The Gensheer's Journey

Why we LOVE Public Schools

2011-05-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

Most articles/posts I've read recently have been about why people love homeschooling, why the public school system is bad for your kids, and the like.

As a family with one child finishing Kindergarden this year and another finishing Pre-K, we are a rarity in the bold statement that we 'LOVE' the Public School system. If you scroll through old posts you'll see our near tragic beginning with the school system here in Santa Fe. We went in eyes fully open - our kids will not get the attention they would get at home, much time is wasted, they won't get a chance to explore subjects they love further, they will be exposed to all kinds of stuff, there are way too many kids in the classroom for a teacher and an aid....it's all true!

But maybe our eyes see something past these limits. After all, aren't we all limited in many ways? Yet we expect others to do what we ourselves can't. You know what I mean if you have more than one child at home - one wants to learn how to spell, the other's screams drown your letters out and you stop all to find a bandaid and kiss that scraped knee; you feed them lunch only to be asked for a snack; you start a 'fun' craft that causes arguments and exasperation. We've all been there - parenting is not a piece of cake. Teaching is not either, whether at home or in the schools. That has humbled us and we have learned how to give thanks and pray for all the people involved in our children's lives. As we wake in the morning, arms outstretched to receive grace for the day, we pray that we'll give it as freely as we've received it.

Here are some things that made us LOVE public schools this year:

1. They keep us humble - we're just as marred and challenges in the schools help us see our own messes.

2. They let us encounter all the wide variety of people God made in His image - it makes us Praise Him.

3. Our children have learned how to share their faith....tactfully and lovingly and prayerfully.

4. We have walked alongside people just like us - broken, with every day anxieties, with wonderful gifts - and we have prayed and loved as we walked.

5. We have walked alongside our children and got to teach them the ways of God. When they come home with attitudes, behaviors, words that we don't believe are pleasing to God we get to love them through it and help them walk as Children of God, forming strong identities secure in who they are in Christ.

6. We got to have lots of play dates and love on lots of 4 and 5 year olds, give hugs, make cookies, learn to clean up, laugh, sing, dance, provide safety and security, give out treats and treat them as our own - not projects to be converted, but souls to be nurtured and loved well, just as we are by our Father.

As the school year ends, we give thanks - we have been given wonderful gifts, opportunities to grow and learn and humble ourselves and pour out a bit of the kindness we drink from deeply and daily - the Living Water.

When happiness bleeds out...He is in the sorrow too

2011-04-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life is unfair. A good friend of mine lost her baby.

Sometimes the call to embrace here and now drives a sword deep.

Bandaid ripped harsh just reminds that the sword wound needs better healing. But healing of wounds so deep stings, aches, bleeds.

I've been counting my little gifts - manna from heaven.

How do you count loss? Sorrow? Even when it's not your own?

This is her story.

Happiness made dimples in her cheeks when she held the pregnancy test with a little plus sign.

Hope.

Fear.

She's lost babes before.

Maybe this time will be different.

Then happiness drained away, red like crimson, bleeding out life. Tears trying to wash away sorrow. The sword opens the wound again. Life bleeding out, heart bleeding out, joy bleeding out. Memories never to be made, babe never to be held, laughter never to be heard...not in the here and now anyway.

"I'm sorry" is all I can say, tears washing my face. I wish I had something comforting to say, profound, healing. "I will pray..." Right. He heals. He comforts.

Here and now sometimes dark like a cloud covered sky, unfair. Mustard seed living heart beating strong in my womb....mustard seed heart draining from hers.

Tonight Scripture bleeds out into my heart. Word healing wounds. I remember even as I tell my babes about Jesus this holy week - life bled out, heart bled out....for me. But joy...no, joy remained.

"For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning it's shame" (Hebrews 12:2)

Manna from heaven - even in sorrow.

Blessing upon Blessing

2011-03-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

Rays of light blazing into my still closed eyelids and I turn away from it, reluctant to bid dawn good morning. This morning is still, the wind has ceased to sing it's melody.

