This past week has flown by. I am so thankful for amazing friends and family. My life has been a whirlwind of activity since the open house. I went out to NYC last weekend while my sister and brother-in-law stayed here at the house with our kids and helped Josh. My cousin and one of my best friends is getting married next week and I went out for her personal shower. I had not been to NYC since I was a fourth grader and we were only there for a day. I loved the city, the people, the activity, almost everything about it. What I loved the most was how much it made me appreciate where I live. Going out for a few days was ideal. I was ready to come home to my hubby and kids.
The kids have been adjusting to school life quite well. Noah continues to go to school like a champ. Zoe is struggling with going all day. She says it's too long. She loves to go on Fridays when she only goes for a half day. It's hard to send her out the door when she is upset, with tears in her eyes, saying she liked preschool better than kindergarten. I know it's what's best for her but it's kind of feels like she's ripping my heart out and stomping on it.
Ephram is finally walking!!! I can't remember if that happened the day of the last post or not, so if you already know, I'm sorry. :-) We are so excited for him and even more excited for non-calloused knees and clean hands. He is so proud of himself. He just cheeses this big crazy grin when he starts walking toward us. It melts this mommy's heart.
Josh is continuing to stay busy and enjoying having his own space in the house. His office is hopefully being carpeted on Friday. We can then start decorating a bit and getting his massive amount of books out and getting them onto shelves. This wife is tired of rifling through boxes every few days looking for a specific book or cord. :-) I know how much he will love having a place to call his own. He is staying busy working on graphic design projects and church stuff.
We had Fall Kickoff for church this past Sunday. One thing that we are really excited about is having all the kids come together for a time of worship. Each family got a CD with the 10 songs on it they will be singing this semester. This way, all the kids will learn the music. Each Sunday, they get their own live band and the kids are pumped. Zoe and Emmy got to help lead worship this past Sunday. What an amazing opportunity for her. Singing was the first thing Noah talked about on Monday morning. I love how much my kids love church. It solidifies that we are in the right church for us and that God is working in their lives.
Saturday is Family Fun Day in Allendale. We had it last year and had a blast!!! It is an amazing afternoon of fun for the kids and the adults had fun just talking and hanging out while the kids played. They have bounce houses, face painting, cotton candy, rides, and all kinds of fun stuff. There is also a silent auction and free food. It was a great success last year and a huge help to our family. I just loved how much my kids enjoyed themselves and all the other kids there. So, if you're looking for something to do on Satuday (the weather is supposed to be great!) from 3p-7p, head out to Allendale Middle School. It's right on Lake Michigan Drive between 64th and 68th avenue on the north side of the road (or mapquest it). It's guaranteed to be a great time. Hope to see you there!
it's a miracle
No, Josh is not walking...sorry if that post title sort of freaked you out. :0(
This is as close to a miracle as Josh walking though.
Ephram is walking!!!!
Look down to the last few posts. I have been post crazy over the last couple of hours.
Pictures to come later today. I borrowed my sister's camera cord to download some pics.
Much love.
This is as close to a miracle as Josh walking though.
Ephram is walking!!!!
Look down to the last few posts. I have been post crazy over the last couple of hours.
Pictures to come later today. I borrowed my sister's camera cord to download some pics.
Much love.
pictures? what pictures?
So, I took a handful of pictures tonight to post here on the site. Great idea huh? Until I couldn't find the cord to link up my camera with my computer. Most of the stuff in the house is organized except for all the cords etc. that will go in Josh's office. I'm sure that is where my cord happens to be. :0) Sorry. I'll try to get back tomorrow and post them.
The open house went absolutely amazing. The dedication ceremony was heart-tugging to say the least. The prayer that Pastor Jim Samra prayed was truly blessed. He prayed for the house to be a place where ministry is done, where our family is home, where people of GR can see what God has done, and many other things. We are amazed by God's blessing...and we are home!
The past few days have been nothing but normal. I'm back to cooking regular meals where we all sit down and eat. The kids are adjusting well to school. This momma is loving having the kids back in school for a bit every day.
I spent about 4 and a half hours working on finances with a friend today. We got all of our bills together, created a new budget for the new house, and generally got all the moving craziness under control. I was so overwhelmed with all the paperwork that she took it into her hands to help me get it done. I could never have done it without her. She is a strong Christian woman who only has our best interest at heart, making sure we are being responsible and wise with what the Lord has blessed us with.
