Homecoming and Hug Swings....
I figured I would go ahead and post a few of the pictures we've taken recently. (Yay for having a camera again!!!) The first pictures I'm posting are from IUSB's homecoming basketball game. Mike is on the University Alumni Board and went to the game to staff an informational table about the alumni association. So, we made it a family affair. The kids had fun cheering on the Titans, even though we went home without a victory. =( Madeline got some pom poms and sat up front cheering with the Titan cheerleaders, and Timothy mostly occupied himself with Super Mario Bros. on his Nintendo DS, but he did have on a red shirt....that counts for something! After the game, the kids got to go down and get a picture with a friend of mine (and Mike's) who is a cheerleader. So here are some pictures of Madeline and Timothy (who's not so sure about the whole deal) with our friend Yuki.


Something else I have finally captured on film is Timothy's occupational therapy or OT. Occupational therapy? What is his occupation? I usually get asked with a laugh, when I tell someone I'm bringing our little man to OT. The fact is his occupation is being a kid....and kids play! Because of some of Timothy's sensory issues, he hasn't been as adventurous and active as the average kiddo his age. He also still has trouble processing some sensory information, which is why he is often easily overwhelmed at things that may seem trivial, or even enjoyable to the average child. So, his occupational therapy works to help strengthen him and increase his coordination, as well as provide "sensory input" that helps him to process things and integrate the sometimes overwhelming information that life throws his way. (This may seem like gibberish, but let me tell you, I have quickly become familiar with lingo such as "sensory diet" "proprioceptive input" "vestibular sense" and found that knowing is half the battle when it comes to managing our little man's sensitivities.)

This first video is of Timothy in the "spider cage." It may have a silly name, but Timothy has fun doing all sorts of different things in it and gets quite the work out at the same time. (Not to mention the fact that it works on his body sense and spatial awareness.)

This next video is of Timothy in the "hug swing," which is probably Timothy's (and my) favorite piece of equipment at OT. It is really nothing more than a multi-level hammock made of lycra, but it is soothing for two reasons. First, the lycra "hugs" his body while he is in it providing the previously mentioned "proprioceptive input." Second, the swinging motion provides "vestibular input," which apparently is something Timothy has always sought due to its ability to soothe him. From the time he was old enough to sit up in a swing, it was the only thing he was ever interested in at the playground. He'd spend his whole summer swinging if it was possible! =)

Racing down the hall on scooter boards builds upper body strength....plus his OTA is always sweet and lets him win =)

Speaking of his OTA (short for occupational therapy assistant). You may have overheard her name, Stephanie, in the first video, and she is a gem! She has been working with Timothy twice a week for several months now, and he loves her....so do I! I'd like to ask for your prayers for Stephanie and her family. She has two beautiful little gals, whom Timothy likes to race on scooter boards and play games with, if they're hanging around OT, and her husband Jeff is an active duty soldier who is overseas right now. He's been gone for the better part of a year and won't be home for good until April. In addition, they're looking to move, ( We love moving! =P) and I'm sure you can imagine what it must be like for Stephanie as she juggles her job, plus trying to arrange a new mortgage, and a move to a new town as a "single" mom. So, if you happen to be thinking about Timothy and his adventures in OT, send up a prayer for Stephanie and Jeff. She is leaning on the Lord, and He is ever faithful, but extra prayer warriors would certainly be appreciated!

Well, after an afternoon slaving away at OT, what did Timothy end up doing when he got home? More OT! This time on the trampoline with big sis. (In keeping with the theme of how God provides from my previous post, I'd like to point out that both Timothy's OT and our trampoline were provided to us through grants for which I applied. The trampoline is from an organization started by Charlie Weiss, the ND football coach, called Hannah's House. The OT that Timothy receives is being taken care of by an organization right here in Nappanee called "Through Our Eyes." Just wanted to take the opportunity to give God some of the glory that He is due. He is so faithful to provide for us!)

