Hypotonia has it’s perks people;). I mean–don’t you wish you could stretch like this??!! And can you BELIEVE this little squirt is going to turn THREE YEARS OLD this summer?!?!? We celebrate 2 years home on July 2nd! AND then a 3 year old birthday in August! My how time does fly!!! We’re in for a busy summer celebrating…Tetyana turning 16 in July (can’t WAIT to meet her on June 27!!!!)…ITY 3 in August and then Parker right behind ITY in August turning 8. Looks like momma better get her party hat on.

Now…I’m off to CRASH. Rico Suave is home after being gone all week to Traverse City for work. What are the chances he’d let momma sleep in tomorrow before dashing off to work?? I guess someone has to pay the bills…but I can still dream about sleeping in;).

AND…on an adoption FUN note…we have CREATED FOR CARE RETREAT dates for 2013!!! We will be posting those soon just so you can SAVE THE DATE and help us spread the word!

Tomorrow is Thursday!!! Some times I just have to remind myself;). Hope y’all have a great Thursday!

xoxo!

andrea

YESTERDAY–I headed to a 8am eye doctor appointment as I’ve continuously had blurred vision in my right eye. The doc won’t let me wear glasses or give me a new prescription because my vision is different every month in that eye–and my cornea is just irritated because of inflammation causing some serious blur…like–yesterday I couldn’t read the TOP line of the eye exam. Nice.

My morning started out leaving the house at 7am–because I see a specialist downtown…so I got to trek through this (thank you Rico Suave for doing this EVERY morning for our family)…

Yesterday though–it wasn’t so crazy and instead more like this, “I still can’t see out of this eye–please don’t let the doctor try and give me steroid drops again because eventually that will cause cataracts and that’s not how you treat an infection related to lyme. I have 4 kids, I’m not just a number–and I really need to be able to see.” It was followed by silence…I think maybe that was too much;)…and then he said, “Let me go get the doctor”.

When the doc finally came in, he wanted to give me another prescription (of course)–and it can be so frustrating to live in a state where doctors know diddly squat about Lyme. I gave the prescription BACK to the doctor. Started crying…and then I broke up with my eye doctor;). Seriously–he told me he was moving up north–and wanted to refer me to a cornea surgeon. I left with eyes full of tears…both eyes blurry now–and just prayed the Lord was over all of this and would completely take these stinkin’ spirochetes/Lyme away because I loath them. When I got home–I thought I saw a tick on my van’s windshield…which I attempted to squash–and then I realized it was just an innocent brownish lady bug. Thankfully, he managed to fly away after I tapped him once (steer clear of someone with Lyme if you see a tick…they WILL squash them with vengeance!)

Now…that part is the DOWN part of my roller coaster in the last 48 hours.

And my sweet friend Tammy Dugger just happened to call as I was leaving the parking deck and she got to hear all about it. Can I just say I am SO THANKFUL for my best girlfriends who have just been such rocks during this year of crazy?! She surprised me later that day with THIS on my doorstep…(she got it at Hallmark…and the most fun part is one of my friends is actually the original artist!) What a treat of TRUTH!

On a side note–you better believe we are all about wellness and being healthy at our house. WHICH is why I think this next iPhone shot is so funny:) Look what I’ve got my kids drinking for juice??? FULL of 72 nutrients! Aloe Vera juice–it tastes like white grape juice…and it’s way better for them!

This morning I had a 9am doc visit with my naturopath doctor who seriously–is amazing. He is a strong believer…and after going through months and months of doctors trying to figure out why I was having arthritis, GI problems, adrenal failure, etc–with my first visit with him–he was able to pinpoint exactly what it was and send me for blood work to prove it. I’ve been seeing him monthly for 6 months–and 6 months ago began treatment to get rid of these awful problem causing spirochetes. Although I was bummed this morning to see the tests show they were STILL there–this doctor encouraged me and he believes that in a few months I will be 100% clear if I stick to my crazy regime of supplements, natural antibiotics and anti-inflammatory diet. I was encouraged walking through the waiting room of his office seeing patients from as far as Texas who fly across the country for his care–and I really believe he has a God-given gift of wisdom and healing. Some people think I’m nuts for not going to a regular doctor–believe me…I started there…but this is where the Lord has given me the most peace about. I’ve learned SO MUCH about taking care of myself and my family–and I love when you find a doctor that you really trust. My primary care doctor is completely on board too–and I’m just so thankful for the ways the Lord has guided and affirmed I am on the right path.

