying to THRIVE









Noah had his meltdown.  Cam came to help

(although the screaming was loud and he hid his head in the pillows!)



Eventually, Noah calmed down and went to sit on the picnic bench and look at the window.


Noah sat on the picnic bench...and tried to process what happened. He doesn't know why he hit the window, he doesn't want to talk about it....


And then, the moment God spoke ... 


"Karen.  His life is shattered.  He's a mess. All of the kids ... they are all shattered.  They are not getting better.  

Karen.  I love Noah more than you do. I love all the kids more than you do. More than you can ever dream or  imagine.


Karen. I called you to this.  Don't just survive. THRIVE!"


Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Unexpected....blessing!

Once upon a time ...
... in a land far away ...
 there lived a little boy who wanted a service dog.  
He got his service dog.  
He was so excited and lived happily ever after.  
The End.

 Sometimes things just don't work out the way we plan.
.....like the time we rented our house to friends...and they trashed it.  
        .....or the time we had a miscarriage
                .....or the time a little boy got his service dog.


Then, some 'well meaning person' walks up and says ....

"Remember, God doesn't allow anything you can not handle"
"God works all things for the good."
"Blah blah blah."


...and yes, all of that is true - and I believe it - but in the moment of that pain and hurt and disappointment, I DO NOT want to hear that.  My response is 

 "I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THAT 'GOOD' IS .... 
I WANT TO BE ON THE 'OTHER' END OF THIS!"

Now, back to our real fairy tale:
That little boy, 
his momma and daddy, 
and his 9 siblings 
all wished and  prayed for a service dog.  
God gave them a special service dog and that little guy was so happy.

and then he SNEEZED.  and he SNEEZED.  and he SNEEZED!!!

Sometimes - being on the other end of the 'God working all things together for good' - isn't easy either. 

One week ago, 4 Paws For Ability posted this:  "Rana, a service dog, needs a new placement.  Her boy is allergic to her." 

Well....here is the rest of the story:
We are driving home from 4 Paws For Ability with Rana.  She specifically has been trained in Behavior Disruption - which is exactly what the Beaty Bunch of Boys needs!  

We praise God for allowing us to adopt Rana!

The little boy, 
along with his momma and daddy, 
and his siblings
were very sad to see Rana leave their family.
The Beaty Bunch of Boys 
prays hard for the little boy
and his family, 
that they will trust that God is working things out for them.
The End.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Someday.....

Steve Jobs died yesterday.  He was the creator/founder of Apple.  Worth more money than any of us can imagine.  He ... was adopted.  Born to a single mom and her boyfriend.  They 'gave him up' for adoption.

I wonder how his birth mom feels - knowing that was 'her boy'?  I wonder how his adopted parents felt - as he became famous and rich?  I bet he made both mommas PROUD.

My adopted boy made me proud this morning.  Samuel brought me this book:


He said "Baby Jesus died. He died on the cross.  Bad guys killed him.  They used swords." (MUCH EMOTION in these words!!!)  "LOOK!  Look - there's the cross. Baby Jesus died."

Gently - I explained that it's when we do bad things, when we're naughty, that's why Jesus died.

"Oh." (He's processing that.)  Someday - he'll be 'so sorry' for Baby Jesus.

Samuel made me proud.  He cares about Baby Jesus. He cares that Baby Jesus was killed. By bad guys. By swords. ON A CROSS!!!

Someday, Baby Jesus will give us the privilege of helping Samuel make Baby Jesus his Savior.

Nothing could make a momma more proud - her 'adopted boy'  asking the Creator of the apple to be his Lord and Savior!

Someday....

SOMEDAY!