Oct 27, 2008

Life Off The Farm.

If you've read my blog for very long then you know that the AG and I waited...and waited....and waited...and waited years before God blessed us with children.

Did I mention the waiting?

And during those years there were these "things," these "moments," that we wished we could be a part of. Well, I don't suppose I should speak for him - maybe he never wished to be a part of them. But I did. I always did.

For instance? Chattanooga. Yeah, it sounds weird. I will admit. But during the ten years we waited for children we took two trips to Chattanooga; we toured the Aquarium, we went to the IMAX. We did all the things the other families did. Only we did them without children.

And as they pushed their strollers and wiped up their spills and ran small children to the potty - I wished terribly that I was them. And they were me.

And I so I squeezed my husbands hand a little harder and made him promise to bring me back. Someday.

I've always wanted to go to Gentry's Farm.

I've heard about Gentry's Farm for the past 8 years. How wonderful it is for kids. How beautiful it is for kids. How much you and your kids will enjoy it.

It seemed somehow unattainable. Like you had to be in some sort of club. Some sort of "fertile" club. And let's state for the record: I was not a card carrying member of this club.

And for eight years I waited to go...to Gentry's Farm. Like it was some sort of magical place only heard about in fairy tales. Or those Hidden Valley Ranch commercials.

I would see pictures of people's kids buried in the pumpkins at Gentry's Farm. I would hear them talk about what "a beautiful weekend it's going to be, so we're taking the kids to Gentry's Farm." Several times I would overhear families make plans to meet up there, let their kids play together.

And I would squeeze my husband's hand and make him promise to take me there.
Someday.

This weekend I went to Gentry's Farm.





I went with the Attorney General who is my very best friend. And I went with two kids - TWO! - who mean more to me than life itself.

And it was wonderful. It really was. It was "beautiful outside and a perfect weekend to take the kids to Gentry's Farm." And I enjoyed it very much. Oh, yes I did! And I walked around proudly - as if I had really accomplished something. And I wondered, did everyone know what an accomplishment this was for me? I was at Gentry's Farm! Me! I had waited years for this!!

But as I walked around and looked at the other families. As I shared popcorn and a coke with an adorably greedy little two year old. And as I watched my husband tote around his son - finally, his son - on his back...I was reminded that nothing about that day was due to my accomplishments. It was due to HIS faithfulness. It was due to God doing what only God knows how to do - Be Good. That's all He knows. He couldn't do bad if He really really tried. It's just not in Him. Be anything but good, but faithful, but perfect - It's the ONE thing God CANNOT do.


But you know what my favorite part was?

Surprisingly, it was NOT the farm. It wasn't the corn maze or the hayride. It wasn't the popcorn or the pumpkin patch.

It was afterward. It was coming home with two - TWO! - dirty, stinky kids and bathing them. It was rubbing Johnson and Johnson Bedtime Bath all over little faces with sleepy eyes. It was crawling in bed beside a two year old and reading Little Rabbits Big Day and watching her eyes shut...slowly...slowly...slowly.

It was tiptoeing out of her room and hearing her say "night, Mama." And crawling up next to my husband on the couch. It was squeezing his hand a little harder and making him promise me that we could do the exact same thing next weekend.

30 comments:

Givinya De Elba said...

When I'm at a place like that, I need to remember that not every couple sans children are looking askance at me with anger towards my dirty, noisy, spilly children. I need to remember that sometimes, those looks might just hide a pain so deep it's hardly bearable.

I Thank God for those two beautiful little kids of yours.

Finding Normal said...

Just beautiful! I'm so glad you got your Gentry's Farm!

Anonymous said...

I gave you a blog award, you probably get them all the time though.. lol.

Sissy said...

I am tearing up. Wow. That's all I can say.

Oh, and I like your new hair!

Rhonda said...

I honestly think that you are one of my favorite people on the planet.

Yet I've never met you.

Is that weird? lol

I'm so happy that you got to go to Gentry's Farm! So happy!

Laura Marchant said...

