Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
I feel so lucky to have this beautiful video of our baby girl made by my sister Kylie. She compiled clips filmed by us, my sister Megan, and friend Lex to make it. I just adore our baby girl and this video brought me to tears. I will definitely share more about her adoption day and sealing day, but for now this about sums up my feelings. So happy she is a part of our eternal family.
It was a long road to find our Remi, but worth every twist and turn. Chase and I often look back at our journey from the day we decided to try getting pregnant to today, and are so happy it ended up just the way it was supposed to. We couldn't be happier with the Lord's plan for us, and blessing us with our perfect daughter. After that first year back in 2012 when we started trying, we still weren't pregnant in 2013 so decided to seek out fertility treatment. Since then, it's been a roller coaster. In the past four years I underwent a surgery to correct a uterine anomaly that ended up not being necessary. I sought out many doctors both holistically and western, to treat my autoimmune disorders and find medications that worked. I decided to try to heal my body with strict eating plans in hopes of boosting my immunities, stabilizing my hormones, and attempting to feel normal. In 2014, we finally had Chase checked and realized his sperm count according to tests was non-existent. So put all those pieces together and the puzzle was clear, we wanted to adopt. Not because we had to, but because we wanted to, we knew it was right and it brought us so much love and joy! I think sometimes in life we just need little nudges to remember what we were meant to do all along. Adoption was something that had been on my mind for some time, and I had grown more familiar with it as I went into adulthood. The more time that had passed, the more I wanted our baby this way. In 2015, we finalized that decision as a couple through fervent prayer and research, and our lives have never been the same.
Looking back, it was only a year from when we started the adoption process to when Remi was born. Chase and I are insanely grateful that our wait was brief. I know it's because Heavenly Father knew we had been waiting four years already, and it was finally our turn! But during that time of waiting, He knew what we needed to learn and how we needed to grow in order to prepare for building our family through adoption. And the awesome thing is, He directed our lives down a path that gave us the experiences, places, jobs, and people that did just that for us. Choosing to adopt opened our hearts and healed our souls. To this day, we can both say we are grateful for our struggles and stoked things didn't work out the natural way, because without those struggles we wouldn't have our Remi which is unbearable to imagine. Adopting our Remi has brought us more joy then we could have ever imagined or predicted for ourselves prior to the process. Parenting is a billion times more awesome then we ever dreamt of!
I hope by sharing these words I have opened some hearts. Perhaps to give those who are struggling to build a family of their own some hope, and removing that negative connotation, "I'm never going to be a Mom," from their vocabulary. Or maybe those who have the means and heart to add another child to their family, so a child in need can have a place to call home and be loved. Life is never a dead end when things don't go the way you thought. There is always a bend in the road or perhaps a secret tunnel off to the side, one that you didn't see before but was always there. It's up to you to peek into those options and see what feels right. Persevere, never give up, there is so much hope in adoption. I can't help but share because it is something I feel so strongly about and want others to receive that same joy. If adoption is something you have ever wondered about and want to talk about it, please email me (see my about page). I know I have had a handful of guardian angels that I relied on throughout this journey, and still do. Friends I have made that will last a lifetime, all thanks to adoption and that bond that unites us. It is a gift that helps you see a little further, feel more fully, hear more openly, think a little deeper, love bravely, and give selflessly. And that's a gift I want in my life, and am so grateful to have.
Sure do love our sweet Remi girl, and stoked to be her mom forever! These photos are something I will forever cherish and remember. A beautiful evening with a beautiful girlie. Now which one should I frame for her room?! ;) Adoption is love my friends, so much love.
Photos taken at Wind N Sea Beach in La Jolla, CA // Photography by: @beautifullyblissphotography
So much has happened in the last year. 2016 was definitely one for the record books, so many blessings came to our family. Not only is it a miracle that I'm actually blogging, but we have our tiny miracle of a baby, FINALLY! It's about time our sweet daughter Remi makes an appearance here on our family blog :). I have so much to share regarding our adoption and birth of our sweet daughter, but before I dig into my archives, I wanted to share these recent photos taken last week.
Remi is almost 4 months and time is flying in ways I'm not ready for! She's growing so fast and we have loved every second of parenthood. Chase and I still argue (teasingly) over who gets to hold and snuggle her first haha, so she's pretty spoiled. I'm so glad we captured these beautiful memories with our daughter at our favorite place to always look back on. Our family feels whole now that we have our hunny bunny. Also, stoked San Diego stopped raining for a day so we could follow through with our scheduled photoshoot ;)! More to come soon (as always). . .
REMI YOLANDE RONDO
Born October 9, 2016
8:07 am via C-section
8 lbs. 11.5 oz.