After a not so fun day yesterday–this roller coaster went right up…and I know today is a new day–and I’m trusting and believing I’ll not only kick those spirochetes/Lyme to the dust…but in the end I’ll be healthier than I have been in years. My doc thinks I’ve probably had spirochetes/lyme in my body for much longer than the tick bite I remember almost 2 years ago–but more like maybe even since childhood based on my symptoms and how aggressive these boogers are with me.

Today was such a great day as I felt like I was so encouraged–and we sat down and looked through my chart going back to November…celebrating all the symptoms that are now no longer there–and really how far I’ve come! I am still really tired every day. I still have chronic fatigue and often feel like I’m 85 with arthritis. And I have a completely whacked right eye. BUT…I can see perfectly with my left eye. I hands and feet no longer tingle (my rheumatologist tried to tell me it was possibly the beginning of MS–and that’s now GONE!), and the brain fog is gone too…that was AWFUL. And through it ALL…I have home schooled…4 little precious ones. THEY have stood with me and encouraged me. We have prayed together–we have dreamed together. And really–our lives will never be the same. I’m SO PROUD of my kids and how they have grown with me in this journey. And my Rico Suave–oh man. This has been better than the best of marriage counselors…as the “laid back–tough–roll with the bunches–I can do it myself” girl he married…can’t do it all and has simplified many things in our lives and home. He has cooked more dinners each week, not said a word if cleaning or laundry didn’t happen and encouraged me to stick with doctors who we felt best about even if they didn’t take insurance and it didn’t make the most sense to the world around us.

So thankful. And I just have SO MUCH to be thankful for.

Sweet Laney-loo today doing a little school work in waiting room…

After 2 appointments for momma (my other doc was followed by allergy shots–trying our best to keep Rosie–and keeping her outside for now…or at least trying to!)…we then zipped over to pick up Frank and Isaac from preschool. IT WAS THEIR LAASSSSSTTT day until the Fall! I can’t BELIEVE all the Lord has done in our youngest child’s life this year! This time last year I was so nervous whether preschool would be a good fit for him to do two mornings a week. He was a bit behind developmentally–but he SOARED and is now right on track with a rockin’ vocabulary that his teachers can’t believe! We said our goodbyes…and we will definitely be getting together with these teachers this summer for lunch as we bonded and love them so!

After lunch, nap time, Loo’s ballet…it was time to have a little celebration (told you I’m on a roller coaster;). Thinking about my littles today and how supportive and amazing they have been–I decided to fire up the grill and cook some hotdogs (don’t you worry…they are organic and free of nitrates and such!) Just ’cause daddy was in Michigan doesn’t mean momma can’t fire up the grill. (I wish I had a video of my trying to light it…I was throwing matches in the grill because the igniter doesn’t work and you have to light it after you turn on the gas…I was afraid of torching my eye brows so I was tossing the matches in. The forth one finally worked:) Loo tried to get my phone in time for the lighting action just in case…but she only got it ready for the successful part after the lighting…

THEN it was time for our home-made pops!

And that’s our last 48. Not exactly anything to write home about–but I figured I’d document it anyway…because I really do believe things will look different each passing month and I want to remember every bit…because no matter how hard some days might seem for me or for you–there really is sweetness and joy and miracles in each and every one. There are friends who are there for you that surprise you…and you realize how it’s better to have 3 really great friends than 300 or even 30. You see your kids trudge through with you–and you see their character form. You find yourself still holding your love’s hand–and really…you weren’t made for this world…but life is as it is now–might be as sweet as it ever gets. And you feel the love, the presence, the power and the peace of the One who called you to Himself…to trust Him on this journey–and all fear and worry is taken away…because really it’s just a calling to persevere..and that perseverance will produce character–more like the character of your Father–so even this…it will be worth it.

Hope you all are having a blessed week! XOXO!

andrea

I’m all about keeping the kids well and also being preventative and Omega 3′s are super duper important part of that. For one…it’s most likely that most children’s diets are deficient of the Omega 3′s they need. WHY do they need them??? They are important for cognitive development (coordination, brain function and attention) and they promote growth and brain development. Kids with ADHD have also shown lower amounts of Omega 3′s–and they also help with kids prone to asthma and eczema. And for a bonus–they have been proven to prevent disease. SO…they need to be in the diet:).

