The Whole Coen Gang
The Gang plus the Bonus Brothers
Top Row L to R: Aaron, David, Caleb, James, Joseph, TJ, Tim
Middle Row L to R: Leah, Joanna, Nadia, Lydia, Laura
Bottom Row L to R: Miah, Sarah, Noah, Maria, Hannah, Marian, Josh, Julia, Samuel
All the Girls
The Big Girls
The Little Girls
The Boys
The Coen Boys
The Cool Kids
This family picture was taken during a trip up to the YMCA of the Rockies near Winter Park earlier this fall.
The Days
And here is a copy of the family Christmas letter:
O Come, Let Us Adore Him ~~ Christ, the Lord
Merry Christmas! We pray this letter finds you warm and happy, surrounded by people you love. We’ve been tucked around the fireplace, enjoying puzzles and books, while December makes itself known outside with sub-zero temperatures and biting wind. There’s nothing like a good cold snap to bring the family together! We have had a great year with some impressive milestones, but for the first time in a while, there were relatively few big surprises!
January, as usual, was spent recovering from the holidays and getting back into the groove of school. Sarah and David both had their wisdom teeth out, starting the year with a bang! With Sarah and James both in college and 11 still homeschooled, there’s a whole lot of educating that goes on around here. Schedules get tricky, but for the most part, years of routine keep us grounded. We had two temporary additions to our family as well--Cameron (then 18 months) and Gracie (4) who are the children of one of Leah’s long-time friends, came to stay with us for several months. Their mom was expecting her third baby, and there were many complications. Baby Matthew was born with serious heart defects, epilepsy and several other problems which required a lengthy stay at Children’s Hospital in Denver. Gracie and Cameron stayed with us, visiting with their mom, dad and baby brother as often as possible. Matthew was finally able to come home in April, and the family was happily reunited! Leah was an amazing “auntie” to Gracie and Cameron during this time, providing them with the love and stability they needed. Throughout the year, they have come back to stay with us, sometimes for a day or two, sometimes for a week or two; Leah is always ready to step in and care for them. Nadia and Maria serve as her capable and doting assistants, happily changing diapers, brushing teeth or hair, reading stories or whatever else needs to be done.
Later in January, we spent a fun evening in Pueblo attending an adoption fund raiser, reconnecting with some of the caseworkers we had met in last year’s adoption and enjoying some really good food. The event was geared toward raising awareness of needs in the foster care system and involving other government workers and local businesses in supporting Pueblo’s children. Our kids were honored guests, which was pretty cool!
In February we celebrated Leah’s birthday (21!). While Leah kept busy with her regular acivities (Bible study with several girls in our circle of friends, church activities, caring for children, helping with school), she also kept a close eye on her older sister. Hannah and Josh’s first baby was due toward the end of the month, so we waited for any indication that the time had come. Sweet Marian made us wait the full month, arriving in the early hours of February 28th. Josh and Hannah had decided on a home birth, so Laura, Leah, Sarah and Miah were all able to attend. Everything went about as perfectly as possible (except that poor Josh had been out at his job plowing snow and sanding streets and hadn’t slept much), and just like that, our baby girl was a mom and Tim and Laura became grandparents! Marian has been a delight, with her bright smiles, funny faces and quickly changing abilities. With 8 aunts and uncles on Josh’s side, 14 on Hannah’s, 2 enthusiastic sets of grandparents, a devoted great-grandma and great-grandpa in town, and a whole army of honorary aunts and uncles, Marian is never lacking for a willing pair of arms to cuddle her. (The really fun news is that Baby 2 will be due in April 2014! We can’t wait!)
March was probably one of the busiest months Tim has had in real estate so far, which kept him running from meeting to meeting. While we all celebrated his success, we were happy to have Daddy home more in later months when life slowed a bit! Samuel turned 8, lost a few teeth and thoroughly enjoyed his status as big brother and new uncle. Laura’s parents, who are both retired now, were able to come to meet their new great-granddaughter. It was fun to see them outside of their usual Christmas visit. James also invited a friend, TJ, to stay with us for a bit; and because we’ve all enjoyed the arrangement, TJ has become a long-term, live-in “bonus brother”. He’s got an outrageous sense of humor, an artist’s heart and is not afraid of a little verbal sparring. He’s been great to have around!
