Seriously I need a holiday to get over this last holiday. Im so tired that all I want to do is sleep. It does serve me right for the late nights outside the caravan chatting till the early hours.

 

Though I would do it all again in a flash, to be surrounded by people that understand my life and the choices I’ve made is priceless.

 

Many people were surprised when we decided to be foster carers, yes they understood our love for children but hey wasn’t four of our own enough. But the shock when we decided we wanted to foster children with special needs was apparent.

 

Many couldn’t understand why we wished to return back to a world we had escaped from.

 

Firstly I was blessed to be a mother of a child with special needs, it wasn’t easy but it certainly was a blessing. The joy,the innocence that Livvy brought to our lives was immeasurable.

 

Don’t get me wrong when I first realized that Livvy was disabled I went through a barrage of emotions, grief for the child she wasn’t to be, the graduation I wasn’t going to get to attend the fact that she would never fall in love get married all of this caused me pain and so much more. Our lives were simply turned upside down. Accepting that you could never just grab a coat and leave to go out was a shock, the planning, the medicines the pads, etc etc. Life was never going to be carefree but my goodness it was amazing.

 

I never wanted to escape this world.

 

Livvy taught us about the simple things in life, how to make this day count. How to think outside the box. It also brought us in contact with friends who have become family along the way.

 

So when Livvy died our life was so different, yes we could just do things on the spur of the moment. No planning just get up and go, no ordering prescriptions or specialist equipment, we became normal and we hated it.

 

We loved caring for Livvy as a family it became a role we all enjoyed, my girls matured into beautiful young ladies who thought for others. Who understood that there was more to life that just themselves. Alan and I missed the feeling of being needed, really needed.

 

So taking our future plans of fostering we made them the present. We had a unique skill set and we decided to use them.

 

And we haven’t looked back.

 

Our job is challenging and at times its frustrating. Its completely exhausting but always, yes always worth while.

 

Fostering is not a job you do for the money, its a job you do for your heart. So many children need stable loving families we are blessed that we get the opportunity to offer this to one.

 

As for me and mine we love it.