As far as moving news goes.....we're coming along. Most exciting for the kids is the fact that their much emptier room now contains unbunked beds! Yup, they thought they were pretty big stuff when they crawled into their "new" beds. Oh, and moving will be lots of fun in the foot of snow we just got dumped on us! OK, maybe not a foot, but it was enough to get school canceled! I heard the kids playing in their room this morning and had to go take a video of some of the exchange. So I'll warn you now. Timothy sleeps in his underwear. If you're not a fan of Elmo underoos, this video may be too much for you =P

That's all for now. We've got the big move ahead of us this weekend. Hopefully next blog will be new home pictures!

-shannon

God Provides!
I know that my blog gets checked regularly for primarily one thing--pictures of my beautiful children. Unfortunately, my camera has been broken for a while, and the blurry images it outputs would likely result in viewer frustration, thus the stagnance of my blog this month. However, there is a lot going on right now in our family! So I decided to go ahead and post my story of how God is providing for us, even though it lacks the aforementioned photographs. As an, I hope, appreciated substitute, Madeline and Timothy have provided illustrations of our happy family to hold you over until we get a new camera up and running!

Our Very Blessed Family, by Madeline and Timothy:

I posted this story Friday to my myspace blog, so instead of retyping it I just cut and pasted it here. Many of you know the story, and I thank you for your prayers! For those of you who haven't connected with me for a recent update, or if you'd just like to hear it again, here it is:

Well, it's been awhile since an update, and much has happened....and quickly! We have decided that IU School of Medicine is the one for us, and I will start at the South Bend campus in the fall. As some of you know, we live a good 40 minute commute from South Bend, and have been driving two cars that distance and back home for a while now. (Since Mike works for IU South Bend) It's a haul, but we love our little town, our church, and our school system. The Lord has blessed us tremendously through the folks at Nappanee Elementary, and it is a difficult consideration to think about moving from such a great place, especially when I am getting ready to start the most rigorous four years of my training. I feel like I'll be less of a mother than I've ever been during med school, and dropping the kids into SB city schools is scary for me! However, we have been talking about making the move for quite some time.

A couple weeks ago we took a tour of a school up in SB, and fell in love with it. Good Shepherd Montessori School is it's name, and it is even better than we had hoped. The classes are grouped 1st-3rd grade and 4th-6th grade, because the Montessori method focuses on the fact kids are all so different and their interests and abilities across the subjects can vary widely. They also have a very different method of instruction, so hard to explain without seeing it, but essentially they recognize that all children learn so differently, and they provide guidance and the environment necessary to allow children to explore in their own way. In addition, this particular school has received high praise as a nurturing environment, but still an academically rigorous one, from someone I trust and respect. (I'll just say that she has a Ph.D. in physics and knows the value of a good education!) Still, any transition is tricky for our family. Our Madeline is as resilient as they come, and while she does get nervous, she is Miss Adaptability and, I am convinced, would thrive in any environment she found herself. Her brother on the other hand, well, God knew what he was doing when he got me to commit to this journey before I found out what I was going to have on my plate! As many of you know, Timothy has a high functioning form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome. He's doing great, and he's a little genius (I say completely impartially) but change is hard for him. He has done amazingly well in public school this year, Nappanee Elementary (we love!!!!) has done so wonderfully with him, making small accommodations that add up to him functioning beautifully, even without the aid of an assistant. (Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Nickerson are wonderful, and Timothy feels well loved in his classroom!) Well, as we toured the Montessori school with the director, he asked if there was anything particular they should know about our kids. I told him a bit about Madeline, and then I shared with him some of the concerns we have with Timothy, when I asked how familiar he was with Asperger's and if he knows any Asperger's children who've had success with Montessori teaching, he told me his own son has Asperger's and has done great here at Good Shepherd. In fact, a reputable developmental pediatrician sits on the board of the school!

Well, every silver lining has its cloud, I guess, and when we discovered the cost (GASP!) of this wonderful school in South Bend, I was pretty much devastated. God is faithful, and we have always had enough, but the truth is, not always a lot extra, and tuition amounts to more than a third of what our income was this year. We thought there might be some scholarships available, but only for minority students. What to do?

