Faded Charm is the give away winner!!

My trusty daughter Charlotte did the drawing for me and picked that sweet Kathleen from Faded Charm. And on Monday only three months later.Ha Ha I think.....Sometimes you have to laugh or you will cry.

Trust me I know from experience.........Kathleen please send me your address.....................

To the rest of you read on should you wish to find out the happenings of the Falconer, Behrmann, Culver, Bray and Ballentine bunch.

Well to start with we are all fine.No health issues or any such things like that.But the adjustment of taking in two special needs kids has just about knocked me down for the count. It all started with our girl Kylie that we took in about 6 years ago. Both of her parents had died and it was a great fit from the get go.Even though she struggled we made our way through it and she graduated and went on to college with she did in three years and moved herself to Haiti were she is thriving as a missionary.This really opened up our heart to helping kids.So this summer in July when a boy who went to school with my son needed a place we jumped on the opportunity.When Vincent needed a home a month later.We did the same thing.How could we not.Both kids come from families of addicts.The pain of the treatment they have received from parents is something we never expected to deal with.Throw in some adhd and bipolar and you have a situation that you cannot get your arms around.And Vincent being a senior in high school but only enough credits to be half way through his freshman year ooh la la another story altogether. After meeting with his councilors they said it would be near impossible for him to graduate.Can I just tell you as of this post he will graduate on time.We only have one credit recovery class left.That being said,you can only imagine how many hours of homework we have done.All weekend every weekend and 4-6 hours on the week nights.Then you throw in a dad who is going to jail and helping the child deal with it................All this said,I have been very bust to say the least. My blog and flea market have taken a back seat so I can take care of my circle of beautiful people God has trusted me with. This message is not to complain or say look at me what I am doing.This is really to say with God all things are possible.From the depths of my heart I have seen it.The abundant mercy he has poured out on our family is more than we deserve.He is in the business of changing lives.I have had the privilege of watching it come to pass with these children in our home.I count it as a huge blessing that God would love me so much to put me in very uncomfortable circumstances that he could be glorified for being the good loving God he truly is.He has grown my family in ways that are so uniquely beautiful and mystifying to me.

Yes, I will be having my flea market the end of February. All my goods have safely arrived from Shirley and will be awaiting new homes.I am off Thursday to Paris and then meeting up with Shirley,Mark and her daughter Kate in Venice for three days.This is not a scheduled trip just cheap airfare and the need to purchase a delicious painting I found .Yes my husband is that nice.You cannot have him.....especially you Shirley girly as I know he has a smallish crush on you.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx000000000000000000000000000000000

Dare I say I should have a drawing when I get home to celebrate my 9th trip to Paris.We shall see Mon Amis,we shall see. Arrivederci and Revoir.