Fostering Voices Podcast

Marc shares his story about adopting his youngest daughter out of foster care. This episode is heartwarming and insightful, and we are thankful to have his voice in this foster adoption community.

In honor of Mother's Day, this episode is about our mamas! Even though this is a light hearted episode, we do share the different reactions of our families when we told them we were going to foster and adopt. And not everyone was in complete agreement with us.

It's Mother's Day weekend, so today's episode is devoted to our moms - Barb Osborne and Sylvia Ham! You can learn basic facts about them, as well as intricate details about their character, and how they have reacted to our being foster and adoptive parents. We are so very thankful for the incredible example that both of these women have set for us, as their kids; But also for their grandkids, and for all the many people that they come in contact with. There aren't any real show notes for today. I did say I was going to Google when my mom's birthday was on the Gregorian calendar, as opposed to the Lunar calendar (March 14). But it says it was April 29th, which means I missed my mom's birthday...

The (Good) Word of the Day: "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck." Proverbs 1:8-9

Our mothers have taught us so much, and the way that they love and serve others is something that we are trying to wear as a garland on our own heads. We truly hope that you have a wonderful day celebrating Mother's Day with people that you love, who have taught you many things, and who show you love. We know this is not a day that brings everyone happiness and gladness, and especially in foster care and adoption, there is a lot of pain and sadness involved. But we hope that even with sadness, that some joy may still coexist as well. Thanks for joining us for a very lighthearted episode of our podcast, and we hope you will tune in again next time!

Episode 14 features Chris and our brand new foster babe!

We became a family of 7 again this week, and on the episode we talk about what week 1 looks like if you are interested in fostering babies. Basically, you need to go to the doctor for a check up, get a newborn screen done during days 5-10, and hopefully head to your nearest WIC office so you can go get some formula. I was SO prepared for this placement - I had a can of unopened formula, bottles, clothes (from Wesley!), and leftover diapers from my previous placement. This was the most ready we have ever been. Apparently 5th time's a charm...

In this episode, we also discuss:

• our automatic vacuum cleaner: the Deebot. His name is also Dusty Bottoms, which we talk about at length. Sorry about that. But not sorry that I barely have to sweep anymore!
• WIC - Find the office nearest you. If you are in the East Valley, I LOVE the Chandler Care Center. Don't forget to bring your Notice to Provider, and your baby/foster babe, and they will issue you a debit card that has your food allowance for up to 3 months. This is how we get free formula for our foster babies.
• Example of foster care subsides in Georgia.
• Helen's Hope Chest, Jose's Closet, and several other organizations that seek to supply clothes and other supplies for children in foster care. These are great organizations to donate to, instead of Goodwill.
• Arizona Empowerment Scholarship, as well as other scholarship programs allowing reduced or free tuition to private schools.
• Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation is a great resource that will help foster kids go to Disneyland for free! Check out their website for lots of info for foster families

(Good) Word of the Day: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10

Let's all do what we are talented, and gifted in, and called to do, and the more we do this, the better, anymore beautiful our world will be!

There are many resources available to help you as you are on your foster care journey. Our favorite one is WIC, so that we can get free formula for our foster babies. Tune in to learn more.

The foster adopt community is better because Nicole Marshall is in it. Today's episode features the magical Nicole, and her son Micah (for a total of about 2 seconds). Tune in to hear about Nicole's life as a wife, mom of 7 - 3 bio and 4 adopted, and founder of Advocacy 31nine.

Some links for you:

Connect with Nicole on Social Media! Facebook. Instagram. Find out more about Advocacy 31nine on their website and follow them on Instagram. We talked about the School to Prison Pipeline and you can read about that here. And here. And here. What is an IEP? Here's an article for you.

(Good) Word of The Day: "Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:9

Nicole has this verse tattooed in her brain and on her heart. I don't even have "Jesus Wept" tattooed in my brain, even though it is the shortest verse in the Bible! (It's in John 11:35. I had to google that.) But I'm so thankful that this is the verse she chose, because she truly lives it out! Thank you for using your circumstances to improve the lives of your kids, other kids from hard places, and in turn - all kids and educators - so that classrooms can be a great place of learning for absolutely everyone. As always, thank you sweet listeners, for tuning in again. And we will catch you again next week! Feel free to find me on social media so we can connect in between episodes! Fostering Voices on Instagram Jihae Watson on Facebook

Nicole Marshall is on the podcast today, sharing about her life as a foster adoptive mom. Nicole has 7 kids - 3 bio, and 4 adopted. She has also recently started an organization called Advocacy 31nine. She wants to help people in the community to help get the resources their kids need at school, so that every child can have the kind of open, learning environment they all deserve.

