Love Came to the Rescue

 This story is dedicated to all women who have had to make a choice. Faced with a crisis pregnancy and knowing you could not care for your baby…you made the most difficult, yet noble, decision any mommy could make. You placed your child into the arms of another mother.   

Halfway across the world in South Korea, a young woman was distraught when she discovered she was going to have a baby. Her boyfriend was ill-equipped to be a father and keeping the child seemed impossible. 

This girl’s mother was very supportive and assisted her daughter in the decision to give the child she carried up for adoption. The baby was brought to term and was born on 07/07/07. Isn’t seven God’s number of completeness and perfection? 

As you follow this story, it may seem so in the lives of those involved in this birth.

When the child was born, this mother held her little girl close to her heart and named her Sarang, meaning Love. 

Then this incredible woman did one of the noblest things anyone can do. She placed her child in the arms of another with her only comfort being she was giving her baby a chance at a better life, one she could never provide. 

Then walking away, she knew she would have that little one forever in her heart.  

Sarang was then placed in a nurturing foster home in Seoul with a mother and father who had children of their own.

                

Now on the opposite side of this earth in the town of Hendersonville, a bedroom community of Nashville, Tennessee, lived a handsome couple named Tara and Ken Tolbert who had a young son, Chandler. My husband and I are so proud to know and love Tara as our daughter, Ken, our son-in-law, and Chandler, our first born grandchild. 

This little family was very happy and spent their days filled to the brim with their son who, since pre-kindergarten, loved soccer. Tara and Ken spent many long hours supporting and encouraging Chandler on the soccer fields in addition to the other interests he pursued. Their lives were full and content.   

                          

Eventually, though, all three began to yearn for an addition to their family. Much reflection resulted in the realization they wanted to adopt a child from another country. Chandler wanted a brother or a sister. As a family who had already experienced the rich rewards and blessings of having adoptees from abroad, Tara and Ken also wanted to go in the direction of their aunt and uncle.

My husband's sister, Peggy Blevins Baldock and her husband, Edd, had adopted two beautiful babies, Mary and Victoria, from China years prior.

Plus, Tara and Ken recalled having International students living in their home had been an excellent experience.

Thus the arduous task of the adoption process began.

It took over a year but finally, the endless piles of paperwork and office and home interviews were complete, and the wait began. Now all they could do was pray that God would bring to them the child who was a perfect match for their family. They also wanted to be a perfect match for the child who had needs they could meet.

Time seemed to crawl.Then one day the call came that there was a baby girl in South Korea who was four months old and needed a forever family. The agency shared some details, and an appointment was scheduled to review her file the following day.  

On Halloween 2006, there was the final signing of the papers and details were set in motion for Sarang to become their child! Over the next five months, more information about her first months of life with the foster family was made available, and a complete health history was laid bare along with the brief biography of the child's parents.

Not only were Tara, Ken, and Chandler thrilled, but our entire extended family were beside themselves with excitement and could not wait for Sarang's arrival.

The soon-to-be parents immediately began the preparations for The Homecoming. Tara launched a study of everything she could find regarding the Korean culture. In honor of the new baby’s arrival, a shower was a must. Deciding that Sarang should have a new name more conducive to her life in America, the fun began to choose one that Ken, Tara, and Chandler all agreed on. 

They finally fell in love with Ryleigh Emerson Tolbert. This name won out for many reasons, but the best was because the first, middle and last names all had seven letters; that number seven seemed such a perfect number.

                            

After what seemed like forever, the BIG DAY finally arrived! Tara and Ken flew to Detroit, Michigan where a private escort brought Ryleigh from South Korea and placed her in the arms of her new mommy and daddy. Then a flight back to the Nashville airport was made where Granddaddy Tony and Nana Linda were there with Chandler, waiting eagerly to meet them. 

While waiting for the plane to land, the new big brother, then eleven years old, proudly held up his sign for his sister so she could see it when she came through the door. Those passing were stopping and asking the young boy about his sign. Chandler did not hesitate to tell them who was flying in to meet him. With pride, I held my sign high as well.

                                  

                                     

The overwhelming joy when Tara and Ken walked through that airport door with Ryleigh in their arms was indescribable. That little tyke, as she approached, was flashing a smile so dazzling it lit up her entire face. Ryleigh also threw that smile to everyone passing by as her new family members stood oohing and ahhing over her. Her raven black hair, coal black eyes and skin tone were shockingly beautiful; she also boasted such a beautiful bone structure.

Our family quickly returned to Hendersonville to introduce this precious baby to her new home and the welcome party awaiting her.  When this precious baby saw the decorated living room, that smile never left her face as her eyes gazed at the balloons, signs, and flowers.

                    

                              

And then Mommy, Daddy, and big brother were able, after what seemed a lifetime, to start that first day of loving and living with the answer to their prayers. They even blessed Nana and Papaw by letting us share in their love.

  

Our precious Ryleigh comfortably settled in and immediately began to thrive.

                     

And she grew by leaps and bounds.

                                  

As she grew physically, we began to see more of her other delightful traits.

