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After visiting with the children on Friday, they came to visit us on Saturday, 24th. Again, the visit was much to short. It seemed that they were only here a few minutes.

We had hoped to play in the backyard with the children and show them the goats. The weather was too cool and windy to stay outside very long. Besides the girls were very afraid of all the animals. N followed Dennis around the yard. B and T2 tried to be brave and look at the goats, while F and K soaked up attention from everyone.

On Monday, the 26th, Toyia went and officially told one of the foster moms that we were getting the children. She waived her 10 days. However the other mom wouldn't. So, we would have to wait 10 more days before they could come to stay.

On Friday, Jan. 30th, Tiffany and I drove 2 1/2 hours to somewhere way below Saluda to meet Toyia. On the way Shirley, my sister, called to say that her husband was in the hospital; he had a stroke. I wished I could be with her and also that he would be able to see the children one day. We met on a long lonely stretch of road and piled all the children into our suburban. At first they were very quiet. Then as we got to Saluda they announced they were hungry. With no money or debit card, the only choice I had was to go into a drugstore and buy food with a check. I left T1 in the car with all the kids. When I got back to the car and opened the door, I was nearly knocked off my feet. The smell was terrible. Sweet little F had given us a present. T needed to go to the potty. Oh, so did B. So, we bundled everyone and went for our first adventure. It was crazy. We didn't have diapers for N, who really needed a change. I stayed with the children at the bathrooms, and T1 bought diapers. I changed diapers assembly style. Finally we were back on the road.

At Greenwood, I called and ordered pizza from a place in Abbeville. I went in with only F to get it. I was only gone a few minutes but T1 said it felt like hours. While there I was asked by a 9 year old if F was my baby. When I told her yes, she looked at me and said,"I thought your babies were supposed to come out white." I couldn't help but laugh. Before I could answer her mom told her that color didn't matter. We were all the same on the inside, in our hearts, where God looked at us.

We ate pizza and then went to bed. The rest of the weekend was spent at the emergency room. Several of the children had RSV. Cindy came to my rescue and helped me at the hospital. Because they were sick, the children stayed an extra two days. Dennis and I took them back down and met Toyia.

On Feb. 6, Toyia, called to say she and Vanessa were onthe way with the children. There was only one small glitch. They had lost B. No one knew exactly where she was. My mind went wild. After it took a brief hiatus, I recomposed and prayed that they would find her. Her class was going on a field trip to Columbia. She wasn't supposed to go, but some way she got on the bus.The day was half over before the school got in touch with a teacher, who located her. Because she wasn't supposed to be there, she didn't pack a lunch. She didn't have anything to eat. Dennis and T1 drove like crazy to get to her. It took 4 hours one way. I called her at the daycare after school and reassured her that we were coming. She thought that we had decided she wasn't coming to stay with us. She thought we didn't want her. When Dennis and T1 got there, she still hadn't had anything to eat. They had fast food on the way home. I waited at the backdoor. She looked so little when she came in.