Anniversaries.
We give thanks to God for one year of being home together as a family.
Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014 marked Saturday to Saturday (almost one year) of the accident.
Just like last year, Tim butchered & spread manure. Same equipment. This time, we give thanks to God that Tim returned home safely.
I asked our family of 6 for an early Christmas gift: family pictures. They were taken that afternoon on our farm.
We spent the rest of the day and evening together at home. We watched the football game in the comfort of our home.
We were grateful to welcome a flood of carolers from Borculo Church, who filled our family room, singing together.
Moments like these take our breath away. How can it be that a year ago during the church's annual Christmas caroling night, that Tim was hurting so terribly, and now, here he stands, singing? How can this be? This is a reminder of God's power. God is to be feared and honored.
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014
The one-year date of the accident. Falling on a Sunday, we are reminded of God's GRACE. He takes BROKEN THINGS and DEMONSTRATES GLORY. We continue to give God Alone all the glory.
Tim provides an update during the morning service at Borculo CRC. Donuts are served to the congregation following the service to celebrate one-year of life and healing in Christ. We rest at home as a family.
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014
Tim speaks at family night @ Hamilton CRC.
Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014
We all (Tim, Teresa, Joel, Lilly & Luke) go to Caleb's (our oldest) first Borculo Christian School basketball game as a 7th grader. Last year at this time, Caleb was not cleared to play in basketball games due to a healing broken femur from a summer tubing accident. Tim was in the hospital. The amount of gratitude to God within our hearts overflows...simply to participate in life. Again, these moments are evidence of GOD'S POWERFUL, HEALING HAND!
Friday, Dec. 12, 2014
Evidence of God's healing hand: Tim meets with Dr. Do (reconstructive surgeon). "Once a patient, always a patient." But no need to schedule another appointment at this time. For this, we give thanks to God!
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014
We, Tim and Teresa, go to the Quality Machine and Automation (where Tim works) Christmas party, which takes place at BAM Bowling & Laser Tag in Holland.
Last year, while Tim was bed-bound at Spectrum, Tim's brother, Brent, sat in the hospital by Tim's side while Brent's wife, Nikki, was my "date" for Tim's work Christmas party, which at that time, took place just a few blocks from Spectrum in Grand Rapids. Meanwhile, our 4 children were being cared for by Mom Vander Zwaag, who had moved in to our home to care for them throughout Tim's entire hospitalization.
And now...how can this be that Tim is able to bowl? Thank you, Lord!
Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014
Sunday School Christmas Program at Borculo CRC, morning service.
Last year, Joel, Lilly and Luke participated in this program. Friend Sue Wynia, nurse at Spectrum, was able to drive me home for the day after she finished her night shift. I watched the program from the back of church while Tim was in the hospital.
How thankful we are this year to be able to sit by one another in church and see this program together!
Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014
Evidence of God's healing hand: Tim meets with orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Ringler. No need to schedule another appointment at this time. Praise Jesus!
Monday, Dec. 22, 2014
Morning: Tim leads morning devotions at Winning at Home in Zeeland. We meet many new friends and are reunited with dear old ones as well.
Evening: We get together with dear friends, Kelly & Kim Vander Zwaag for 2 "old men's" 40th birthdays.
We are thankful to God for the amazing gift of being able to get out and celebrate these events, together, with loved ones!
Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014
We celebrate Christmas at home. Not in Tim's hospital room like last year. Arrangements were made last year on Christmas night for Tim to be transferred the day after Christmas, also his birthday, from Spectrum to Mary Free Bed.
This year, Christmas parties took place in homes together, in which we were able to participate.
Vander Zwaag Christmas Party
Fauble Christmas Party
Friday, Dec. 26, 2014
Tim's 40th Birthday.
Tim wanted to take a manure tour.
What's a manure tour?
A manure tour is when one drives slowly, for hours, throughout farmland and "takes it all in."
What livestock is this farmer raising? What crops? What type? How does he set up his barns & systems? What type of equipment does he use?
Our kids are used to manure tours. They are great travelers. :) We catch up about farms, life, etc. I'm involved in the conversation until my feet end up on the dash, my eyes close, just for "just a minute...", when I end up falling asleep.
Everyone's happy on a manure tour.
We give thanks to God for Tim's 40th year of life.
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014
Rung in the New Year with friends at Steve & Julie Meyaard's home. We give thanks to God for a night full of fun and laughter with families! Last year Tim was at Mary Free Bed on New Year's Eve. Following his sleep schedule, we said goodnight and he fell asleep at 8 pm. The kids were staying with me at The Inn @ Mary Free Bed. We got pizza and watched the ball drop on TV together. We give thanks to God that we are home!
You know those lists of 2014 that people make as we ring in the new year?
We weren't expecting this, but apparently, this story made a "list":
The most remarkable stories of 2014
Some of the most unusual, remarkable or memorable West Michigan stories of 2014
according to MLive/credit to WOODTV8.Again, thank you to those of you who let us know about this list! :) Many times, I ask myself, "Isn't there anything else going on around here on which to report?" It all continues to remain truly surreal to us. You could say that we are still reacting, responding and adjusting.
Monday, Jan. 12, 2015
We catch up with writer Jim Hayden from the Holland Sentinel, who visits us at home. The last time we saw Jim was 1 year ago, after Tim's reconstructive surgery. Tim's brother, Brent, and Brent and Nikki's twins, Ryan and Carter, were in the room as well, during the interview. Ryan, Carter and I watched aeromed take off and land from the window in Tim's hospital room that morning.