The deep, steady breaths of my Pastor husband are the only music that reach my ears. I take them in, thankful. Joyful. Humbled. There were many days, years ago that I wandered laying in a dark room alone, who could ever love one like me. Doubt filled heart defined by what I'd done wrong. Blessings come to those who do right, yes?

"Maggie.....I like you." he had said one summer evening.

Surprise on my face. I tried to keep it cool. "I like you too" was all I could say.

"Maggie....I don't have to look anywhere else. God has led me to you." - the echoes of a humid Fall afternoon.

Stunned. Really? You must not really know me very well.

"Maggie...I love you." - the sound echoed in my head over and over by November.

All I wanted to do was run and hide, but love bid me stay. Years later, hearts bare, uncovered, naked. He loves me still. He chose me. Still stunned I give thanks.

Husband's breath is interrupted by little feet coming closer. They hesitate just for an instant but the excitement that has gripped this boy child cannot let slumber stop him.

"Mama, it's Christmas!"

I force those lids to open and I see the picture of joy. Smile stretching wide, happiness making dimples in the round cheeks, hands just wanting to grab onto this joy that has surprised him this morning.

There it is! My personal picture of joy. I smile, heart happy. "It's not Christmas honey, it snowed. God gave us a gift - snow."

"Mama, it's pretty", he embraces the gift that's fallen from above. I embrace the gift of giggles together at dawn with my son and we offer thanks for blessing upon blessing.

Melting under grace

2011-02-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

Not too distant mountains, covered under a blanket of snow bid me come.

Boots on. Coat on. Gloves on. Ready.

I expect my feet to find soft powder underneath. Crunch. Crunch. What is that? It shouldn't make that noise. I take another step. Crunch. Not soft. Ice! Under the paper thin layer of blissful powder it lurks - unwanted, uninvited, cold - ice. Can't make a snowman. Can't make pretty snow angels. Can't drive. Can't run lest you fall on the sharp rocks underneath.

The sun has graciously decided to show it's face, warm, smiling. It will make it all better. I wait for the bus on the street corner. As far as the eye can see down the road, the ice underneath slowly morphs into thin vapor, tossed around by the breeze. Goodbye ice.

It reminds me of my heart. Word falls, but it is met with a crunch instead of soft soil. Boy child needs help with a buckle, but is met with icy words from his Mama.

"Mama did wrong boy child. I'm sorry."

"I 'orgive you."

And the ice on my heart melts just a bit and morphs into vapors of healing grace. Words come, uninvited but so welcome...

'Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within,

Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that is greater than all my sin.'

Hidden in the bench

2011-01-24T20:29:00.000-08:00

We have a bench at our house. If you dare to open it, you'll find magic inside. There is a world hidden there that comes to life when little hands sneak in that brings joy and laughter, hours of fun and adventure. You can fly off to Neverland or find yourself in a hidden cave lit by pixie dust, or you can dig deeper and fly into unchartered space. This bench is magical. It can make all your dreams come true - it can make you a princess or a prince, a hero or a villain, a dancer or a firefighter.

But tonight, the bench is closed. Our imaginary friends tucked deep inside, laid to rest till dawn. And the bench transforms. It is for me, to kneel and trust, to watch and wait, to wrestle with head bowed and praise with arms lifted high. Tonight on this bench I meet the one who has made it all - all the adventures, big and small; all the highs and all the lows, and I'm thankful...

Thankful for the creativity of my children that teach me to live life fully, for another day in the comfort of a home, for the amazing grace that flows through the lips of my babes.

"What's one thing you like about Mom and what would you change?" I ask. Any adult would pause, think it through. Not so with a child.

"I wouldn't change anything about you Mom, you're the only Mom I have and I love you." the reply flows swiftly, gracious, merciful, a healing balm to a sinful soul.

"You wouldn't change that Mom gets angry?"...my sin ever so up close and personal.

"No, you get angry when I do something wrong and I say 'I'm sorry', and you say 'I forgive you'. I wouldn't change that."

