Spring Fever

  This is how excited he was for the tulips

Tulip season came early this year here in Washington and I have to say it was a fantastic surprise.  Such a great recommendation via my parents and I am so glad we made the trip.   Tulips happen to be one of my favorite flowers so I was in heaven when I saw the rows and rows.  Such gorgeous colors.  The sky was grey with hints of sunshine.  The ground was completely muddy and to get real... the kids had way more fun stepping in the mud then looking at flowers.  And as you could see, KC was pretty into it too.  But being that this was my birthday weekend they all were game and I even ended up with a full bouquet of my own tulips to take home! -thanks honey-. 

Rhone breaks his arm

 // It's these type of posts that really remind me of why I do this little blog.  It's a place I can document the details of an event that I never want to forget and a place my kids can go years later to re-live //

 Warning: It's a long one...
 

The story:  Rhone fell off his ladder going up to his bunk bed and landed on his arm.
- Boring I know...
The back story:  My amazingly thoughtful husband had an idea to build a marble run for the kids.  It was something that Rhone and him could do that would keep them entertained for the day.  So he took Rhone to the store, got supplies and proceeded to help Rhone build it.  Finally getting installed in his room.  The kids LOVED it.  Played with it for hours.  It was around 6:30 I left to go to a bible study.  It was a typical night, they ate dinner, and got ready for bed.  For us that hour between dinner and bed is pretty intense.  Kids are usually pretty hyper and usually consists of wrestling, catch, hid and seek, or in this case more marble runs.  So as Rhone climbed up, by chance alone his feet slipped off the 3rd step and down he went.


Marble Run from Lynn Fletcher on Vimeo.

To this day, I think back and just am so impressed with how well my husband reacted.  Of course the blood curdling scream came out and KC knew something serious had happened.  He took Rhone's shirt off (long sleeve- ouch!) And instantly he knew it was bad... he thought it was just dislocated).  He got Lachlyn down and told her to go stand by the front door.  He then somehow picked Rhone up and put both kids in the car and raced them to the urgent care.  When he got there, the doctor just had to look at it, and then told him to take him to ER.  So they all got back in the car and started driving.  At this point he finally had the chance to call me.  I was kinda in shock and as I started running out to my car, I had no idea how to get to the ER... my husband had to tell me which way to turn and tell me where I was - his adrenaline made him calm and collective where my adrenaline just made me a forgetful mess haha.   So we meet at the ER and raised him in.  Once I saw him my mama bear instincts immediately kicked in and I knew it was broken. 

It was pretty awesome to see how brave and strong he was at this time.  He was in soo much pain but every time someone walked in, he looked in their eyes and answered every question with a big strong voice.  It was as if he really wanted help and that was more important than crying.  On a side note... Lachlyn was also quite impressive.  According to KC, she knew something was wrong and from the minute he told her to stand by the door to even getting out by herself and standing on sidewalk she listened and obeyed. She was so sweet to him and helped even make him laugh.

The doctor finally came in and pretty much we knew when her face shrunk up a little almost as if she knew the extent of it and that we would again have to be taken to another hospital.  They took x-rays... yes I helped - again mama bear was out... I practically took the x-ray myself.

As you can see pretty clearly the x-ray to the left shows it was broken.  To be specific he had a right supracondylar humerus fracture.  Because it was a complete fracture, their was sharp bone on the side and they were afraid of nerve damage.  We were told he needed surgery and that they didn't have a pediatric ortho doc on-call and so they recommended us going to Seattle Children's hospital.  I was extremely relieved at this point.  I knew it was a great hospital and of course any mama wants the best of the best to operate on their little one.  So they put Rhone and I in the ambulance and KC took Lachlyn back home to put to bed (at this point it was 10pm).  My lovely sister drove down right away so that she could stay the night with her and KC could meet us at Childrens.

