Shoveling

Brrr, the snow has come, and come quickly! But not too fast for Joshua. At the first sign of the wintery white flakes, he's out on the driveway, hard at work. He got a new shovel for Christmas because he loves to shovel the snow!

He shovels away diligently.

After a while, his feet get wet and cold...

So he heads inside for a warm cup of hot cocoa!

Noel

Sandbox Buddy

The leaves have given up their summer employment as sun catchers and are resting crumpled and spent in a rusty and gold carpet under the trees. Only the hardy winter birds have been seen wrestling berries out of the crabapple trees and the hum of insects has been silenced by the chilly air. Despite these clear signs of impending winter, Joshua asked this afternoon if he could go out to the sandbox. He ventured out in his shorts pulled over his pajama bottoms but returned quickly to add a few layers. He enticed his sandbox buddy to join him and soon he and Esther were busy building extravagant cities in their sandy paradise. The pictures below were taken before the earth's gradual tilt away from the sun revolved us into autumn's hand, but you can see the spirit of mutual delight shared between Joshua and Esther as they strategize over how to pack, fill, pat, pour and scoop their imaginations into sandy mounds of wholesome fun. The only difference was today they had to crack a thin layer of ice off of the city "pond"!

Mom

Kings and Queens

         This morning, after finishing their schoolwork, Joshua, Moses and Esther decided to make a play. They  invited mom and I to watch. Moses said the tickets cost 10¢. We paid our fee and sat down to watch. "What would it be?" I wondered. Together, Moses and Joshua could come up with some pretty interesting things!
          Joshua was so excited, he kept peeking out from back stage to see us. Soon they marched out, with Esther between them. It appears that King Moses, Lady Esther and Sir Joshua were going for a afternoon walk. Suddenly Caleb burst out from the forest to steal Esther away, the king and his knight fought him nobly. But he returned again, this time he was 'invisible.' He stole Esther, but his invisibleness wore off and they saw him. Esther ran to mom and the fight continued until someone started to cry. In the end they made peace.

Look at those smiles.

This is the cast.

Aren't the costumes professional? 

Noel

Grape Picking

          Today we went grape picking at a farm in Hamilton. We were hoping there would be enough grapes to make some jelly. Joshua was very excited to come and help. I'm not sure if he was looking forward to the picking or the eating☺? I wasn't sure he was going to get very much in his bucket. When we go blueberry picking he usually ends up with about 10 blueberries in his contantiar. But today was different. In order to get the grapes you have to duck under a canopy of grape vines. We could hear him calling from under somewhere, "Huge! Nowel comee now lota grape!" I went to help him pick and sure enough the branches were loaded. I looked in his bucket and it was half full! I was delighted! He had put his whole effort into picking, and in the end he filled his bucket. I think he had a lot of fun picking and crawling under the vines!

Here he is picking some from under a canopy of vines. 

It was a gorgeous day!

Another action shot!

Mmm, those look delicious! 

Noel

Coloring pals!

Joshua is just beginning to embrace his honored role as one of Esther's older brothers. Sometimes that plays out in being bossy, which she ignores, or grabbing her, in which case she hollers for help. But today I looked up from my dishwashing when I heard the sweet, harmonic sound of Joshua pronouncing the sounds of the letters from his coloring book while Esther looked on with rapt attention. He then offered to share his markers with her and to compliment her coloring. Big steps!

Mom

Lawn mower

When Joshua was younger, one of his favorite toys was a plastic lawn mower that he rallied me to purchase at a garage sale.  When Bill mowed the lawn Joshua would be right behind him, with his plastic mower, happily making a slur of inventive lawn mower sounds. Now that he is eight, plastic mowers do not hold the same awe and inspiration. He wants to push the machine with the real motor. Unfortunately, since moving to the country, we now mow our "lawn" with a tractor which Joshua is a few years away from being able to manage. A few days ago, when visiting a neighbor, Joshua heard the joyous roar of a lawn mower and snuck off to investigate. When I found him he was mowing tandem with his new friend, Kirt VanWieren, who kindly gave him a brief lesson in mowing the lawn. Joshua was thrilled! Below is Kirt's invite to come help with the lawn anytime. I see the possibility of future employment!

