Me & Zoe

This will be a quick post, but I want to document. Today was one of the best, sweetest mommy moments I've had yet. For moms of single kids this may be the norm, I don't know, but for us it was special. 

Today Zoe and I ended up all alone on the porch swing. She sat there content with me for at least 30 minutes. She was pointing out all the things she could say (dog, bird, plane) and then pointing to things she didn't know and asking ( in her  version) what things were. She learned the words " ice tea",  "cookie dough" and "swing". Zoe's my talker. 

But we just sat, enjoying each other's company "talking" for half an hour. No other kids around and no distractions and my wild monkey was just happy to be swinging with mommy. Every now and then she would just lay her head on my shoulder and then pop back up and say 

"Mo swing". We just enjoyed the time until she asked to take a bath, which comes out "baka bath" and trotted in the front door. 

Oh how I love her!

It was a good moment! I'm thankful. :) 

Please excuse my lovely hair. 

Oils I am recommending :)

Recommended Oil Blends: 

Hey there oil interested ones! Based on feedback I've gotten, personal use, and a long weekend spent with friends where everyone stole borrowed my oils ;) ;) I have researched AWAY and come up with a list that I think is best for women and particularly mommies and kiddos. You can go crazy and spend a ton or just pick and choose based on your needs and in my opinion still come out with some pretty dramatic life changes. Just simply using lavendar has been HUGE for our family. It helps the girls sleep, helps me relax at night and really helps Nora with her skin issues. Peppermint is what I rub on my temples and forhead every morning and will without a doubt do it for the rest of my life. It is literally a breath of fresh air and wakes me up every morning. Lance (the skeptic) swears by deep blue for sore muscles and commented for days about how "this stuff actually works"I am still learning, but I can honestly say every oil we try is better than the last.
 

If you are interested in seeing the full list of what doterra offers please browse the site. I just wanted to try to take out a little leg work! :)

www.mydoterra.com/oilsforethiopia 

Balance $26.26

Everyone experiences moments of disconnectedness or anxiety. The warm, woody aroma of Balance, dōTERRA®'s grounding blend, creates a sense of calm and well-being. We perfectly blend spruce, rosewood, frankincense, and blue tansy with fractionated coconut oil to offer an enticing fragrance which promotes tranquility and a sense of balance. For aromatic or topical use.

Immortelle $92.67 (EXPENSIVE….but wow seems awesome!)

A beautiful blend of powerful essential oils, Immortelle Anti-Aging Blend is formulated to protect and nourish skin while helping to reduce inflammation―a major contributor to the aging process. Supporting skin health at the cellular level, these essential oils sustain smoother, more radiant and youthful skin.

Past Tense $24.67

PastTense®, dōTERRA®'s proprietary blend for tension and the discomforts associated with headaches, provides calming comfort with the strength of CPTG® essential oils of wintergreen, lavender, peppermint, frankincense, cilantro, marjoram, roman chamomile, basil, and rosemary. Packaged for convenient application in a roll-on bottle. For aromatic and topical use.

Serenity $40.00

Stress is a major contributor to illness and disease, in fact, it is estimated that more than 90% of all visits to health care professionals are related to stress. Serenity is a blend composed of individual oils with known calming properties which create a sense of well-being and relaxation. Lavender, sweet marjoram, roman chamomile, ylang ylang, sandalwood and vanilla bean create a subtle aroma ideal for aromatic diffusion or topical application. Applied to the bottom of the feet at bedtime, dōTERRA®'s Serenity is an excellent way to promote restful sleep. Added to a warm bath Serenity creates the perfect escape with its peaceful, renewing fragrance. For topical or aromatic use.

ClaryCalm $32.67

ClaryCalm� is a proprietary blend of Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils that have been traditionally used to balance hormones and manage symptoms of PMS and the transitional phases of menopause. A topical blend of clary sage, lavender, bergamot, Roman chamomile, cedarwood, ylang ylang, geranium, fennel, carrot seed, palmarosa and vitex, ClaryCalm� provides temporary respite from cramps, nausea, hot flashes, and the emotional swings sometimes associated with regular hormone cycles in women.

InTune $46.00

InTune is a proprietary blend of amyris, patchouli, frankincense, lime, ylang ylang, sandalwood, Roman chamomile essential oils, carefully selected for their ability to enhance focus and support healthy thought processes. This blend helps those who have difficulty paying attention to stay on task and sustain focus.

Intro Kit with CD $153.00

The Introductory Kit with CD 6 pack is ideal for anyone who is eager to share with friends and family. These beautifully packaged kits make great gifts and will introduce beginners to the benefits of dōTERRA®'s CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils. With 5 ml bottles of Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint included, beginners will quickly become essential oil enthusiasts after learning how to incorporate these oils into their daily health routine.

Family Physicians Kit $166.00

The Family Physician® Kit is a collection of ten nurturing essential oils, including six single oils and four blends. The stunning box includes tips for using the oils, as well as an audio CD featuring dōTERRA®'s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David K. Hill. In this audio presentation, Dr. Hill teaches listeners how to care for their family's everyday health needs with simple and safe methods using the ten essential oils included in this kit. Includes 5 ml bottles of Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Melaleuca, Oregano, Frankincense, Deep Blue®, Breathe, DigestZen®, and On Guard to help families address a multitude of health issues.