                                

Ryleigh rapidly became a treasure and delight to both her parents, her brother and her extended family who understood how blessed we were she had been woven into our tapestry of life.

                                              

                                             

Ryleigh today has a charming personality and early on showed she was a very affectionate child. She is now eight-years-old and has two favorite toys, her two cousins, Savannah, age seven and Emmett, nine, and the three are inseparable. The parents of these two cousins are always more at ease when their kids are under the 'protective' oversight of Ryleigh. 

It is because Ry is known to be more cautious by nature, levelheaded and she instinctively draws respect from both of her buds. It is also well established that this child has been known to pull the other two back from the brink when they devise a wild scheme. 

                                        

Never shy, kindergarten and each subsequent grade have been easy for this young breath of fresh air, and Tara and Ken have shared that making friends comes as natural to her as breathing. Tara observed this stems from Ryleigh's big smile, confidence and her love for all.  

Showing love for cute clothes from an early age, dressing up and striking poses delighted this kid!  The time finally came when her mom asked if she had an interest in modeling. Ohhhhh yes! So an agent was secured, and doors have been opened for modeling and commercials through her agent and other venues.  Each audition, whether she lands the gig or not, brings great life lessons in which her parents feel far exceeds any role.   

Has this hobby turned my granddaughter into a prima donna? Not hardly. Ryleigh also enjoys coming up to Misty Hollow and wearing mud with her Nana.

From an early age, dancing and singing have been a delight to that young soul of hers. As always, her mom and dad want her to at least have the opportunity to try in any appropriate endeavor she chooses. If she fails, she will learn from it. If she doesn't, she will learn from that as well. That had been Tara, and Ken's creed with Chandler and the same applies to their daughter.

Getting to dance with the Nashville Ballet in their rendition of 'The Nutcracker' at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center was thrilling for the entire family when the notification came that our dancer made the final cut. The Blevins' clan all drove to Nashville to see her in her performance, another great life experience.  

                             

 As an eight-year-old, this kid's favorite shows are Cupcake Wars and anything on HGTV. She loves to go in the kitchen and pull out all her mother's cooking utensils and ingredients and concoct something delicious. Ryleigh loves to work on various home projects as well.

And recently our little go-getter decided she would like to pursue theater and she joined a company a few weeks ago. Ryleigh just learned she would have a solo in an upcoming production.   

My goodness, this child has showered a lot of happiness upon our family, and we are all blessed as a result of her being a part of us. It is a miracle to see Tara, Ken, and Chandler and their lives with Ryleigh and her's with them.

Now. You may have wondered why I let you take a peek into the two different worlds of the two families I have laid before you today. The story of each is true; the heartbreak and joy are both real as well.

But please listen, my friends. I would have failed miserably in my writing if you were unable to grasp there are no babies in this world who are unwanted. 

Millions of mommies and daddies are out there somewhere praying for Ryleigh's and Raylan's, Victoria's and Mary's. It just takes courage for the women in that crisis pregnancy who realizes she cannot keep her child to open her heart, reach out and let go, just like that precious young woman in South Korea. 

Without her, our baby would not now be in the arms of this forever grateful mommy.

                 

Does this Bathroom make my Butt look Big?

We finally witnessed the birth of a new bathroom addition up here at Misty Hollow on the Roan. The pregnancy seemed forever long, the labor quiet difficult but now that she is finally born…it is impossible to tell you how much I love and enjoy her!

The father?  My awesome husband who came to me months ago because he knew how I loved soaking in a hot tub. He said he wanted to add an additional bathroom to Bear cabin as it had nothing but showers to offer.

“Honey, I know how you feel about altering the architectural lines of this old cabin and I agree so I have an alternative plan. We can add your bathroom by enclosing the side porch. We can move the side stairwell to the front of the cabin. But you make a decision first. That would mean your bathroom dimensions would be six feet wide by sixteen feet long. Can you do something with a room that size?”

That's when I became the mother of the project but by golly I also knew I was in over my head and needed help. Thank God, I knew two excellent 'midwives' to assist in this major birth. I immediately called Plumberry Hollow and chatted with the owners, Hope Collins Hall and Patti Mullins, both designers extraordinaire. I want you to meet them.

 

Pictured above, Hope and Patti, from left to right

                                              

I knew Hope and Patti from the beauty and charm of the work they had completed for me in the past and if anyone could pull off bringing such a peculiar shaped bathroom to life, these two could. In addition, this project was going to be time consuming and I already knew these girls were a blast to work with. Both were pumped positive and such fun;  the word 'impossible' was not in their vernacular; there’s no such thing as difficulty to them, just a divinely sent challenge.

Furthermore, listening to their clients and getting a grasp on ‘the vision’ is important to them yet they know how to gently redirect a client if an errant decision is in the making. I know this personally by working with them and was so grateful they saved me from myself a couple of times. In addition, I admired their cute motto…'Junk to Funk'. Hope and Patti can find items others would toss and turn them into incredible works of art. Stay tuned for the coming photos and I will show you what I mean...