Tonight, I'm thankful....that daily the Words of grace flow down to my heart and I get to drink deeply till the soul's content from the well that will never run dry.

Under my skin

2011-01-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

Children laughing, playing, loving.

Children bickering, hurting, falling.

A clean house. The realtor might call so it must be in order for showing.

"It's not my house." Cleaning away nonetheless.

Juice spilling. Books off the shelves. Legos covering the rug. Chewed up carrot found it's new home on the train table. Peas went into the belly, the pod chewed up and spit out on the floor. Wait, that's a whole lot of pods under the coffee table.

A messy house. Mama's angry. Mama's not kind. Children feeling guilty for being children. Mama's wrong.

Mama's messy. Mama's bickering. Mama's hurting. Mama's falling.

Mama says 'sorry' to her babies. They love her anyways. Just like Jesus.

He's not asleep on the cushion...

2011-01-15T21:53:00.000-08:00

The heart is anxious. "Breathe."

The room seems smaller. "I'm near."

Misunderstood...again. "I understand you."

Sometimes when it rains it pours, right? It's so easy to forget God's past faithfulness and get lost in the middle of the storm that's raging. Where is He? Sleeping on a cushion?

Sometimes He doesn't get up and say 'Peace, be still' to my raging storm, sometimes He says "Peace" to my heart. No, not sleeping. The room still feels small, the heart anxious. But I'm not alone...

Living in the Weird

2010-09-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

Santa Fe is unlike anything we have experienced before. You could classify it as urban even though most people live on dirt roads. You could classify it as western even though the most popular stores are Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. And then there are the people....they are interesting and strange and "Manhattanites" (not literally) living in the dessert. Here are some examples to help you understand.

A week or two ago I was walking with Jack in his newly inherited single jogging stroller. Yes, you read correctly - walking, I'm not much of a runner. On the way this sweet old 70 something year old lady stops me to admire Jack. "Look at his hair!" "How old is he?" "What is his name?" She was having a great time with Jack. Then she looks at me and says, "Isn't this contraption supposed to be something you run with?" Hmmmm....something I would expect from someone in the North East. Which one is it lady - are you 'sweet and nice old lady' or 'rough around the edges, I'll tell you what I think' old lady?

We've entered for the first time into the Public School system here in Santa Fe. There are days that I think I should home-school. I asked the secretary in Alex's preschool the other day: "Who is Alex's speech therapist?" Response: "The teacher doesn't know??" (with a blank stare). The teacher is teaching at the moment. Did not get any further in extracting information.

Met a lady who was, for a week, Maya's teacher - such a sweet lady. First informal meet the teacher time she informs us parents that she doesn't take calls after school hours because she's a pastor's wife. I never heard that one before. Chris asks me: "Did you tell her you were a pastor's wife too?" "Nope, one pastor's wife was enough."

Just makes you laugh because you're constantly faced with the unexpected. Can't can these folks, they don't fit any mold. They are nice and rude, gracious and terrible drivers, mind their own business and want to know all about yours kind of people. Chris was totally shocked this morning when a pick-up truck makes a U-turn right over the median in the middle of a busy road - I guess he just couldn't wait....and that's just Santa Fe - home of the Weird.

What's wonderful about all these weirdos is that they are so much like us - made in the image of God, marred by the Fall, and in need of redemption and restoration. What a wonderful place to be in! We're very thankful to be here and see God's clear hand in changing this city for His glory.

Moving Day

2010-07-02T05:45:00.000-07:00

Today we move into our 'new' house. New to us of course. We are excited to have a place to call 'home' and a place to put all our stuff.

I've discovered though that it wasn't so hard living out of a couple of suitcases (literally) for a month. We have all the necessities and just recycle clothes over and over again. Really, we don't need much. It seems to me that this Gensheer clan values space much more than stuff. What we value shone through though our house search. We wanted the kids to have space to be on their own if they wanted to. A big dining room table so we could eat with people. An extra room so we could have people sleep over. A easily accessible bathroom so our guests can use it. Outdoor space so we can grill out and feed people when they come over. "We don't have enough seating!" cried Chris. "Where are people going to sit?" We still don't have an answer to that question - Chris is particularly been coveting some leather chairs from Pottery Barn and I told him he might have to wait a WHILE for those.