I have found TWO effective ways to get Omega 3′s quickly and beautifully into my littles (well…into most of them;) I like to mix them up so they don’t get old to them.

This is the FUN way–with Coromega Squeeze! YUMMO!

THE other way–and truthfully a bit better–is with cod liver oil. I LOVE cod liver oil by Arctic because they rock it out with different natural flavors making it taste SO much better and the kids are more agreeable to take their spoonfuls (minus Isaac who has YET to taste it to see that it really is yummy!) We like strawberry flavor–and it IS flavored naturally…we don’t do artificial at this house:) The liquid form is going to absorb more quickly and easier–and my kids would never do pills…so this works for all of us!

AND just to make you laugh–this is our daily dose caught by Rico Suave this afternoon…

Isaac is really funny about new tastes and textures–so he is the ONLY one I can’t get to take the Coromega or cod liver oil yet…but we will eventually get there because mommy wants him to be a well boy too:). The kids do take a kids multivitamin and a kids probiotic daily also. Our favorite probiotic is Kiddi Flora because my kids need a liquid or a chewable (they will not swallow even the probiotic pearls). If you feed your kiddos healthy veggies–especially if they are organic–you want to be sure they are on probiotics (NOT just live culture yogurts and Keifer although those are two things that start our day). They love the raspberry flavor of these probiotics.

EVERYONE who eats healthy has parasites–so you need those probiotics to help fight those critters off. And if they ever put hands in their mouth–there’s a nice invite for parasites too. We also take daily probiotics…cause we have kids–and they come with parasites;). I get tested regularly for parasites, and it’s always interesting to learn where they are from. My last discovered parasite was from South America…and because I’ve not been there–you can guess I got those bad boys from veggies:). BUT thankfully I take daily probiotics to fight those bad boys–so all is well.

Other things we continue to do on our road to wellness for our kids–absolutely NO artificial dyes or flavors. NO corn syrup–if corn syrup is ANY WHERE on the label I do NOT buy it. If it has cornstarch or other starches in the ingredients I put it back on the grocery shelf. I shop the perimeter of the chain grocery stores–and any prepackaged things I only get organic to help limit the preservative content. We limit our gluten (flours now have 90% more gluten causing immune, inflammation and more allergy/asthma problems). We use almond butter instead of peanut butter (another post for another day why). And we cook our own breakfast, lunch and dinner…A LOT. We try to limit carbs and make sure we are getting lots of protein and vegetables–with fruit being seen as a dessert rather than just a source of nutrition (kids tend to like fruits over veggies so we get those in first).

We also do Vitamin D drops (the kids love these because they don’t taste–and they think they are getting medicine…and my crazy kids feel special as I drop 5 drops in each of their little baby bird mouths). If you have littles, your pediatrician has probably told you that children now are recommended to increase their Vitamin D intake. If you let your kids play outside without sunscreen–then you are probably cool…but on rainy days or days you aren’t playing outside a lot–you can give them Vitamin D drops to give them what they need too.

ALL that being said–all things DO happen in moderation here. Like today–for Mother’s Day…Rico Suave totally bought 2 slices of cake at a local bakery and we all 6 split them!!! (See…moderation is everyone splitting instead of everyone getting there own slice. AND we’ve been known to stop at Krispy Creme for Frankie baby on occasion too! I think in our culture we some times forget moderation and I’m trying my best to really do moderation…as in once a month something instead of once a day!)

NOW–if you were completely bored by what we do for a little wellness at our casa–you have to see how precious Parker and one of his best buds were at their LAST baseball game of the season on Saturday!

OH MY HEART–they are just precious!

Exhibit A—moderation! Nana and Papa were in town this weekend and at the game I saw ITY with some Fritos! Because he never has things like this at home…I can smile and let the boy enjoy them because it’s in moderation:) Thanks Nana;)

On a celebrate TETYANA note–look what came in the mail today for her bedroom door for the summer?!?! I’m so excited! I bet she has never had anything with her name personalized on it before!!

AND last but not least–I hope you all had a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!! I came downstairs to find breakfast and this beautiful Mother’s Day decoration awaiting me!