Mom

King of the Mountain

What kid doesn't love playing "king of the mountain" on a gigantic pile of sand! Here Joshua and Moses are going at it with Joshua's height helping him gain the advantage. However, shortly after this, his laughter turned his muscles to jello and Moses took over as "king."

Mom

Date with Joshua

With the guidance of Joshua's Speech Pathologist I have been able to work with him on his speech and language for the past three years.  I go to the Vanderbilt's twice a week and Joshua and I get to play together in the basement. Some of the things we do together include reading books, going through flash cards, building puzzles, and playing sports. It has been a blessing to watch Joshua's personality blossom as his ability to communicate increases. He has made huge gains in the past couple of years, and he is continuing to work hard to acquire more speech and language abilities.

In a couple of weeks I am moving to Minnesota to work towards my Masters in Speech Pathology. I am sad that I will not be able to continue working with Joshua each week. As a way to celebrate Joshua's accomplishments, he and I went on a tennis and frozen yogurt date in downtown Holland.  

Joshua loved playing tennis. We were on the court for over an hour, laughing and running all over the place. Joshua is very coordinated with his racket and we had some good rallies across the net. He had fun trying to hit the ball over the fence, and enjoyed pretending that he was in a very intense match with tons of fans cheering him on.

After tennis we headed downtown for frozen yogurt. Joshua was a little skeptical about this because he had his heart set on blue moon, but he quickly changed his mind after trying the frozen yogurt. He took advantage of the free samples and loved being able to have three different flavors in one bowl. He also got a kick out of all the toppings.

I loved spending the night with Joshua, and I am going to miss these times that we have had together while I am away at school. Joshua is full of joy and laughter, he is creative and he loves being active and playing sports with other people. His communication is essential for him to express his personality, share his interests, and form relationships with others. Joshua is the reason I want to become a Speech Pathologist. He has taught me so much, and I want to help other people gain the ability to communicate so they impact others the way Joshua has done for me. Although we will not be spending as much time during the school year I know we will always share this special bond. I look forward to coming back to Holland and going to family gatherings and continue to watch him grow up and enjoy life with family and friends.

Melissa Bieri (Joshua's cousin) 

Barn Chores

Joshua loves helping with barn chores. Here he is strengthening his muscles pushing a wheelbarrow full of sawdust out to the horse shelter.

Mom

Tubing

            On our visit to Charlevoix for the 4th, we spent some time tubing behind my grandpa's boat with our cousins. For the first time in his life, Joshua went too! I went with him on his first ride and he loved it! He kept calling to my dad to go faster and put his thumb up, which is the sign for faster. He used to be frightened to go because the water was too cold and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to swim, even with a life-jacket. In the past years, he would ask to go and then, right before climbing up on the tube, he would change his mind. When he asked this year, I was so exited he was actually going to do it. I was so excited that he has gained confidence around the water and has the determination to keep trying to get on that tube!

It's hard to see from the pictures, but he had a big smile on his face.

This time, we got a little close to the edge of the wake and we got sprayed with alot of water.

A few days later he went with mom.

There's the smile I was waiting for!!!

Noel

Slip n' slide

On Saturday, Dad, Caleb, Joshua, Moses and I went tubing on the river. The water was very cold but Joshua was brave and persevered through the cold water and over the "wild rapids."When we got back, we biked around and played some baseball. After that we cooled off on the slip in slide.

He likes to get a running start, so he backs off a few steps and then,

"1, 2, 3, run, run, run!"

He does a running leap and lands on the slip n' slide.

It's fun to watch him sliding down so fast with the water spraying everywhere!

Noel

Cowboy!

On our first day at Cranhill Ranch, Joshua, Moses and Esther each went on a  pony ride.

We were able to catch Joshua being a  cowboy. See him waving his lasso?

Yeehaw!

Joshua has grown so much in his confidence with horses over the past years and it has been a joy to watch him! 

Noel

   

                                                   

Pony Rides

On our visit to the horse park, Joshua, Moses and Esther went on a pony ride. Joshua loved it! You can see his smile as he rides Twix. He was so proud that he got on Twix without help, and climbed off without help. 

