I'm Harlie.

     I grew up in small town Oklahoma, and now live in even smaller town Oklahoma. 

    Outside of mom-ing, my hobbies include anything that gets me into chill-mode -- reading, writing, DIY projects, lake days, patio sitting, cozy coffee shops, and streaming my favorite shows while eating a giant bowl of stove-top popcorn.  

    As an Enneagram 9, it's taken me awhile to believe my voice really does matter in this world. I have found my voice through writing. Something special about me is I have a unique ability to see all points of view, which is why you will never find me criticizing others for their point of view. 

     Also, I couldn't figure out how to write a short Facebook post to save my life, so here I am, blogging.

     My husband and I grew up together. He is my childhood crush and high school sweetheart, and I believe we have something very special together. I can't imagine doing life with anyone else by my side.

     It would have be easy for us to settle into the picture-perfect married life, but instead, we pushed the boundaries on our comfort zones by becoming foster parents at a very young age. 

     We chose this path not because we are unable to have biological children -- we actually have one biological son, River, who is the cutest little thing to ever walk this planet -- but because we have a heart for the children and families in the foster care system.

     We are doing our best to help end the cycle of abuse and neglect in the lives of children in our area by opening our home and our hearts.  

    Since beginning our foster care journey in 2019, we have fostered 4 kiddos, adopted 3 of them (Riley, Ruthie, and Ranger), and have temporarily cared for a handful of other kiddos. 

    We are also new to the homesteading life, and wanted to share our ups and downs with that journey as well. 

    I don't claim to have it altogether, and I'm not afraid to let you in on my embarrassing moments, imperfections, and fears. All I hope and pray is that sharing bits of my life with complete strangers on the Internet will somehow do some good in the world. 

    Welcome to Coming Up Cloyd! This is a platform for me, an every day Oklahoma foster mom, to let readers in on what it's like to raise a family and love kids from hard places.

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