End of the School Year Adventures....

I can't believe the school year is already coming to a close! Don't get me wrong, there were many drives home from Nappanee that had me feeling it couldn't get here soon enough, but as is often the case, finishing this chapter of our lives is bittersweet, as we'll miss Nappanee Elementary and the many encouraging faces that fill its halls during the school year. Lots of memories have been made this year. One of which, was Timothy's trip to Wana Waves last Friday! His smile gives away the fact that he had a blast splashing in the pools, going down the slides, and just having some fun with friends. I was able to go with him, and I'm so grateful I did. It was a lot of fun to see my little guy so enjoy himself!

I'd gotten a phone call earlier in the week that some friends of ours were anxious to have Madeline and Timothy over after school so they could show off the newest additions to their family--kittens! So Friday afternoon we headed over to their place and got to see these tiny little fur balls. The kids loved snuggling them close and listening to their sweet meows.

Madeline loves animals!

Timothy had fun holding one close too.

This good lookin' fella is Timothy's buddy, who enjoys Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario about as much as he does. They've had fun playing together this year.

Lucky for Madeline he has big sisters for her to play with too!

She's enjoyed many afternoons playing with these gals.

When we did get home after our busy day, some of my friends came over to get dinner, one of them with a new baby in tow! Madeline jumped at the opportunity to hold this sweet little bundle....I admit I did too....several times that evening.

We tucked the kids into bed, telling them that when they woke up they'd be at Grandma/Grammy ;) and Poppy's house, but by the time we were ready to head out, Mike and I realized we were too sick to spend a weekend on the road. Both of us had sore throats and headaches and had lost our voices.....you can imagine how painful this was for us! We called Mom and Dad Renfrow and let them know that we didn't think we could come, and while we were all pretty bummed, we knew that we needed our rest.

The next morning Madeline came into our bedroom and asked, "Why am I not at Grandma and Poppy's?" I handled the situation the best way I could think to handle it....I let Mike field the question! He explained our decision, and she said she understood and was sad that mommy and daddy weren't feeling good, but she's starting to feel like we keep canceling her "fun stuff." (We had canceled a visit to the YMCA on Tuesday for the same reasons.) Mike and I felt pretty bad for canceling all the "fun stuff" in her life (you can see from the blog that she leads a relatively uneventful life, so any cancelation would have to have been devastating....that was sarcasm.) We decided that just because we felt crummy didn't mean the kids couldn't enjoy their long weekend, so we took them to Chuck E. Cheese that afternoon.

This is the only picture I got of the kids playing that afternoon.....

and this is why. We'd been there about 30 minutes and Madeline decided she'd like to lay down on the bench and take a nap....no on second thought....she wanted to go home. Now who's cancelling the "fun stuff"??????
We spent Saturday and Sunday resting up. Michael, Madeline and I were all under the weather, but Timothy was fortunate enough to stay healthy. By Monday we were all feeling quite a bit better. So, after getting some lunch, we went back to Chuck E. Cheese to spend all the tokens that never got used on Saturday.

Now that is more like my Madeline!

After Chuck E. Cheese, we headed over to the park. There is a beautiful path with a waterfall that we walked, and, of course, we took advantage of the setting to get some cute pictures. Here are some of my favorites.
After our walk, we went over to the "real" park and the kids played for awhile.

Mike and I were sitting on a bench, and I decided a snapshot was in order. Not bad....but I told him his eyes were kind of closed.
to which his response was..... and then.....
I guess I should have left well enough alone! =P

At least Madeline still has smiles for me.

About this time, Timothy came over and informed me that this was a "really bad day" because he was getting stuff in his shoes. I reminded him that we went out to lunch, played at Chuck E. Cheese and the came to the park.
He was undeterred.