21" long
Welcome to the world sweet angel. I knew it was you before you came. The second the nurse told me you were a girl I about dropped to the floor, overjoyed that my intuition was right. As I rounded the corner and entered the room where we first met, I was overwhelmed with a surge of love and joy that put me in tears as I faced my reality. You are so beautiful, my sweet girl, so perfect. You will always know your story, of how we found you and all those that love you. I may not have given you the gift of life, but life gave me the gift of you. I'M A MOM!!!
I don't really know where to begin. My mind most days feels jumbled with things I need to "get done," that literally make my heart race just thinking about it. In fact, just beginning to type this post has my heart pounding in my chest and I think my palms are getting sweaty haha. I think thats why I chose to post a pic of Chase and I at the beach, haha! It relaxes me. Anyway, I have been thinking about whether or not I want to blog my thoughts regarding fertility for months. After talking with my husband this week, we decided we are both okay with it. So here I go.
Chase and I have been trying to get pregnant since Chase's birthday in August 2012. A solid three years. We enjoyed our first year of marriage as newlyweds basking in the Hawaiian sun. I was 23, Chase was 22. We had plenty of time to think about babies and honestly, we weren't in any rush. But after a year went by we both felt excited and ready so decided, "Hey, let's do this and have ourselves a Hawaiian baby!" ;). All my baby dreams were going to come true.
Then a wall hit.
We had been trying for about eight months probably when I began to sort of wonder if we would be one of those couples who struggled. I had a pit in my tummy that made me worry. But after talking to some close friends and family I was reassured it was very normal to take up to a year for your first baby. So we kept at it and gave it some time.
Then August 2013 came and went. We still weren't pregnant.
It was that summer in 2013 when we started making some big decisions and saw our first fertility specialist. After research, talking to family, personal thought and lots of prayer, we decided a surgery was our best option. I underwent my procedure in October 2013 in hopes of bettering our chances of becoming pregnant.
The surgery went as the doctors planned and the main thing I remember was waking up with a crazy dry mouth. They were feeding me animal crackers but I couldn't even chew them because it felt like there was no saliva in my mouth, haha it was so weird. But the warm air puffy suit was amazing :) After a follow up consultation we were told we should be pregnant within five months. Of course there were no promises or guarantees, but we honestly thought we had solved the problem and were very hopeful for the upcoming year.
We moved from Hawaii to California in January 2014. It was this year that I struggled the most. Not only was the move from Hawaii to California extremely difficult for me, but my dreams of having a baby weren't happening as planned. I was just super sad. Not so much that anyone else could notice, it was mostly within myself. I think women who struggle with fertility can relate. But my personality is such that I tend to become an introvert when I'm truly having a hard time. Every day I would put on a smiling face and press on. There were many nights of tears and small moments during the day of utter fear as I felt like I was watching life pass me by. Today, reflecting back to last year, I know what pulled me through those hard times.
Gratitude for my many blessings.
I have so much to be grateful for. I have a beautiful place to call home. I have a wonderful family that loves me. I am an auntie to so many adorable littles that make me happier beyond explanation. My husband supports me and gives me the strength I need when I feel helpless. I have a roof over my head and a job that satisfies my needs. I have a hobby that pushes me, challenges me and helps me escape to my own creative world. I have friends. I have food and clean water which is amazing. I have a Heavenly Father that loves me and is always there for me to pray to and give me comfort. I have direction and a purpose in life and I know that I am extremely blessed.
At the end of the day I ponder these blessings and laugh at how I could ever be so sad. Positive thinking really can take you far. Although, I am a huge advocate of letting oneself be sad. It is only human nature and I find it healthy. So there are times when I allow myself to be sad and let it run wild for a little bit. But only for a little bit. Then you gotta pick yourself up and keep going.
Now jump to 2015. Chase and I have continued pushing through our journey by seeing more fertility specialists individually and together. Upon receiving more clarifying information, we both knew we had some hard times ahead. There's one appointment in particular that I will never forget. Chase and I were sitting together across from a doctor with beautiful snowy white hair. She explained to us kindly yet very matter of factly regarding our situation. And honestly, I needed this. I appreciated this. Because finally, I knew the reality. I didn't like the reality, I didn't want the reality, but it was ours. Chase and I walked out of that office quietly, hand in hand. I remember it was raining outside. I began to cry the second we got to our car.
The chances of Chase and I having a baby biologically are based on a sole miracle. But you know what? I believe in miracles. I know they happen. I know they are real. I know Heavenly Father loves us each so much he knows what we need. He knows our deepest desires and will never leave our side. Chase and I together know that he has a plan for us and how he wants us to build our family. We both believe he will bless us with what we need, when we need it. I know that for certain because I have seen Him do it in my life before with my husband.
