Exciting News!!!!

We have wonderful news to share...

The Boulton Bunch is growing again!

Conner is 4 weeks old and a handsome little guy with Down Syndrome. His journey into our lives and into our home has been a series of undeniably God orchestrated events. The culmination of which was his birth parents asking us to adopt him this past week. While even we might say its crazy to do 3 separate adoptions in less than 2 years, we would also say it is crazy to say no to God's plan for Conner and for us. 

So, we are taking a leap of faith. We are following God's lead, trusting His provision, and humbly asking our brothers and sisters for help. Admittedly, not an easy thing for us to do. 

God is already writing a beautiful story with Conner's little life and we couldn't be more excited to be bringing him into our family. We feel so humbled and honored to be his parents, to be his family, and to be able to love on him.

Would you please consider supporting us on this crazy ride?

There is a link on the side of this blog to make a tax-deductible donation to our families account for Conner's adoption at Project HOPEFUL.
THANK YOU for your support, it means the world to us!

End the Word

Tomorrow March 6 is the annual day of awareness to end the use of the word 'retarded'.

The following is from r-word.org-

Why "intellectual disability" is replacing "mental retardation"

The R-word, "retard," is slang for the term mental retardation. Mental retardation was what doctors, psychologists, and other professionals used to describe people with significant intellectual impairment. Today the r-word has become a common word used by society as an insult for someone or something stupid. For example, you might hear someone say, "That is so retarded" or "Don't be such a retard." When used in this way, the r-word can apply to anyone or anything, and is not specific to someone with a disability. But, even when the r-word is not said to harm someone with a disability, it is hurtful. Because of this, Special Olympics, Best Buddies and the greater disability community prefers to focus on people and their gifts and accomplishments, and to dispel negative attitudes and stereotypes. As language has evolved, Special Olympics and Best Buddies have updated their official terminology to use standard, people-first language that is more acceptable to constituents.

This is important to our family.
Words have the power to kill or give life. (Prov. 18:21)
We all have the choice of what we are going to do with our words. 
You would never say the 'N' word (hopefully ever) to, or in front of my Ethiopian daughter or anyone in my family would you? 
Saying the 'R' word is also hurtful. It equates intellectual disability with being stupid. It is offensive. It is HATE speech. 

Would you ever tell this perfect face she is stupid? Would you ever, even unintentionally want to risk hurting her feelings? Would you want to deal with ME if you did? (trust me the answer to that is NO!)

Ruby is NOT stupid. She is not lacking. She is joyful, she is beautiful, she is EXACTLY how our Creator intended for her to be!

We used to use the 'R' word in our home. Before we knew it hurt people. Before we understood. Our kids said it because we said it. So we have grace for you. AND now YOU know!
So our family would like you to join us, and our friends, (thank you Tes!) in committing to...

1. Stop using the 'R' word.
2. SHARE this post, and educate others.
3. Go to www.r-word.org for more information.

Formula Follow-up

I have had requests for an update on the new formula, so here ya go!

So Ruby has been on her homemade formula for almost 2 weeks. It has been MIRACULOUS!
Constipation- gone! Sleeping longer periods. Skin noticeably less dry, even in this crazy cold weather.
I did make an alteration. I added 2 tsp of gelatin to help emulsify the formula when it is warm and blend it in my Vitamix. It keeps the oils and vitamins from separating.
The first couple of days I eased her into it, by giving her homemade and the regular store formula. She had some VERY loose stools the first few days of the homemade formula, but now she has adjusted nicely, and no more crying from constipation and upset tummies!
We have also added bananas, sweet potatoes, chicken and carrots to her diet.
I feel so much better knowing exactly what she is eating. I also just got a juicer, so I am excited to start adding fresh vegetable juices to her diet soon!
It takes me less than 10 mins a day to mix together her formula and make her botttles. I refrigerate them, and heat them over the stove in warm water when its time for her to eat. Every 3-4 days I boil a chicken for the homemade stock, and we use it for dinners.
People have asked about cost, which had nothing to do with the change, but it is way less expensive than the store bought formula! The chicken is $7-$8 and I use 2 a week, but we also use the meat for dinners. The oils are expensive because they are all quality brands but they will last at least a month.

Hopefully this answered all of your questions, if not let me know. 

Homemade Formula

Wow, it's been a while.
This isn't really a catch up post because, well, there has just been too much going on. ;)

This post is going to be about feeding my sweet Ruby.
As soon as we found out we were bringing her home I knew I wanted to at least try and breastfeed her. I got some medicine to induce lactation, started taking fenugreek, drinking a lactation tea, and started pumping multiple times a day. I actually did get milk to come in, but it wasn't much and Ruby couldn't latch on. Even after trips to a lactation specialist and working with a therapist. 
I even looked into breast milk banks, but they were not a viable option for us.
So formula it was. :(
She had horrible gas pains and constipation. With Down syndrome comes a lot of stomach issues and sweet Ruby was not the exception. We changed formulas a couple of times, but I was never comfortable with the ingredients. 
Corn syrup is the main ingredient in almost every brand of formula!
When I went to switch her formula I read every label and researched every brand. 
The top ingredient in almost every formula was some form of corn syrup, followed by Palm Oil or Sunflower Oils. 
Even the organic formulas had 'organic' corn syrup and organic cheap oils. Really? 
I was shocked!  I couldn't even find a formula online that was acceptable.