He gathered some clothes for us and meet us there.  As soon as we arrived, we were well taken care of and after about 30 mins, KC arrived.  Just in time for them to put a proper splint on him.  My heart just broke as I saw him in more pain then before and all we could do was love on him.  So thankful that this lovely hospital had an endless supply of superhero movies!! It seriously saved him.  It was the only thing that took his mind off the pain.

  
Still in the ER we had talked with 2 different orthopedic residents and they explaining how they would try a closed reduction surgery with 3 pins with the possibility of a open reduction.  They were slightly worried about his nerves at this point and the amount of swelling.  It was now about midnight and they were waiting to hear back from the attending to see if we could wait until morning for surgery.  I was at great relief to hear that we would be admitted and we could would wait for the best of the best orthopedic surgeon to operate.  It was a very long and short night but he finally slept and I got about 2 hours myself.

The next day was just a waiting game.  The surgeon came and talked with us and reassured us that he does hundreds of these surgeries and was great with Rhone.  It was just a matter of waiting for us to be able to get slipped into the fully booked OR schedule.  We were on immediate stand-by all day until around 2:00.  They wheeled him to Surgery and we were able to sit by him while they gave some anesthesia to put him to light sleep before the breathing tube.  At this point my heart was completely broken but I held it together until he was completely out of my sight.  Then I lost it...  I think I had saved up every emotion until that moment.  KC and I kept reminding ourselves that he was and always has been in the best hands and that God would take care of him better than any doctor or myself included.  We also talked about how lucky we have been that until this point neither of our kiddos have had to be hospitalized.  Working in health care I see sick kids all the time.  Biggest having had having to treat kids with radiation.  Being on the other side of it all, made me realize again why I do what I do, and why compassion is something everyone needs.  I try to remind myself each day at work that those people in the hospital are probably having the worst day of their life.  Granted this was not our worst day, but you just never know what other people are going through.   So with that we grabbed something to eat and headed back to our room.  1 hour later he was out and we could see him in recovery. 

The doctor said everything went great.  They didn't have to open him up, just did the closed reduction and put 3 pins to hold into place.  He was given a soft cast for a week because he was so swollen.  He woke up pretty funny.  He said his mouth felt weird and kept moving his lips.  But eventually he woke up to his sweet self.  He was excited to see his cast and to finally be able to eat.  We hung out there the rest of the day and then got to go home that night. 

The nurse was pretty adment that he needed to eat before we left and so he did just that.  And of course after we get in to the car and start to drive home, he threw up everywhere.  Felt so horrible for him and drove home, cleaned him up and put him straight to bed.  The first several days consisted of watching lots of movies and medication every 3 hours.  By the 2nd day home, he had his best friend over to watch movies together.  The way he shows off his cast and tells everyone his story just reminds me of how grown up he is.  So confident, so courageous, and so sweet.  To make things better, we've been having some pretty amazing 60 + degree days here with lots of sun.

Tomorrow marks 1 week from the surgery and he goes to get another x-ray and his new hard cast.  Were praying that the bone hasn't slipped and that everything is in it's right place.  Such a long and emotional week but were on the up and up and really it has been such a great story for him to have.  I know for KC and I, this whole thing has grown our marriage and has shown us vulnerability that either one of us haven't seen.  I am one lucky girl. 

Life Lately

 Life Lately around here has been pretty full of self discovery and planning.  Personally I have been going through a lot with my health.  Taking blood tests to determine allergy sensitivity, patch testing to determine what chemicals in products I'm allergic to and changing my diet completely.  It really has consumed not just my life but our families.  I have learned so much in the last several weeks I kinda feel overwhelmed and not even sure where to start to try to help my body heal and move forward.  Hoping that I can get some results that can help me know what exact changes should be made.

Lachlyn has had quite a couple of rough weeks as well,  with a giant cold leading to antibiotics for a double ear infection followed up with another cold! That girl, I keep telling myself it's good for her to get her immune system up but man, sick kids is no fun at all!  With that, I can't tell you how much ease I have now that I have my oils.  Using them each day helps her symtoms during the day.  I have been diffusing OnGuard all over this house and I can't tell you how exciting it is that no one else has gotten her cold! 