Blessings to each of you!!!!

andrea

P.S. Thank you to those of you who have joined us in praying for my friend Angie after her having a stroke last Sunday. She is now in a rehabilitation center where she will learn to do more each day with her left side. I got to see her today and she looks amazing!!! I’m so proud of the progress she is making! Please continue to pray for her to have a full recovery!!!!!!!!! She is a momma of 4 little ones and a dear friend…a runner and just an amazing friend and mom! Thank you so much for praying!!!

Because…

Our trips to Tennessee usually consist of this…

LOTS of golf cart rides with Uncle Buck and the Middlebrooks kids…

This is how we spent our Wednesday. I’m surprised Uncle Buck and Aunt Lesa still have grass with the many rounds of golf cart rides as every child has to have a turn…and then it starts all over again. My friend Jessica came over with her littles. Rich’s friends from UGA crazily ended up with a pastoral position at his families church in TN–so it’s always so much fun to get family and friend time in on our visits!

THEN–on Thursday we scooted up to one of my dearest adoption momma friends’ farm…Kristi is definitely one of my sidekicks! And I was soooo thankful to have some of my most favorite mommas in TN join us for a morning play date (I think it was more of a MOMMY play date–but our kids ALSO had quite the time playing together!)

I JUST LOVE THESE INCREDIBLE LADIES!!! Vanessa, Candy, Kristi, Me, Kim, Cris and Eve

We SHOULD have grabbed a picture earlier because several other mommas were with us earlier in our visit too! I love how we all have stories together and how for many of us–our stories twine together. Can’t believe how long we have all now known each other. It blows me away to think that Kristi and I started a friendship through my email asking about her adoption (she had JUST come home with Lucy Lane from Ethiopia) and now…years and years later we are still friends and we’ve watched each others littles grow up…and our families even grow more again and again. I can’t tell you how these women encourage and challenge my heart. Our “kitchen talk” is just priceless to me…we quickly “go there”…sharing our hearts, our hopes, our fears, our desires and dreams with one another—and lots of laughter is tucked in there too. Each of these ladies have encouraged me in so many ways. (Kim–I still have to pinch myself getting to actually spend time with you after our years of emailing and encouraging one another while you were in Hong Kong! SO thankful for you!)

I wish you could all see how we all look at one another’s children. We have all shared referral pictures from the beginning–watched our little ones grow–and it’s just so fun getting to spend a little time with these moms this week!!!

THEN…we got back to Aunt Lesa and Uncle Buck’s after our play date–took naps…and then…they rigged tarp for some old fashioned slip and slide fun with soap:) They had a blast!

See those trees up there in the background??? That’s RIGHT where Rich got on one knee and asked for my hand in marriage. To say this is a special place to us is a bit of an understatement:) Rich drove 4 1/2 hours 9 years ago to this place…where his daddy grew up and where he spent holidays and summers to ask for my hand. And to step back and see my children rolling around and giggling here…oh my heart!

Not even two weeks after I said YES–Rich’s dad went to be with the Lord after a very short battle of leukemia. Richard got to share his plan of taking me here to ask for my hand–and his daddy was so tickled he would want to ask me here. Uncle Buck, Richard’s dads brother, has loved our children with a deep love–as has Aunt Lesa and we are so thankful for the time we have with them!!! They make me laugh at the lengths they go to for the children…they were having so much fun with them!

Not sure if you can tell by these pictures…but they had just a little bit of fun;).

After THIS…we had dinner–lit up a fire pit…roasted marshmallows and make smores. Followed by looking at stars…and Frankie baby enlightening us with, “Nod all da stars are stars! Some of dem are really planets!” Genius. Genius I tell you!

We scooted back home this morning–and headed on over to the McBrayers for some fun and grilled out. Now…off to bed for tomorrow’s last baseball game!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!! If you have a moment this weekend and in the week/month ahead–will you please pray for my dear friend Angie?? Angie is one of our speakers at Created for Care for the breakout on domestic adoption–but more than that she is one of my dearest friends. On Sunday she had an accident on the lake causing a stroke. Please pray for her by name as the Lord brings her to your mind–please pray for a full recovery in the weeks and months ahead (WEEKS would be even more awesome than months…so please join our family and friends in praying for a miracle!!!). The Lord is able–and can do MORE than we ask…please pray that He not only restores but does even more than we ask in this situation!!! She is making HUGE progress each day, and I’m so proud of her. Please pray for more progress each and every day in LEAPS and BOUNDS! Thank you!!!