December 2004 

Dear family and friends,

 This year has been eventful, to say the least.  There have been many changes in our family and they haven't been small.  Last year (July 2003) Eric was laid-off from his job of 19 years and then just before Christmas he started another job, doing the same thing as before, but only at a much lower pay rate.  That was quite a blow.  He also must work 12-hour shifts through the night.  Not what we had expected at this time in our life.  That has put our faith to the test.  We made it through with the help of many of you.  We are extremely grateful to you all. 

On Mother's Day of this year we received a phone call that has changed our lives completely.  The hospital called to say that Joshua had been hit by a car.    He was out rollerblading with a friend and a car crossed the centerline and hit him from behind.  It was a hit-and-run.  The driver did finally turn himself in hours later, which made it impossible to check for alcohol or drugs.  We believe that the driver had to be intoxicated to do what he did.  After hitting Josh, he stopped and pulled Josh off his car before taking off.  Josh’s friend said the guy just grabbed Josh's arm and yanked him off.  It is very likely that this caused even more damage.  Joshua's legs, between the knees and ankles, were severely broken.  He now has rods, plates, and screws in both legs.  During one of his surgeries on his legs a dying muscle was removed and we were told that Josh could possibly lose that leg.   We feel so blessed that that didn't happen.  Joshua lost so much blood though that his spinal cord lost its supply of oxygen.  Joshua slowly lost feeling and mobility as the day wore on.  By the next morning he was paralyzed from the lower ribs down.  At first the doctors were optimistic, but time has painted the real picture.  He has regained a little sensation in his legs and feet, but no mobility at all.  Joshua spent 2 ½ weeks in the hospital, with a few days in the Intensive Care Unit, and then was transferred by ambulance to Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Center here in Grand Rapids.  He spent 5 weeks there learning to be independent in a wheelchair.   He then had outpatient therapy 3 days a week for the rest of the summer.  Once school started he went for therapy sessions 3 days a week, but we are now waiting to set up therapy sessions that will come to us in the afternoons since he was missing so much school.

This summer, which should have been filled with driver's training, relaxation, and summer jobs, turned into a full hectic schedule of therapies, doctor visits, and a move to a hotel.  Our home is definitely not barrier free.  We live in a bi-level -- a wheelchair nightmare.  Josh and I and occasionally some of the other kids moved into the Residence Inn about 8 miles from our home.  We have been waiting for our insurance company to start modifications on our house that would move the kitchen, dining room, and living room to the lower level and construct a bigger garage out front.   Of course, special changes are going to be made to accommodate a wheelchair in the other rooms on the lower level as well.  They have finally started on the house but it may end up being close to a year of hotel living before we can come home.

Insurance companies are interesting and frustrating when it comes to expensive bills that need to be paid.  We still have medical bills that need payment and our house modifications were not started until we had to register a complaint with the Department of Insurance and hire a lawyer.  Not what we expected after faithfully paying our premiums for all these years.

Well, enough of our frustrations.  Caleb is finally in the Navy.  He finished basic training in August                                 and is now stationed in Norfolk, VA on the USS Carter Hall.  He has plans to attend a cooking school in Texas as soon as there is an opening and is practicing those cooking skills presently on the ship.      

He seems to enjoy what he is doing and calls home often.  He has his own cell phone and loves to use it, as some of you already know!  Those free nights and weekend minutes don't go unused!  He has been home once since graduating from basic training and is planning a two-week visit just after Christmas.  He looks pretty impressive in his uniform.

Grace is attending the Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) to start her degree in teaching.  She has spent the last 8 weeks observing and helping out in some classrooms at the school where I work.  She is enjoying it very much.  She only needed to work in the classroom 2 hours a week, but she has been coming two days a week (her days off from the college) since she loves the children so much.  She is racking up those classroom hours, which will come in handy later.

Joshua is attending the 10th grade at Grandville High School.  Academics is still not his strong suit and it is showing true this year.  We are hoping he will be able to pass and move on to the 11th grade.  He is struggling with many issues besides school and we are trying very hard to keep him moving in a positive direction.  He is playing on the Jr. Pacer's wheelchair basketball team.  He made the varsity team and was just added to the roster of the Pacer's (adult team).  He practices every Wednesday evening and has games one weekend a month.   Some of the weekend games are in Las Vegas and California.  This boy is going to see the world. 

Kristi graduated from the 8th grade at Cross Creek Charter Academy in June and is now attending Grandville High School as a freshman.  She is in the choir and has made many new friends.  She is turning into a nice young lady and has been talking more and more about BOYS!  I bet you didn't know there were so many “hot” boys at the high school!  Well, there are!  Kristi loves kids and babysits every chance she gets.  She is also thinking about a career in teaching.

Isaiah!  Oh, Isaiah!  The stories I could tell, but won't.  If I wrote a story about his life it would greatly resemble that of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn or Robert Peck's "Soup".   Oh, the mischief and commotion.  There is never a dull moment with Isaiah around.  Isaiah started 6th grade at Cross Creek Charter Academy, but we just recently switched him to the Grandville school system to give him a fresh start.  The charter schools are a wonderful place for any child to be educated and we would have loved for Isaiah to stay, but he loves to perform for his classmates and was in a rut of disruptive behavior; nothing serious, just too much of all the little things.  It's very hard for the teacher to teach when a certain student is giving his daily comedic recitation.  We are hoping a change of scenery will help. 

Eric and I are hanging in there.  There are a lot of stresses with our full-time jobs, church activities, house construction, insurance companies, legal issues, raising children issues, hotel living, etc.  We are trusting God to get us through this year and to help us grow so that we can be a testimony to others.  That is our goal, to grow and not be destroyed by this trial.  My motto is, "We WILL make it through this"... and we will.

We want to thank all of you that have prayed and helped in various ways this past year.  We are so very blessed by your generosity and appreciate you all very, very, much!  God bless you all this Christmas as only He can do!

Love, 

      Eric, Susan, Caleb, Grace, Joshua, Kristi and Isaiah