Well, HO HO HOOOOOOOOOLD on a minute. It's been 2 YEARS since I've written a blog?!? Man alive. My sincerest apologies to those who believe me when I cordially invite you, each year, to keep up with our family on this here blog. I suppose if I actually updated you all on life, you might understand why the blogs are coming so few and far between. SO...here we go.
THERE'S A NEW GUY IN OUR HOUSE.
ARI WILLIAM VAN ANDEL was born on May 9th, 2024, on Brett's Grandpa Alfred Schempers' birthday. Unbeknownst to us at the time of Ari's birth, Brett's Grandpa Alfred's middle name was also William. Crazy sauce.
Ari was born at exactly 38 weeks gestation, just like his biggest sister Emri. Pregnancy was once again fraught with nausea/vomiting, and a level of fatigue that remains indescribable to me, lots of prodromal labor, and a nice little thyroid scare just to keep things entertaining. But oh MAN....the end result is SO WORTH every ounce of strife (and pound of weight) that pregnancy brings.
This little guy....you guys...another ABSOLUTE miracle to behold. Another unique person with a one-of-a-kind personality that we get to acquaint ourselves with. Another WHOLE SOUL that we pray will serve our Creator forever in His Kingdom. WHAT A GIFT. I sometimes stand in awe of my life. What is this life that God has granted to me? How has He seen fit to give Brett and I SIX little people to help mold, hug, love, tickle, teach and pray over? Every time new life comes into our fold, I wonder...can I REALLY love this one as much as the rest? And SURE ENOUGH...I can and I do and I will continue. It's an equation that my human mind can't seem to deduce...but my heart and soul seem to grasp the concept flawlessly and without much effort.
Ari might be my happiest baby. I would guess his overtly discernable sense of contentment comes from the steady (often relentless) flow of positive recognition/energy that he receives from all 5 older sibs...OR God just knew I needed a happy #6. Whatever the reason, we are so immensely grateful for this kid and his big ol' slobbery, toofer-y grin. Ari is also is my first baby with allllll the hair! Since birth he has has had a little sprout of hair that tends to take flight and stick straight up after every bath and it's really very delightful.
Boaz is THREE...yes THREE. If you ask him, he will still insist that he is still two, but don't believe the lie, I was there when he was born. I would say, without much hesitation, that "Bobert" (yes, the least cute nickname has stuck, and stuck hard), is in his "challenge" era. He likes to challenge the rules, any positive and/or sensible suggestions, his siblings, and my patience....but OH DO WE LOVE HIM SO. What would I be without the sanctification that comes with toddlerhood😅? Boaz is a hot wheels maniac. He loves ALL THINGS CARS. Like the frame of his beloved cars, Bo has a will made of steel, but can melt my heart into a blubbery heap with one genuine snuggle, humorous remark, or snot infested kiss.
Eiley is FIVE and just started school this year...class clown I would say. I think she would claim to enjoy school....but mostly because there has been a pact involving glitter at the end of every lesson. Yes, my kitchen table shines as brightly as the noonday sun at times...but is it worth it? Debatable. Eiley enjoys days filled with make-believe, singing, dancing, coloring, playing with friends/cousins, dodging/initiating conflict with the Bobert, asking for snacks, greatly admiring her older sibs, and spending as much time outside as the weather will allow. Eiley wants to be a mom when she grows up and adores her baby brother even more than chocolate. She, also, has a will that does not bend with ease...but we continue to pray for that strength to be used for bigger and better things as she grows and learns. She's a mover and a shaker and we love her quite a lot.
Jaemin is ELEVEN. How. I don't even know how. The growth that has occurred in Jaemin over the past couple of years is mind-blowing. He's just really becoming quite the extraordinary young man. Jaemin is a man of many questions...a self proclaimed, "curious guy." He loves to watch and learn anything and everything besides maybe long division😆. Jaemin and Abe are so inseparable that they are sometimes accidentally referred to as "Jabe" or "Abin". I cannot remember the last time they fought...God knew they needed each other and it's really a remarkable thing. Jaemin is a lover of all things Star Wars, insects, swiming, babies (especially Ari at the moment), reptiles, all things fast and active, and is currently learning piano! He is a student of the Word and continues to pursue a knowledge of God daily! We sure are proud of him.
Abe. TWELVE. And no, I'm not ok with this. Like, who goes from 2 to 12 that fast? Ridiculous. Abe is in 5th grade and loves Lord of the Rings, reading, drawing, swimming, bugs, dinosaurs, and is currently learning guitar! Abe is a passionate guy and pursues all of his interests with a vigor to learn. Abe thoroughly enjoys his role as a big brother to the littlest 3 and they eat up any and all attention they can get from him. It's one of my life's sweetest blessings to watch the olders with the youngers. Abe is always pursuing truth with a passion. It all started with those dinosaurs. Abe can teach Creationism with the best of 'em! Makes me all teary.
