Christmas 2019

In 2019 we have 3 kids in Junior High and 4 kids out of High School!

Do you like rollercoasters? Sometimes life feels like a rollercoaster. Some rollercoasters are fun, I’m sure, but some have hard, quick, painful turns and creak as you take the slow rise up. It’s hard to enjoy the view as you creak upward because you are dreading the next fall. I confess I’m often guilty of worry and dread when I should be grateful for the current view. My Christmas letter each year is a chance for me to breathe and just take in the view.

As 2019 passed, one truth is sure, God has been very close. Close in the waiting. Close in the apprehension. Close in the hopes realized and in the disappointments. And in ALL of it, we can see His bountiful goodness.

Goodness is shown through His people oftentimes. Marian, Katerin and Mom visited Colombia for the first time since our adoption. We planned on a short trip to see birthfamily and enjoy Colombian food. Upon entering the country we were told the girls must have new passports before they would be permitted to leave. We only had 3 days! But a missionary we had barely met ushered us in securing documents miraculously fast that would allow us to come home just two days delayed. (talk about a ROLLERCOASTER)! She also graciously facilitated our first reunions with birthfamily.

Jeanene with Children's Vision International

Emily graduated from the PATHS Program at Texas A&M in May and is living in Bryan with her kitty, Daisy. Like many 20 year olds, she is trying to find a job and figure out what she is supposed to do with her life. She loves her church. Emily is being mentored and enjoys her Life Group and church activities—it’s her biggest motivation to finding a job there.

Wesley learned about College of the Ozarks on New Year’s Day this year, the day after priority applications were accepted. He applied late, and then we discovered he was one of probably 4,000 applicants and C of O only accepts 400 freshmen. Our visit to campus last February only increased our hope and apprehension of Wes not being accepted. In the waiting, God kept introducing us to people connected to the school and with each introduction, more letters of recommendation were sent on his behalf. Wes got a call at the end of July with his Acceptance for January 2020! We are beyond grateful and excited, but pray for us (mom especially) as we head out in a few days to take him to Branson, MO.

Last Spring, another “impossible” event took place in our family….Dad agreed to letting Savannah have 2 indoor cats! Savannah is the best cat mommy to Snowball and Clarabelle and thankfully they are sweet enough for the rest of us to endure the cat hair and cat litter in the back room. I keep hoping the cat hair will motivate the boys to get their clean clothes off the couch and put away. That might be one hope not realized until they move out.

Last March some of you supported Jeremy, Katerin, Marian, and Wesley as they went on a mission trip to Honduras—thank you! They not only used their gifts in speaking Spanish, but they got to share the True Gift, Jesus. Jeremy had the privilege of seeing Marian, Wes, Katerin and all the students partner with the ministry there and serve courageously. What a view! Some of you also generously supported Katerin as she served in Central Asia for 8 weeks this past summer. She shared some reflections from her time there here.  

Omar, Saimon and Savannah are in Junior High together. Do you remember what you loved about Junior High? Me neither! It’s a rollercoaster for sure, but overall I am proud of them for who they are becoming. They face things I never have had to face, and I see them grow stronger and more confident as they handle challenges. I admire them for that.

Recently our family said goodbye to our sweet dog, Maddie--she was the best dog for our family. We wanted to believe she would always be with us. She is missed every day. We are so thankful she chose us and was ours from January 11, 2011 to November 30, 2019.

On this rollercoaster, I am challenged to keep my head up and eyes on our good God, instead of on my white knuckles clinging to the safety bar.  God is so good, it’s not even fair. Do you know Him? He made a way through Jesus. If you haven’t heard, He’s a pretty big deal. He changed everything when He was born in a manger long ago. He changes us. And that’s so good of Him.                                                                                           Merry Christmas from all the Evermons!

Maddie Madeline

Thanksgiving Day 2019

You chose us January 11, 2011. From the moment I saw you I knew you were ours. You came free. Although Dad would argue you weren’t free with the added fencing we put in the backyard and new vet bill.