Up at 11:48.

I just gazed over at the clock and realized its 11:48pm. I pretty much run on coffee all the live long day because I'm always tired, but for some reason it's worth it to have the alone time in my dark house! So most nights I am up. And what am I always doing you may wonder? Well, lately I am thinking about our adoption, praying about our adoption and imagining life as a family of five. I think in some ways it's like being pregnant. You can't sleep even though you are exhausted and instead you just stay up and imagine life with this new unknown person. You go from overjoyed to "oh my gosh, what on earth will life be like with another one!?" and then back to overjoyed and then to "how will I ever love another baby as much as the two I have!?" and then back to overjoyed! You get the picture! I would ask if this was normal, but I know that it is. Most of my friends are on kid two, three or four by now so I am resting easy knowing I'm not a crazy person and we've all been there! 

BUT, been there or not adding another human to your family is CRAZY! And not just crazy because this little human will be coming from another country and will be the product of some hard stuff, but also because we are ADDING another person! When I put the whole adoption stuff out of mind, stop obsessing over fundraising and all the "what ifs" and just think about waking up each morning and changing three diapers, doing breakfast for three little people and then mommying THREE babes all day actually it gives me a tad bit of anxiety. Like anxiety about logistics. Like, I spend a LOT of time with a baby in each arm. I don't have a third arm. Just saying. On the flip side however, even if we were matched with a baby tomorrow we wouldn't have her home for the better part of 8 months SO two children or three I think my days of carrying around Z & N all the time will be done. But still. Crazy. Good crazy, but crazy nonetheless! 

But on the flip side of the anxiety, I think of Z & N having a sister. I think of cheering over this new little one pointing to her nose and eyes and ears when we ask here to "find them" and waving hi and bye for the first time and I die of excitement! I think of having a new little bundle to rock at night, likely right around the time my current two will be about over mommy rocking them at night, and I die. So happy. I think about how hard it might be, but I also think about how much we will cherish every hug and smile and embrace because it will probably be a journey for all of us. Yes, I am anxious. But I am so excited too! 

We don't know when we will be matched, but I mailed off every last update and even got the final draft of our homestudy today. Which is a story in itself. They were, ummmm, quite generous with their adaptation of our family! That or God really stepped in! I think it's the ladder, because I was astonished at how well the girls were during the homestudy. I truly think it was the best behaved they have ever been a day in their lives. Almost the second the social worker left they both ran outside in their beautiful little smocked outfits and jumped into the water table and then Zoe pushed Nora off into the mud and both started screaming. Yes, that's real life but man I am so happy that wasn't in the report! 

But once that homestudy makes it's way across the country into the right hands we are a family waiting for "the call". So starting in about a week I will likely never have my phone more than a foot away from me! And as SO very sad as it is that once we are matched we will still be separated from our child for 8+ months, it's probably going to be a blessing that we are going to have about the length of a pregnancy to get our act together! 

If you could please be praying for:

1. Wisdom for me as I learn how to parent my current two while trying to keep all this adoption stuff afloat

2. Fundraising. I think money was meant to be stressful. Pray that we can find a way to cover the rest of our costs that are still well over $15,000. Yikes! 

3. Pray for our daughter. We don't know if she is born yet or not. But I would venture to say someone is pregnant with her right now at the very least. So much to pray for here, and so much loss to come for her and her family. It's hard for me to even know what to pray. So I just pray for her and her sweet mommy. I just know she has a sweet mommy and my heart breaks for her. 

So there ya have it. My thoughts at 11:48 now turned 12:18! I'm officially going to bed!

Night night! :) 

Here we go....

Oils came in today! Stay tuned! Yay! 

www.mydoterra.com/oilsforethiopia  

Essential Oils adoption fundraiser. Its a WIN WIN people! :)

So I am super pumped UP about what we have decided to do for our adoption fundraiser. I have been a believer for months now in essential oils & even sat through an awesome informative course and was totally sold on the whole concept. However, with our life and adoption and ya know me quitting my full time job and having twins, one that keeps racking up medical bills, I couldn't swing the $150.00 to get the kit! But I have been praying and praying for God to provide a way for me to use oils with our family.

My little Nora struggles with chronic skin issues due to her vast array of food allergies and my little Zoe struggles with ear infections, and lets be real, that girl struggles with teeth coming in, an ant bite on her foot, any little issues and Zoe comes undone! Poor angel!

As I dose my girlies up night after night for what sometimes seems like weeks on end with tylenol to ease teeth pain, or start Zoe on yet ANOTHER round of antibiotics for ear infections resulting is awful yeast infections because the good bacteria is just flat gone in her little gut, I have often thought back to what I learned about oils and wished I could dig up that $150.00 for my sweet girls and for Lance and I!