There is a splash pad right next to the park where the kids were playing, and even though we didn't have swim suits with us, Madeline still really wanted to go and just, you know, watch. Well, I pushed Timothy on the swing for a few minutes, and when we found our way over to the splash pad we discovered that Daddy had in fact given himself over to Madeline's wistful looks and let her run through the sprinklers in her clothes. Timothy ventured out a little bit, but he never gets as wet as Miss Madeline. I'm pretty sure he was having a "good day" though when I took this picture. =)

At least the kids were able to enjoy one day of their long weekend. Here they are worn out and watching a movie after we got home.
The next day at school was track and field day. Since I made the trip to Nappanee I felt, as always, it was my responsibility to chronicle these events for my children. Wouldn't you know it though? I left my camera in South Bend! Well, I went to CVS and picked up a disposable, and can I just say the whole event became a reminder of why I so LOVE my digital camera!

Here is Madeline's class playing tug-o-war. She is in the pink shirt two children to the left of the teacher in the middle.Here she is with her partner from the three legged race. These two gals had a great start and a commanding lead, when they lost their footing and toppled over. No ribbon....but they did get up and finish the race, and really could a ribbon have made me any prouder?
Madeline doing the long jump...
Timothy's extended day class came out and did some of the events as well. Here he is in the three legged race. (You can also see Mrs. Matthews behind him. She was his extended day teacher and was so wonderful with him! She was so patient and understanding, and one of the reasons we LOVE this school!) Enjoying the sun with some boys from his class....
and playing tug-o-war. I'm pretty sure he was on the team to the left, but it doesn't look like he's pulling for the right team in this picture!
mmmmmm.....enjoying a slush with some gals....

Did I mention that I missed my digital camera terribly? Sorry this picture is fuzzy, but I have to include it so I can tell you about Mrs. Nickerson. She was the teacher's assistant in Timothy's classroom this year, but she finished out the year on maternity leave because she just had a beautiful little girl with a head full of dark hair =) Her son was in Madeline's class (and a good buddy of Madeline's) this year, which is why we ran into her on field day.

At the beginning of the school year Timothy had some rough mornings transitioning into the classroom....he's not a morning person, you know. Well, Mrs. Nickerson would come down to the office and get him and talk to him as she walked him to the classroom easing him into the transition. She was so patient with him on these occasions I was able to witness, that I know she was one of the reasons Timothy did so well in the classroom all year long. One morning she came to help pry him off of my legs and I apologized for the inconvenience and thanked her. She looked me in the eye and said, "Don't you ever feel like you need to apologize. I look forward to seeing your son every day." That's what makes NES so special to us....the people here care so much....it's not just a job to them. I know my kids did so well at NES because they felt loved there.

I was talking to another one of the moms at field day, and we pretty much agreed that we had hit the teacher jackpot this year. (She has a daughter in Timothy's class and a son in Madeline's)

Madeline's teacher was amazing! Have I mentioned that to everyone enough this year? Madeline had a kind of rough year last year. She was pretty hard on herself and discouraged with school. She didn't like reading because she wasn't at the level she wanted to be at, so trying to improve ended up just causing more frustration to her. Well, we worked with her over the summer. She did a summer reading class, which was a ton of fun, and we took her to the store and let her pick out books that she enjoyed reading; we just tried to bring back the joy of reading. I knew that this year would be pivotal though....I didn't want her to have a bad year and end up not liking school as a result. Mrs. Dodson could not have been any more of a blessing to us. Madeline loved Mrs. Dodson from day one, and Mrs. Dodson was such an encourager to Madeline all year long. She started the year about one level behind her reading goal, but by the time second trimester had rolled around she shot right through her appropriate level and was two ahead. She's turned into a regular bookworm! She's always making some art project or picture for Mrs. Dodson, and when we told her we were going to have to move this year, the first thing she said was, "but what about Mrs. Dodson? I'll never see her if I live in South Bend!" Come to find out, that Mrs. Dodson is retiring this year. Thank you, Lord, for letting our paths cross for this, her last school year! I have a feeling Sheryl Dodson will be one of those teachers that Madeline remembers fondly as an adult.....she certainly inspired Madeline to do her personal best this year! Speaking of teacher jackpot.....Mrs. Miller has been a treasure to our family as well. She is so sensitive to Timothy's needs, and knows just how to draw him into a group so he'll participate, or comfort him when he's beginning to get overwhelmed. When she discovered Timothy's love of reading, she began sending home supplemental materials for him to read at home. My parents were able to recognize what a special teacher she is in just the short interaction they had with her at Grandparent's day this year. I've told her many times that it is so apparent to me why God placed Timothy in her classroom this year. I can't imagine a better way to start school! We have truly been blessed by these two precious ladies that taught our children so much more than they even realize!
I'll wrap up on that note, but before I sign off I wanted to let you know that my dad made it safely to Nigeria and should be coming home this Friday night. In addition, my grandpa is out of the hospital and recuperating at home; so thank you so much for your prayers. God is so faithful to us. I've got another request for you though.

