Today’s guests on the Happy Hour Podcast are Becca Harris and Maris Bush. Both of these ladies are heroes to me and they exhibit Jesus in their lives so much. I have known Maris for over ten years, and Becca and I met shortly after I moved to Austin six years ago. All of our families have been effected by adoption and during this podcast we dive into Becca & Maris' stories of how their families were brought together. We focus mostly on foster care, since Becca adopted her boys through the foster care system, and Maris and her husband Bush (his real name is Steven, but all his close friends call him Bush, so I'm giving you permission to do that as well) are currently fostering and hoping to adopt again as well.
FROM THE PODCAST:
- Pine Cove is the camp Becca worked at and the one we have taken our family too.
- 14 things non Texans just don't understand
- The Middle Mom by Christie Erwin – great book for everyone to read. If you are thinking of fostering, this book is so helpful, and if you know people that are fostering this book will help you understand more.
- Since we recorded this podcast, the Bush's have been placed with a teeny tiny baby that they are fostering right now.
- Forever Mom by Mary Ostyn: What to Expect when you're adopting
- Fedna: the girl we hosted from Haiti years ago that holds such a sweet place in my heart
- Ten simple ways your church can serve foster families by Jason Johnson
- Happy Hour mugs – you know you want one!
Connect with Maris:
Facebook — Instagram — Twitter
Connect with Becca:
Facebook — Instagram — Twitter
FREE STUFF:
In this podcast we discuss the book Forever Mom by Mary Ostyn, and Mary has offered to give away a book to one of you guys. I recommend this book to all of you listeners that are in the adoption process, or have adopted already.
How to listen to the Happy Hour Podcast:
Listen to this show HERE. You can also subscribe via iTunes or Stitcher and have them delivered to you as soon as they are live. If you like the show, I'd love to hear from you. Comments here are awesome, ratings and reviews on iTunes & Stitcher are even better, since that helps others find the show.
If you have questions about what a podcast is, or why I want to do one, I answer all of those questions HERE.
Upcoming guests: Tara Livesay and Jessica Thompson
My big takeaway was to pass this on to two friends who are fostering. I loved listening to the conversation and I want to share it with them!
So what is this mum thing y’all were talking about!?
Oh my gosh Jessica! I love it when people don’t know what it is …. check this out: http://www.wfaa.com/story/features/2014/10/14/mum-texas-homecoming/17240297/
Love it when we talk about fostering, and the post you shared above is a great one!!!
We expanded our family through foster care too, and although it was rough, we felt clearly called to it and feel blessed to call our kids our sons and daughters.
We are in the process of becomming a foster family and this episode was full of great resources. God will restore!
I am an adoptive mom through foster care- I debate with myself about fostering again—through this awesome discussion I feel this season of my life is not the time to foster, but you ladies have inspired me to love my son even better and also find lots of new ways to encourage and support foster and adoptive families-through my church and personally!! Thank you all!!
We are facing the subject of fostering and adopting for the first time ever. Thanks for speaking about foster care candidly! My husband and I are on two totally different pages reguarding adoption and so I am looking into this subject on my own at the moment. It helps to hear real stories from real people. Thanks again Jamie for another truly UPLIFTING happy hour. Regarding your last post, this is my community as of now and I truly appreciate your leading in this way!
Totally didn’t know what the mums thing was either! Another sign that I’m from the north…you Texans crack me up! As a mom who is still waiting to bring home my two daughters, the reminder that I’m an adult and so I can get over whatever hard stuff may come my way because of trauma our kids may have walked through was such a good reminder. This adoption isn’t about me…it’s about being family to two little girls who otherwise wouldn’t have ever had a mommy and daddy.
I love the podcast and look forward to every new episode. This one was especially meaningful – I passed it on to a friend who is fostering, but personally really loved the practical ways to support foster families. Thanks for the podcast, Jamie!
I need to get these books!
this may be my favorite podcast yet! I’m single & do respite foster care. Great job!
Loved this podcast! My biggest takeaway is that of course you attach and love those kids in foster care and of course you will grieve when they go back to their families, but it’s so worth it. I love from The Middle Mom how y’all talked about being grown ups and dealing with those emotions for the sake of caring for foster kids.
Okay, first – Love your podcast. Absolutely love it and feel like I am listening in to my friends talking so don’t mind me when I talk back atcha. Second, I am a transplanted Texan now living in Florida for going on 4 years. I MISS IT SO BAD!! So this last episode totally got me. My 15 year old reminded me every day last month that I took away her experience of the mum. I offered to make her a huge one to wear to school and start a new tradition here but she wasn’t havein’ it. I may just surprise her next year. Loved hearing your stories of fostering and adoption. Your hearts are amazing and thank you for your tales of heartbreak as well as unconditional love. xoxo
Hey Jamie! I found your podcast a few weeks ago and have been loving it! I was listening this episode yesterday in the car with my 5-year-old daughter. She complained about “all the talking”(!), so I turned it off and we ended up having a great conversation about her adoption. (We adopted three siblings from foster care in 2011).
Can’t wait to catch up on the rest of the podcasts and keep listening! Blessings.
Love good conversations!!!
I’m just now getting around to listening to this podcast, and I can not get enough of it. Due to a congenital heart defect, I’m not able to carry a child to full term. so my husband and I are now looking into adoption and foster care. The stories from each of you are so encouraging. I love when y’all say, the purpose of the foster care system is to reunite families. I do fear the revolving door of the foster care system, but when I heard that statement, I was encouraged to know that I could help bring restoration and unity to a family. Thank you ladies!