By Gloria Yoder

Editor’s Note : last week’s pizza enchilada recipe should have listed two cups of pizza sauce, not two quarts. Apologies for the column editor’s error!

Many of you are probably wondering about  how things are going with our foster placement?

It has certainly been an eventful journey with many interesting twists and turns resulting in laughter, tears, lack of sleep, and blessings untold. Hours can be spent in training for doing foster care, gathering information, learning the dos and don’ts, but once it comes down to the real thing, only then have we learned what being foster parents is like.

We love these two little darlings who have completely wrapped themselves around our hearts. As I write from my rocking chair two-week-old Jesse is snuggled on my lap gazing into my face with those trusting dark eyes as I hum a song for him. And little Rayni is absolutely a doll at 16 months old.

Yes, our life has changed a lot. In fact, we doubled our number of children since last week. In many ways responsibilities have doubled as well. But then each responsibility has its own reward. Among these rewards are watching them bloom as we shower them with love and caring for their needs day and night. Julia has done amazingly well with both children. In no time Rayni bonded with her. Rayni always has a big smile and a big spark in her eyes for Julia when she wakes her from her naps. Julia also loves singing to and holding Jesse. She almost can’t wait for our baby which is due in February. She’s really hoping for a girl, she thinks a pink bundle would really top off our family. At any rate we’ll be delighted with whatever God gives us.

Meanwhile, Austin loves both children and enjoys playing with them. He has gone through some adjustments, though, with sharing Mom and Dad. We try to put in extra effort to spend time with him, giving him affirmation, or simply getting down on the floor and playing with him and his toys, showing him that we love him just as much as we always have. Being a big brother to these two little ones makes him feel quite grown up .

We have felt incredibly blessed and very unworthy of the support we have on all sides. Whether its words of encouragement, prayers, or food that family and friends have dropped off for us, it all means so much!

And, yes, thank God for my dear hubby. He has been so loyal and caring for all four children and myself. Take for example the first Sunday forenoon we decided it’d be best to stay home with our little ones. By 9 a.m. Daniel could see how tired I was from loss of sleep from the previous nights. He encouraged me to go take a good long nap while he watched the children. I accepted his generous offer and I promptly fell into a deep and refreshing slumber. Awhile later I awoke to a tidy kitchen and a pan of baked French toast for lunch. Wow! Bless his heart, I knew for sure that with God’s help we could continue being a team and care for the family God has given us.

Daniel told me he had tried something new in a portion of the French toast but that I would have to wait until lunch time to find out what it was. If you do try the French toast be sure to try his new version, it really was a hit! Simply spread a layer of cream cheese between two layers of bread. The French toast along with deer sausage was a perfect Sunday noon meal for us and my brother Jeriah and his wife who joined us. Fruit filling is also something I enjoy eating alongside my French toast.

 DANIEL’S BAKED FRENCH TOAST

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

12 –16 slices of bread

8 ounces of cream cheese, softened

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix first three ingredients together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then pour into the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan. Place one layer of bread on top of syrup. Spread softened cream cheese onto the remaining slices of bread and place face down on top of first layer. Beat remaining ingredients and pour over bread. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 ° for 45 minutes. Cut into squares and invert. Serve with maple syrup.