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.
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...
moving in
Since Josh and Shelly still don't have internet connections, I thought I'd quickly let you all know that moving day went well. Actually, it was fabulous. Wonderful. Excellent. Amazing. Lots of strong arms from Greenhouse showed up to help. Plus two kind men and their big truck. Plus two of my old friends (old as in they've been friends a long time!) with delicious food for everyone. Everything was out of the old rental house and into the new house by around 4 or 5. By 7 p.m. all beds were made and the kitchen was pretty much unpacked. I'll let Shelly fill in the details of the kids' reactions and all the other feelings, but those are the bare details of a very wonderful day.
I've been at Shelly's every day since helping to get everything in its place. I watched on Saturday as she stood in her new kitchen making sandwiches, a very ordinary but very special sight. A friend called it claiming her territory in her new home. We're slowly making it feel like home, especially as we get out favorite items that have been packed away since the last move to the rental house. I'm so grateful to all those who have shown the love of God that lives in them by loving on our kids. What a gift of happiness in the midst of so much difficulty!
Jean (Shelly's mom)