This is the list of ingredients of the formula she was getting...

Enfamil Gentlease Lipil Ingredients: Corn syrup solids, partially hydrolyzed nonfat milk and whey protein concentrate solids (soy), vegetable oil (palm olein, soy, coconut, and high oleic sunflower oils), and less than 2%: Mortierella alpina oil,# Crypthecodinium cohnii oil,** vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3, vitamin E acetate, vitamin K1, thiamin hydrochloride, riboflavin, vitamin B6 hydrochloride, vitamin B12, niacinamide, folic acid, calcium pantothenate, biotin, ascorbic acid, choline chloride, inositol, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, cupric sulfate, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, potassium chloride, sodium selenite, taurine, L-carnitine.

I started looking online to see if I could find recipes for homemade formulas. There just had to be something better out there.
And there was! The problem was the homemade formulas had some type of cow or goat milk.
My dear friend Lauren is an amazing Naturopathic Doctor. Her and I did lots of research, and she came up with a recipe that we are really excited about.
We used the recipes from The Weston A Price Foundation found HERE, and she tailored it just for Ruby.


36 oz. of homemade chicken broth
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp flaxseed oil
2 tsp cod liver oil
2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses

This is enough for 1 day of bottles. And Ruby LOVES it! 

I also feed her banana for carbohydrates, and will be introducing pureed chicken from the stock for extra protein. 

We have a juicer being delivered any day now, and will slowly be adding fresh juiced veggies too.

She also takes probiotics and multivitamins, and will be starting vitamin therapy, which is a special combination of vitamins just for children with Down syndrome.

This is not convenient, but it is actually less of a hassle than I imagined. And I feel so much better about what I am giving her!

I will let you know how its working out!

Change

I have been quiet on the blog, and will probably continue to be for a while. This past year has been amazing! And it has also been overwhelming at times.
This past year we have added 2 beautiful girls to our family. We have a new church family, and my first born son is entering the Air Force. That is A LOT for this mommas heart.
A lot of loss, a lot of gain, a lot of changes.
Thankfully I have been able to arrange my time to be able to sit at the feet of Jesus DAILY, cause frankly He is the only reason I am not just a total wreck right now. (most days)
Being with Jesus just changes everything. He refocuses me. He gives me the proper perspective on my life and my circumstances.

When Bart and I began asking God to break our hearts for what breaks His, just a couple of years ago, we NEVER would have guessed that this is where God would have brought us.
What a blessing and a total honor He has given us to nurture and love and guide our beautiful children.
We are so grateful to be in service of the King!

B's 5th Birthday Party

B has been waiting 5 long years for a day like last Saturday! It was the first time in her life that she had a day to be celebrated and special. And it was ALL about her!

Complete with a pink pony and carriage!

It was OVER THE TOP!

But we had 5 years of making up to do! ;)

And yes, I got seriously choked up

reflecting that just a little over a year ago she was in an orphanage in Ethiopia.

 And there was face painting and balloon art too!

 All her friends came to celebrate.

 Lots of candy and cupcakes and pinwheels and pink!

 Lots of gifts and balloons!

 The singing was a little too much for her.

Bouncing in the trampoline.

Face painting turned to body art.

LOTS of gifts. (we may have hid half of them for Christmas!)

She took the gift opening very seriously.

And all of the preparation was worth it in the end 

to make her feel precious and special and loved on her day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY B!

We adore you!

Remembering My Rescue

We get asked the question 'WHY?' all the time.
Why adopt? Why international? Why special needs? Why so many kids? Why do it again?
And I can give an answer to each question individually. But the best answer, our truest answer, will cover all of them as a whole.
The answer to ALL of these questions is
because everyday I live and breathe I remember MY rescue!

Deuteronomy 24:17-22

¹⁷ Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. ¹⁸ Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.
¹⁹ When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. ²⁰ When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. ²¹ When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. ²² Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.

I was a broken little girl. He rescued me.

Not wanted by a father and a step father. Fiercely desired by Him.

Enslaved by lies. Set free by His Truth.

Blinded by fear and anger, deafened by grief. Healed and restored by His goodness and grace.

Overcome by my flesh and sin. Forgiven time and again.

As I live in the shadow of all He has done for me, I want everything I do to bring glory to Him!

So when I hear of children who are without love and a family and a home, we open our home.

When we see children who are being overlooked because society has labeled them unwanted, we understand that they are FIERCELY desired by Him, and therefore us!

And the second most asked question- Are you done yet?

Not until He says so!!!!!