Not only is Emily Ozier (or EMYO, as you might recognize her) a talented, self-taught artist, she is a loving mother to four beautiful children.  Emily would do anything for her children, even if it meant traveling across the world. Her love for family, culture and relationships is evident in her unique, one-of-a-kind paintings, and it was made even more evident last December when she and her husband John traveled to Ethiopia to bring their new son Tommy home to his forever family. Emily and her husband John documented their  experience in Ethiopia in a video that is every bit as exciting as it is heartwarming. We are so grateful to Emily and John Ozier for allowing us to step inside their world, if only for a few short minutes, so that we too can be humbled and uplifted through their amazing experience in bringing Tommy home.



Bella Vita had a chance to catch up with Emily and ask her some questions about her family, adopting, and painting. In her answers, you will feel her fun, spiritual and loving personality as she opens up her life as a mother.

BV: Is Tommy your first adopted child?
EMYO: We have three children by birth, and one through adoption. We tell our kids "families are formed in different ways. Some baby's grow in mommies tummies and some grow in your hearts".

BV: What inspired you to adopt Tommy?
EMYO: Our journey really began a couple of years ago when my husband John and I were watching the movie Schindler's List. Oscar Schindler is a wealthy man who has saved the lives of many Jewish people by "buying" them to work in his factories, thus keeping them from the Nazis. At the conclusion, he is surrounded by people that he helped, but he weeps looking at his watch, his car, and his ring, saying, "each of these could have been one more person". This scene really causes one to ponder the value of material possessions vs. the worth of a person's life. Spurred on by a desire to invest our resources in something that really matters, we began to feel the call towards adoption of a son. I've been given the mission of motherhood, called by God to raise up little ones to the best of my ability and adoption seemed a way to continue to grow our family.

BV: Do you have any special ties with Ethiopia that led you to adopt an Ethiopian child?
EMYO: It's an amazing place with a rich heritage of faith and beautiful people. Unfortunately, disease and poverty have ravaged the Ethiopian people. The average yearly income is $30 US, if you can imagine that! There are an estimated 4.8 million orphans filling the orphanages and existing as street children as well. The needs are staggering. We were drawn to Ethiopia for the amount of need, and also the relative ease of adopting from there. We also believe that there was a specific child our there for our family and began to pray that we would find him, wherever he might be. Through many cool circumstances it became evident that Ethiopia was where he was.

BV: What is your older children’s favorite game to play with Tommy?
EMYO: It's actually their favorite game that he plays with them! We are amazed by Tommy's physical strength and agility. He loves to push each of the older ones around on a mini four-wheeler that has run out of batteries. It is quite a site to see a one year old pushing a four-wheeler with a six year old on it.

BV: Does Tommy have any habits that point back to his Ethiopian roots?
EMYO: He has some rockin' dance moves. One of our favorite parts of our trip to Ethiopia was going to a special traditional Ethiopian-style dinner and seeing traditional Ethiopian dance. I can't even put into words how talented and crazy cool these dancers were. Tommy definitely has some love of music in his blood.

BV: What advice would you give someone that is looking to bring a child into their forever family?
EMYO: Go for it! It's not hard to love a baby (whether biological or adopted)! Adoption has brought such blessings to us. We feel that we are the ones who have been given a gift, not the other way around.

BV: How has your trip to Ethiopia, and Tommy himself influenced your paintings?
EMYO: My paintings are an extension of my life. As my life changes and grows, and as I am stretched and see new things, my art does the same. In the past year I have traveled to Europe, Ethiopia, New Orleans, the Gulf, Colorado and Charleston, and each place I go I am constantly viewing and seeking to capture beauty. I sketch and take notes in my journal as I travel and hope that my art is able to capture and portray bits and pieces of the vastness of this world and the creativity in all the various landscapes and people. I hope my paintings somehow are able to include some of the richness of heritage, strength and beauty that I saw, and am seeing, in the Ethiopian people.

BV: How is your new t-shirt line inspired by Ethiopia?
EMYO: My Lalibela t-shirt line is a tribute to my son. Lalibela is a city in Ethiopia where a fourth century church was carved out of solid rock. The top of the church, as viewed from above, is in the shape of a cross. Ethiopia is known for its intricate crosses that date back to the first century. I created the art for the t-shirts based on those crosses.



EMYO's Lalibela t-shirt's offer each of us the chance to give back and provide hope for the millions of children who are waiting for a chance to go home. A portion of the proceeds from the purchase of these EMYO t-shirts will be donated to An Orphan's Ticket Home, helping to bring orphans from around the world home to their forever families. Each of the three t-shirt designs (Faith, Life and Peace) are available at Bella Vita, both in store and online.

Emily Ozier is a Bella Vita favorite, not only for her talent and painting, but for her kindness and generosity. She keeps us stocked with original, one-of-a-kind paintings that document a little bit about her life, and call out to you as a way to enhance yours. They truly are a part of the beautiful life. You can view EMYO's art on our website, or learn more about EMYO through her biography.

We hope you all feel a little more uplifted by EMYO's story, we know we certainly do!

- The Girls at Bella Vita