Winter

It is hard to believe that we are already a good chunk of the way into winter. Last year it felt never-ending. From the -40 degree days to endless "inside only" play times. It was a time when we could really never get ahead. The cold kept a pretty good hold on us, most high schoolers remember the joys of seeing their schools closed day in and day out due to the cold.

This year has been different. We had a weird, January-weather in November and then this weekend had almost spring temperatures. But yet, I feel the burden of winter laying heavily on us. The boys are cooped up and anxious to run and run and run. I, Amy, feel like we just need the sun more and more. And Mike, he hates how the garage is always a disaster in the winter; the dog is gross in the winter.

This past weekend we were so excited to welcome Mike's sister and our brother-in-law back to MN. Stacy moved out to Colorado the spring after Mike and I were married. She then married her husband, Ed, in 2012. Since then they have welcomed our cute little niece, Hannah. We are so excited to have them back! Ed came back to MN in November for work, but Stacy and Hannah didn't follow until the beginning of January. This past weekend, though, they moved into their own place! Mike was able to go and haul a bunch of stuff and I got to hang back with the kiddos.

If you feel like praying for us here are a few requests: Mike has lost a lot of co-workers. Many are moving on to different ventures, it is hard to see them go (even if you are happy for what lies ahead). Please pray that he knows that God has a plan for him there, and open up new opportunities for him. Amy has a few evening ventures to the local ski-hill with students. She is also planning the summer trip and fundraisers. Please pray for wisdom and guidance. Boys: both boys are doing well, Nanyel turns 2 on February 1! Hard to believe. Malachi had his KINDERGARTEN screening on Friday-he is cleared for that, minus the vaccines he isn't old enough for yet, and they recommend preschool (which he'll be starting in the fall). Crazy to think my babes are growing up! But there is much excitement on the horizon.

Thank you so much for praying for us!

2015

My last post, far too long ago, was one I thought would lead to a better guide for the fall. Our fall was absolutely crazy. I love the school year, I love everything about the fall from football games, cooler-sweatshirt weather, salsa making, everything! Our fall this year, however, felt like it was spiraling out of control at times. Both boys had rough falls, I don't know why or what was going on with Malachi. I have heard of the "terrible twos" but not the "tornadic threes." It seems that we are working through some of the things that take place as we learn independence and understanding of who is in charge (dad, mom and God). This is a tough lesson for anyone but a three-year old is a whole other ballgame.
Nanyel had surgery in late October for a birth defect. We felt a lot of pressure with this. I, Amy, was not a huge fan of his surgeon. Didn't feel like the surgeon took time to get to know our situation and required that the surgery take place at a different hospital (one that cost more than ours with our insurance, though it was covered-Praise the Lord). Nanyel was a trooper to be sure!
Mike and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary! Last year, with it being close to Thanksgiving and Mike's work schedule during the holiday season didn't allow for us to really celebrate. This year, we had a nice evening of Tokyo Grill and then Christmas shopping for the boys. It was nice to just sit and talk and even get a few errands done.
Work is going okay for Mike. The holiday season is so busy over there, that I think by this time he is exhausted. There were a few Saturdays where he worked over 17 hours that day alone. Please pray for a nice schedule for him in the next coming weeks to recover. He also just lost his assistant manager due to the assistant moving to a different department. He also lost a close co-worker, she passed away in her sleep only a few hours after working with him (he saw no sign that anything was coming). Please pray for that as well.
Amy's work is going okay. The youth are all going through so much, some to their own decisions and some due to situations out of their control, that she is helping with. I absolutely love what I do. We had our 6th annual New Year's Eve-Eve party this year and had about 25 kids! It was a night of fun and fellowship. It is a great chance to get to know the kids a bit, get to play with them a bit. Looking into 2015 we are prepping for a trip to Tennessee with the youth to CHiC (it is a youth convention put on by the Covenant Church).

So sorry for the delay-thank you so much for your prayers. We pray that you had a wonderful Christmas season and that you felt Christ's presence during this time.

Following HIM,
Amy (on behalf of the DuFrenes)