Even though we labored to keep you in the backyard when you went outside, your free spirit always found a way to escape. You would run like a deer and we would call your name in hopes to stop you from getting out. You would stop and lock eyes with us for a brief second, and then you would BOLT.

That look was stubborn. 

That look was determined. 

But that look was also like a promise. 

You knew you were ours and you knew you would come back. After a half hour, or sometimes a few worried hours on our part, of freedom and frolicking and exploring, you would always come back. If we had to leave you out, we would come home to find you in the front yard, like you were securing the premises. I compared you to Hank the Cowdog because you acted like you were the Head of Ranch Security. And Ranch Security included our property, the cow field next door, the neighbors’ chicken coop, and Spring Creek Park.

You were a survivor. We thought we lost you more than once. You got hit by a car (actually you ran right into a moving car), bit by a coral snake (as you slung it around by your mouth), and we sure disappointed one young couple that had loaded you up into their jeep until we stopped to ask if they had seen you. 

You were ours. 

One stormy night around 3am, we got a call from the gas station on Hwy 249 more than a mile away. Somehow you had gotten that far during a heavy thunderstorm. I don’t even know how you were gone. But you were ours. And God made sure you came back home that night, shaking, wet and cold in my car at 3am. 

I think we wanted to believe that you would always survive and you would always come back.

I’ve had just a handful of dogs in my life but you were my favorite. You didn’t shed. You didn’t have a tail that could whack a small child off their feet. You would follow me around the house, finding a spot to curl up close by, until I left the room and you had to come with me. You endured the kids’ costumes and headbands they found for you. You gladly slept on their beds as they not so fairly took turns taking you.

You got spoiled to Pawpaw feeding you from his plate these past few months when he lived with us. With Nana and Pawpaw came Memah who was your best dog friend by far. The two of you would get on couches and dig holes in the yard and politely share your food bowls. We wondered how you would get along without each other when Memah moved, but that turned out to be just one week.

You were healthy and active and then you were not. That last night we had you, none of us had any idea. You put your chin on Katerin’s lap at the dinner table. You hung around as we decorated the Christmas tree. You were laying under the table while we played cards above you. You jumped up when Saimon called upon you to scare the cats back to the back. You had learned to behave with the cats. You were a good dog.

Our last night with you

We miss you, Maddie. Finding pictures of you on my phone and seeing all the videos and pics Katerin and Wesley are posting bring tears. We had no idea you would go so quickly. But I’m thankful. I’m thankful that you were ours from January 11, 2011 to November 30, 2019. I’m thankful we did not have to watch you suffer long. I’m thankful all the kids were home and got to tell you goodbye. I’m thankful we were with you when your heart stopped beating….that you felt our love to the end.

Dad said it best when he wrote on your burial box, “Thank you for choosing us!” You will always be missed. I am reminded every time the door is left open and I want to hurry to close it before you get out. But you are no longer to escape. Emily said you have made "your greatest escape."

We will love you forever, Maddie Madeline!

A little surprise on my doorstep

Okay, you HAVE to read THIS before you continue reading this post.

I'm not kidding....you gotta go back to Puppy Love first.

(Don't worry, it's short and full of pictures)

So Wednesday, January 5th I end the post with "is there a dog for us?"

Tuesday, January 11th, I find the answer is....

YES

I came home late Tuesday night---about 9:45 pm.  I had gone to a meeting for parents exploring homeschool.  Jeremy was home, the kids already in bed, and I pull into the driveway, thankful the porch light was on.

When we forget to turn on the outside lights at night, it is soooooooo DARK out here.

So I park the car, come around the van to the door and......

there she is.....

a sweet, small dog sitting in the middle of my Welcome mat by the door.

She was sitting up like, "Hello, I've been waiting for you."

I was startled and gasped and then she kinda gasped.

Where did she come from?

I did not see her when I pulled into the driveway.

I opened the door and asked Jeremy if he knew a dog was out there and he had no idea. 

Earlier today, I had heard on the radio to take care of pipes, plants, people, and pets because we were going to have a hard freeze.  I checked off each thing in my brain, and thought to myself,

"no pets here"

Jeremy said we have to bring her in because it is going to be freezing tonight.