This is so sweet and so beautiful.

Bree Shaw said...

ok, thanks for the tears this morning! i am so glad that you had a great trip to Gentry's farm! you deserved it!

The jones Family said...

Tears and coffee, what a way to start the morning! I'm so glad that you got to experience this weekend with your family and thank you so much for sharing your heart with us!

Lynda said...

You certainly have a way to make me cry and I am blessed because of it. Thank you.

katy said...

Thanks for sharing...we had a "not so awesome" morning here...and I needed a reminder about how precious my little blessings are...and how we really shoudln't sweat the small stuff...thank you!

Kristan said...

This is the second time today I have read a blog about God's faithfulness, and Love! He tests us sometimes in the hardest ways(at least to us they are ahd) and of course he always knows what's best for us!
*hugs*

Melissa said...

i ditto Givinya De Elba ... I have 3 sisters in law who have suffered with infertility and yet my precious three were "first shots out of the barrel." (Ok, the first two, we still don't know after 4 years where #3 came from...) Even still, until you walk in someone else's shoes you cannot understand or feel their pain. It is so hard for me to remember how something as "trivial" as going to the grocery with sweet Katie can be something some women yearn beyond measure to do. Thank you for that reminder today. God has rewarded your faithfulness in the storm doublefold.

O:)
Melissa

Anonymous said...

It's always so refreshing to come over here and hang out with you. I've read inferility blogs / posts that are so bitter they almost curl my toes. I love that you can share the pain, relish the joy, and give all the credit to God -not science or your own persistence or "deserving-ness" (yeah, I made that word up).

Unknown said...

Thanks for inspiring us! I am glad that you received your dream and miracle of returning to Gentry Farm with two children. God is Good!

Anonymous said...

That is just beautiful! I am so happy for you and your wonderful family!! Anything is possible in the hands of God..

Carrie said...

Awww...I'm crying, because this is me, too! I didn't have to wait as long as you- five years of marriage before our little one came along- but oh, how I waited to read to my baby & rock him to sleep, and take him to the zoo...etc, etc. :) We haven't taken him to a zoo yet (he's 10 mos. old), but we're planning to when we go on vacation next week.

Thanks for this post & the reminder about God's faithfulness!

Anita J. said...

I gave you an award too. You have to go to the seventh frame of my scrapblog to see your name in lights (or white text).

This was such a sweet post. The baby years are wonderful. Sleepless, but wonderful.

Rhea said...

What a sweet post. I'm glad you've finally achieved your dreams in the form of those two little cuties.

Lacey in the Sky said...

Love this story! AND LOVE that you have those two beautiful babies and the AG to share it all with!

Jenn said...

Melissa, you always know how to make me cry! Or LMAO. :) But this one made me tear up. I'm so happy for you. I'm so glad you have those two beautiful kids.

Cindy said...

Aww...that was beautiful! You are the luckiest mommy in the whole world (as we all are, of course)!

Aja Jenise said...

Oh girl... I was whimpering and crying the whole way through that experience... then you said, promise to take me next weekend... and I BURST out laughing! You know how to make a girl's day. Thank you of the reminder of God's promises, goodness and faithfulness to us, His children.

(((HUGS)))

Anonymous said...

Awesome.

Amy said...

That was beautiful. Blessed you are!

Tracy P. said...

Priceless. Mm mm mm.

Merrie said...

*sniff*
:)
That was beautiful.

Britt said...

I can't tell you how many times I've squeezed my husband's hand and made him promise to take me back. I pray for Gentry's Farm & bathtime moments every single day. I am so incredibly happy for you that you are finally able to experience these moments. :)

Andrea Frederick said...

I am so glad I have you to remind me of the things that I take for granted. Children came easy for us, and all though I love them lots...I need to remember to LOVE them lots! Every part. Thanks for the reminder and I'm so glad you got to experience it!

Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional said...

I'm grinning ear-t-ear over here.
And thanks for reminding me not to take those moments for granted!

Leighann said...

This post takes the cake, err, the pumpkin.