Dear Precious
Friends,
We hope this
letter finds you and yours well.
When thinking
how to start this letter, sometimes words cannot significantly describe what
our hearts want to convey-All this to say, 2011 was probably one of the hardest
years we have faced as a couple and as a family. At the end of 2010, Brian’s dad, Dale, was
diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer that had spread to his stomach and
intestines. After a battle with
radiation and chemo, he lost his fight on April 3. While being blessed with the chance to say
good-bye, we found it hardest to acknowledge that our dear Jackson would have
no longer have the physical, spiritual-mentoring presence of his “Pappy.” Our reassurance rests in the fact that one
day we will all meet again in Heaven and that Dale is no longer feeling the
pain of this world.
At the same
time, we were dealing with some minor issues in our home. Our bathroom pipes leaked through our kitchen
ceiling on Valentine’s Day and caused massive plaster and drywall damage to the
ceiling and walls. We had no use of our
kitchen for 3 weeks while everything was repaired and found ourselves with our
fridge, stove, and microwave all crammed into our dining room! It was a trying time, but merely an
inconvenience when we look at all the other things that were happening. It also taught us some great life lessons
about dealing with contractors and insurance companies- something we had yet to
deal with in our marriage!
In June, Leah’s
mom, Susan, had a heart attack while vacationing in London, UK. Because Leah was the only one in the family
with a valid passport, the family decided it would be best if she go help Dad
with getting Mom home safely. We praise
the Lord for the healing He provided Susan and the safety and covering over
Leah’s trip to London and their safe return home.
So what has the
second half of this year taught us? That
God brings peace and perseverance to those who seek Him. We have seen so many other families deal with
tragedy and mishap the past few months and we have watched God sustain them in
the way He often sustained us this year.
In a book I read this past year, the author included this little story:
C.S.
Lewis said to a man looking for the fullest life, “If you think of this world
as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable:
think of it as a place of training and correction and it’s not so bad.”
How true are
those words! Unfortunately, in our
modern world we get so focused on “my happiness” and “my comfort” that we
forget what life is really about!
And as an end to
this “heavy” letter, we should share some of the more positive parts of this
year! On July 5 we found out we were
expecting again! It was a very exciting
time for our little family to know that we would be growing, and just a few
weeks ago we found out we’ll be welcoming another little boy! Leah is due March 3. Brian says he is praying for all boys, but we
will see what God blesses us with over the years to come! And, we also did something we said we would
“never, ever, over our dead body” do and we purchased a minivan! Brian was the most reluctant (I’m always up
for a grocery-getter) but he loves the spaciousness and the ride of the minivan
so I guess we have a convert. Jackson
loves the automatic doors- and especially stealing mommy’s keys off of the
table and opening the doors to the van while we are still inside the house!
Oh and Jackson-
how could we forget a little news on our rambunctious little boy? Jackson just turned 22 months and he is
bursting with energy, independence, and much of his parent’s stubbornness! He loves anything to do with football and
knows how to put his hands in the air and yell “touchdown!” He also loves playing with Legos and reading
books about tractors and dump trucks until mommy is blue in the face. He’s still not the best sleeper, but he does
average 10 hours on a good night and will let us sometimes sleep in until
7! The cats have a love-hate
relationship with him between his cuddles and his grabbing of their tails. He’s also learning quickly that mommy is a
pushover with junk food and his favorite treat is marshmallows!
Brian and I have
also been exceedingly blessed in our self-employment. Brian is still working as an independent
salesman for TAC, a company that specializes in school bus parts. His sales territory covers most of
Northwestern Ohio, some of Southwestern Ohio, and all of S. Indiana south of
I-70. Brian gets to be home almost every
night but will stay out of town for a few nights a month when he heads to
Indiana. He started drinking coffee this
year to adjust to such early mornings! Brian
has seen his business grow as he focuses on setting up new accounts with
schools that have not previously bought from TAC and he just received his
company’s Salesman of the Year award last night (insert huge smile from his
very proud wife). Leah is still working
from home as an Independent Travel Agent for AAA. She feels very blessed to be able to work
while Jackson naps and in the evenings when Brian is home. She has been doing this since a few months
before Jackson was born and has seen her clientele grow and her business remain
steady (something that is not always consistent in the travel industry). Brian and Leah both love the flexibility that
their jobs allow, and it has been especially important this year through many
trips to Millersburg and doctor’s appointments.
So at this Christmastime,
we want to thank you for being a piece of our journey, a blessing to our lives,
and we want to ask you to remember what the real Reason for the Season is- That
God GAVE us his only Son. No hassled
trips to the mall, botched Christmas parties, or amount of money spent on
presents can take that away from us!
Looking forward to
what God has in store for 2012,
The
Yoder’s
Brian, Leah,
Jackson and baby boy #2
P.S. Thank you to my sister-in-law, Misti, whom I stole this idea from.
P.S. x2 Most of my dear Australian friends are getting this letter, but it may be more like a Happy New Year letter! I apologize. Can I claim pregnancy brain ...or 2 months of bronchitis as the culprit for my lateness? xoxox
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