We are finally able to talk about life after our sweet Winston Churchill! We had such a ridiculously sweet transition, and his current foster/hopeful forever family just blessed us like crazy. But we couldn't talk about it without crying, so now that it's been over a month - we are able to talk!

We had Winston with us for 10 months, and it was a glorious, and tough, but joy-filled time for all of us. Add on top of that - Chris thought we might adopt him, even though Jihae did not feel called to adopt him. This episode walks you through our time with him, as well as what the transition to his new foster home looked like, and how we survived it all.

Things that didn't go well:

• the 'transition plan' to move him over to his next placement over 2 weeks, with 2 weekend visits seemed almost unnecessary? We surely do not understand the inner workings of a baby's mind, so we can't tell if this actually helped him or not.
• after Winston left us, we saw him at church a week later. We are SO thankful that he gets to be at the same church where he can still see so many familiar faces. BUT we saw him after 1 week of not being with him and he FLIPPED OUT! Which caused us to break down, and it was a hot mess. So, seeing him after one week was a bad idea.
• our caseworker suggested maybe waiting 3-6 months. This didn't seem plausible either. So instead, we waited 1 month, and then we had dinner at his new home - AND IT WAS GREAT!

Things that went well:

• Mutual respect, honor, and desire to do what is best for the foster child. This means NO egos, or fear, or 'inconveniences' to hinder the process of doing what is in our baby's best interest! This is community at its finest!
• Patience. Patience for everything. And especially for yourself.
• PRAYER. This has helped us in our marriage, in the tough moments when we weren't on the same page, when we had to say bye to Winston, and now that Winston is in his amazing new home.
• Gratitude. Even though this was SUCH A HARD and sad time for our family, we are so thankful for the experience because 1. Winston is where he is supposed to be!!! And 2. It has given us such incredible empathy for other foster families who are in this position!

Lightbulb Moments:

• Don't overcommit yourself! Your 'Yes' to one person/activity/job/hobby, is a 'No' to someone else - usually your family
• Your home/space is often a reflection of your internal well being. So if your home is a mess, the chances that you feel like a mess - in one way or another - is high. And the external mess perpetuates the internal mess and then you are caught in a downward spiral.
• Declutter! Less is more. Your kids don't need 98 puzzles, and you probably don't need 2 more shirts that you bought on sale, but will never wear. Find the tools that will help you to get organized (like a sectioned hamper!), and start making breathing room in your home, and mind!

The (Good) Word of the Day

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Peter 1:3

If you want to connect on Social Media:

Jihae Watson on Facebook

Chris Watson on Facebook

Fostering Voices on Instagram

Jihae Watson on Instagram

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