“Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together.”
― Vesta M. Kelly
(My Aunt and Uncle’s driveway, March 2019)
(My Dad’s driveway, March 2019)
“Ding! Ding! Ding!“, my cell phone announced the arrival of no less than nine mostly-white pictures from relatives in Minnesota last week.
It made me think about the snow days of my childhood. I spent ten freezing, white-cold winters on a farm five miles from the nearest town. It was at the end of a long, gravel road, privately-owned by someone else, which meant it didn’t always get plowed right away. We would literally just be snowed in.
Every year, the grassy field in front of our house flooded and made a big, bumpy ice skating rink. I don’t remember ever using actual skates, it was just fun to run and slide around on it in our boots. If the wind chill was too brutal, we’d play in the barn. Mom would string up heat lamps for the chickens and my brother and I would spend hours reworking baled hay into houses for all our kitties to stay warm. Eventually, we’d high-step our way through the snow back up to the house…red cheeks, runny noses. I haven’t been cold like that in years.
The weather is supposed to be warm and cloudy here in Alabama this week (yay!), and based on some buds I *think* I saw on a tree in our neighborhood last night, I feel like Spring is about to…well…spring. 😉 It was warm enough to sit outside yesterday and Kevin and I got to spend a couple of hours with our friend, Sonia, on her back porch. Sonia is a social worker and has been such an amazing resource for us when it comes to talking through all-things post adoption and foster care. Sonia told us more about her friend, Lee, who created an organization called Kids to Love, whom Sonia works with and which exists to help find forever families for children who are stuck in foster care and who are hoping to be adopted. She told us about how, in 2015, the Lord led Lee to an abandoned mansion nestled on 10 acres up in north Alabama, and about how a generous gift from Tech CEO/Philanthropist, Dr. Dorothy Davidson, allowed Kids to Love to purchase the property, which is now named in her honor.
Today, the 10,000-square-foot house is home to seven teenage girls, as well as a team of house mentors who provide care, guidance, and stability for each girl in the group family. The girls get to attend a nearby school, have chores & allowances, and live in the home with house parents so that it as close to a family type setting as possible until they are adopted.
Kevin and I drove back home at dusk, moved and inspired by the stories Sonia shared about the girls and the entire Kids to Love organization.
Snowflakes and people…just look what they can do when they stick together.
What’s the weather like in your neck of the world this week, friend?
Layla
PS- Want to learn more about Kids to Love? Just click through to be re-directed to their website…I know they would love to hear from you!
Davidson House sounds like an amazing place, great things will happen there!
And we are in northern WI and our snow piles are at least as high, we literally cannot walk in our yard without snowshoes.
Good morning, Kathi! 😀
Thanks for taking the time to reply! We’ve never visited upper WI, but I’ve seen photos from friends who live there and it looks like such a beautiful place. Stay warm this week!
What a great way to meet a great need. My husband and I recently attended a foster/adoption conference at our church with the intention of only adopting. Instead the Holy Spirit broke our heart for children in foster care. Especially those who are older. Why a neat way to meet their unique needs and get them ready for life and adulthood. Do they have an amazon wishlist or any needs that can be sent to them.
I love that you’re always sharing things like this!
That sounds like such an amazing and uplifting place for girls in need of being loved and cared for! Do they have any wish list items or anything they are needing for the home?
Hi, Christi!
I’m sure they do! You should definitely drop them a line at [email protected] …and thank you! 😀
What a wonderful story!! Hands and feet of Jesus!! 🙏❤❤❤
What an amazing place! Thank you for sharing it! Here in Nebraska we’re finally out of the bitter cold and rain is helping to melt away the snow…come on spring flooding!!
Wow, what an awesome organization! And what a beautiful home and property… just gorgeous.
We’re down here in Southern Alabama and enjoying this humid, rainy day, hahah! Hope you have a fabulous day, Layla!
Such a sweet story for a sweet giveaway! Thank you for sharing! ❤️
Love love love this personalized, real world, nurturing approach to mentoring these girls! I volunteer with “Safe Families” which stands in the gap for vulnerable families and children to prevent foster care placement. I love the relational approach that both of these amazing programs provide! God is so so so good.