Chase and I will not wait around for our miracle. We will be proactive, diligent, faithful and optimistic in building our family. It may not be as we had always planned and pictured, but it will be ours for the keeping. Not only for this life, but through the eternities. And we can't wait! We are both in this with full hearts.
With that being said, we are preparing to ADOPT! After months of prayer and talking with family and close friends, as well as meeting with people in similar situations, we have decided this is essential to our journey. We have received so many answers that it is undeniable. I have felt the Lord warm my heart and literally shape it into the kind of mama heart I need for this experience. My thoughts of sadness, fear, loss and disbelief have turned to thoughts of faith, joy, strength, belief and spiritual empowerment beyond something I can explain to others. There are babies in heaven waiting for Chase and I and I want them all haha, so badly! Okay, thats my crazy baby hunger talking. But for reals, I'm ready to get this ball rollin'!
So here we go. Chase and I are beginning our journey to building our family. I can't wait to meet our first baby someday hopefully soon. I feel well prepared after nannying for so many years and being an auntie to so many adorable littles. Thank you for sticking this blog post out if you did. I hope it can help you know and recognize the many blessings you have and how much Heavenly Father loves you, knows you and wants you to be happy. Because after all, happiness is a choice. And gosh dang it, I'm gonna be happy! :)
This trip was dear to my
heart; something I really needed and I truly believe Heavenly Father
orchestrated. It all began at 7:00 am on March 4th with a text message I
woke up to. A text message I was not ready to receive. One that
literally had me on the floor in tears and a nervous panic with a
confused husband.
My
sister Megan was due with her baby girl on May 7th. To all of our
surprise, little Liv came into this world a few months early. Meg woke
up in middle of the night when her water had broken and rushed off to
the hospital. By the time the messages had gotten to me the baby had
already been born. My initial thoughts and feelings were fear and worry
for my sister, her health, my brother in law and his worries, and of
course my sweet baby niece and her physical state. My auntie heart was
exploding with emotions and my sister heart was devastated. Immediately I
began praying for strength to know how I could help being in California
and all.
I
had been planning to fly out and help Meg with the baby in May after
baby girl was born. But sometimes life doesn't go as planned. I was
already looking up flights to fly out to Idaho that weekend while I was
on my way to work. With the encouragement from my wonderful boss, I was
able to take a week off and fly home immediately to help my sis. I knew
she needed me. Not in a week, not in three days, but NOW. So off I went
ready to help.
I
can already tell this post is going to get really long so if you're
over it then feel free to move along to another web browser :).
Now,
I may not be a mother yet. I desire to be a mother more than anything
in this world and people that know me know my story. I may not know what
it truly feels like to be a "real mother," to my own born child, but I
sure know what it feels like to "be mothering." And this feeling helped
me to know just what to do to help my sis in need. Luckily, with years
of nannying and auntie experience I could pick up all house duties and
take care of Van while tending my sister and her husband during this
hard time.
Trips
back and forth from the NICU are hard. Lack of sleep due to stress,
exhaustion, and fear is hard. A post-labor body that is trying to
re-cooperate from having a premie baby with a body that isn't
cooperating is hard. Having the stress of a baby in the NICU with a sick
two year old at home who misses his mommy and doesn't understand fully
what all the fuss is about is SUPER hard. Missing your husband and
hardly seeing him due to opposite hospital visits is hard. Having a
sister in town who you wish you could go play with but can't find the
time nor health to do anything is hard. A visit to the ER is hard.
These are all problems my dear sister Megan experienced the week I was visiting.
Gosh
dang it people, life is ridiculously hard. Motherhood is hard. But
motherhood is a miracle. And being a sister and an aunt is a true
blessing.
After
some really challenging times, Meg's sweet baby girl was a fighter and
pulled through after two months in the NICU. She earned every bit of her
name, Liv and is so special in my heart. I am so grateful I was able to
visit her at the hospital and hold her while she was still so tiny. I'm
so blessed to have been there for my sister when she needed me most. A
lot of this trip was very personal to not only me but especially my
sister, so I am choosing my words wisely with what I share. But in a
nutshell, my sis Megan showed me more strength, more love, more courage
and more loyalty in this week then I have seen in her entire life.
