Beluga's Short Visit

We had the wonderful privilege to care for a little 22 month old in September. Her time here was very short, but it was also a very rewarding and special experience for us. We began care for little Beluga on September 14th knowing she was a foster child and her time here would be temporary. We named her Beluga because she had a full head of black hair, and her foster mom had to pull it up into a pony tail which she called her little whale spout.  

We expected to have her a bit longer than we did, but things unexpectedly changed and her care ended on September 23rd. She went to live with her biological aunt and sister. Our two weeks with her were a gift to us since we were able to care for and bless a little one who has faced some challenges in her short life. It was very eye opening and heart breaking to have a small window into the foster care system and what little ones must face. It also makes me appreciate so much more those who choose to be foster parents.

 We connected well with Beluga's foster parents and were able to work together with them to help her with some of her little challenges and give her a safe place to play each day. She blossomed here in just a few short days, learning how to say, "yes" instead of "no" and knowing that she was being understood, heard, and validated. Her foster mom said she got so excited each morning when she knew she was coming to Miss Karen's house.

We are unable to show pictures of her face, so we tried to capture some candid shots of her time with us and the way she interacted with our other cubs. They all got along so well and welcomed their new little friend each day she came.

It's amazing how you can bond with a little one in just a very short time. We were very saddened to see her go, but know it's for the best to be with her family members. We pray many prayers of blessing and protection over Beluga as she embarks on a different journey. She will be missed and hold a special place in our hearts.

Tortoise Treads On

We've had some more changes around the den recently. Our cub Tortoise, who we've had since he was two months old, recently started attending preschool this past August. We have so enjoyed getting to have him in our care for the past three years, and we will miss him dearly! His last months in our care were especially wonderful as his vocabulary exploded and he explored a love for doing puzzles with K-Bird. We talked to him a lot about going to preschool, which he embraced and talked about often as his "new adventure"! There are so many fond memories we have of him. We love how he said "my" instead if "I" or "I'm." He is so empathetic and attentive to people and how they are feeling, especially if someone is hurt or isn't feeling well. We taught him how to take deep breaths when he is upset, which was a great reminder for all of us as well, especially this year. His laughter is absolutely contagious and so is his cheesy grin! His personality is so bright and special, and he is so very loved!

After he went to preschool, we visited him at his house and got to see his two new kittens, Mochi and Kimchi. We also got to see all his toys, which he was thrilled to show us, and K-Bird got the chance to do puzzles with him again. We also had the pleasure of babysitting him recently over a weekend, and it was wonderful to have him back and spend time together! We hope to continue to have visits in the future, and we can't wait to see where Tortoise's "new adventure" takes him! We hope this isn't goodbye, but only "see you later"!