What is encouraging when we step back and look at this process is that we are really doing what God has called us to do. It's not just a personality outgoing thing or a duty thing, it's a delight thing to be able to give of ourselves to eternal souls. Chris has LOVED every minute of his job and is so full of energy when he gets to pastor people. All those student loans were not in vain after all!

Yesterday I found out I won't be able to use the garage as a playroom because of mice - very bummed. But the Lord knew that, right? Which means, he'll provide space elsewhere (fingers crossed). I think having a couple of interior decorators stop by today will be a huge help in helping us place stuff. I think I'm having a love/hate relationship with perspective - it keeps me sane on one hand but poses such a threat to deadening my heart on the other. I'm really dissappointed about the garage and that's ok. I just don't want to stay there forever. I heard a friend once say, "You can let birds fly over your head, just don't let them make a nest in your hair."

People here have been sooooo generous and kind - someone gave us $500 because they thought 'we might need it'! YES WE DO! We're spending it today to pay for a used washer/dryer. Praise the Lord I won't have to go to the laundromat with 3 kids - I just had visions of Alex 'helping' Jack into the dryer! Someone gave us Perler Beads that have provided hours of entertainment for Maya. Someone is giving us some outdoor toys for Jack. Another person is giving us a kids table and a BUNCH of Legos for Alex. Someone sold me some Playmobils for the kids at a ridicoulous price. Someone has taken us out to lunch, someone has invited us over for dinner, someone has given us free ice-cream coupons, someone has let us stay in their house for almost a month and eat their food, someone is giving us a fireplace screen....we are SO thankful that the Lord has brought the 'someones' into our lives. May we be a blessing to others as we have been blessed by them.

New Life in Santa Fe, NM

2010-06-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

I don't think I ever thought of New Mexico as a place where I would come to live. And yet, the river of God's providence has led us here. I have to admit that I had lots of prejudices thinking about Santa Fe - I thought there was no grass, no brick, and just ugly desert all around. What I have found instead is a different kind of beauty - surrounded by hills on all sides, nestled in their arms lies this strange little town, brown all around with a few spots of color here and there, a town that is completely unique, strange, and yet in it's own way captivating. The sunset God paints here is one of a masterful artist with colors melting into one another, leaving the one watching helpless but to stare in wonder.

In the midst of this uniqueness and beauty we find ourselves homeless and in search for a house for our family. The kids are tired and in need of a schedule, our stuff is on a truck somewhere between here and St. Louis and we're learning to trust that God's providence never abandons us even when we don't see the next step. All we need is Him, and having but the clothes on our backs (and a few spares in a suitcase!) that is becoming the rubber that meets the road. We feel like Abraham who left all that he knew to be a sojourner in a country not his own and not knowing where he was going. We are encouraged because God led Abraham and continued to reveal Himself and pour out blessings on him. We are encouraged because God's character is steady and trustworthy.

San Diego Adventures

2009-07-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

Since we've been in San Diego we've marveled a lot -
at the palm trees growing in the middle of desert bushes
at how quickly our children adjust to new places
at the beauty of the Pacific ocean
at how cold that same ocean is
at the "Pirate Ship" at the Marina that Alex wants to claim his very own
at the dropped jaw of Maya and Alex as they watch Shamu the killer whale make a jump
at the huge kites at Seaport Village
at Jack's giggles as his feet splash in the water for the first time
at the great (did I say great!) food at J Wok
at how nothing beats riding a tractor or a pony...or just the fun you can have on a farm!
at new friendships
at missing old friendships
at God's gracious providence
at how I really, really need my right thumb (yeah, well, I thought I didn't till I couldn't use it any more for a while due to an injury....what can I say, I learn the hard way and Chris usually gets to say, "I told you so!".....
and at how quickly time goes by.