April is one of our big birthday months. It feels like all we do is eat cake! Josh celebrated his birthday, his first one as a daddy; Miah turned 15, James turned 17, and Lydia and Joanna turned 9. It continues to bless me to watch these two grow up together, so different in temperament, in coloring, in background and yet so completely joined. They are both losing that little girl look and becoming young ladies. James started a job at Zumiez, which he had been hoping for and working hard toward for many months. Added to all of that fun was Noah’s adoption, where he became an official Coen forever. The day was one of the iciest and coldest we had had all winter, which made the drive to the courthouse a bit tricky. It was well worth it, though, as our family was joined by friends, therapists, caseworkers, CASA volunteers and adoption supporters from Denver. There were lots of happy tears for this little boy, and we were amazed again at what God can do. The changes in Noah are remarkable as he continues to settle into our family, and while there are still challenges (he has a number of physical needs that will need continued care through his life as well as emotional trauma that he is healing from), we are so thankful he is ours!
May is anniversary month for Tim and Laura, and we were able to sneak off to Breckenridge for a few nights. We met up with our good friends John and April Gonzalez and enjoyed some beautiful mountain air, great food and much-needed fellowship. Laura also celebrated her birthday with some pampering and relaxing. We finished up school for the year and began to really look forward to enjoying the summer! To celebrate, Sarah and Miah took a quick weekend trip to Albequerque, just because.
June and July were filled with summer fun--we put up the pool, rode bikes, played volleyball and football, and in general, spent as much time outside as we possibly could. TJ left for Army boot camp, leaving a quiet void behind. Many Saturdays were dedicated to helping Josh and Hannah re-side their house, which also led to mud wars, water fights or wild games of hide-and-seek. As a family, we completed a First Aid and CPR class, allowing the older kids and grown-ups to renew their certifications and the younger kids a chance to learn some valuable skills. Miah was also able to join several members of our church on a trip to Oklahoma to assist in clean-up after the tornadoes. She helped to clear land, pass out water and other supplies, and work with many others to help to bring a little hope.
Because of the fires in June, we were on edge for several days, watching the wind and the progress of the fire crews. While we were not evacuated, several people we know were. The evacuations came within about 5 miles of our neighborhood, and the fire was close behind. While we grieved with those who lost homes, we were thankful that the fire was contained as successfully as it was. Sarah has been volunteering with a local fire department, so she kept a close eye on activities. In July, the fire department hosted a pancake breakfast to help raise funds for affected families; while we were enjoying breakfast, the Flight-for-Life helicopter landed, and the kids were able to climb on board, a few at a time, and sit in the pilot’s seat. Sarah also gave us a tour of the fire station and showed us the inside of the trucks and ambulance. Later in the month, Laura’s parents visited again, enjoying some of our summer activities with us.
July was Hannah’s turn to celebrate a birthday, her first as a mommy. Noah turned six soon after, his growing up made evident by learning to ride a two-wheeler, do “flips” on the trampoline and beginning to learn to read. We also had the privilege of hosting members of a baseball team who were in town for a tournament (our pastor’s son is also on the team). Four young men from around the country spent a few nights with us, and we loved getting to know them. They were all 18-20 years old, dedicated ball players and quality young men. While their days were pretty full with games and practice, they were able to spend some time on the trampolines with the kids, playing cards, dancing and just enjoying family life. One of them is even coming back in January to ski with James, Miah and David. We can’t wait to see him again!
August is our second big birthday month, where we celebrate Nadia (11), Maria (13) and Julia (10). Nadia had her braces removed just days before her birthday, and Julia got her ears pierced, a long-anticipated event for her. Tim, David and James flew to South Carolina to attend TJ’s graduation from boot camp, and they were able to go to the beach for a day. In addition, Sarah took some time off from her job as an EMT/cashier at the gift shop on top of Pikes Peak to fly to Alaska to visit her good friend Kaley and family. She thoroughly enjoyed her adventure, and to keep the fun going, she went sky diving soon after she returned home.
Laura, James, Miah, Caleb and Joseph headed to Omaha in the early part of September to spend time with family. Laura enjoyed catching up with her sisters and their families, and Caleb had time with his birth dad and family (who graciously included Joe in their sleepover). September is our third and final birthday bonanza. Caleb (13), Joe (12) and David (17) all had their turn to party. (David reached 6’ tall this year; and Caleb has officially grown taller than Laura, which is a fun milestone each of the children looks forward to achieving.) Joe stays right on Caleb’s tail; although there’s a year that separates them in age, they are inseparable buddies. Joe loves to play drums and draw; Caleb loves to create machines with Legos. Caleb’s and Maria’s birthdays brought the number of teenagers in our home up to 6, an all-time high for us! (I have to say again that I love teenagers. They are such energetic, creative mini-adults, on a mission to mature. I am constantly amazed by their uniqueness and their emerging selves; and I enjoy the new types of relationships they seek out.) For his birthday, David took a trip to California to visit his birth dad and family, including his new baby brother (born in August). He had a great time reconnecting with all the family out there, and we are so thankful for the way they love and support him!
