The Young Family Farm »

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!!!

Rich’s sweet sister, Aunt Reid, came up to enjoy Parker’s games with us. She lives in the city–and she’s a school teacher so we love getting her on the weekends, holidays and summers. AND she loves my babies!

And they love her right back…

Seriously–is he not the cutest thing you have ever seen?!

I couldn’t stand it…I had to jump in on the lovin’ too:)

Mommy and Isaac during the soccer game halftime…

Parker won both of his games today! Yay! And then he received his trophy for soccer…

Proud of him! He is in 1st grade and played on the 2nd and 3rd grade league this year and did great!!! Soccer is his favorite sport–and he’s pumped to be taking a few British soccer camps this summer to hone in on his head bumping skills:)

And that was our morning. Followed by mommy taking a nap with Frankie baby (a much needed nap for us both!) I loooove my naps with my Frankie baby. We celebrated a 1st birthday with a neighbor and dear friend. THEN…mommy had a girls night out with one of her dearest friends at a yummy Southern restaurant that has a menu full of gluten free goodness (thank you Angie G. for a much needed night out!)

Hope you have a blessed weekend!

andrea

Sooo—tomorrow is SATURDAY…which means sports at our house. P-man has a baseball game. THEN he has his soccer game–what he has been calling his “championship game” because it’s the last one of the session. {I’ll go ahead and say forgive any typos in this entry b/c things are a bit blurry tonight…which means although the soccer cupcakes aren’t perfect–I get extra points if you can actually tell they are supposed to sort of be soccer balls:) Made these to help celebrate after the game tomorrow…

This week also marked a FIRST for Frankie baby. He was finally old enough this year to perform in the Spring Sing! The youngest group is the 2 year old class…hard to believe he was 2 when the year started! He did great…as in he did NOT run off the stage…BUT at times he almost broke his back trying to hide behind the blue bow:)

He started the year with NO hair and now has a head full! Next year, ITY will be old enough to sing in his first Spring Sing! We won’t rush it though…momma likes to keep them little.

Another first this week…we broke out our first watermelon of the year AND momma taught all the kids how to have a seed spittin’ contest (you can take the girl out of the country…but you can’t take the country out of the girl;).

And then…the keepin’ it real…

Things haven’t been easy here lately–and I will say this…I have held my tongue and not complained. (The children and I memorized the verses this month in Philippians 2:14-18 “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold outc the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.” Instead of saying I’m frustrated because I have blurred vision in my right eye–I try to say how thankful I am that I can see well out of my other. I’ll skip the talk about joints or this or that…I have told a couple of my friends the issues that the sweet teenager coming to stay with us this summer has deeper and harder things than I will EVER face…so these little health things are nothing in the big scheme of things…and hence begins glory in suffering…

I will say though–hopefully without complaining–and just being honest…that things are different and it is hard. Just over a year ago–I could stay up late…sew a little dress for Laney…get 6 hours of sleep and be good to go the next day. Now, I go to bed at 9pm–sleep until 7:30 or 8am…and when I wake I feel like I’ve slept a couple of hours. My joints ache–I pray throughout the day for the smallest things I used to take for granted. I am learning to LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME…to not worry about tomorrow and only focus my energy on today…TO BE THANKFUL FOR THE LITTLE THINGS…to slow down…TO SPEAK MORE LOVE in my slowing down. But it is still hard. And I am beginning to understand what it means to REALLY LIVE FOR ONLY WHAT MATTERS.

I look at my little things–and see the future GLORY. They do not compare.

Some might tell me I need to not do ANYTHING for awhile. BUT the Lord gives me strength.

The reality for me–is I live in a nice home. My husband has a great job. I have 4 healthy children. And now I know thousands of children will be aging out of the orphanage system in Ukraine, Latvia, Russia…and many will be targeted for sex trafficking and prostitution. I know Jesus. I see His glory. There is more to lose by my doing nothing. Sure I know He doesn’t NEED me–but I know if I am willing…He may choose to use me…for His glory. My blurry eye issues, joint pain, anything I’m going through really doesn’t compare in light of the gospel. What the enemy would want to discourage me with–I will hit my knees and say BE STRONG IN MY WEAKNESS…I will glory in these sufferings…can you still use me Lord? Here I am…

Paul says in Romans that we should “glory in our sufferings”.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

I’m not sure about you–but I’m constantly reminding my children NOT TO BOAST. But here–we are told what to boast in. I was explaining this to them the other day…and they thought it was so cool they are “allowed” to boast in something. Boast in the hope of the glory of God. GLORY IN OUR SUFFERINGS…not only because they are for God’s glory (what the enemy means for evil–He means and uses for His good and glory!)…AND compared to glory–what IS TO COME–our sufferings…they are a candle in the wind!!! And then…there’s good stuff. What our suffering produces…

perserverance.

character.

HOPE.

I’m learning how to persevere in new ways—and I’m seeing His power carry me.

Character? Oh I hope it’s being produced and shaped and molded. I feel like a fish out of water so often…but I think it’s part of the molding and remolding process. I am not alone here…and neither are you. (Wish you lived closer and we could have coffee and share our remolding stories…not always pretty–and this mom needed A LOT of remolding…)

Don’t get me wrong–this is VERY hard for me. It’s very hard for me to walk in my daily calling and NOT complain. Many days I want to question…seriously–homeschool? I mean…don’t you know how rested I’d be if my kids were back in school?? I mean–wouldn’t THAT be what is best for ME??? It can be easy to start complaining or comparing or wondering how things would or could or should be easier–but those things are NOT where the Lord has called me to be…and to glory in today. And while it can be hard–I know I am where I am for a purpose…as hope peaks through each day in some way to remind me of His purpose and the big picture…and why this is GOOD…and His will for my life is for my GOOD–not to bring harm but to bring HOPE. His will for my life (and yours) is good, pleasing and perfect. And really…although it it is hard…would we really have it any other way??? If you know what I’m feeling or talking about–then praise Jesus…you aren’t alone;) Seriously–we really need to get coffee together and encourage one another;).

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Do you feel it??? His love is always being poured out into your heart through the Holy Spirit. There will be times where you, too, feel like a fish out of water…but rest and wait on Him–allow HIM to be the one that fills you. Not others, not longing for deeper friendships or your kids to be in this or that…but JUST FOR MORE OF HIM…and if you slow down–and sit at His feet…HE WILL POUR…and you will be filled with more of His glory.

Not sure if this made sense at all…but it felt good to process and just say. I hope you all have a blessed weekend!!! Off to bed…gotta rest up for team mom action tomorrow:)

Blessings!

Andrea