Indeed we are "but a breath" like the Psalms have told me over and over again. But our moments here in San Diego will be like the rocks and seashells we've collected on it's beaches - beautiful, meaningful, and worth taking along with us.

Next stop: Augusta, GA! The main attraction there per our kids - THE DOGS - Titus and Gilmore! Alex wants to "wrestle with Titus".....we'll keep you posted on how that one goes....

A cork on the river of God's Providence

2009-05-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

There are those moments every so often that all of us get an ache that if we don't distract ourselves quickly will become quite painful. The ache questions and doubts and wanders....
Did I make the right decisions? What would my life look like if I had just taken that turn instead of the one I chose? Would it have made a difference?
One can be left to count their mistakes, thinking of what the 'other life' might have been...

Those moments for me are not an issue of contentment but an issue of homesickness and longing: longing to sit by the edge of the Adriatic and look out at a sunset, the longing to walk the streets of Rovinj in the mid-afternoon bustle, the longing to have coffee at a bar overlooking fishermen coming back from a night's work or cleaning their nets as the sun slowly creeps up on my face, the longing to be there for important events in my family's lives, the longing to enjoy a good Istrian pizza bite by bite, the longing to laugh with old friends...

Longings - how good of God to give us this little ache that reminds us that we were not made for this world, but that our true home is yet awaiting us. In the meantime, the way I've come to look at my life is what a friend called "A cork on the river of God's Providence." It might take unexpected turns and where we would have turned right it turned us left, but His good and loving hand always guides, always protects, always blesses.

I look around me and I see an amazing husband who loves me and thinks I'm amazing despite of all my shortcomings, 3 children who make me laugh more than ever before and bring constant joy to my heart, a community of friends and family who are committed to help me grow and learn and who are with me no matter what, and a God whose presence never leaves me.

In my melancholy moments though as I learn to let the river of God's Providence lead me, Oliver Dragojevic always knows how to minister to my heart :)

Always learning.....patience

2009-01-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

How does 45 minutes on hold sound? How about twice in one day? How about nothing is acomplished after all the holding??? It seems that customer service is a thing of yesterday and has been replaced with mediocre music and enthusiastic voices not telling you really why you should remain on the line, even though your call is important to them and it might be recorded for quality assurance purposes....well, I guess if there was a conversation to be recorded that would be possible, but alas!

So as I have spent all my free time today on hold, I have (yet again) a choice to make: will I be angry and in my imaginary world have a confrontation with whoever should be answering my call, or do I consider it a gift from the Lord and a chance to think, pray, collect my thoughts or just let my brain rest??? I confess that the former comes naturally and the latter is quite a challenge. I'd love to have patience enough to be aware of life's fleeting little moments that could count but I squander them in worry, anger, busyness. Good news is: I keep learning...sometimes is the same lesson over and over again, but I'm thankful that growth comes a bit at the time.

Speaking of growth, Jack is 6 weeks old now and a full 10 lbs. 4 oz. and doing well. I say doing well as he's been crying and unable to settle for the past 3 hours...another lesson in patience maybe????

In Memoriam...

2008-12-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

It was a winter storm here in St. Louis that was nowhere close to an end. What should have been a pleasant surprise of snow was a shocking surprise of loss. It's been a year since we got in the car and went to the ER only to have the suspicion confirmed - our little baby was gone.

What do you feel when you lose someone you've never met? Are you sad? Angry? Ambivalent? Do you try to imagine what they would have looked like or what their personality would be? Or do you nonchalantly declare like our nurse in the ER did that it happens all the time and some fetuses just pass through? I guess it depends on what you believe. We believe that life begins at conception, so to us a little one was taken from us in a moment. We would never get to see the face, enjoy the smiles, be amazed at the beauty of this little life. We would never get to hold her, to comfort her, to laugh with her. So we cried as we thought of the profound loss we were facing. And yet we weren't grieving without hope. We trust God that He is good and His Word is true. We believe that one day we will see her face, and hold her in our arms, and enjoy her forever. Until that day we remember her and still grieve never getting to know her on this earth.