Praying for each of those girls that God places them with their forever family that will love and cherish them. 💜💜
I would also like to know if they have a list of needs or wants. Thank you for sharing this story ❤️
Yay! Here’s there email address if you’d like to reach out!
[email protected]
Thank you, Pam!
Sweet story. ☺️ I am from Croatia, it is a small country in Europe and this weekend we had snow and sun and wind. Everything. The weather is crazy.
I love your stories and blogs.
Best wishes 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
Snow on snow on snow here, but the sun is shining today! Praying for those kids who need a foster home.
So glad to hear the sun in shining where you are, Amber! And the kiddos at Davidson Farms actually need a *permanent* home. They’ve been in foster homes throughout the years, and Davidson Farms is a wonderful place, but Sonia said a forever family is really what the girls are hoping to find.
Beautiful story and thought! Thanks for sharing i really needed that!
It sounds like an amazing house!! I love the correlation between snowflakes and people banding together to do something bigger. Beautiful!!
So Beuatiful! ❤️
I am in Central Texas. We have crazy weather! It was in the 80s last week and now back down in the 50s with chance of rain most of this week. Normally not ready for our hot summers but so tired of cloudy days! 🙂
What a beautiful story Lee tells and what a wonderful home for girls. Touched my heart. Thank you for sharing!❤️
What a blessing to these youngsters! Thank you for sharing.
What a great story! God is providing for His children. He loves us so much! Just like snowflakes we are all different, each one is fearfully and wonderfully made by God!❤️❄️
I love winter and we get a good mix of all seasons here in Maryland. I’m sure now everytime I see a snowflake I will think of this. Fragel but amazing together.
This is a beautiful story. I grew up on an old campground, 9 bedrooms 5 bathroom. We held church events, and camp outs there but I can only imagine the potential it could have held for something like this. People having a home to feel safe and comfortable in is near and dear to my heart, so seeing this organization being able to provide that to these girls is amazing!! God can do amazing things through us if we will step out and trust his direction! (Something he’s been reminding me of today.)
Thank you for sharing about such a wonderful place! My husband and I are foster parents, so this just warms my heart. ❤️
What a wonderful place for those girls! Love the whole full circle story that goes along with it ❤️
We are slowly climbing out of our deep freeze here in Ohio, it’s above freezing here today…so, yay!☺️
I’m in Colorado and our weather can’t decide what it wants to do. Freezing cold, sunny and 50s, crazy snow! All in one week!!
What an amazing thing they are doing for those girls. A great opportunity for them to prepare mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually for their forever homes. Praying!
Good morning/ evening from me in Ireland.
I just love reading your posts. Even though some days you seem to struggle younalways try to share joy and a message. I love the memories of cold as a child. We would come in from school and stick our hands into the washing machine ( top loader ) to warm up.
Thank you for always sharing with us. God bless you and your family.
I just discovered your IG account a couple of days ago from April at Vintage Pickin. I have binge watched all of your videos and think you have the sweetest little family. You’re also kind of hilarious! Kids to Love and the farm sound like great ministries and I love the DHR transformation!!
Love there correlation betweenness people and snow flakes! Beautiful thought!
What a cool place for the girls. We are trying to figure out if being called to adopt…we have 4 biological children and figuring out our next path and Gods will for us. MY husband had a dream the other night that I gave birth but the baby wasn’t a baby and was a child! He says he still needs more of a sign from God 😂
Thank you for the awareness you bring!
Jess
SO beautiful to read and watch about love being the driving force. It’s just always the answer!
Cleveland, OH is under some low, gray clouds today, but it’s a lovely reason to stay cozy.
Beautifully written. I love how you tied the two together. Both beautiful- snow and fostering.
I love this blog post! Thank you for sharing! I truly believe that we are better together than we are alone, even though it sometimes feels easier to shut people out. I feel fortunate to know you on this platform. Thank you for being honest and vulnerable in your journey. ❤️
It’s a balmy 50 degrees in Kansas City and as newbies to this city/state I am praying for more days just like this one leading us into a beautiful spring after what had been a crazy cold winter for my little family! I love so much how you have jumped into helping support and love on so many kiddos in need through raising awareness through social media! You’ve actually inspired me to look for ways to bless kiddos in foster care in our new city, and I’m currently asking questions and looking for more information on how we can get involved! So thank you – all for the least of these…all for King Jesus!