Chris joins me for the episode as we answer some of the most infrequently asked questions in the world. Though this episode is light hearted, and a look into our lives, and things we are dealing with in our home, we hope that it gives you a better sense of who we are, and what we are about! And we are about community, and family, and faith, and fostering and adoption, and so much more.

Some questions:

I put out a question on my Instagram Stories asking what questions people had about foster care, or adoption, or about us, or our family. Here are the questions that I got: -"I have a question... how do you have such a big brain and such a hot bod at the same time? I always heard God blesses people with one or the other to keep the world balanced.. but dang girl, you smart AND fly." - Chris Watson -"How many miles are in 10 cups?" -Drew Lott Chris is on this episode with me, and we answered the more serious of those two questions on the podcast. And the answer is 5.676 x 10 to the negative 13th power. We did admittedly get a few more questions after we recorded, and so we will get to those on another episode. No wait, two of the three were about dinner plans, and one was a question we will get to on another episode! So then we answered some questions from a random question generator, which officially makes this episode full of the Most Infrequently Asked Questions.

Some random things we talk about in this episode:

• VHS-C tapes are the little tapes that go inside Camcorders. I know you were dying to know that. And now you know. And you can order some on Amazon, of course.
• Sky Dive Arizona, that's where I got the Groupon from that almost literally killed my husband. And the deal is still around! You can buy it here. BUT DON'T. Chris truly almost died. Or could have. Same thing.
• Still looking for that saying... Something about the blind, or sinner, leading others to find water...

(Good) Word of the Day: "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst." 1 Timothy 1:15

We love this verse because it keeps us humble. Jesus Christ came for us all. He died for us all. He died for us when we were sinner, and we are sinners still. And I am the worst of them all. This is freeing, to know we are loved, and to know we can love others because they are in the same boat as us. We hope that people don't regard us as having achieved something special (besides a license), in order to foster. We are just two regular people who are doing our best to bring hope and joy to those around us. This is our goal in all things. Thanks as always for tuning in. We are SO thankful for you all. If you ever do have any questions, find us on Instagram at Fostering Voices, or on Facebook, or you can even e-mail me at [email protected] . Super professional, I know. And, if you are ever looking for info on how to get started on your fostering or adoption journey, you can always look here. Have a great week, filled with joy and hope and good food and good company, and we will see you again next week!

Have we got an international adoption story for you my friend. Today we have Jen Walsh on the podcast, and she is a treat! I found her on Instagram, and you must follow her as well. Her handle is em_erge, which I completely forgot to ask her what the meaning behind the name is. Next time! But Jen makes the absolute most INCREDIBLE skirts, and they are made all the more fabulous because they have pockets. But not just plain old pockets. No, these are pockets that are made from a material that she specifically picks out for her customer, something that will empower them, remind them of who they are, where they've come from. And she prays for these women while she makes these skirts and these powerful, personal pockets. Seriously. Check her out. But don't fall too deeply in love with her talent, because I believe there is a pretty serious wait for a skirt!

We also discuss:

• America World - which is the organization she went with to go through her adoption
• Cocooning - the process in which you basically create a cocoon around your adoptive babes
• How to Adopt Without Ruining Your Family by Cheri Strange. This is a devotional that you can find in your Bible app, but I also found Cheri's blog, which is where the link will take you. Love this straight-forward, so sugar-coating view of adoption.
• I also mentioned that I found Jen through Shannon of Sassy Soirees, so if you are in need of a wedding or event planner - this girl is amazing!
• It took the Walsh family about 3 years, THREE YEARS, to feel like a normal family. Things were hard for 3 YEARS. If you are in the middle of year one, and things are hard - you aren't doing anything wrong, and you did not make a mistake in choosing to foster or adopt! Sometimes things are hard. Keep pressing on my friend!
• International adoption costs tens of thousands of dollars. State adoption through foster care (usually) cost us $0. people are called to different things, and Jen and her family were able to see God do Ah-Mazing things as they raised money to bring their two boys home.

(Good) Words of The Day:

We have A LOT! Cause Jen loves Jesus and has really needed to lean on Him, and His word. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" Philippians 1:6 Jen LOVES Philippians apparently. But my favorite thing that she shared, is that since she was a child, she would tell herself "God is in this place", and often in the beginning days of the boys being home with her, she would hide in a room and tell herself "God is in this place, God is in this place!" I love this interview so much. I hope you love it as much as I do, and I am so thankful for Jen giving us so much of her precious time, and sharing her huge heart with us. Until next week!