I once was lost. But now I'm found...

Do you believe in miracles? Answered prayers? 

I do.

Leo's beloved giraffe (that we call "G") was lost this week. We looked for him constantly, for about 3 days, and he could not be found. We were beginning to loose hope.

So today I prayed, and prayed, and prayed. We just HAD to find him. He's like part of the family. He has traveled the world with us. We can't give up on him now!

So we prayed all day today that we would find G-- or that someone would bring him to us. 

I have searched every square inch of this house- under every piece of furniture, and in every drawer. Tonight, after everyone was in bed, I decided to pray again, and then look some more. I looked behind the couch (again) and under it (again). Then I got down on the ground, and was picking legos up off the carpet. When I turned around towards the couch again... there he was... sitting on top of the couch- like someone had just dropped him there. Seriously- he WAS NOT THERE 30 seconds before. I seriously think an angel dropped him off. 

I'm saying lots of prayers of gratitude now. I'm in awe. God really does care about us. 

He even cares about our little lost giraffes.

 

Move-In Day

Twelve days after our arrival, and our stuff was finally being delivered... hooray!

It was a beautiful, sunny morning, and they had unloaded about half of our stuff when....
HAIL started pouring from the sky!

So they had to pack it up, and leave. Crazy weather! Apparently, this is the norm for Colorado Summers. Sunny mornings, with stormy afternoons. It feels like we moved to Seattle instead...

In any case, we felt grateful that our kitchen stuff, beds, and kids' toys were in the first half that got unloaded.

They returned the next day, and finished unloading. Hooray!  It's all here now.  And we're up to our ears in boxes. Let the fun begin!

Squatters

It's been a long 12 days.

We arrived in Colorado on July 1st- ready to move into our new house. The problem is that our stuff arrived here a day early (on June 30) and since it couldn't go into the new house, it went into storage instead. And July 12th was the first available day for delivery.

Yep. Twelve days later. It is the busiest time of year for moving companies.

So... we've been living like squatters. Camping out in our new house.

We borrowed some air mattresses from our neighbor. We borrowed 4 plates, 4 cups, 4 forks and 4 spoons from the base.  A nice lady at church lent us a box of toys. We've been surviving.

And I've been trying to find fun stuff for me and the kids to do each day. A new library just opened, and it has the most incredible kids' area!  Tons of toys, dress up clothes, electronic toys, computers, and of course BOOKS. We have been there 3 times this week! This morning they had a great "Critter Hour" and the  kids got to pet a bearded dragon, hedgehog, skink, rats, and more. They also had some fun crafts. We love this library!

Leo also started his preschool summer camp on Wednesday. It's a few hours each morning, for the next 3 weeks. His teacher is great, and he's been enjoying the new friends.

So things are going well here- but we have been counting down the days until our stuff arrives. And tomorrow is the day!  I am so giddy.

I can't wait to get the kids' rooms set up, have their toys ready for them, and to sleep in my own bed again- with sheets instead of a sleeping bag. I've really missed my kitchen stuff, my good knives, my blender, and real plates. It will be so nice to have bathroom mats, plenty of towels,  and trash cans in every room. We can even do laundry without going to the laundromat!

I know it's just STUFF, but it's the comforts of home. And we will appreciate them even more, since we've been living without for awhile.

Hallelujah!  Our stuff is coming tomorrow! Tonight I will dream of clean sheets, trash cans, and blenders....

5 months old!

Lena is 5 months old! She is rolling all over the floor, and loves to chew on anything she can get her hands on. She is smiling more and more, and it's so fun to see her little personality coming out.

I love this photo of her.  *JAZZ hand*

Zoo Time

Colorado Springs has the coolest zoo! We love it.  Nana and Papa were here visiting, so we all went to the zoo together. (They even bought us a season pass- yahoo!)

The highlight was feeding the giraffes- of course. They eat lettuce right from your hand!

Another highlight was the SkyRide- a ski lift that takes you up the side of the mountain. The views were incredible.  I think we're going to really love going to this zoo!

Leo also got to ride the carousel- which is Nana's favorite!

The Boys Cross-Country Trip

Daddy and Leo drove from Virginia to Colorado this week, while Mommy and Lena flew there. 

The boys spent 4 days driving, and stayed at KOA cabins along the way. They had a great time, swimming,  playing on playgrounds, and watching DVDs in the car. Leo was a real trooper.

They stopped at: 

Buckeye Lake, Ohio

St. Louis, Missouri

Hayes, Kansas

Denver, Colorado

Some of the cabins had a "theme."

They picked KOAs because they had pools and playgrounds- which was great fun after a long day of driving!

I'm leaving on a jet plane...

In about 1 day from now I'll be on my way to Colorado.  All our worldly possessions are on a large truck , somewhere between here and there. Jack and Leo are driving out right now, and the baby and I are flying there on Tuesday. What an adventure!
I can't help but feel nostalgic about the 4 wonderful years we've spent here in the DC area. I have felt more at home here, than any other place we've lived. I love the history, art, and energy of this area.

I will miss our lovely suburban neighborhood in Virginia, our kind neighbors, and all the dear friends we have made here. I will miss the spectacular Spring and Fall seasons- when every plant is blooming with flowers, or ablaze in color. I will miss the lakes, the trails, and the numberless trees. I will miss fireflies in July, the famous cherry blossoms, dogwoods, and azaleas in Spring.

