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Our Time in Tennessee…

When Rico Suave has business in TN–it doesn’t take much to twist our arm for us to field trip it along.

Because…

Our trips to Tennessee usually consist of this…

LOTS of golf cart rides with Uncle Buck and the Middlebrooks kids…

This is how we spent our Wednesday. I’m surprised Uncle Buck and Aunt Lesa still have grass with the many rounds of golf cart rides as every child has to have a turn…and then it starts all over again. My friend Jessica came over with her littles. Rich’s friends from UGA crazily ended up with a pastoral position at his families church in TN–so it’s always so much fun to get family and friend time in on our visits!

THEN–on Thursday we scooted up to one of my dearest adoption momma friends’ farm…Kristi is definitely one of my sidekicks! And I was soooo thankful to have some of my most favorite mommas in TN join us for a morning play date (I think it was more of a MOMMY play date–but our kids ALSO had quite the time playing together!)

I JUST LOVE THESE INCREDIBLE LADIES!!! Vanessa, Candy, Kristi, Me, Kim, Cris and Eve

We SHOULD have grabbed a picture earlier because several other mommas were with us earlier in our visit too! I love how we all have stories together and how for many of us–our stories twine together. Can’t believe how long we have all now known each other. It blows me away to think that Kristi and I started a friendship through my email asking about her adoption (she had JUST come home with Lucy Lane from Ethiopia) and now…years and years later we are still friends and we’ve watched each others littles grow up…and our families even grow more again and again. I can’t tell you how these women encourage and challenge my heart. Our “kitchen talk” is just priceless to me…we quickly “go there”…sharing our hearts, our hopes, our fears, our desires and dreams with one another—and lots of laughter is tucked in there too. Each of these ladies have encouraged me in so many ways. (Kim–I still have to pinch myself getting to actually spend time with you after our years of emailing and encouraging one another while you were in Hong Kong! SO thankful for you!)

I wish you could all see how we all look at one another’s children. We have all shared referral pictures from the beginning–watched our little ones grow–and it’s just so fun getting to spend a little time with these moms this week!!!

THEN…we got back to Aunt Lesa and Uncle Buck’s after our play date–took naps…and then…they rigged tarp for some old fashioned slip and slide fun with soap:) They had a blast!

See those trees up there in the background??? That’s RIGHT where Rich got on one knee and asked for my hand in marriage. To say this is a special place to us is a bit of an understatement:) Rich drove 4 1/2 hours 9 years ago to this place…where his daddy grew up and where he spent holidays and summers to ask for my hand. And to step back and see my children rolling around and giggling here…oh my heart!

Not even two weeks after I said YES–Rich’s dad went to be with the Lord after a very short battle of leukemia. Richard got to share his plan of taking me here to ask for my hand–and his daddy was so tickled he would want to ask me here. Uncle Buck, Richard’s dads brother, has loved our children with a deep love–as has Aunt Lesa and we are so thankful for the time we have with them!!! They make me laugh at the lengths they go to for the children…they were having so much fun with them!

Not sure if you can tell by these pictures…but they had just a little bit of fun;).

After THIS…we had dinner–lit up a fire pit…roasted marshmallows and make smores. Followed by looking at stars…and Frankie baby enlightening us with, “Nod all da stars are stars! Some of dem are really planets!” Genius. Genius I tell you!

We scooted back home this morning–and headed on over to the McBrayers for some fun and grilled out. Now…off to bed for tomorrow’s last baseball game!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!! If you have a moment this weekend and in the week/month ahead–will you please pray for my dear friend Angie?? Angie is one of our speakers at Created for Care for the breakout on domestic adoption–but more than that she is one of my dearest friends. On Sunday she had an accident on the lake causing a stroke. Please pray for her by name as the Lord brings her to your mind–please pray for a full recovery in the weeks and months ahead (WEEKS would be even more awesome than months…so please join our family and friends in praying for a miracle!!!). The Lord is able–and can do MORE than we ask…please pray that He not only restores but does even more than we ask in this situation!!! She is making HUGE progress each day, and I’m so proud of her. Please pray for more progress each and every day in LEAPS and BOUNDS! Thank you!!!

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lauren - May 12, 2012 - 10:08 am

Praying for Angie!!!!

Your trip looks like a blast — and now I want to move to Tennessee to be neighbors with those precious women!! Let’s all just buy some land and live on a big commune! haha

Amanda - May 12, 2012 - 11:39 am

Just added Angie to the top of my prayer list. I was in her domestic adoption break out and God used her to speak right to my heart about birthmoms. I think about what she said often and am so thankful for her heart for birthmoms. Please keep us posted on her recovery.

Alison - May 12, 2012 - 6:41 pm

Will definitely be praying for Angie! So glad that ya’ll had a great trip to TN! Looks like it was so fun!!!

Kim - May 12, 2012 - 8:51 pm

Love, love, love all the photos! But especially LOVED the KITCHEN CHAT! Never got enough of that! Will be praying for Angie. Love & Blessings, Kim

Nicole - August 12, 2012 - 2:46 pm

I think it is so incredible that you have this net of like minded women! One of the reasons I cannot wait for C4C is to meet other mothers with the same heart that I have for orphans.