I invited her in and she very timidly, with her head down to the floor, crawled, very slowly into the house.

I pet her carefully as she cowered away from me---like she had been mistreated. 

She was very skinny. 

Looked like she had been on her own for a while.

I texted my neighbor to see if I could get some dogfood.  She ate and drank as if it were her first meal in a long time.

We made her a bed of towels on the floor in our room, which she later ditched and found a spot on the couch.

She looks like a young boxer, with a copper coat and some unique features (like the pinky toe on each of her back paws are black).

So I'm asking her, "Who do you belong to?"

I think the answer is.....US.

You see, after Jeremy and I talked about getting another dog the day a friend emailed me about a lab,
I started making a mental checklist of what I wanted.

Don't judge me for being picky, but these are some of the things I thought about....
~I don't want to spend a dime choosing a dog.  She has to come free.
~I don't want a puppy puppy because it's like having an infant---getting up at night and the crying.  AND they are so rowdy and CHEW on EVERYTHING.
~I want a sweet dog that is loving and likes to be loved on.
~And it would be nice if she was already house-trained.

This dog is exactly what I wanted!

=)

And she shows up out of nowhere on my doormat. 

Only God knew my thoughts about what I wanted.

I'm just sayin'.

We put up tons of signs in case she has a long. lost owner.  I took her to the vet to see if she has a chip---nada.  I am not surprised.  Turns out she is probably about 2 years old and likely a mini-boxer or maybe a mix.  NO ONE called me saying they have lost a dog.

I almost KNEW she was our dog the moment I saw her. 

Because that's how God works sometimes.

Dropping off little gifts out of nowhere.

Giving us gifts we don't really deserve

just because.

So now.....let me introduce to you the newest member of our family....
Maddie Madeline

It took hours to decide on her name.  I thought we had decided on "Ginger" Thursday night, but then Friday morning Savannah had determined to call her Madeline.
(as in the story character of an orphan in Paris)

Emily was not completely happy with Madeline, so she suggested Maddie Madeline.

Maddie Madeline it is!
And we are happy to have her!

Puppy Love

Jeremy and I got two Labrador retrievers in 1997 when we bought our first house with a BIG yard.

Sundance and Hazel

(that's not our yard pictured above)

This was our yard....

The idea was to breed them and sell the litters. 

But after surviving puppyhood with both of us gone at work all day, we had Hazel fixed and decided it wasn't the best idea for us.

 Our nephew and niece loved them!

Our First Christmas

(you know, when you don't have kids, the dogs MUST be in your family picture.)

We loved them!

(even though they chewed the siding off the back of the house, scratched the door and windows, tore screens, ruined shoes, messed up the floor, barked at night, jumped on guests, and were stinky)

And they loved the kids

Have you ever seen the movie Marley and Me?  Our dogs, especially Hazel, were a lot like Marley. 

As they got older, they calmed down, slowed down, and laid down just about all day and night. 

At the end, Sundance was content sleeping all night and taking 10-12 hour naps in the day.

Hazel passed away in 2008 and Sundance passed away in May of 2010. 

And they have been missed.

When he was old, Sundance would thump his tail on the floor when we came in the room (he was too old to bother getting up).  Or if he had been napping and we woke him up,

thump...thump...thump.

I miss that thump.

We both grew up with dogs.

Emily, Wesley, and Savannah have always had a dog until Sundance passed.

But since he passed, we had not talked about getting another dog....until....

the other day a friend was looking for a home for this gal.

Before I saw the email, Jeremy came into my office and asked,

"did you see the email about the dog?"

He had this silly grin on his face. 

A grin like, "Can you believe I am even talking to you about this?"

Like, "Do we really need to get another dog?"

It's a big commitment.  Dogs aren't just something you get for the fun of it.  They become part of the family.  If we got a young dog now, she would probably be with us at least until Savannah was in high school. 

(Lord willing)

We entertained the idea (not talking about it in front of the kids) during that day, but that dog soon found a home.

We were off the hook....

so I thought.

Now that the conversation has started, I'm still thinkin'

what about another dog?

Is there a dog for us?