Hello there,

We are the seven Swann's a swimming, really, right now! With the addition of these three adorable foster kids, our house is hopping almost all the time. The first two weeks were nearly killer as they us adjusted to each other and how our house would be. Now the silent ones talk a lot and rarely cry, unless there's actually a reason, like being hungry, having a "special" in the diaper, or needing a nap. Now things are at a level that we can tolerate. Tonight we hope to have a family meeting to make life even better than tolerable, perhaps even up to enjoyable again!

A basic lesson on foster care for those of you wondering:

Foster kids are generally from the local area, within an hour or so. The Department of Social Services decides if the children need to be put into care and gives recommendations to the courts. The courts decided for how long and what steps the parents must take to get the children back. If the parents don't comply or don't comply enough, then the courts choose to find another safe home for the kids. The courts also place the children in relatives' homes if that is an acceptable option. Federal law says a permanency plan needs to be chosen within a year. The courts can give an extension of the time though, if circumstances warrant it. Since these are Native American children, the tribe then has three months to find another native home for them. Otherwise, the social workers can then look for a home amongst outsiders.

Some of you have asked if we will be able to adopt these three. Probably not, highly unlikely not. They were placed with us on an emergency basis initially. So we are at the very beginning of the above timeline. They are from a large family with several people wanting to take care of them. They are from a decent size tribe that has other good homes in it. Our chances are slim to none here. But we are grateful to serve the orphans of our time by providing a safe home and helping them grow and develop in the meantime. We try to give them hope through Jesus for the days to come.

Caleb is loving the Herreid School. He misses having as much free time. Sarah has become somewhat jealous of his tales of fun and success from there. She's wanting to try it just for a day.

Naptime is short and I have a few other things to accomplish quickly before they awake.

Blessings,

Marcia for the Swann's