The tree farm

Our adoption story part 1

We are so happy to announce the newest addition to our home and farm
Isabella Marie White
born November 17, 2015


We received a call on Oct 8th that a birth-mom and birth-dad had chosen us to adopt their beautiful baby girl due in mid November. 
This already loved and cherished little one was being called 
Isabella and we chose to keep her name.

I was given the name and number of our birth-mom and  was asked  if I wanted to chat with her?  Of course I do! 

I know open adoptions scare most people but I pray after you read our story it will help you to understand better what open adoption is and what it looks like for us.

I was so nervous,  I can't explain to you the feeling of picking up the phone and calling someone that had just made you the happiest person in the world but knowing she was making the hardest decision of her life. I sat in the pasture for a long time before I was able to dial her number. So many emotions and so little time to process them all. 
but I called and 
 She answered and our relationship began.

God never ceases to amaze me with the small details of perfection that He is so concerned with in my life.

She is amazing and strong, and I feel weak-kneed and weepy.

We make small talk and then talk about why she chose our family and she said "well they gave us a stack of books to look through and they all looked great but when we got to y'alls book we just knew. We knew that we didn't want her to grow up the only child and you guys had adopted before."

She chose us for the very reasons that everyone told us that it would be hard for us to adopt again.
I love when He does that.
Small details that He works out.


We would spend the next 6 weeks texting and sending pictures everyday.  

She would send me baby bump pictures of Isabella
and Dr. updates every week. Talk about amazing this girl is..
I am honored to be any part of her story. 
She showed me hospitality like no-one had every shown me before,
She welcomed me into her world and made me comfortable there.

We decided to meet a week before Isabella's due date and even though I was so very nervous, The girls and I made our way to our favorite restaurant. My emotions were again all over the place thinking what if she doesn't like us when she meets us? 

Of course when we finally met in person it was  a moment of knowing we're a perfect fit. She is loving and beautiful and is holding hands with Channie before we leave the restaurant. We laugh and talk and eat way too much.
 Our time ends to soon. The girls all smiles on the way home saying how much they love her and I couldn't agree more.

I was finally able to sleep for one of the first times since finding out about Isabella. 
My heart and soul relaxing and letting it sink in that we would soon be adding a little girl to our home. 
 end of part 1

The Gift

Typical fall in Alabama

The leaves just made their journey to cover and protect for the cold and it's a warm 70's.

We hustled and did school and made banana nut bread and they scattered outside.

The house quiet, 

My soul thirsty for quiet.

Needing to think through some things.

Ended up crying out thank you to the Lord for all of the precious gifts in my life. When you get older you will do this often..

I'm so thankful to walk out on on the porch and not be able to see them but to hear their voices

as they were finding worms for their brother.

"Cooper, I found you a worm and a grasshopper"

Joe comes running across careful not to slip to retrieve the small bait.

My heart bursting with each click of my camera. What makes them so close?

For one I think or I guess I know, it's the farm.

We have no neighbors so they have each other.

Their days spent exploring and fishing together.

They cut down trees that get in their way and share hot fresh banana bread.

They sit on our church pew on Sunday mornings all dressed up squeaky clean listening and learning about God.They get muddy together. They also get in trouble together for not finishing a job or for making the whole house shake playing football. They get in trouble for wearing their good jeans to play tackle football in. Their knees stained with grass and little holes wearing in them. They share a small space and all their stuff gets all mixed up. They get in trouble for being sharp and for fighting over the front seat. They share the same big bed, my bed, when they're sick. 

I call them to the table by yelling come on girls it's time to eat. Guys put that football up..{I guess you can tell they really love football.}

I can lump all of them together with just one word.

For a brief season I get them 

So often we miss this season with the busy-ness of raising a family or forgetting that they're getting taller every day. They stand in your doorway after just eight hours of sleep and you notice but you try not to...They're taller.
 You buy new clothes that are one size bigger and you don't flinch. 

Each day is one step closer

remember this:

Childhood the great gift from our Lord...

It all passes so quickly

Cooper is on the edge of letting childhood go and I have watched two other of my babies make the same passage and well it just hurts. When you're so overwhelmed with littles you think to yourself the day will never come and when it does you feel it. Except now I anticipate it and it makes me stop and enjoy them and to teach them to enjoy where they are and not try to and rush one single moment of their childhood. 

But it still comes I can feel it and well the day this land is quiet with no rubber boots 

 hitting dirt or no voices to be heard when I walk out on the front porch.....

What will that be like? Will I sit in a rocking chair hair gray and think of the times when this land held all of them safely here..

There is a pull, an open invitation from the world calling for our children and I will not give them up one second before it's time.

Once they leave, the magic of their childhood vanishes with them.

They come back to visit but it's never the same.

So enjoy your gift

Thank God for these sweet moments that you get to call all of them to the table with just one word.

Love from the Farm,  

  

another harvest

Another harvest season coming and I'm always in awe at how fast the seasons come and go. It seemed the summer passed way to quickly. They're growing taller and I'm as busy as I've ever been training and loving on these still at home.

    I'm so thankful Y'all at how great the Lord is and how much love He shows me through my family. It's not perfect we're not perfect but just being able to be their mama and his wife is such a gift.

We've been busy preparing our home for something very exciting..can't wait to share this news with all of you!

What happens when you say yes to the Lord?

He shows out in a big way:) stay tuned.. 

   

Love From The Farm,

2015 

Celebration

Another year to celebrate these two beautiful daughters of ours.

My heart overflowing with love and gratitude as I get to show them how much they are loved on this day September, 19th their birthday. 

On this day the big tree in the front yard was the backdrop 

to celebrate their life.

Never will I grow weary in celebrating the life around me.

 I feel as though the Lord has blessed me and given me so much more than I ever deserve and these babies are a joy to our family. 

I guess I will always call them babies because for so long we said go get the babies out of bed or lets feed the babies and that was their name for years and still is.

Babies.

They are the sweetness that the Lord gave to us when we were all grieving so much. The Lord used them in our life to restore our joy and to count our blessings.   

So under that tree, the same tree they have been swinging under for years, we sang happy birthday and as we always do went around our table and everyone told one thing that they loved about each one of them.
 Such a sweet time of reminding them of the gifts that the Lord has given to them.

 Cooper made little hedge-hogs with the help of Chandler-Mae. I love the way he is so detailed.
Football is his love 
but I think we can add cookie decorations to his list of things he can do. 

 We gave way too many presents as usual and you know that it's never about the presents but I love giving them and if we go over board that's ok. This year the theme was Calico critters and calico critters they got. They also got orange crush sodas with straws and chocolate, lots of chocolate.

This little precious angel was at our table and I really like everything about her. Even her smell. 

I can't possibly forget the joy around that tree in our front yard. The memories floating up because they have grown up around that tree. Learning to walk or having a tea party. Such a special treasure to watch them celebrate there.   

  
Happy Birthday sweet girls,
We love you so much
2015