There have been so many times, when driving into the city, that I have caught a glimpse of the Washington Monument, or the Capitol Building, or the Lincoln Memorial... and it literally takes my breath away.  I almost have to pinch myself... "I can't believe we LIVE here!"  We've been to the White House, The Library of Congress, the Capitol Building, and to every national monument. We've spent time in every Smithsonian- the Air and Space, the American History, the National Galleries of Art...  there is so much to see and do.

It has been such a delight. I feel honored to have lived here, to have experienced Washington DC and so much of what she has to offer. This place will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Farewell, Dear Friends

This is always the hardest part.

We have made some wonderful friends here in the DC/Virginia area over the last 4 years, and we knew it would be hard to say goodbye. We will miss our neighborhood, our ward, and all of our dear friends.

We had a potluck at our house tonight- just two days before the movers come. We cleaned out our fridge, and had our own version of Iron Chef- getting creative and trying to make something tasty.The weather was cool enough that we could sit outside, and enjoy the day. It was so fun to spend time with everyone, and watch the kids play together.

The kids played on the swing, and chased each other around the house. They raced fire trucks down the driveway, and looked for bugs in the grass.  It was so fun to watch Leo playing with all his friends. I know he will miss them very much.

 Lena had fun bouncing in her bouncer.

 Leo and Ben racing their fire trucks.

As it started to get dark, and kids bedtimes got closer, people started packing up to leave. I didn't want the party to end, and I didn't want to start saying our goodbyes...

More Miracles

Lena's life has been full of miracles. I posted about some of them earlier, but there have been even more!

Normally an adoption is finalized after 6 months. That is the law. Unless there is "just cause" to finalize early. We didn't realize that until our attorney contacted us a week ago and said that because we were moving to Colorado we could petition the court to finalize before our move. "Do you want to finalize early?" he asked?  YES, yes we do.

So we wrote up a letter, and he submitted our petition to the judge. She approved it, and our court date was set for 6 days later.  So last Thursday, June 19th, we finalized our adoption! An amazingly 2 months early. We were so thrilled. It really was a miracle that just dropped right into our laps. Wow.
Wow. Wow.

We celebrated with Mexican food.

We decided to do Lena's sealing and baby blessing here, before our move. We set the date just two days after our finalization.  Saturday, June 21st at 7pm.  (Summer Solstice!)

We only had a few days to plan, which meant my family wasn't able to fly out here for it- but we were delighted to have all our amazing friends surrounding us.  JD Evans from our ward, was our sealer, and Norm VanDam helped check us in at the desk. Everywhere we looked we saw familiar faces of friends who have been our family for the last 4 years. It was so special.

The Washington DC temple is magnificent. And we loved that it was cool and cloudy outside- which made for some great family photos.

Lena looked radiant in her little white dress. She smiled and looked up at Daddy the whole time. Leo was cute too- all dressed in white, like a little gentleman. Jack and I were so happy, so excited, and feeling so grateful for all the miracles that had made these things possible.

Our forever family.

On Sunday Jack gave Lena her baby blessing. He explained why her middle name is "Love"" and said that she will be a beacon of light and love throughout her life.

Our precious Lena. Our miracle baby. We love her with all our hearts, and are so grateful to be an eternal family. My heart is overflowing with gratitude. Praise God!

Summer Fun

Today was the perfect summer Saturday.  It was awesome!

It started with an essential oil cooking class and Brunch. A lot of people from my doTERRA team came, and we had a great time learning about how to cook with essential oils. We had perfect weather, and all the food was delicious!

Nassera is from France, and she taught us some great recipes using essential oils.

This was my last Team Event here in Virginia, so it was bittersweet. It was hard to say goodbye, but it was also wonderful to think about how large our team has grown over the last 3 years. (We now have over 1000 people, all over the U.S., and around the world!) And to think that it all started with that first class at Little River Yoga.  I made a lot of phone calls to set up a class, and got a lot of "no"s, but I got one "yes" and a huge part of my team came because of people that enrolled at that first class. I cherish the relationships I have made with all of these wonderful women and men on my team- it is such a privilege to work with them, and to be sharing these amazing gifts of the Earth. I am so blessed.

After our brunch the Hansens came down from DC, and we went to our pool. We barbecued some chicken, and ate potato salad and corn on the cob. The kids swam for hours, played on the adjacent playground, and munched on watermelon. Rebecca, Mike, Jack and I chatted poolside, and got in to swim a few times too. The weather was perfect (not too humid) and there was a slight breeze. It was the perfect summer day.

 We have spent a lot of time in this cute little baby pool over the last 4 summers- Leo was just 6 months old when we first moved here!  Now Lena is 4 months old- so she loves it too.

They had a bounce house set up this weekend, so the boys enjoyed some bounce time.  This photo makes Leo look like an amputee.

After the fun at the pool we returned to our house, where Jack built a little campfire in our fire pit. We roasted marshmallows, and then dipped them in toppings:  chocolate chips, graham cracker crumbs, caramel sauce, chopped nuts, etc.  Yum! We decided that we could never go back to plain old s'mores again.

Rebecca and Mike. Aren't they cute? 

We put up the baby swing in our tree, and Lena got to swing for the first time. She loved it.

As the sun began to set, we reflected on our fun summer day and didn't want it to end.  We leave for Colorado soon, and this will definitely stand out as one of our very favorite memories of our last summer in Virginia.  *sniff*