As I am writing, we are just pulling into our town from an amazing family vacation at the beach. It's been a week of building sand castles, riding bikes, meeting new friends, celebrating my sister in law's birthday, and even swimming with a big sea turtle that they spotted out playing in the ocean. There … Continue reading Happy at The Hub

I have been hearing our oldest son give weekly reports on how much longer it is until the University of Tennessee has their first game of the season. "Just 6 more weeks!" "19 more days." "Only 2 weeks." "Hey kids, just 5 more days if we don't include the rest of tonight." Today I captured … Continue reading It’s Football Time in Tennessee!

I am always sentimental on the kids birthdays. One birthday, when Alexandra, our oldest turned 10, I was crying (actually sobbing) at breakfast. The children got real quiet and asked if someone had died. Some may call it concerning, but Blake wisely says that I am a tender flower. 🌸 So that story brings me … Continue reading Happy 2nd Gotcha Day, Theodore!!

The kids were having a day off of farm chores recently so I was out early this particular morning taking care of all the new and old life on the farm. As I walked out the front door the frigid air surprised me. The sun had just risen and it was so clear after a … Continue reading Spring has Sprung on the Farm

I recently discovered that International adoption has dropped 81% since 2004. In 2004, there were 22,989 international adoptions. In 2016, there were 5,370. Oh how grateful we are that it wasn't 5,369. Yes, Theodore has blessed our lives in ways we never could have imagined. And since adoption has changed our lives, we would like … Continue reading Will you help be a Voice for the Voiceless?

One of the kids said this week, "It's the first birthday for Theodore that we got to spend every day of this year with him." I am realizing more all the time the things I took for granted with our other children that I birthed. What a pleasure it has been to us all to … Continue reading Theodore is Four🍁

The tyranny of the urgent is taking on new meaning in my life these days. I have a suspicion that most of us can relate. The schooling, the meal prep, the dishes, the meal prep, the dishes (not a typo 😀) mount laundry awaiting me, settling arguments, cuddling little ones and big ones, and let … Continue reading Tyranny of the Urgent….

During our b-day lunch, I continued by asking Calvin if there was something that he enjoyed doing in the past year or something that we did that made him feel special. In which he quickly interrupted with a mouth full Of cheese pizza to say, "I am not finished with telling you what else  you … Continue reading The Bad Tooth Fairy, (part 2)

We have this tradition of taking the kids out for their birthday lunch each year. They pick the place (we draw the line at Chuck E Cheese)  and each child gets to have some 2 on 1 time.   No other kids allowed. A few days ago we took our big boy 6 year old … Continue reading The Bad Tooth Fairy

I have spent the week reminiscing what we were doing a year ago. Reflecting back, it was one of the most-if not THE most- miraculous time in my life to fly all the way to Nanning, China to embrace a new son.  A son who we chose, and who we felt God leading us to … Continue reading One Year, Baby!