Well, a sweet fellow adoptive mommy was introduced to me (thanks to the wonderful world of blogging) and she is also adopting from Ethiopia and actively uses oils in her home. She came up with a grand plan to help multiple mommies in our shoes raise funds for our adoptions while truly helping others. I cringe at the saleswoman aspect of anything like this, and have no desire to SELL you anything! I have a desire to see healing in my family and in yours and to raise money to bring my precious third daughter home. Period.

Who's excited!?

We are still waiting for our oils to come in the mail. I am so excited and can't wait to share our journey. I am not an expert and am learning as I go. But I believe in this and believe it can help you too! I mentioned on facebook that I would like to feature families that purchase oils from us on my blog, because in my heart I feel like this is going to be an awesome story of healing and health for many families. I can't wait to see what God has in store and how fun will it be to see how the things that God created from this earth can keep us healthy!?

And disclaimer, we do believe in Western medicine. Believe me! But now I believe there is more and I can't wait to share it with you!

If you would like to purchase oils please feel free to visit my page. 100% of ALL profits will go directly to our adoption. This means airfare, referral fees, medical fees and so forth. If God provides us with more than we need, because He can do big things like that, then we will put it towards adoption in some capacity. Whether it is helping another family, supporting local foster care or maaaaybe saving for our next adoption. Its never to early to start saving up for the next adoption right!? Kidding...for now. ;)

Here is our site:

www.mydoterra.com/oilsforethiopia

                                                                      (made me LOL)

Go look through and see what you think and follow along as we start this journey! :)

Love,
Lance, Kayla, Zoe & Nora

Phone dump

In honor of my new iPhone, and the ease at which in can upload to blogger, here is a quick phone dump post of our week post Vacay! Actual Vacay post in the works!

Crib silly time!

Love those horsies!

Zoes new "glare"

See!? 

Sweet pea on her horsie playing a few tunes.

Grapes are our fav!

Sissy is finally up.....thank goodness, mommy is boring!

Cool chicks! 

Lounging.

Dinner this particular night was a lesson in dipping chips in guacamole! Hence the blanket & only bc mommy was already in nasty scrubs! 

 This is why I can't give up this night time bottle! Precious, perfect moments. But I WILL this month!! Their toes stick out of the sleep sacs too. I think it's time we shed some baby garb. Tear. 

Because some nights I sneak in and take pictures.

I just can't help it!

Nora being quirky & Zoe demanding "nanas"! Love!!

Late night bedtime stalling!

Worth it? Yes! 

While mommy looks away for.....

6 seconds! 

"Hi there little babies!" 

She got this red face syndrome from mommy.

Because they love each other!!

On our way to mops... My sweet pea!

That face. 

In the time it took me to load Zoe. Don't worry these naked vagabonds weren't getting out of the car. 

Trying to make mommy react by doing things she knows annoy me! Oh Zoe....life may be hard for you! :)

There's our week!

Always an adventure!! 

"Me time"

After becoming a mommy I heard a lot of this term. "Me time". I guess when you become a mom it becomes apparent that this sacred alone time is pretty much gone. When I worked, I didn't have much "me time" until 5pm, and then I suppose it was all about me until I walked into my office the next day. However, as this mommy thing goes on I have some thoughts on this whole..."I just need some me time" thing.

My days with the girls are so full. So fun. So wonderful. Things are kind of crazy and my house is a bit atrocious, for real. But I have found that I feel fulfilled and content with this mommy job. I have been so blessed by adopting this new idea that "me time" doesn't necessarily have to mean time away from the girls. It doesn't have to be a daily search to find a minute away from them or a girls night out every week. These things are good and necessary. I mean, I will NOT pass up a margarita and bowl of queso with friends if I get the chance and will sprint out this door and not look back. Let me assure you.

But I have been feeling convicted lately that I can include them in my "me time". We can find things to do together that make us all happy. They are only 15 months old, so I know what you are thinking. But I am talking about handing them a book and practicing all the animal sounds while we all drive through starbucks, or finding the children's story that lines up with what we are studying in our small group and reading it to them or singing songs and dancing to iTunes while I cook and they munch on grapes.

Now that I am looking for things that make us all happy, I am finding I am less stressed and worn out at the end of the day. It's not all about them but it's not all about me either. In this season of life it is about "us" and I am so happy it is! I think as mommies it is so easy to get so bogged down in the daily grind. The diapers, and fussing, and crying, and finances, and runny noses and trips to the doctor.

But I am noticing that when I am making a conscious effort to look at our days together, look at what makes us ALL happy, and try my best to not just survive mickey mouse club house, and cooking and cleaning, but actually enjoy it, I can go to bed and smile thinking about the day to come as opposed to wanting to curl up in a ball and wish a magical fairy would swoop in and be mommy for a day.

Just my thoughts today. :)

Gone are the days where I sat propped up dictating recipes to people to cook for me, water on my belly, remote next to me! But maybe I can find a happy median in this whole "me time" thing! Ha!

(found this and had to post....I was one SPOLIED pregnant person!! And, whoa there are lots of patterns happening in this pic!)