We thought she was a girl so we named her Elena. Until the day when we'll be reunited we remember that the Lord gives and the Lord takes away...blessed be the name of the Lord!

Our litle princess turns 4!!!

2008-12-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

On Monday, December 8th Maya turned 4 years old. Her day began with a fun daddy/daughter date that culminated in them going to WalMart and getting a fish! Yes, my little girl chose a FISH over a 3 foot dollhouse. And yes, we now have a pet in our small apartment. Her (mind you, this is a girl fish!) name is SUELLA. Maya got to pick her out, pick out her tank, her gravel, and all the things that go with having a fish. She's been doing really well feeding her every day and saying hello and goodbye and goodnight. We're so proud of her.

The thing with 4 year old birthdays is that they don't just last one day, but a few. So for Maya it was 3 days and 2 batches of cupcakes later and a Princess Party later, she's now finally 4. She was so excited when her teacher at school, Mrs. Byars gave her a birthday crown and pencil and she had a blast having her little friends over and getting to dress up with them as princesses, paint nails and put lipgloss on. They even decorated their own cupcakes with pink icing of course and TONS of sprinkles.

Really, it's 4 going on 14 one would think if they witnessed some of the imaginary conversations she has with herself. For example, the other night, she got her play cell phone and sat on the edge of the couch with her legs crossed and the conversation with her friend Joshua began:
"Hey Joshua. What are you doing? Uh...(eye rolling going on here)...you've gotta be kidding me! Ok, I've gotta go. Bye."

Grandma Mo and I rolled with laughter! On a different note, as Maya gets to make more and more independent decisions, Chris and I get to learn to relinquish more control and trust the Lord as we trust her in her decision making even though she will make choices that are different than ours. Suella the fish, for example, was supposed to be a goldfish, but alas, she's something else...not sure, we think she started off as a goldfish but then mutated into something gray and spotted. This is definitely good for our character and our growth in the Lord.

Sneak Peek

2008-12-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

Our dear friend Cara came over and took some pictures of Jack: Cara is a great photographer and Jack a wonderfully cooperating subject. So for those of you who've been wanting to see him, here you go! He's been such a sweet blessing - he is a good baby and very patient with the rest of us.

Pleasant Surprises...

2008-11-30T16:22:00.000-08:00

Last night was a long night with Jack who had a hard time settling down for a few hours. So when I got up this morning and struggled to get to the living room, I just wanted a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha and a nice omelette - wishful thinking, I know. Maya was already chatting in the bed with grandma Mo so the quietness of the morning was soon to be distilled by her running footsteps.

Thankfully, the Lord knows that most of the time, what really ministers to my heart are the little things in life....like a cup of coffee, or a Cooking Light magazine, or a hand picked wildflower (Chris used to steal flowers from people's yards for me...). And thankfully, His mercies are new every morning. So this morning, He decided to make my heart leap and rejoice just like that of my little 3 year old - as I looked outside the window all was WHITE!!! We had our first snow! Granted, it melted within a few hours, but what a wonderful way to wake up. I got Maya out of bed and told her, "Come and see....God gave us a surprise!" She was just as excited as I was and it was a fun time together with my little girl. Of course, the next question out of her mouth was, "Can we go outside???" Sure enough, they did a little while later and had a blast. Maya even brought me back some snow and panicked when I said I'll put it in the sink! So we put it in a bowl -the fact that it was melted within a few minutes didn't matter, but putting it in the sink would ruin it! Praise the
Lord for his pleasant surprises.

Oh, and what was little bit doing while the others were outside....snoozing of course...making up for the lost sleep!

