Great sock monkey coffee cozy crochet pattern on following link:
http://www.patonsyarns.com/pattern.php?PID=5473&cps=21191

Would make an excellent gift for a coworker or a great stocking stuffer!  Can't wait for Christmas, so I might as well get cracking at some gift making!  Gotta love crochet, so many small projects to do with it.  Just change up the colors & personalize it, so simple!

Saturday = Fun Times!

Had my family down for some much needed relaxation & fun!  Spent the day enjoying the historic downtown, cupcakes & coffee, and snuggling up to the fire pit tonight.  Perfect weather for it all...Fall is here & I'm so very thankful!  A bit of fall brisk breeze combined with the warmth of sun leftover from summer...Mmmmm...lovin' this weather!

Great Bible study today as I'm working my way through Exodus still.  The Lord spoke to me today through the story of Moses gathering craftsmen & artisans together to build the tabernacle.  It was amazing that each person using their skills could be used of God in such a mighty way.  The best part to me was how God provided what they needed WHEN they needed it.  The offerings were so great that Moses actually had to stop the people from giving any more towards their goal.  WOW! 

Now, onto crochet & bedtime! 

We finally became certified foster parents today!  It's an amazing feeling...it's taken so long to get through the red tape.  We're so excited & nervous to see what the Lord is going to do through us for these precious kids.  Lots of new experiences await us in the future. 

Matthew 21:21

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.

A mug "cozy" pattern I found online!  So cute, super simple to crochet, would make excellent Christmas gifts/ stocking stuffers.  Took me about 1 1/2 hrs to make, but that was learning some new techniques & everything from YouTube.  Link below:

Taken from blog: crochet n play designs blog. (Tweaked mine a bit to fit this particular type of mug, which was a graduated design.  I recommend having the cup in hand when you're crocheting, stopping to fit the piece around the mug from time to time to make it a custom fit.)

http://crafty-anna.blogspot.com/2011/03/free-crochet-pattern-mug-cozy.html

Have fun with it, change colors, or add animal faces and features such as the classic sock monkey design!

Met with Bebe again today!  Loads of info on fostering their kids...turns out there is a lot of support out there, which we will need (WE'RE ROOKIES!)  Bebe answered a lot of our questions, and it appears that we are going to pursue becoming a pre-adoptive home rather than strictly a foster home.  We feel more comfortable with this option, but we'll see what our actual caseworker thinks.
I'm SUPER excited now, still nervous, but the thought occurred to me today that the holidays are coming up & how great it would be to have an actual placement by then.  It still seems like a dream come true.  Our devotion at work today (from 'Jesus Calling') & Dr. Stanley's program today appeared to have been written directly from Christ to me!  It was a much needed support, as I can feel isolated at times.  Infertility & now the foster care system are very isolating, and I can't wait to start the foster care support group with our agency.  Finally, veteran foster moms who have advice, AHHH!