Adele's Stories

Lacy rested comfortably on my hip while Lanna trailed behind holding my hand. The chicken coop wasn’t her favorite, but I was trying to help her overcome her fear of the chickens. The big white house loomed behind us surrounded by acres of farmland and a large copse of trees that the kids liked to play in.

This wasn’t the life I was expecting. It was honestly the last thing I would have chosen. But I was surprised at how much I truly loved it. At how full my heart was every time I looked into the eyes of one of my little ones. It started with little Eric only he wasn’t so little any more. Once we took him in it was like all the little lost souls seemed to come and find us. So we moved onto Tommy’s family farm as it had the space we needed.

Early mornings spent sitting together on the covered porch watching the sun rise with coffee in hand, watching as the little ones trickled out one by one to sit at our feet and chat quietly, still waking up. Then our morning devotional and prayer before everyone headed out to chores while the youngest ones helped me make breakfast.

The days passing with much laughter and joy until the darkness creeped in only to be banished by the stars that our funny family would watch until the children began nodding off. It wasn’t much but there wasn’t more that I could ask for.

Lanna pulled back against my hand as we neared the coop. The poor dear. “How about you wait out here while Lucy and I gather the eggs?” Lanna nodded and took a few steps back watching intensely as I placed the eggs into the basket that I held underneath Lucy. Once my task was finished I handed the basket off to Lanna.

“Would you mind carrying these back to the house for me? It would be a great help. Then you may go and play with the others.” Lanna smiled and nodded enthusiastically. If Lanna loved anything it was to be helpful.

I followed slowly behind as I watched her little toddler legs waddle back towards the house. Upon reaching the steps she made her carful way up, placed the basket by the door and turned and ran into the waiting embrace of her sisters. Hearing their girlish giggles and watching their love for each other reveal itself through play brought me back to my own girlhood. Or the girlhood I wished I’d had. Being able to provide that for these children that were so dear to my heart was all I could ask for.