Christmas 2017

     Greetings from the Garland clan!

     We hope you have had a great 2017 as you read our annual Christmas letter! There was once a time when we actually kept up this blog, often posting multiple times per year. And we always have high hopes to add regularly for people that follow. But then... suddenly it's December 17, and we realize we need to scramble to write a letter because our cards have already been sent out.
     We can't blame Zoey, as that seems like quite a burden to place on our little 3-year-old, but life is definitely crazier with three Garland girls than with two. And there were many other things that occupied our time during the year as well. So without further adieu, here is a snapshot of our 2017 roller coaster...

     CAYLA: Now 9, Cayla continues to keep us on our toes. She can be so incredibly sweet and caring at times. She has a knack for knowing who needs a hug. Sometimes strangers in Wal-Mart. We actually found her sitting down and praying for somebody in the frozen section there once. There are other times when her stubborness is all we can handle. Like when she sits down in Wal-Mart (often a busy checkout line) and just refuses to get up. That's not so fun. But it is never boring with her. Patience is definitely required, but she has a way of melting your heart. She is in 3rd Grade at Madison and has improved her speaking and reading quite a bit. We're thankful for the great people working with her there! Her behavior has often been a struggle, so we are thankful for the patience of her teachers and associates. We still often have to translate her speech for others, but less than ever before. Cayla loves others so fervently, and we are excited about the way she spreads love everywhere she goes!

     ELIANA: Now 6, Ana has a passion for reading. The girl consumes books. She is loving "chapter books" now, and it's fun to watch her fight and struggle to pronounce words that are longer and difficult. She is in 1st Grade at Madison and loves her teacher and most parts of schools. Ana tried soccer for the first time this year, a little bit of basketball, and even some Taekwondo. She needs her sleep, but don't we all?!? God has given her a tender heart. She has been a sweet sister to Cayla. We've always prayed that they would have a special bond, and it's great to see it happen. Just today Eliana wrote a special note to Cayla. Here is part of it: "I love you. Cayla you are spcel in your own way. You are a good sister. You are the best! You are gret. You are fun to play with." Her childlike faith astounds us so often, as she is piecing together stories from church, Superbook, devotions, etc, and we're so thankful to everyone who pours so much into our girls!

     ZOEY: Now 3, Zoey is a typical third child. She is spunky and fearless. Sometimes, a little too fearless. "Daddy, watch this," is a common phrase heard as she jumps down from a couch. She climbs everything and has an independent spirit that often doesn't want help. "No, I do it!" She is oftentimes called our Sassy-pants, and her strong determination (or as some may call strong will) rank right up there with our determined little Cayla Joy some days! Zoey loves Wallykazam and Paw Patrol, and she loves to cuddle up with us. Somewhere along the line, she decided she wanted to wear her swimsuit for the rest of her life. She loves Daddy's "Black Beauty" stories about a horse who goes on many adventures. Just tonight I was telling a story and said, "Do you know what Black Beauty did next?" "Yeah," she said confidently. "What?" I asked. "I don't know." She can switch from "diva" to sweetheart in a flash, and we're excited to see what is in store for this passionate little girl down the road.

    JEROD: I enjoyed being back in the scary world of middle schoolers quite a bit this year. They are fun and unpredictable. I can honestly say I enjoy going to work every day. In basketball, the Lady Dutch ended up losing in the semi-finals at state, but the season was a blast. One highlight is always how much fun my 3 girls have cheering and coming into the lockerroom after games.

    LEAH: My year was one of so many major highs and lows, and I have to admit that I'll be happy to say goodbye to this 2017 roller coaster and look ahead to a fresh new year! The hardest part of this year by far was the difficult time of learning of my mom's aggressive ALS diagnosis in June, getting 3 beautiful but very emotional weeks with her, and then saying goodbye to her on July 21. We know she is now with Jesus in a much better place, but this was hard and continues to be challenging with reminders of her all around (good but tough). The girls now know when to spot a "Grandma Tina spotting" in the sky with the sun rays or the gorgeous sunrise or sunset.  My mom was a strong woman who endured so much in her 65 years of life, and I'm so thankful for who she raised me to be, especially in my faith!
     This August saw a great ending to the higher learning chapter that Jerod and I had been on for the past 4+ years... Jerod graduated with from Drake with his Master's degree 2 years ago, and I immediately followed this up with an MBA from Drake. We're SO thankful to the many family and friends who supported us in BIG ways through these past several years, as well as those of you who wrapped your arms around me and our family with the passing of my mom, as wow, we are so blessed by so many of you!
     I continue loving my job at Bethany Christian Services, as I work with such an incredible team and see big things happen every day. God is certainly on the move at Bethany, and I love being a part of this ministry as we continue our mission to be radical advocates for children!

    Another big change in our lives recently was moving from our wonderful neighborhood on E. 12th Street into our new address on Hemel Dr. Sad to leave such amazing neighbors, but we are excited about having more room to host and getting to know our new neighbors. We've always wanted a spare bedroom to be able to host family and friends, and we hope to make use of it in 2018.

     CHICAGO:
     After a long and difficult summer, Leah and I found a few days to get away to Chicago. While it was a great trip staying downtown and walking around the city, it could've ended better.
     The top of the bus advertised it was going to Union Station. So Leah and I hopped on, 90 minutes until our Amtrak left Chicago to take us back to Ottumwa. It had been a great little getaway for the two of us, a bit of peace before the chaos of school and a new year started. So we were looking forward to relaxing in our train for a nice ride home.
     Over the next 30 minutes, we watched our "Union Station" train take us north out of Chicago rather than to the station. "It has to turn left soon," I kept reassuring Leah as the bus continued to not turn left. Soon we were passing Wrigleyville and still went north. I started to worry for the first time that we may not catch our 2pm departure time.
     We eventually jumped out of that train and crossed the street to hop on another one when the driver told us it was going to be a while on that one. We were thankful when we made it onto the second bus just in time. This one, we were told, was headed right to Union Station.
     Like we were in some kind of sick comedy movie, we hit every red light that was between us and the station. Each stop along the way was filled with waiting people. I'm sure they were great people, but I would've offered the driver an extra $10 to just pretend that he didn't see them. We had moms with strollers that they couldn't quite load up quickly. Other tourists that asked lots of questions. (Only made it worse knowing I should've asked questions to the first driver in the first place). Did I mention we hit every red light?
     You probably know where this story is heading by now. We jumped out of the bus as the doors opened, dragging our luggage as we fan down the sidewalk. Leah took off her flip flops to fun faster. We flew into the station, slightly panicked at this point. "You need to go to D!" shouted a worker knowingly. We continued to D. As we finally got to the entrance, we noticed it was closed. The time was 1:57. "Sorry, we close 5 minutes before departure," we were told. "But it doesn't leave until 2," I reasoned, as if they would make an exception for us.  Tough luck. We missed our Amtrak.
     It gets worse. Union Station had no more rental cars. Neither did anything else close. So we bought tickets for a train heading to O'Hare Airport. There we rented a car and drove it back to Pella. We missed our train by 2 minutes. The extra train tickets + car rental was an extra $400. Yikes.
   
     In a way Chicago mirrored our 2017. One of many highs and lows, excitement and disappointment, beauty and sadness. Although the thrill of the roller coaster can be exciting and fun, we're happy to be reaching the end of our 2017 and moving onto what we hope is a more peaceful 2018! Blessings to each and every one of you who love us and support us, as we could not be doing this without our faithful heavenly Father and all of you! Love you all:)