Rathjen Family

Rathjen Family
Rathjen, Party of EIGHT

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Changes on the Horizon


Changes are on the horizon!  We have been living in Durango for nearly three years.  Durango is a good place.  However, it has just never fit me, or I have never fit it.  I don't know which one, but simply put, it has never felt like home.  Fortunately, home for me, is only 17 miles down the road.  We have been searching and searching for a home there, that could get our children back in to their small town schools and get us back near our home church.  We like the community feel there and can't wait to get back.  God threw us for a loop when the home we found, in what seemed like perfect timing, got swept out from under us.  We had verbally committed to it, thought it was perfect and a day later the owner called us to inform us he had decided to sell it someone else.  We.were.crushed.  But I knew, and I said it then, God must have something better for us.  And that HE did!  Wow!!!  I have had to pinch myself.  We are a little ways from closing, so I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch.  However, I am screaming inside with excitement.  And now I trust, if for some unforeseen reason, this does not go through, God has something else in mind.  Hawaii?  Africa?  Bali?  Perhaps not yet….

The kids are doing great.  Tyler is rocking his first year in college.  It has been an adjustment, but we have done well.  He was home for a month over Christmas and we were all thrilled to have him back.  It has been so much fun watching God work in his life.  He is teaching him things, showing him things and guiding him, and I can see it so much clearer from a distance.

Zoe is doing great.  She is cruising right along and having a good year.  She is officially a "tween," and let's just say, teen years better not get any more crazy.  Poor girls and their emotions!  I have been there, I still remember it, and I can't help but feel for her.  I am so excited to get more involved in the school next year with some great "confidence building for girls ideas" up my sleeve.

Rance is the perfect little student.  He loves school, thrives in the environment and still melts my heart as one of the world's sweetest sons.  The other day, I was diving down the driveway to pick him up from the bus stop.  I noticed him swoop down and pick something up when he saw me.  I approached, he hopped in my car and I asked him how his day was.  He replied, "Good!  I got something for you," as he handed me a sparkly rock.  (The rock he just picked up.)  Hysterical yes, but gestures like this speak of his heart.  He is a lover.  He loves to please and he thrives on giving of himself.  How blessed am I?

Trigg and Ivor continue to make huge strides.  They are doing speech therapy and coming along well.  They are growing like weeds and continue to evolve before our eyes.  Ivor struggles a little bit with insecurities.  He is afraid of the most unexpected things.  For instance, he does not like the moon, or even the book "Goodnight Moon."  He will not look at books are pictures of bugs.  He won't be in a room alone.  Neglect and abandonment leave deep scars, but nothing to deep for God to heal.  We can't believe how far they boys have come and are so blessed to have them here where we can watch them continue to heal.  We know because of the Bible that we live with the expectation of total healing.  What a relief.

Trigg has a surgery in three weeks to release a tethered cord in his spine.  We are praying for no setbacks in his emotional health, as well as a safe and successful surgery.  Please join us.

Many Blessings.

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Trigg is so sweet!


Ivor smiles most of the time.



Tyler volunteered in Rance's classroom while he was here.

Zoe with the root beer floats on her birthday