Dear Friends,
Toward the beginning of 2014, in February, we got pregnant
with our third child. This is the
first time we actually made the purposeful choice to get pregnant. Apparently,
we finally figured out how it works!
In March, after much discussion about whether to stay in Joplin, the
magnetic force field of the 4-States continued to draw us in. So we decided to put our house on the
market in order to move into something that would accommodate our growing
family and hopefully be better for the budget. After keeping a nearly
spotless house for three constant months (great job, Abigail!), we went under
contract in June and sold our house at the end of July. During the middle of this time, Abigail
and I took a trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota. It made her a little crazy, but it was well worth it.
The only problem with selling our house was that we didn’t
yet have a new house. So we got to
make the westward move to the great state of Kansas, where we lived with our
parents/in-laws/Gramps and Grammy for about a month. We closed on our new house in September. We were very excited to get a
“fixer-upper” that was cheaper, bigger, and out in the hills, fields, and woods
of the Ozarks. I had a few weeks
of work on the house before we were able to make it livable enough for the rest
of the family, and they officially moved in toward the end of September. Without the help of our family and
church, the house would still probably not be livable. After moving in, we’ve been able to
experience the joys of owning a house with “character” – patching the leaking
roof, having the plumber chuckle as he came to fix our clogged sink, telling us
that pipes are not supposed to run uphill, then helping my dad as he re-plumbed
much more of the house than we had planned.
Abigail, the organized planner of the family, was certainly
being tested at this time, as she was due to have a baby in a few weeks and we
weren’t even totally settled into the new house. But we finished most of the necessary work with a couple
weeks to spare before Baby Vance’s arrival. Though most everyone was certain it was going to be a girl,
unnamed Baby Boy arrived on November 14th. 11/14/14. A
birth date deemed acceptable by Abigail’s strict code of birth date
acceptability. After much
deliberation, we decided to name him Ivan Jude. His big brothers were so excited to meet him!
We had Ivan home for a few days before we had the biggest
scare of our lives. He was
breathing incredibly fast and seemed to be gasping for air, so we took him to
the ER. After some assessment,
they realized that his lungs were filled with fluid and he was not getting the
oxygen that he needed. Before we
knew it, the room was filled with many doctors and nurses, they put a breathing
tube down his throat, and put an IV in his umbilical cord. Soon, they decided to life flight him
to Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, where he would eventually spend 10
days. Doubts and questions arise
during times like these. But
ultimately, we came to see how fragile all life really is, how God is gracious
in sustaining any amount of life we have on this earth, how He is present and
holding us in His love even when we’re questioning Him, and how much love and
grace can be extended to us through other people. We have been loved and supported so well by our family, our
church, and many of my co-workers during this time.
We would never choose many of the things that we go through,
but this is the race that is set before us.
We’re called to endure, looking to the One who endured more
suffering than we could ever imagine because of his great love for us.
We can endure, knowing that this love
will never leave us alone, giving of ourselves for others, the way so many of
you have given of yourselves to us.
And here is a look at Christmas' past...