First time around, what fun! 

With a big smile, he pats Twix on the neck, as if to say, "You're doing well!"

Noel

Horses, Horses, Horses in Kentucky!

When we visited the horse park, we also got up close with many beautiful horses. Most of them were curious and friendly and came up to the fence to be petted. Unfortunately, we could't feed them carrots, but we still enjoyed petting them. 

The noble Friesian was quite a reach! He seemed to enjoy getting his picture taken, he even posed, see? 

Joshua liked to climb the gate so he could pet the horses better. But this curious palomino nibbled on his shoe. 

The pretty pinto, bred in India to have curled ears, was very friendly. Joshua loved feeling the pinto's soft nose. As for the 

CAUTION 

Horses will bite

 sign, we ignored it, they were so friendly and gentle! 

I liked this picture quite a bit. It is hard to get Joshua to smile a real smile for the camera unless he does not know the camera's there or he really loves what he is doing in the picture. He really loved petting and taking pictures with this horse. 

Noel

Swimming fun!

At our fist hotel we stayed in, there was a pool. Everyone loved it, especially Joshua! He has learned to swim so much better over the past 2 years. He used to be afraid to go in the water and he would cling to Dad like a monkey. Now, he will swim and splash around by himself. He used to not like water on his face and hair. But today he showed me how he went underwater without being asked. He even waved to me!

Here he is enjoying wading in the refreshing pool after a 6 1/2 hour car ride. 

But, you'll never guess what he did next...

One, two, three, jump! 

He decided he wanted to jump into the pool to add some excitement to his swim.

 Flying through the air ...

You've got an aduience! One foot in the water...

Splash!!!! Quick swim to the side! Wow, that was fun!

Noel

Baking Chief

Measuring....

Stirring...

Pouring...

And the final batter!

I really enjoy having Joshua help me bake. He is so fun to work with and is a great help. When he measures and pours, you can see an expression of concentration on his face as he works. He likes to stir, although we have a few explosions of batter once in a while! When he measures he is sure it is all level and when he pours he makes sure nothing spills. These muffins we were making were a new recipe and he was willing to help make them even though he said they looked "Ewww." :) In the end he was able to enjoy a warm muffin and for all the "Ewwing," he liked it, even though he was slow to admit it at first!

Noel

Heart of Forgiveness

A carpet lined hole, a polished coffin, an uprooted tree, disturbed earth and mangled grass. Children with out a father, parents burying a son, a wife alone, nieces and aunts dressed in white, a mother dressed in celebration purple. Scripture. Tears. Laughter. Poignant music. Stories, tributes and accolades of a life well lived and well loved. These are the images and words that woke me up several times these past few nights following the burial and celebration of the life of a dear friend.  Our family walked along side Tod and his family the past three weeks as he fought courageously to hold on to life while confronting head-on the possibility of death. He never took his eyes off Jesus nor questioned the healing and joy that awaited him in heaven as much as he longed for restoration here. Although blogging about life with Joshua moved to the background, some of the intrinsic values that define him were magnified through this journey with Tod.

I cannot recall one time that Joshua has held a grudge against anyone. His inarticulate speech has been mocked. The way food sometimes falls out of his mouth has been scorned. His struggles to remember and recall words or information he has heard or learned multiple times has been treated with much less than grace and compassion. Verbal expressions of exasperation with some of his peculiar habits have been uttered.  He is sometimes ignored and brushed over. He is an easy scapegoat. And I am ashamed to say that this derision has not only been delegated by strangers, family and "friends," but has ricocheted off the walls of our home.

Tod literally needed a new heart. By the time his disease was diagnosed his heart was only functioning at 30%. I need a new heart. I heart that is much more willing to forgive; to graciously give up my right to punish someone who has hurt me. That is Joshua. Everyday he takes the "world's" scorn on his shoulders and then with innocent grace he sheds it and asks for a hug and a bowl of apple sauce or a chance to play baseball.  He forgives from a heart that has a boundless supply of grace (Matthew 18:21-22)a. Every year 80 - 90% of people who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome choose to abort their child. This number is likely to increase with the development of safer testing methods Read the story. Joshua is not yet aware of this contempt for his "kind." Will he be able to forgive that as well? Jesus did and still does. Joshua has a heart that reflects the love and grace of Jesus for all people. That is also the type of heart that Tod had and this ubiquitous part of his character drew people to him from many persuasions.