Please remember Suzie Bohlson in your prayers. Suzie teaches at the medical school I will be attending next year, and our paths first crossed when we judged a science fair together last spring. When I decided that I was attending the South Bend Center, I contacted Suzie to see if she could show me around. I discovered that she is heading to Africa this summer, and she was excited to hear that I was interested in going myself. She had been looking for a medical student to work with, as she is trying to establish an ongoing ministry in Uganda. We sat and talked for a couple hours; I had to keep reminding myself we'd really only just met! To hear how the Lord has worked all of the circumstances in her life to position her where she is now for "such a time as this" is awe-inspiring. We serve such a big God. We don't know where this adventure will lead, but we have both agreed to hold on for the duration of the ride and to try not to get in God's way! Suzie's trip will be mostly exploratory in nature, trying to assess the needs and determine how her gifts can be used best to demonstrate compassion in an ongoing ministry, which I hope to be very much a part of! How exciting to see the way she is working to bring science and faith together to help others. Please pray for her safety and wisdom as she continues to plan this adventure of which her trip is only just the beginning.
I'm off to pick up my precious kiddos. Thanks for reading!

blessings, shannon

So, what was I saying?

When I last blogged, I said that my husband rocks and that we were expecting some company. I submit to you as evidence of both, the following pictures. Our company did in fact come, and my wonderful husband even offered to watch the kids so Mindy and I could go out and have some girl time. It's been a while since we've been able to go out, so it was a treat for us, and as you can see, the kids had a blast too! They always love getting to play with this sweet little peanut! (I have more pictures for you, Min...I'll e-mail those.) We brought home one of Mike's favorite meals for dinner to treat him for being so good to us....he admits to having fun with them while we were gone, and he even took some of the pictures....pretty good, huh? Here's the clan enjoying some dinner after the moms got home.

Well, that was last weekend, and then this Wednesday....more excitement. Timothy's Wednesday night clubhouse awards night at church. At the beginning of the year, we had our concerns about how Timothy was going to do at school, and also how he would do at church as he gets older and children started interacting with him more. His first Wednesday night of the year was a bit stressful. The children's program went all out, and they had quite the kick-off, but for our Timothy, it was a little too much to handle. He ended up melting down and then falling asleep on the floor in the middle all the action. Drop-offs have always been hard, any transition can be, but the next week was really rough for Timothy so I went to the church and sat down with our preschool ministry director and the lead teacher of Timothy's classroom. We talked about Asperger's syndrome and sensory processing, what makes Timothy tick and what makes him fall apart, and then we prayed together. These two ladies made every effort to make "Clubhouse" a place that Timothy had fun, felt safe and loved. Timothy accomplished more this year in clubhouse than I ever expected--memorizing verses, finishing projects, and making lots of friends.

So thanks, Donna....

and thanks, Sarah....for a great year!