I can't wait to show you all pics of the new house, but it will have to wait. Please be in prayer for Josh as he is nearing driver's training. He is a bit apprehensive (obviously so). Pray that the Lord reveals what plans he has for him, and that Josh's heart would follow along with the Lord's leading. Being able to drive will open up many new avenues for Josh such as going to seminary. We are continuously praying for God's guidance- for him to be the leader of our house. We are praying for clarity as we set out on this new journey of life after spinal cord injury.
The open house went absolutely amazing. The dedication ceremony was heart-tugging to say the least. The prayer that Pastor Jim Samra prayed was truly blessed. He prayed for the house to be a place where ministry is done, where our family is home, where people of GR can see what God has done, and many other things. We are amazed by God's blessing...and we are home!
The past few days have been nothing but normal. I'm back to cooking regular meals where we all sit down and eat. The kids are adjusting well to school. This momma is loving having the kids back in school for a bit every day.
I spent about 4 and a half hours working on finances with a friend today. We got all of our bills together, created a new budget for the new house, and generally got all the moving craziness under control. I was so overwhelmed with all the paperwork that she took it into her hands to help me get it done. I could never have done it without her. She is a strong Christian woman who only has our best interest at heart, making sure we are being responsible and wise with what the Lord has blessed us with.
I can't wait to show you all pics of the new house, but it will have to wait. Please be in prayer for Josh as he is nearing driver's training. He is a bit apprehensive (obviously so). Pray that the Lord reveals what plans he has for him, and that Josh's heart would follow along with the Lord's leading. Being able to drive will open up many new avenues for Josh such as going to seminary. We are continuously praying for God's guidance- for him to be the leader of our house. We are praying for clarity as we set out on this new journey of life after spinal cord injury.
family fun
FAMILY FUN DAY 2
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 27
3 P.M. TO 7 P.M.
ALLENDALE MIDDLE SCHOOL
6561 LAKE MICHIGAN DR.
ALLENDALE, MI 49401
FREE INFLATABLES, CLOWNS, CRAFTS, WAGON RIDES, GAMES
PIZZA SUPPER (DONATION)
SILENT AUCTION
CAR SHOW
AND MUCH MORE!
Join us at the second annual Family Fun Day, a festival put on by a generous anc caring group of Shelly's friends from high school. All funds raised benefit Josh and Shelly and their ministries.
we're here!!!
We are really starting to settle in. The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity- contractors coming and going, friends helping unpack boxes, family over for fun times together. We are starting to feel at home here at the house. I am laying in my bed right now and it is the first time since Josh's accident that I feel like we have a normal bedroom. :-) We don't just have a normal bedroom, we have a beautiful bedroom! I am really looking forward to posting some pictures but I want to wait until after the Open House. I don't want to spoil the fun for anyone who is wanting to see it firsthand. Come and see this amazing gift that God has given us- through you.
The Open House starts at noon this Saturday. There is a dedication service from 12 to about 12:20 and then they will open up the house. All of the specialty items purchased to help Josh will be working. There will be someone in each of the rooms with equipment, demonstrating how things work. The ceiling lift will be going, the I-Bot (balancing wheelchair) will be performing many a stunt, and the elevator will be available for viewing. I hope many of you can see what an incredible blessing this house is and will be for many years to come.
Josh is really loving some space of his own. He has spent much of this week working on a graphic arts project for a company selling a type of honey as a cough suppressant for children. It is so great for him to have some space of his own to get work done in and have meetings in. This is the only room not completed but he's not complaining! He loves having a door he can close and get to work in.
The kids are adjusting quite well. Zoe seems to be having the hardest time. We went to a neighborhood picnic on Sunday night and she just sat in Josh's lap and would act like she was sleeping. She continuously asked for us to take her home. There are numerous girls in the neighborhood, but they are all older than she. Please be praying for her to make some special friends who will make her feel welcome.
Noah is adjusting to school with flying colors. This is his fourth year of school already so he's an old pro. He has been jumping on the bus with little to no hesitation and already has his bus driver wrapped around his little finger. She is already letting him open up the door to the bus- he thinks he's big stuff. In the mornings, he goes to a Kinder-care class. This is a class for kids whose parents work and are in half-day kindergarten. No, we don't work but Noah has already been in all-day school and we don't want to lessen the amount of time he spends at school. In the mornings is when he gets socialization with other kids who are part of the general ed. population. In the afternoons, he goes to an Intensive Kindergarten. This a self-contained class with 10 students so he is getting plenty of one on one attention. So far, we are very happy with his transition.
