I was midway thorough my morning coffee.  The dog was barking, the kids were screaming and so were the dishes from my kitchen sink.  Though the day had just begun I was already tired.  My heart wasn’t one full of gratitude for the day.  My phone rang as I threw back another sip of coffee […]

Happy Third Birthday to our sweet prima ballerina, Andi Grace.  This girl is glitter, gold and all things ballerina.  She choose a Swan Lake themed ballet party.  All of her sweet friends came to dance and twirl with this birthday girl.  Her party wouldn’t have been complete without glitter star wands! Florals: Trader Joe’s Cake […]

The summer prior to my senior year of college I spent a few months abroad in Zambia.  I went alone and met up with established missionaries serving there.  I had this overwhelming desire to love and serve on kids living in orphanages.  It was in Zambia that I knew this trip was going to drastically […]

I had one baby strapped to my chest. My oldest was grabbing handfuls of coffee cup stoppers from the Starbucks barista bar and my toddler was crying because she got a grande water and not a tall one. The judgmental glances were so strong I could feel myself panicking. If I had a quarter for […]

After we finalized our sons adoption this past December and after spending three years in the foster care realm our social worker asked us, “Will you be keeping your home open for future foster placements or are you planning to close your home?”.  My mind retraced the last three years.  It was full of revolving […]

I’ll never forget the way the her questions echoed fear in my new mamma heart, “But what about your biological baby?  What if all of this is too stressful on your pregnancy? What if you can’t give her the love and attention that she needs because you have other children in your home?  What if […]

First of all, if you’re reading this blog post, thank you.  Thank you for your heart and thank you for being willing to serve foster families.  When we first started foster care I didn’t know how to ask for help.  I didn’t even know what I needed.  We were so overwhelmed adjusting to the newness […]

I felt the tears start to well up from the depths of my heart.  Tears that were indistinguishable; for I had not before met tears that held such  joy and grief.  It felt like a pinch at the bottom of my heart.  A physical pain, I could feel at the depth of my momma soul.  […]

Ya’ll.  The Iowa City housing market was a tricky one.  We searched and searched.  When we first looked at this house I saw SO MUCH potential.  I was drawn to the natural light and the ranch style layout it offered.  I’ll admit, I too had a hard time seeing past the dark, plaid and oak.  […]

At the ripe age of 26 Marianne and Hunter Hawes embarked on a journey many never get to experience.  They’ve watched the gospel unfold in their living room.  They opened wide the doors to their home and said yes to foster care.  They said yes to the vulnerable, the hurting and the broken.  They said […]