KC is working so hard each day and has received a promotion a couple weeks ago.  Its always a nice feeling to get rewarded for hard work right?! His car a month ago, stopped working and so he found himself a new (to us) SUV that he loves.  I think having a Prius as our main car for 7 years has kinda taken a toll on his need for power.  And although I resisted ALOT about the gas guzzler, I am excited to be able to go camping or road trip with plenty of room and hopefully someday a paddle board up top :) I can dream right! 

Today as I type this, I am consumed with the fact that in 1 hour when Lach wakes up I have to go down to the elementary school and register Rhone for Kindergarden!!  I mean when did this happen?  It doesn't start until September but man times does fly by.  I still remember my sweet little baby boy like it was yesterday.  He has grown so much in the last couple months... literally, I mean all his pants are way to short.  Bought shoes 2 sizes up and cut his hair twice in 6 months. 

I have big plans brewing over here for our little family.  Hopefully a trip back home or a new home will be an option for us in 2015.  Big life changes are my thing.  I kinda love them.  Health being on the very top of our list.  This little blog of mine has been neglected a little as well.  I am hoping that I can get back into a little more photography and get a post or two each month. 

xoxo

My Daily Routine with Oils

I thought it would be fun to do a post about my daily routine using essential oils.  I am fairly new to the oil community but have been enjoying every minute of it.  My favorite thing about essential oils is that 1 oil can be used in so many different ways.  You can never choose a wrong oil.  You don't have to be worried about overdosing, and you don't have to worry about side effects. (Keep in mind, other brands could be very different depending on how they are made, so everything here is using doTerra)

For this post I am just going to briefly lay out what I do each and every day on day that I am working and days that I am home with the kids. 

My Everyday Routine:

• After breakfast, I take my doTerra vitamins, Zyrtec + TriEase for my allergies (Most people would be able to just take TriEase for their allergies... this is the worst time of year for me, and I have to take Zyrtec and then now I can take TriEase as a added relief.
•  FYI: I actually got all these vitamins for free! Being a member gets you significant discounts and lots and lots of free products )

• I also put 1 drop of Balance on my wrist and then rub them together. 

• As I am getting ready for the day, I always put 1 drop of Frankincense into my regular lotion (Cetaphil) and apply it to my face.  - Because of my skin issues, I am not able to use any fancy face lotions, so by applying Frank with my regular lotion it helps fight wrinkles, and gives my skin a glow, and helps me feel more awake and alert without adding more chemicals that irritate my skin. 

• Throughout the day I diffuse oils.  The type of oil will vary and day to day and sometimes will change in the evening as well.  Usually if my kids are sick or have been sick I tend to diffuse OnGuard alot.  OnGuard cleans the air.  Gets rid of germs and also help our immunities.  I also like to diffuse Serenity.  I usually do this in the evenings when I need my kiddos to be calm and start to wind down before bed.  
• The serenity roller ball is 1/3 Serenity + Carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil).  This is another easy way to apply it to your kids! I put on the back of their neck or on there wrists. 

•  During the day I carry around my glass water bottle.  I put 2-3 drops of Lemon and then fill the rest with water.  Lemon helps detox your body and really it just tastes better and really is more tempting than plain water.  - If were honest here, I am usually double fist'ing with water in one hand, and coffee in another.  

On Working days: 

• I add InTune oil to both sides of my temples when I am feeling tird or bored of work.  My job is pretty intense and I have to be on point every second!  There is no room for mistakes in Radiation Therapy.  This oils helps so much!  I put a little on the sides of my temples throughout my day and I truly feel more focused on what I am doing.  Great for school or really anything that is needing your full attention!  Love it!

• At night I have a diffuser right next to me on my bed stand and I like to diffuse Breathe to help keep my airways open.  See post here.