As a family, we cashed in on our Christmas gift from Laura’s parents and headed up to Winter Park, to the YMCA of the Rockies, where we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Tim’s parents were able to get away with as, as were Josh, Hannah and Marian, so the whole family was together. We climbed the rock wall, roller skated (quad skates--oh yeah!), played pool and ping pong, practiced archery and rode the zip line. The pool, as always, was a big draw for the kids, but I think everyone could have done without the 6 a.m. fire alarm! The weather was gorgeous, and we loved the together time! When we returned home, it was “back to school time”--classes were in session from 11th grade down to Kindergarten/1st grade. School adds much-needed structure again after all of summer’s busy-ness!
In October we began to prepare in earnest for Leah and Miah’s trip to Ghana. Leah has sponsored a girl through Compassion International and had really wanted the opportunity to meet her. Because Leah and Hannah had loved their time in Uganda so much a couple of years ago, Leah wanted to take Miah on a similar adventure. They found an orphanage that accepted short-term volunteers, made the necessary arrangements, and scheduled flights for the end of October. Miah even managed to get her driver’s permit just before leaving town, after a few months of studying. They just arrived home, full of stories of their time in Africa. They were able to visit a beautiful beach, shop in the open markets, meet Rachael (Leah’s sponsored child) and her family, tour a couple of schools, teach preschool in the orphanage and meet many, many wonderful people. We’re excited to have them home but so, so glad they were able to accomplish so much.
November was full of fun. We had the opportunity to attend a luncheon in Denver at the Governor’s mansion celebrating adoptions in Colorado. That just happened to fall on Tim’s birthday, and the state Department of Human Services had reserved hotel rooms for us, so we had a great mini-vacation. After the lunch (which included face painting, a bounce house and baskets full of take-home goodies), we partied at Casa Bonita, a family favorite. (If you’ve never heard of it, it’s unlike any restaurant you’ve ever seen, with cliff divers, wild-west skits, puppet shows, pinatas and Black Bart’s cave.) We swam at the hotel and loved the time away from our usual routine. Tim’s parents were able to join us, which was wonderful, especially since they raised this amazing birthday boy to be the great man that he is and have also been incredibly supportive of our adoptions. Thanksgiving was soon after, and we had a quiet Coen-and-bonus-family dinner for 22. We spent much of the time just watching Marian, who is trying so hard to learn to walk and loves to ham it up a bit for a crowd.
Now December is in full swing. Christmas crafts, baking, and secret gift creations have begun. If we can just wrap up school successfully, we’ll have nothing holding us back! David just took his driving test (another driver--yay and yikes!), and Sarah and James are bringing another successful semester to a close. They both recently started new jobs, Sarah at Clark’s shoes and James at Lifetime Fitness, and they are both preparing for changes in the coming year--Sarah has applied to nursing school in Denver (rated 15th in the country), and James is hoping to transfer to UC Boulder in the fall. Keep your fingers crossed with us as they wait for news! Sarah will also turn 20 (which will drop our teen count to 5), closing out our year of party fun.
I wish I could write pages about each of my children, capturing all their personalities for you. I’d love to go on and on about them, about the incredible blessing they are, even about how hard it can be to parent a family this size. (I secretly wish I could convince you all to adopt so we could talk about how it changes life.) I wish I had a page to devote to each child, each success, each struggle, each journey. But really, who has time for that? So I’ll just extend an invitation to each of you to join us here; jump into the chaos! Find us on Facebook. Or follow Hannah’s blog (throughthelensofgrace.blogspot.com) or Leah’s blog (tobesimplyhis.blogspot.com). Every once in a while, we even update our family blog (stonesinthequarry.blogspot.com), and you can find some fun family photos there!
As Christmas draws closer and the year winds down, the verse that keeps coming to my mind is “How can I worship the Lord with that which costs me nothing?” We are challenged to think outside ourselves in new ways, to find ways to give and serve and love that honestly come from our hearts, not just our excess. I am blessed all over by the gift that Jesus gave us, which truly did cost Him everything, and I want to mirror that. Our lives are so rich and full; we have been given so much. So as 2014 creeps closer, I pray your lives will also be blessed; that you will discover new ways to worship. I pray the Lord fills you with joy, with peace, with hope, with life.
Much Love to All! Tim, Laura, Leah, Sarah, TJ, James, David, Miah, Maria, Caleb, Joseph, Nadia, Julia, Lydia, Joanna, Samuel, Noah
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