When I met with Patti and Hope things became real simple for me. I shared with them my vision for the bathroom. Number one…once built, it had to look like it had always been there so it needed to look aged from the day it was finished. Number two, it needed to coordinate with our master bedroom as the newly installed door was going to connect these two rooms. Number three, I wanted the interior to look like they had picked up the beauty of the surrounding woods and installed it into our home. Now that's a pretty tall order; I knew I couldn't handle it.

I did not give the girls a budget. A knew from past work their designed pieces were reasonable and they wouldn't take advantage of me. 

Then, with a sigh of relief, I turned the entire project over to them and told them they did not need to consult me, just bring the finished furniture items up to the Roan, working in tandem with the project supervisor. That is called raw unbridled trust, my friends.  Hope and Patti had earned that trust. 

In the meantime there were many calls, e-mails and texts between the cabin and their workshop as I would not make one decision concerning my bathroom that I did follow their advice or run by them.

We decided that real tree bark on the walls would be a deeply rich and different texture and would definitely bring the outdoors inside. Regarding flooring, the girls suggested ‘wood tile’. I had never heard of it. It’s down, it’s perfect and Tony and I love it and are getting ready to put it down in another bathroom.  

The bathroom does show off its eclectic beauty, my favorite decorating style, and it brings out my finical love of music.  In the short time my bathroom has been opened for business and while soaking in my tub, I have relaxed to my  favorite operatic tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, may he forever RIP. Then while I lay swaddled in bubbles one night, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers and I let go with Islands in the Stream. I have also cut loose to the Best of the 60's while looking forward to my girls-only time with Adele and 'River Lea',  drowning me in my past. 

The antique door separating the bathroom and master bedroom was bought in really bad shape and needed total refurbishing. The missing old glass door knob of that era sent my talented and dedicated buddies on a lengthy wild goose chase; yet, in their case, they found their prize eventually! 

And ya know what was also neat? From the first time Patti and Hope came to Misty Hollow and started working with me, my horse Trig, a member of our family, fell in love with them and they him. When the girls drove up the lane to Bear Cabin, here he would come…hoping for some lovin' and a treat. Below is a photo of Trig pilfering a cup of sweet tea from Hope’s vehicle on their first visit at Misty Hollow while we girls sat on the porch chatting. The result? A bloody mess. Both girls jumped to grab their cellphones to get photos of Trig's theft to put on their Plumberry Hollow website.

                     

Ya know, it is a fact a picture is worth a thousand words so here is the latest addition to our family and the work of these two sharp women...
                                 

                                    Click on each photo to enlarge.      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                 Click on the below video for a panoramic view of the bathroom.

As you can see, one can take a side porch and create a long skinny bathroom and it be adorable. And all because I am blessed to be married to a man who is ever sensitive to fulfilling not only my needs but my wants.

This particular 'want' grew into a vision and I, blessed to know two creative, vivacious and git-'er-done kinda gals, was able to carry out my vision.

Thank each of you for joining me as I've opened my home to you. I hope you enjoyed it and may have picked up an idea on a future renovation you may have in mind. And remember...no room is too long and skinny; and only diet and exercise can keep my butt from getting too big!

PostScript: If anyone would like further information regarding Plumberry Hollow and owners Hope and Patti please contact them at https://www.facebook.com/plumberryhollow/  

My Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes and Triple Crown

One of the greatest joys I have while living on Roan Mountain is the daily interaction I have with my horse, General 'Trig' O Nometry.

                                                              

 

Trig is a special horse because of his gentlemanly manners with very young children. During my years of owning horses, I've never known of a horse who loved little people more than my beloved 16 hands tall, 1400 pound, coal black Tennessee Walker. And...as strange as it may sound when I bought this handsome gelding I chose him for many incredible traits but the seller never once mentioned Trig's demeanor with children. I didn't learn of that most excellent of equine characteristics until he was bought, delivered and settled in his barn up here on the Roan; then is when the grandchildren began coming up to meet him. Chandler Logan, our first born grandchild- now a college man- fell in love with Trig from the get go.

Savannah was the youngest at that time- God had not yet gifted us with her baby brother, Bowie- and next came Ryleigh and the older of this trio, Emmett. All three adored Trig and he, them. Trig began to wipe out- and does to this day- every step these kids take when up here visiting with Nana and Papa.

The four of them are adorable as the kids scavange around the grounds looking for arrowheads, interesting rocks, buckeyes and anything else that catches their fancy. All the while this huge, huggable horse of mine is right in the middle of the mix and he watches with curiosity their every move. I have finally come to think of the three grand kids as Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes with Trig being Triple Crown.

 

                         

I hope you enjoy this short video taken recently when Savannah and Emmett were spending the weekend with Nana and Papa at Bear Cabin. Spending time together though without Preakness (Ryleigh) is always like having a grilled cheese sandwich without the cheese. Alas, Ryleigh lives near Nashville and doesn't get to come in and join us as often as we wish. Feeling the absence of Ryleigh, Emmett and Savannah asked to join me in Trig's early morning feeding. I offer this clip to let you see how very gentle Trig is with his little buddies.