So, 2020 has been challenging for all of us, on different levels, in different ways, even though it has been a year tagged under a single label. For us, here in our part of the world, our biggest challenge was created by a tornado in April that came close enough to us to topple trees in our yard that resulted in John falling off of a ladder and shattering his ankle. John’s surgery was swift though his healing has not been, and it was easily July before John was able to bear any weight on his leg. Now, John has a ton of metal in his leg that he will never part with and a swagger that he did not have before the accident. Swelling will be part of his life, likely for another year or more, and he has to be careful with the activities he partakes in, but we are praising God as John is walking again, which, when the ankle is disconnected from the leg, can seem like a rather uncertain future. We’ve (especially John) learned to appreciate plenty this year that so many, daily, take for granted and our continued thanks goes up to God as the blessings continue to humble us as they come down. Our God is so good to us!
I have, honestly, been stretched quite a bit this year as I quickly became “the one who does all the things” with John assuming “invalid status” while the children still had to be schooled, life had to be Covid altered, and we had simultaneously taken in a puppy that we had high hopes for who ended up being more like Cujo than anything else. It has been a long year full of so many growing pains. And yet, here we are, at the end of it, still standing. God has been faithful 100% of our days, has never left us alone, and has been graceful enough to provide, in every way, every step of the journey. His mercies truly are new every morning. #PTL
Jozsef is plugging away at his on-line theology degree program and learning so much—we both are as he is an external processor and I also edit his papers. 😊 It is good. I enjoy our discussions and the things I am learning. It is kind of like being in college again and only partaking in the best intellectual parts of the process.
Nikolas is working on his Senior year and we both are deep in planning mode—so many details to wrap up by the end of the school year while simultaneously kicking off the next phase of life. It is daunting, and exciting. And if you are wondering, Nikolas has no solid plan for what comes after graduation. Every avenue that he had in mind has been compromised by Covid culture and has left him in a space of reimagining his future while our America is being redesigned. Currently, he and Jozsef are enjoying, and excelling at, their Chick Fil A jobs while they serve their community through an owner-operator, who is a stand out/stand up man, one of two people in the US who owns three franchises, and whose motto is “kindness over everything”. The boys are truly blessed to work in such an encouraging environment with such an exceptional team of honorable men. We truly could not be happier for the boys and the opportunities they have been presented with in their positions.
As for the others, Connor is in 8th grade, Sonja in 6th grade, Riley in 5th grade, and Hannah in 3rd grade. Thankfully, our homeschool lifestyle meant minimal disturbance for us as lockdowns became the predominant way of life. We did experience a limitation of opportunities to fieldtrip, explore, and group learn, but our basic schooling format remained intact, which has been a huge blessing, especially as we had other life events that really impacted our general flow. Connor is appreciating science above all subjects this year and he has taken to filling his time with things like log splitting, knife forging, and general hands-on experimentation. His current dream is to be in pyrotechnics. 😉 Sonja is still a quick learner and loves to fill her extra time with crafts and reading. She has read more than one book series and taught herself how to knit. It is great! Sonja is looking forward to next year when she finally qualifies for youth group at church—she is such a social creature. Riley is a wiz at Lego creation and spends much of his time surrounded by bricks and the things he creates, each creation with a story of artistic context. It is quite entertaining for us all, and I am often in awe of how his mind and ability collide. Hannah is still firming up her reading skills, but the fire has been lit and her desire for improvement is evident, which is great to see. Hannah is still quite the little mommy, caring for her babies and having tea parties often in between her school responsibilities. All the kids are thoroughly enjoying our yard, the ability it gives them to play and explore, and the availability of a neighbor boy to partake in their games. They are, thankfully, busy in so many ways.
On top of it all, we (as mentioned earlier) adopted one puppy in spring only to, sadly, have that relationship end as a failed placement due to his aggression. However, not deterred and intent on having a dog in our family, we set out to bring another puppy into our home in fall—only to end up with two! Though our aim was to change our avenue all together, it seemed a rescue situation was still in the plan for us, and we lovingly accepted God’s plan for two puppies to join our household. They came to us with some health needs and a few fears, which we are working on and making slow progress with. Though it was not the picture we had planned, Hudson and Charlotte are blessings unexpected which we are very thankful for. If nothing else, 2020 has reinforced our drive to lean into God, follow His lead, and to remember that His ways are not our own—but His ways are always best. 😊 Our puppies are a bunch of work—two babies at once always are—but we are super thankful to have our own Leopards to love (they are American Leopard Hounds).
I pray that 2020 has given you a lens of thankfulness and a spirit of joy for the simple delights of life. Our earthly journey was never promised to be easy but we were promised we’d never walk alone (Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with your wherever you go—Joshua 1:9)—praise be to God! As this year folds into the next and unprecedented times overlap with uncertainty, may you find one thing to be constant—the love of God and the mercy of a Savior who is especially fond of you (Matthew 18:12). 😊
May the peace of the season, the peace of the Lord be with you today and all through 2021.
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