Here is the link to the recent article from the Holland Sentinel. As many of you made us aware, (thank you!) this story was also in the Grand Haven Tribune. Please remember, this is not our story; it is God's.
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/article/20150122/NEWS/150129748
Grand Haven Tribune:
http://www.grandhaventribune.com/article/1631026
Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015
Tim speaks at the Men's Breakfast at Hamilton CRC.
Tim grinds feed.
Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015
Tim speaks at North Street CRC, during Sunday School hour.
Friday, Jan. 23, 2015
Our son, Joel, wins the Geography Bee at school. We give thanks to God that we can celebrate and participate in life here at home with our children...from daily homework to basketball camps and games, to family board game times together, to Friday night pizza nights, to barn chores, to house chores, to simply sharing together in one another's lives.
Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015
Our youngest son, Luke, loses a tooth. Last year, I was with Tim in GR when Luke lost his very first tooth. Grandma Vander Zwaag made an awesome tooth fairy! But today, we get to be Luke's tooth fairy. Think & say what you want, but these things matter to us.
Tim spreads manure and grinds one load of feed.
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015
We give thanks to God for our daughter Lilly's 10th birthday. We are THRILLED to celebrate her birthday in our home, and not at Spectrum Rehab and Nursing Home on Kalamazoo Ave. in GR, like we did last year.
Friday, Jan. 30, 2015
Tim speaks live on The Pledge Radio (96.5 FM/1260 AM).
RJ Wolcott from MLive visits our home. He asked us to share Tim's story with him, and we did. Why? Because it is not our story. It is God's. Why wouldn't we share it? We each have a story to share. Why NOT tell how God works in our lives?
13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”[b] Since we have that same spirit of[c] faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:13-18
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015
From Sat. - Sat. = one year home. Praise God!
Many times, we were told that Tim was going home. LONG before he was discharged. It was disappointing when (bless their hearts) detached, misinformed interns would walk into Tim's room and announce, "You're going home today!" When we knew they were wrong.
Tim's eyes would light up with the news, but I would take the interns aside and explain that according to the surgeons, Tim is staying put, or being transferred to a different location. Not going home.
You need to understand that with the trauma, orthopedic and reconstructive teams of doctors involved with Tim's care, interns were simply unaware of all the details.
After enough "You're going home!" announcements, I requested that only the surgeons announce news of transfer...because we realized home was far off, and to be told differently? No thanks.
Although docs shared a date of going home on the calendar, we chose to not share this date with our children, who were in our home with Tim's mom. We simply didn't want to disappoint them if the date had to be changed.
...and on the 57th day...we went home.
Tim rode in the backseat while I drove him home. He was in a lot of pain, but we made it. Due to atrophy, Tim had a very difficult time even sitting in a chair without a lot of support.
I need more time to let the description of this day set in before I can truly share/write what it was like...for Mom Vander Zwaag, for our kids, for so many...
The only thing I can relate this experience to was bringing a baby home from the hospital. But this was different, because I was bringing my husband home from the hospital. Some of you have shared about times when you have walked similar roads...some of you continue to walk this road daily...you shared in a very understanding way..what it was like to be the spouse who needed care and what it was like for the spouse who was the caretaker. Thank you for reaching out to us.
I was scared. I knew that the most demanding part for me was near. I realized that in addition for caring for our 4 children, the expectations of caring for Tim were high: helping him shower, medicate & clothe him, dress wounds/pressure sores, maintain an occupational and physical therapy schedule, schedule & get him to doctors' appointments in Holland & GR, etc. Thank you for your prayers. I have no doubt. Angels continue to surround our family.
In-home nurses came to our home for scheduled appointments three days a week to evaluate Tim. On the opposite days, in-home physical therapists and occupational therapists worked with and evaluated Tim throughout the weeks and months ahead. I wanted to take the best care I could for Tim because I so wanted to keep Tim at home with us.
Your prayers are not in vain. God continues to heal Tim and provides strength for me to help him. We give thanks to God for the continued meals that came in at that time, our freezer was stocked, you helped drive and visit Tim, you helped plow our driveway, kept our corn furnace working, and brothers Brent and Doug continued to help with barn chores.
There's no place like home. And we give thanks to God that home is where He has had us stay for the last year.
Continued to stand amazed, we give thanks to God for each day of life.
We give thanks to God for Tim's continued healing and strengthening. Movement at Tim's ankle & hip improves slowly but surely. Tim lives with a dull pain. Farming is going well.
We give thanks to God for Quality Machine and Automation, Tim's full-time employer, for The City Deli and Farmhouse, where I am currently working. For beef customers. Thank you for your support.
We are humbled by the love and support and mostly, the prayers of a community who loves God above all.
Thank you for all you have done and for all you continue to do.
Keep loving the Lord and claiming His promises. Keep sharing His love with the ones right beside you & beyond...with those who are familiar to you and with those who are not.
Some people have obvious needs. Some are not obvious. Ask God to give you hearts to sense how to help and serve those around you.
We will continue to post updates. We have dozens of unfinished posts yet to publish!
With Prayerful & Grateful Hearts,
Tim & Teresa, Caleb, Joel, Lilly & Luke Vander Zwaag
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Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified...for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you. Duet. 31:6
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