• I also LOVE using Cedarwood.  I put a drop on my big toes, and sometimes a drop on the back of my ears.  This oil is one of my FAVORITES.  It is so addicting because it helps not only get me to sleep, but also puts me in a deep sleep where I actually have dreams.  As a mom, I can't tell you how valuable sleep is.  However, I think I can speak for most moms out there, that once you have kids, even if your normally a deep sleeper, you tend to be on edge or waiting for your child to wake up. My husband has no idea what this means haha... which is why he never hears our kids wake up in the middle of the night! :)  This oil just helps speed up the process of going from a light sleep to a deep sleep faster!  So you can finally enjoy some of that REM sleep your significant other gets every night.
• The roller ball is 1/3 Cedarwood + a carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil).  I use this for my kids.  Not every night, but when they wont go to sleep or when I know they are cranky and are in need of some great sleep.

I can't tell you how much oils have changed my life.  Most significantly with my kids and how I treat their hurts, moods, sickness, and even infections!  For myself, my life has consisted of constant reading labels and not being able to use normal products that most people use in their daily routines.  The oil smells alone are such a uplifting treat for me each day.  One of my biggest goals this year is to learn more and also to transition my life into more healthy eating for my family.  I am curious about using these oils for cooking and for helping our family with detoxing.  Does anyone have experience with this?   Another goal is to figure out these darn allergies and eczema of mine before I decide to move again! I hope this was helpful for anyone out there that is curious about essential oils and how they can benefit.  I plan on posting every so often with how I use my favorites so stay tuned!  

Also, how do you guys like my new blog look?  I think it's pretty fabulous!  Loving watercolor everything and my amazingly talented sister created my beautiful header!  Thanks Dre, your the best 

xoxo

Our Christmas 2014

So it's January 4th and yes I am just now getting around to our Christmas post!  Time has just been flying by around here, and this little space of mine was rightfully neglected.  I am known to always have a camera attached to me to catch the moments I want to freeze in time, but I seem to lack the time to actually post them... remember that 52 week project I committed too? Ya I looked back and the last one was in July.  But I mean really, it's not like I'm lacking in pictures of my kiddos on this blog am I right? :)

KC and I have been working a lot lately and so we struggled a little this year with getting everything done in time for Christmas.  We forgot to ship I think 4 peoples packages, I just barely got our holiday cards out on time, and I think we crammed 6 different events like seeing lights, and parties all into the last 3 days before the big day.  Christmas is by far my favorite holiday and I think about it most of the year.  So needless to say I have high expectations and try to make a big deal about it.  Working long hours was not part of my plan for sure, so I had to kind of let go of the expectations just go one day at a time.  I have to say what really saved us was doing an advent calendar this year.  Have any of you done this?  It was our first year, and we all LOVED it.  I had 25 little bags that each had a little card with a activity on it.  Rhone and Lachlyn would take turns each night after dinner and open the bag.  We did things like watch your favorite movie, drink hot chocolate, and then a lot of service cards such as: do something nice for someone else, make a card for a friend, give a present to a stranger, and gave our neighbors special presents.  It really was a great way to force us to take time as a family each night and helped us get into the Christmas spirit.  We've already decided that this is new tradition for our family along with a birthday cake for Jesus, which was again a huge hit. 

So this year and really last year as well Christmas day was a pretty quiet one for us. My parents came down on Christmas eve and were there with us for most of Christmas day before flying out to California.  We opened presents, ate a big waffle feast, and then played all day.  Rhone and Lachlyn's big presents were new scooters.  Rhone graduated from 3 wheels to 2 wheels and picked it up pretty quick. I have to say he is pretty darn good at that thing!  Lachlyn finally got one, and although she has a lot of practicing to do, at least she likes it and will try now while we go on our walks. Of course I had to make purple tassels and put a fancy shiny bell for her to really like it but what ever works right!

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas filled with joy, hope, and love.  I am so thankful for all of you who take the time to read this little blog about our family, and can't thank you enough.  xoxo