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.