Ephram continues on his happy way, indifferent to the changes around him. He is starting to talk so much. He thinks he needs to hang with the big kids and has taken to screaming when they shut him out or don't let him try something himself. He continues to crack us up. He is still not walking (little stinker) but crawls at a shockingly fast speed. He loves to get in his stroller and walk his brother and sister to the bus stop.
We are starting to eat at home, as a family more which is great. Before the move, things were so chaotic it seemed like that fell off some. We are back to making it a priority and loving our time around the dinner table together. It makes me realize how special it is to take the time to sit together and just "be." Zoe has been setting an extra place for Ava so we all don't forget her. She was telling a neighbor she has a sister and then said so matter of fact that she is "dead" but she lives in heaven with Jesus. This poor woman did not know what to say. :-) We did not say that word at first but found that we avoided the concrete words because they were hard for us. We have since started saying the harder words because this is what our kids seem to understand the easiest and they don't have all the social understandings of what's appropriate and what's not. We have just disregarded the social norms and did what we thought was best for our kids.
I feel as though I have carried on and wrote a novel. Sorry about the lapse in posting. Our internet was very flighty at first and we finally have the glitches worked out (now if we could just get Comcast to bury that stupid wire...another story all together!). Blessings to you all...
The Open House starts at noon this Saturday. There is a dedication service from 12 to about 12:20 and then they will open up the house. All of the specialty items purchased to help Josh will be working. There will be someone in each of the rooms with equipment, demonstrating how things work. The ceiling lift will be going, the I-Bot (balancing wheelchair) will be performing many a stunt, and the elevator will be available for viewing. I hope many of you can see what an incredible blessing this house is and will be for many years to come.
Josh is really loving some space of his own. He has spent much of this week working on a graphic arts project for a company selling a type of honey as a cough suppressant for children. It is so great for him to have some space of his own to get work done in and have meetings in. This is the only room not completed but he's not complaining! He loves having a door he can close and get to work in.
The kids are adjusting quite well. Zoe seems to be having the hardest time. We went to a neighborhood picnic on Sunday night and she just sat in Josh's lap and would act like she was sleeping. She continuously asked for us to take her home. There are numerous girls in the neighborhood, but they are all older than she. Please be praying for her to make some special friends who will make her feel welcome.
Noah is adjusting to school with flying colors. This is his fourth year of school already so he's an old pro. He has been jumping on the bus with little to no hesitation and already has his bus driver wrapped around his little finger. She is already letting him open up the door to the bus- he thinks he's big stuff. In the mornings, he goes to a Kinder-care class. This is a class for kids whose parents work and are in half-day kindergarten. No, we don't work but Noah has already been in all-day school and we don't want to lessen the amount of time he spends at school. In the mornings is when he gets socialization with other kids who are part of the general ed. population. In the afternoons, he goes to an Intensive Kindergarten. This a self-contained class with 10 students so he is getting plenty of one on one attention. So far, we are very happy with his transition.
Ephram continues on his happy way, indifferent to the changes around him. He is starting to talk so much. He thinks he needs to hang with the big kids and has taken to screaming when they shut him out or don't let him try something himself. He continues to crack us up. He is still not walking (little stinker) but crawls at a shockingly fast speed. He loves to get in his stroller and walk his brother and sister to the bus stop.
We are starting to eat at home, as a family more which is great. Before the move, things were so chaotic it seemed like that fell off some. We are back to making it a priority and loving our time around the dinner table together. It makes me realize how special it is to take the time to sit together and just "be." Zoe has been setting an extra place for Ava so we all don't forget her. She was telling a neighbor she has a sister and then said so matter of fact that she is "dead" but she lives in heaven with Jesus. This poor woman did not know what to say. :-) We did not say that word at first but found that we avoided the concrete words because they were hard for us. We have since started saying the harder words because this is what our kids seem to understand the easiest and they don't have all the social understandings of what's appropriate and what's not. We have just disregarded the social norms and did what we thought was best for our kids.
I feel as though I have carried on and wrote a novel. Sorry about the lapse in posting. Our internet was very flighty at first and we finally have the glitches worked out (now if we could just get Comcast to bury that stupid wire...another story all together!). Blessings to you all...