Emri is FOURTEEN you guys. I can't even believe the lifetime of hardships she has been through to get here, but she's FOURTEEN and we are incredibly thankful! Emri will be starting high school in the fall and is a brainiac when it comes to the whole math thing (architect brain). She loves art, crafting, swimming, taking walks (or wheels), being outside, traveling, playing with her siblings/friends/cousins, and is also currently learning piano. Watching her and Ari together...it's almost too much for my heart to take. They truly have the sweetest little relationship. It seems like he already admires her dearly when he looks at her. They have some long, deep conversations sometimes and she soaks up every snuggle she can get from him. Emri loves her Creator and continues to pursue truth through Scripture. To begin to see glimpses of fruit in your kids' lives produces a joy so deep and a gratefulness so profound. Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, Thank you LORD! How grateful I am that Emri seems to have a relationship with the only one who can bring her lasting truth, comfort and peace in a life full of hardship!
We took a Hopkins trip a couple of months ago and met with Emri's ophthalmologist, orthopedic surgeon, and cardiologist. Emri's eyesight remains stable with contacts! Her sight is something I don't think we will ever take for granted. Emri spent 12 years in the legally blind category, looking through blobby lenses that refused to drop out of her line of sight. To watch her function with new eyes is just...it's wonderful. We continue to pray for her retinas to remain strong and intact as retinal detachment is a common phenomenon in the infantile marfan community. We are waiting to see if Emri needs to start eye drops that will stop the growth of her eyes in order to lower the risk of retinal complications.
Emri had her magnetic rods lengthened for maybe the last time while we were at Hopkins. Her rods have likely hit their limit and Emri will be facing a final spinal fusion in the near future. Emri also needs a few leg operations in an attempt to help her be able to walk in a safer fashion. At the moment Emri uses her wheel chair when we are out, mostly knee-walks at home and has a lot of trouble walking on her feet. Her legs have developed in a way that make it very hard for her to walk (even with support) and we are hoping some of these future operations can help straighten out her legs to make walking a more frequent and less troublesome/painful reality for her.
Emri's heart has remained STABLE for a while now. This last appointment was SUCH an immense relief because despite Emri growing taller and gaining some (much needed) weight over the last year, her heart has not grown with her body! This is just SUCH an answer to prayer. We have held our breath for countless appointments for 14 years, waiting for the day we were told her heart needed surgery. Her heart has remained stable for so long! We are SO grateful for this!
Overall, Emri is really doing remarkable for everything her disease has brought her way. Her biggest daily struggles at the moment really come in the form of viral illness. Every virus brings weeks of misery, weight loss, and fatigue. The winters are a STRUGGLE for our family. Making decisions on how to do life while viruses rage on around us is HARD. I always get to the point where I want to just throw in the ol' towel, grab my family, and hide in a burrow with the rabbits until virus season subsides and the sun returns with it's reassuring, healing warmth. But alas, a burrow really isn't sustainable, and we'd probably get pretty stinky and bored in there. Also, we need groceries.
After an official 2 years here, we are LOVING Kentucky. Although we miss people and aspects of living in the Pacific Northwest, we have not had one regret about moving our family out to what we refer to as the "middle-east". You may recall one of our main reasons for moving to the particular location that we are in, included wanting to send our kids to the Answers in Genesis school. It didn't happen. The reasons for continuing homeschooling our kids had nothing to do with the school! When it came time for Brett and I to actually sign our names on the application...we just couldn't do it! We weren't ready to be apart from our kids for 7-8 hours/day. We weren't ready for early mornings apart, nights of homework, and weekends full of school projects/activities. These things aren't bad things...but we just couldn't entirely embrace the future as we saw it with our kids attending the school. Brett and I both felt so much relief and peace when we made the decision to continue with homeschooling...and the kids did too. Although I have days where I am sure my kids are watching my hair turn gray in real time...I wouldn't change a thing. We love our time together. I continue to learn so much as I teach the kids and they seem to love to learn, which is my #1 goal as their teacher. There are certainly days where homeschool life seems impossible and I lose "it"..."it" being my patience, sanity, marbles... or all three at the same time. There are days where the littles take over and the bigs don't get the attention I desire to give them...or vise versa. BUT, when I step back and look at the big picture--I see so much beauty in it. I see the precious TIME we get together. I see the lessons we learn as a family as we walk through the challenges of being in the same space all day, every day. I see our family work together to make it work and I really, really love it. At the moment, this works for us.
We are overwhelmingly grateful to finally have my parents here, in Kentucky with us! The process has been an uphill battle, but I am just brought to tears when I think of how thankful I am for our family to all be together. My kids have their Gampa and Gamma back! I have a video of when we announced to the kids that Gampa and Gamma were finally able to move to KY...it was quite a moment of celebration! In the process of my parents moving here, we ended up purchasing land with them and plan on building on that land in the coming couple of years! I know, I know...we never stop moving. But this time...this is it guys. LAST MOVE EVER. 😅 We greatly anticipate building a house that works well for the needs of our family...especially Emri. She will finally have a bedroom downstairs! Wheelchair accessible everything! This will be such a tremendous blessing for her---to move freely and have all her needs on one level! AND to top it all off...Gamma and Gampa will be a four wheeler ride away. This is what dreams are made of. 💓
Well guys...if you made it this far...sorry and thank you. We are wishing you all a very merry Christmas and an outstanding 2025. Try to remember along with me that life is but a whisper...it goes by all too fast...so why are we even here? What is life if not lived for the greater purpose he has set before us? The more I live, the more impossible it is for me to understand how some still can't see the Creator in the Creation! Life is so rich and so meaningful when the truth has set you free!
He's not only "the reason for the season", he's reason for all things. The reason for HOPE. Come, let us adore HIM.
In love and gratitude,
Erin