Timothy's small group leader was Robin, and she was great with him. Every week I'd tell him it was time to go to clubhouse and he'd pump his arm and say, "awesome!" I worried that Timothy might slip into the crowd and not take part in many of the activities, but he loved his group and his teacher and he even completed enough of his clubhouse book to earn a gold medal this year. Imagine my delight when Robin announced that he had received the "outstanding participation" award for his group--this little fella was certainly a far cry from the wall flower I expected him to be!
This picture, of Timothy receiving his gold medal, you have to click on it. It will enlarge, and then you'll be able to see how proud my little boy is of what he accomplished this year.
Here's picture of Timothy with one of his bestest buddies from the year. (Austin won the "winning smile" award.....can you see why?) Now, I know what you've really been waiting for, and I did take video clips of Timothy singing with his friends. As you watch these, remind yourself that this is the same little guy that , a year ago, would have found himself a book and hid away in the corner to be left alone. Well, what do you think now? How about this for "outstanding participation?" (If you can't download these videos on your computer, I promise it would be worth your effort to find another place to watch them.....so sweet!)

This first video is of a song called, "Wild about God"

(He actually is supposed to be doing some of the "Hums" that he's doing....)

The words to the chorus of this song: and I'll go all out, without any doubt, I want mylife to SHOUT, "God is alive in me!" I loved watching this!

Today, was my last day at the clinic. I have volunteered at Sister Maura Brannick Health Center this year, and it has been a tremendous blessing. I've met some amazing people who get up every morning, go into work, and become God's hands in the lives of so many. This is one of those people. Anne-Marie graduated from Notre Dame last year and then spent the past year at the clinic doing about everything there is to do....among her many hats is supervising and training all the volunteers, and let me tell you, there are a lot of us. She's off to John Hopkins for medical school this fall, and I know God has big things in store for her. This amazing lady is Sister Maura herself. This clinic started because Sister Maura was burdened for others and wanted to do what she could do to help. She took a blood pressure cuff and went to a soup kitchen one night a week to take blood pressures. People caught her vision, and God has now provided this amazing clinic full of doctors and nurses who volunteer their time providing healthcare for those who otherwise couldn't afford it. God's plans are so much bigger than any we could dream up ourselves.....what a reminder her life is. I will miss seeing her each week.
Finally, I want to ask that you pray for my dad. Friday morning he's getting on a plane and heading to Nigeria with two other men from his church. Their mission is to pave the way for those who will follow them. They're going to map out villages that they find and find those who are open to future visits from mission teams. Please pray for God to prepare the paths that they will be walking, that He will go before them and protect them. Also pray for my grandpa, my dad's dad, who we just found out is in the hospital with pneumonia. Pray for his healing and for Dad, as I can only imagine how hard it must be to go at a time like this.

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed our update ;)

-shannon

My Husband Rocks!

Friday was "Donuts for Dads" at Timothy's school. Much like "Muffins for Moms" last Friday, the children of Timothy's kindergarten class invited their dads in, shared a treat with them, read a book together, and sang a song for them. Timothy and Michael had a fun morning together, and since Michael had to go to the school this morning he told me to lay out the kids' clothes for them Thursday night so he could get them ready and drive them to school in the morning, letting me sleep in!

Here's a picture of Timothy with the poem he had written for Michael.....so proud =)The kids sang "five green and speckled frogs" to the dads that morning. He gave an encore performance when he got home so I could share it with you.

Here's a picture from last Friday when I came to "Muffins for Moms." It was a fun morning, and Timothy enjoyed showing me around his room and introducing me to his friends.

Here's a video of Timothy reading his poem to me.

Here's a video of the class singing "five little monkeys" to the moms. (It's a little fuzzy at times, but you'll still enjoy Timothy's rendition, which turned out to be more of an interpretive dance.)

I had a great visit with my dear friend Joanna this morning. She is heading back to Oklahoma today where she just finished her first year of med school. Way to go, Joanna! God has big plans for you!
We're having some company today, so I'm logging off for now, but before I do, here's a picture of Madeline so she can be part of the blog too, one of my favorites from graduation. This little lady, by the way, won her class reading contest again! She gets to go have lunch at McDonald's with her teacher, who she could not love more, next Wednesday.Hope you have a blessed weekend!

-shannon