The Intentional Life

i need to get off and take a nap... Well, we are 6 weeks into this fulltime gig at Gateway (and 5 of those have been summer, mind you!) and i would like to go somewhere and take a nap for an entire day. But alas, that is not going to happen so.... I'll just post some pictures and update you on life. We are all moved into our little apartment that is attached to the main house. I like the coziness of it and the fact that we have our own stuff and a private place to retreat while we are on duty (something we did not have while being alternates). Our kids are loving living on campus and being able to be out in the big house with the residents. Days start here shortly after 6 as either Paul or I get up to go run (we're training for a 1/2 marathon, we've got to fit it in somewhere..). Then we get our kids up and ready for the day before greeting residents at 9:10 for breakfast. After dishes are done, the residents and Paul head...

Tonight we spend our last night here at our home in Grabill, IN. This house, which really doesn't belong to us (thanks employer Gateway Woods!), but has felt like it has for the last 2 years. When we moved into this house Owen was just over 2 and Hannah wasn't even a year. Now we are moving out with an almost 5 year old, 3 year old, and another addition - Maddie the 1 year old. This house has seen our joy and our frustration (both with family life and the job of houseparenting that we try our best at doing right). And now I am shedding a few tears (you know i am emotional!) as we say good-bye to the end of what we know and step into a new role that we are only slightly sure of. I am a mix of emotions at this point in time: apprehension, excitement, sadness, exhaustion - and i am not sure which one dominates over the other. I guess i just wanted to record this feeling(s) so i could look back on it and remember what an incredible time of transition this was and that I can ...

This year Hannah gets to share her birthday with my favorite holiday. Hannah actually celebrated her birthday 3 different times before this actual day that i don't really think she realized today was the actual day. However, i didn't want the day to go by with acknowledging the celebration of her birth. Hannah is boundless energy - she is constantly hopping. She is affectionate - she tells us many times a day "i love my mommy/daddy/Owen/Mads" And although she can drive us mad with her whining (we're still working on that) she makes us smile and laugh many times a day. Hannah, we love you and are so glad you are a part of our family! And to not overlook the whole reason we are able to celebrate - Thank you Jesus that you were willing to come to this earth, die on the cross, and rise from the dead to conquer sin and hell and death so that we can celebrate birthdays and look forward to heaven someday!

Well, we have become content with our crazy life as it is: raising three children under the age of 4, packing every few days to go live on campus at Gateway, working with delinquent teens (sometime as much as 7 at a time), getting Paul through college to get his Master's, doing our best to glorify God in our day to day lives. Ah, but I have found that although God calls us to contentment, once we find that place, He often calls us beyond it to stretch us some more. And so, Paul and I are taking on the challenge of fulltime houseparenting at Gateway. How does that differ from what we are doing now? Well, right now we live in a little house a few miles off campus and support the fulltime houseparents (Jarod and Molly Steffen) by running the house while they take their 9 days a month off, running doctor appointments, helping with treatment plan decisions, keeping the food room stocked, doing general maintenance around Cypress House and on campus, and completing other various thing...

We were talking the other evening at the dinner table about loving our enemies and doing good to those that hurt us. Owen spoke up and said he has a list of rules that he is going to give to the bad guys when they show up at our house. He wanted me to write them down for him: 1 - Be kind 2 - Don't lie 3 - Don't steal 4 - Don't fight 5 - Don't do bad things 6 - Really don't to bad things 7 - Done Pretty convincing, right? I guess some of the things we are teaching are sinking in.

On February 1st our little Madeline turns one years old! Maddie has been a sweet addition to our family of five. From the beginning she has displayed a laid-back personality, loving to be snuggled or just sit on our laps, and enjoying watching Owen and Hannah play around her. (I am so thankful that this has been her attitude, it helps immensely with our life at Gateway.) As this will most likely be our last baby, I have tried to cherish every wonderful and frustrating moment the first year of life may bring. It's hard to believe a year has gone by already! We love you, Madeline, and we are so glad that God gave you to us to raise up to know Him and to bring Him glory through the life you live! Happy Birthday!

Picture of the 3 kiddos after decorating the tree. At one point Maddie was so excited and bouncing up and down, she bounced her diaper right off (honestly) I want to post a pic but wasn't sure about putting a bare bum on the internet :) Just a random picture of Maddie i took one day - she has proved to be quite photogenic :) Celebrating Jesus' Birth... That's what we have been trying to ingrain into out children's ' heads this whole month of December. To teach them to anticipate the celebration of Christ's birth, not the opening of presents. We've been able to celebrate with both sides of the family, a little spaced out through the month. Back on December 11, we got together with all the Suvar's up at Sam and Kat's new home in Toledo. It was a great place, room enough for everyone to stay overnight and hang out from Friday to Sunday. Thanks Sam and Kat for opening your home to all the (wonderful) chaos! On Christmas Day we got together with t...