Despite the utter fear and craziness of every new and upcoming problem
we had that week, I was overcome with peace, strength and a calm mind to
help pull Megan through and watch over sweet Van.
oh my goodness, i feel like i never blog anymore! and you know what, i miss it haha. do people still read blogs anymore or did i just fall off the wagon? dang instagram haha ;). but really. i used to post work outs and recipes alongside my crafting, and i miss doing that so want to get back on it. so here i am today, blogging while the baby i nanny naps :).
i've been super busy lately with work. i just got switched to a full time nanny from part time, so now i work lonnnnng hours and get home tired and ready to plop on the nearest soft surface. although, i most often find myself creating like a crazy women to add beautiful things to my etsy shop instead of sleeping or doing all those millions of things on my to do list.
so for a "lisa life" update. chase and i are busy bees during the week with work and have spent the past few saturdays babysitting for friends. we even braved legoland with a loot of four wild kids, wow that was an adventure haha. chase has been doing his internship and has another interview today for a position he is really excited about . . . fingers crossed :). we still manage to squeeze in some early morning surf sessions at this lovely spot ^^^^ just a couple minutes from our house and we just got a go pro (thank you tax return) so i'm stoked to use it while in the water!! annnnnnd we do our best to go on fun dates taking turns on who picks where we get to eat. there are so many delicious places to eat here, i love it! and the mexican food is amazing, i crave burritos and limes more than i should hehe.
and let's not forget about easter!! our easter was just as expected. we went to church and had an amazing meeting and the spirit was so strong. this video had me all sorts of grateful and even more so humbled. following church, we drove to temecula to spend some time with chase's extended family eating yummy things and having an easter egg hunt for the kiddos. then i continued to eat easter candy for four days straight and it was insane. i need help haha. why am i such a candy addict?
aside from this quick and most likely boring update, that's about all. i have so much more to share that i will slowly throw at ya, so stay tuned!
These THREE things
Since today is Thanksgiving, I wanted to write about the things I'm most grateful for. The list I came up with in my head is crazy long so when I really thought about it, I narrowed it down to three. Without these three things, my life would be meaningless and lonely. With these three things, my life has purpose, love, and joy.
Chase
My husband. He makes me laugh every day. He also annoys me but mostly makes me happy, hah! :). I love him to the moon and back. We met on the beach and he taught me all I know about the ocean. I love his many smiles, especially his gum smile that mocks my gum smile. It's pretty hilarious (some of you may have been lucky enough to have seen it). I love his excitement for holidays and strict traditions we follow to a T. I love his laugh and the way he dances the same two moves whenever he gets excited about something, mostly surfing or a new song. Miley is his fav ;). He is the most loyal, dedicated, and committed man I know. He sees what he wants and he goes for it without hesitation. He makes me a better person, keeping our focus on the gospel and Heavenly Father's plan for us. Chase is an all around joy and life is lame without him. He makes my heart melt. I also am obsessed with his blonde hair and dashing looks, oh and his personality that so easily charms his way through anything. And of course, I love that he always puts me first and loves me most despite all my faults.
My Family
The coolest crew around. I love my family so much. Having 5 siblings was always a party, and adding 5 in-laws to the bunch with a bunch of kiddos just makes it more awesome. We have so many fun and wonderful memories together of our childhood and continue to make fun new ones as adults. It's funny to think how the dynamics of a sibling relationship change as you age. They get more serious, more real, and more genuine. I see my siblings differently now than I did as a kid, and I'm grateful for the people they have become. And I have the world's best and most loving parents. Dad is always there supporting me and sending me sweet texts about a blog post or picture I just posted. That's what I love about him, he notices things. Mom is always so caring and on top of it. She knows just when to help even when I don't ask. She knows how to make me laugh and remember that life isn't easy, but it sure is fun. Also I have the coolest in-laws ever. They are so loving, giving, and fun. I truly have scored in the family department and thank my Heavenly Father every day for that.
Nature and Spirituality
My foundation. Every day, I look around and can't believe how beautiful Hawaii is. Moving here really made me realize how much I take for granted the beauty found in nature. I grew up in Idaho always playing outside whether it was camping, skiing, or swimming in lakes and rivers. But it wasn't until living here that I not only fell in love with the ocean, but really grew to appreciate and love my roots, the mountains. I am obsessed with both, all four seasons, and the beauty found in every state or island. Which brings me to spirituality. I feel that being in touch with nature and yourself as an individual can really help one gain a spiritual perspective on what really matters in life. It all comes down to the simple things, most importantly feeling loved and of purpose. It creates a foundation in which we can build our lives upon. Through the gospel of which I am happy to belong to, I know I am loved by my Heavenly Father and I know there is a plan for me and I am never alone. I try my best to live a good life that will bring me joy and the ones I love peace. Because after all, that is what our whole purpose here is anyway.
Happy Thanksgiving.
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