Well on the heels of finding out about this school, Mike got a call from someone at the university who owns a house that needs some renters. Only five minutes from the med school, less than ten from Mike's work, a bedroom for both kiddos and a fenced in backyard, it would be perfect for us. Oh, except for the school system. I'll just say it's, well, not the best...at all, and I will leave it at that.

I continued kidding myself, thinking that I can commute from Nappanee to SB, even through med school, and finally Mike hits me upside the head with reality (figuratively, of course, no abuse took place). "You realize that there were days during undergrad that you were gone before the kids were up and home after bedtime, and that there may be weeks like that in med school..." he reminded me. If we live five minutes from the school, I could come home and eat dinner with the fam and then head back to the library...a reality that just wouldn't exist if I had a 40 minute commute. Well, looks like we're moving. When March 1st rolls around, South Bend residents we will be.

But the schools! I did some more looking which pretty much just led to tears and no answers on my part. We tossed around ideas late into the night....for many nights. About a week ago (last Thursday) we made a decision, and we were resolute. We will put the kids in Good Shepherd and do whatever it takes to make it work. I've got basic training this summer (you knew I joined the Army right? there are pictures posted....no excuse not to know) and we talked about having the family come down and visit me. I'll turn 30, Timothy 6, and we'll celebrate our 11th anniversary while I'm away. So a family visit was in order, but cancelled. I'll save every nickel I make. No food except from the chow hall, no taxi into town on my weekends off, not a diet coke from a vending machine would be had. Every cent will go towards tuition. We were planning a family vacation this summer. I'm finishing my B.S. in biochemistry, Mike's finishing his Master's, and with med school starting in the fall, this is a great summer for a family vacation. Alas, it's cancelled too. Every cent, I'm telling you. No more eating out, no more movies, no shopping (like I do that anyway) but seriously, we're cracking down and making this happen! Of course, this still barely adds up to tuition for one of our children for the first year, but we're committed to making this decision. Mike'll start waiting tables on the weekends until we can do it, seriously! I was going to let my husband get a second job while I was in med school!

Mind you, I have been praying about this, and by praying I mean pleading with God. These are HIS children, after all. He entrusted them to me, and it is He who put these desires for their protection and best interest in my heart. So I cried to God...a lot. He understands and wants to bless His children, so who better to cry out to? Well, we put it in his hands on Thursday night. We said, "This is all we can do, and it is not enough, but we are going to trust You to provide."

I had gotten an e-mail about a scholarship for med school. It was only $1500, which doesn't put much of a dent in med school, but you know my med school is paid for by the Army, right? So if I could get that scholarship and it would get refunded to me for living expenses, well, that would help with tuition. So Friday morning I e-mailed the financial aid office to find out if I could get that scholarship. ISN'T GOD GOOD? The director e-mailed me back and told me that I could apply for that scholarship, and by the way......by the way.....BY THE WAY.....he found out yesterday that the Army is now giving a $20,000 signing bonus to this year's HPSP (Health professional Scholarship Program) scholars. Seriously? God just sent us 20 grand to pay for our kids school. Seriously. Listen to how perfect his timing is. The bonus had just passed that week, and it was retroactive to January 4th. Well I signed paperwork and was supposed to be commissioned back in early December, but because December was such a crazy time for our family I requested an extension and did not get commissioned until January 11th. I checked with my recruiter, and because I had pushed back my commissioning, I was getting the bonus!

And there was much rejoicing in the House of the Renfrows!

God is so faithful to provide! I have so many stories of how God has provided for our family throughout the years. Do you know what I get asked all the time? "How in the world are you/is your family pulling this off?" Without hesitation the answer is ALWAYS, "because GOD IS SO FAITHFUL!" His name is Jehovah Jireh--the Lord will provide! Beyond what we need the Lord has blessed us and continues to do so. It is in His strength that I have been able to continue on this journey, and it is only by His provision that our family's needs have been met. To Him be the glory! I'm only just a jar of clay, but I am loved by The King.

Happy and Blessed,
shannon

Ephesians 3: 20,21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.