Introducing Jack

2008-11-29T09:13:00.000-08:00

It was a long day. Started off with excitement of getting to go to the hospital and expecting his arrival sometime during the day. It followed with a scare of his heart rate dropping drastically and the room filling up with doctors, residents, nurses. The chaos of it all brought about panic and instant tears - what if something happens to him? Why is his heart rate not going up? Why is the beeping still slowing down? For over an hour he slowly worked on recovering - his heart rate back to normal but dipping with every contraction, his movements slower and more lethargic, his little body retreating upward and not wanting to come back down. As the hours passed we thought more and more that a c-section will be what it takes. Praise the Lord we have a patient and persistent doctor who trusts the Lord and had faith that all would be well. So Dr. Jewell stayed for hours and monitored progress.

Finally at 9:26p.m. a little head came out, followed by the body. As they placed little Jack on my chest, he looked all blue and stressed out. Soon the crying followed and his color turned to pink! We were so thankful that he made it safely. He weighed 7 lbs. even and was 20.25 inches long - he's gorgeous!

In the past few days he's been such a blessing to us - he is feeding well, sleeping well, adjusting well to his big brother and sister; he loves to be cuddled and held close, he loves the sound of our voices and to look into our faces. Mostly I think he's fallen in love with our bed and doesn't settle well at night till he joins us - not sure if he likes the Beautyrest mattress or the closeness of his parents better!

We have fallen in love with this baby right away and are thankful to the Lord that He would entrust us with Jack's life for a season - may we be found worthy of such a high calling.

Introducing Jack Davies Gensheer

2008-11-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody!

We are pleased to introduce you to our new, wonderful baby boy. His name is Jack Davies Gensheer. Don't let his 7lbs. and yet to be recorded height fool you; he is a stud! He has beautiful brown eyes (which he gets from his mommy) and short, stocky legs (which, he gets from his daddy - poor guy). At only 45 minutes old, he has quite the personality. Strong-willed only begins to describe him - he didn't want to come out for most of the day.

Maggie is a real trooper. She's been here since 8 am this morning, with Jack making little and slow progress most of the day. We had a bit of a scare in the afternoon with his heart rate dropping and talk of a possible emergency C-section, but alas, Mr. Determined (that would be Jack) decided to relinquish his warm, nestled stronghold and take on the brave new world.

So thank you for your prayers and your phone calls and letting us share this with you. Be on the lookout for some pictures over here at our family blog sometime in the next couple of days.

Thanks,

The Gensheer's
Chris, Maggie, Maya, Alex and now “baby Jack”

Going to the hospital!

2008-11-25T04:39:00.000-08:00

We're on our way in a few minutes to the hospital. Our baby boy has decided that it was time for him to join us. We'll keep you updated. Here's a picture of the family before - we'll post one of us with him!

Diving in!

2008-11-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

I've contemplated blogging for a long time and finally decided to dive right in and let the rest of the world in on our lives in St. Louis. Hope you enjoy the updates!

For those of you who know us, you probably know we're expecting our 3rd child (boy) in the next couple of days, so we'll keep you posted on his arrival. We'll be glad to have him finally join us. Maya keeps saying how she wants to change his diaper all by herself - but I'm sure that will be a different story once he's here.

Here's how that conversation went:
Maya, "I'm going to help you with the baby."
Me, "Great, how would you like to help?"
Maya, "I can dress him, feed him, bathe him, and change his diaper - I know how to change a diaper you know?"
Me, "You do?"
Maya, "Yeah, you just open the old diaper, wipe with a wipe and put a new diaper on."

Well, with Maya around, it seems like having a newborn will be a breeze at the Gensheer household. Somehow, I think she might have a hard time with the late night feedings!!

Chris and Maya have been negotiating over the name of our new baby boy, each one pulling for their favorite. Since Maya now wants a fish, instead of a doll house, for her upcoming birthday, Chris suggested she name her fish her favorite name instead of the baby. The response was classic for Maya: "No daddy, my fish will be a girl, and that's a boy name!"

We laugh a ton with our kids, and just with one another. As we step into yet another transition in our life, we're excited to see what new things God will teach us and how we'll grow to be more like Him.