Medical advances have made it possible to give people in Tod's situation a new heart and the hope and possibility of restored life. That same medical establishment and the Supreme Court have given parent(s) the option to stop a beating heart, to squelch love, to disregard forgiveness and disdain grace.

Forgiving someone who has hurt you is one of the most precious gifts you can give. It releases them from the burden of their guilt and shame and helps them begin a journey of healing and reconciliation. Instead of condemning, forgiveness liberates and rescues (John 3:17)b. Joshua, and his heart of forgiveness, puts flesh on and bears witness to the free gift of forgiveness, through grace, that Jesus on the cross makes accessible to everyone.  John 1:8-10 says, "He [John the Baptist] himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. ⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone [emphasis added] was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." The apathetic acceptance of the abortion of fetuses with Down syndrome suggests that we do not yet recognize the "light" of Him that marks everyone as image bearers and children of the living God.

Footnotes:

^{a. Matthew 18:21-22      21} Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

^{b. John 3:17      17} For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 

                                       

Mom

Fluffy

Joshua adores our cats. He's pictured here hugging Fluffy, the first stray to risk her life joining our family of "child-cat huggers." Joshua's affections boarder on squashing her with love but she has not run away yet!  I can sympathize with his desires as I remember dressing our cat in doll clothes and trying to coerce her to ride in the baby buggy. Well, it never worked, because if you know anything about cats they cannot be forced to do anything. Fluffy's not necessarily smiling in this photo but she could get away if she wanted. As a sign of her devotion she still sleeps at the foot of Joshua's bed almost every night.  

Mom

Easter Eggs

As a family tradition we always color Easter eggs. Joshua loves doing this! It is fun to watch the eggs change color from white to vibrant pinks, greens, yellows, oranges and blues. Joshua enjoys rolling the eggs in the dye to make sure they all get colored. 

Here he is removing an egg to see if it is done or not. In the tin bowl, there is an egg with rubber bands around to add a cool effect; when the rubber bands are removed the egg will have white streaks! He prefers making these eggs because he can make them look like a basketball! He also wants to throw the basketball egg into the basketball hoop. I think that is so hilarious! 

He also likes to do a different form of egg coloring called tye-dye eggs! You squirt some drops of food coloring on the egg, roll the egg around, let it sit and then repeat with 2 more colors. When you have the dye on, you rinse the whole egg with water, then it looks like a rainbow! 

The final product! Don't they look magnificent? 

                     Noel

Tractor Revival

One of Joshua's first words was tractor or as he says is "tactor." Riding on it with his dad is a favorite activity. We learned early on not to leave the keys in it because of course it would be even more fun for him to drive it. 

Friday night I was jolted awake by Noel saying the words that every mother dreads, "Mom, my tummy hurts." This was was the beginning of another night of communing with the tile floor in the bathroom and every waste basket was put on double-duty.  Joshua had it the worst. However, Saturday morning, when he heard dad was going out to do some work on the tractor, he dragged himself out of bed, got dressed in his Carhartts and insisted on going with him. How could we resist? You can tell from his expression that his energy level is low but nothing like a tractor ride in dad's lap to revive the spirits of a "farmer" in the making. I could not catch it in a photo, but as the tractor revved up and drove off, his eyes lit up and I caught a glimpse of a small, joyful, smile ease across his lips.

Mom

Snow Tunnel

We think the spring thaw has finally arrived, to the dismay of the kids who love to play 

in the snow.  In a last "hurrah", they confiscated some garden shovels and made a tunnel 

in what remained of "Snow Mountain." 

Here you see Joshua, shooting into the "cave" 

with momentum gathered from the slide. 

There was a moment of anxiety when he thought he was stuck! Help!

After some serious wiggling and grunting he summoned all his strength and...

made it through! 

Mom