What a wonderful place! Thanks for sharing.
What an amazing ministry… I love that these girls can go to school, have chores and get an allowance. Setting them up only for success for when they graduate and are on their “own”. I also LOVE that they make it as much as a family as they can. So amazing.
I live in Wisconsin. We have so much snow and have had so many snow days/cold days this year but today the sun is shinning and the snow is slowly but surely melting. So ready and excited for spring
Thanks for sharing! I live in Minnesota, so tour story of your childhood sounded familiar. I love Minnesota in the summer! God Bless!
What a special place! What about a Lettered Cottage designed tee fundraiser to help them out? I would be on that! Your designs are always so cute!
Love it! My parents did something similar for several years and it is HARD work. But the love that can be shown and the difference that is made is just amazing!
What an amazing experience! Very excited for your journey. Can’t wait to see what God does!!
So exciting. Can’t wait to hear more about your visit!
Sounds like such an amazing place! Wish I lived closer so that I could be one to cook dinner for them. Thank you for sharing.
What an amazing organization! Thanks for sharing!
Living here in north AL and being from La, I don’t have many snow stories but boy do I love it. Nothing quite like when a fresh day starts with white covered snow as far as the eye can see. Everything looks clean.
God makes all things beautiful!
We ‘adopted’ an adult from Guatemala several years ago. He lived with us, got his college education and degree, and married one of our daughters (only in TN can you marry your brother-JK!). They are now serving on the mission field in Guat with their two biological children and one ‘foster’ child. It is NEVER too late to adopt!
It is amazing what we can do when we listen to whispers of the Lord in our ear! What a wonderful place these girls get to live unitl they find their forever home!
Wow! 😮 What a beautiful place and a wonderful organization.
🙏🏼 Lord, lend each mentor your strength & wisdom on the days they are feeling tired or lost. Lord, lend these young girls your smile if they’re feeling sad. Lord, keep their heads held high and their hearts filled with joy & optimism. Lord, keep these girls from hearing the enemy’s voice. Lord, Let them know how loved they really are and that so many are praying for them. In your timing and In his name, Amen
Coming to you from South Louisiana, The weather here today is hot, humid and overcast. 😑 Feeling like a summer day BUT who knows…🤷🏼♀️ tomorrow could be winter again. 😂
You’re so inspiring! I love reading your posts and seeing how driven you are to help inform everyone about this process and especially about this organization. Do they accept donations or items for the girls? It would be awesome to be able to send some things!
Sounds like a wonderful home for these girls! Thank you for sharing.
I’m from Dothan Al but live in Bham AL now.
Rain and rain and more rain.
I’m ready for SPRING!!
It’s very white and snowy here in the Black shills of South Dakota too! I can’t wait for warm weather. That house sounds incredible. What a great place for those girls to have. Our church recently paired with America’s Kids Belong- an organization trying to pair older foster kids with adoptive families within churches. It has been interesting to learn more about fostering to adopt.
That story is amazing! I don’t know what I would have done in Lee’s position. She’s an inspiration!
I love how when people “stick together” things can really make an impact. I once heard the saying and it stuck with me…”If you want to go fast, go alone…but if you want to go far, go together”. I work with the homeless in our county so this need for partnership and working together is huge! 😊
I am from Wisconsin so your childhood memories of winter are my reality right now!⛄️❄️🌫
I know nothing can take the place of a forever family, but to have a place like this for those kids is such a blessing. Thanks for sharing their story.
Wow, what an amazing place Davidson House is. I wish I lived near there. And I love the quote about what happens when snowflakes ❄️ stick together. Have a blessed week! 😇
One more One Less Project is a new non profit in North Carolina to help churches get involved in Foster care in their state. Check them out if you have a chance! 🙂
South Carolina weather is half spring half winter with a little bit of rainforest mixed in🤷🏻♀️
I grew up in a cold, snowy place as well and your memories sound much like mine.
Also, I love that a place like Davidson Farms exists. People are so good.
Lots of rain here in Tennessee. In February we got over 11 inches of rain. Great post.❤️