Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Are you ready for Christmas?? It's funny how we spend so much time and effort preparing for one day. I hope that you take the time to enjoy your family, relax, and most of all thank God for the reason behind the season. The birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!

Here is a recap of The Tollon bunch 2010:

Lauren is now a junior in high school with a very full schedule, pre-calculus, psychology, honors English to name a few. She has her temps but no drivers license yet. She is a student leader at Bethel Cleveland's youth group and she helps in the nursery. She still does quite a bit of baby sitting (and not just for me). Lauren has become very passionate about missions to Africa, her and I will be taking a trip to Mozambique, Africa with Iris Ministries at the end of July. Lauren plans to attend a three month mission school with Iris ministries in Mozambique the summer after she graduates. She is looking into a mission minded college, currently, we have been looking at North Central in Minnesota. I can't believe she will be an adult in less than a year and a half, I'm so proud of the young woman she has become. I am frequently amazed and often wonder "Where did this child come from?". If you don't already know this I became pregnant with Lauren right before my twenty first birthday, Chris and I were not married. Lauren is testimony of God's grace and redemptive power!

Blaine seems to have suddenly gone from a young boy to a young man overnight! This summer I looked at him and suddenly realized he's got some big guns on him :)! He is usually the one I drag along on big grocery trips, he has been doing the P90X workout for a year now and it shows. Blaine's goal is to be able to beat Chris at arm wrestling.:) This February he will be getting his temps and before long I will have two drivers, Yikes! Blaine is also a student leader with Bethel Cleveland youth and he is a part of the Bethel Kids ministry team.

Owen is an official teenager! He was anxiously waiting to be old enough to be a part of the youth group at Bethel Cleveland. Owen still loves to drum and plays a bongo for the youth worship team, He also loves to draw and he is extremely good at it too. Owen took some art and drama classes, he will probably take more class once ski (snowboarding) season is over.

Renee turned eleven this year,She has faced quite a bit this year with migraine headaches, the total alopecia and then being diagnosed with Hashiomoto's but despite it all she is still as joyful and fun as ever! Renee is still taking piano lessons each week and goes to the nursing home to visit Aunt Patti. For Renee's birthday this year she got her own keyboard and plays all the time! We are looking forward to hear her play Christmas carols for us tomorrow night. Renee also loves to read, it's funny but there are times I have to pry her away from reading to do her chores.

Elijah, my little boy is not so little anymore :(, He is seven and a strong, solid guy! Elijah is doing very well with gymnastics, he was so excited to get his round-off back handspring this summer. Elijah's first meet is coming up in January and I'm very excited to see all that he can do. Elijah is not one to talk and talk but when he does say something it's always sure to make you smile. A couple days ago he said to Lauren " Lauren, you know that God gave you a whole life to do all the things he put in your heart to do!" I love Elijah's sensitivity and innocence, he is in first grade and is doing really well.

Eden Joy..oh what a joy she is :) She is 20 months old and full of curiosity and a bit of stubbornness. Eden is very smart and inquisitive and it's a lot of fun teaching her new things and watching her explore. It's been a little sad for me to see her want to go and do so quickly. I would love to keep her my sweet, cuddly little baby but she has her own ideas. Eden loves all of her brothers and sisters and knows all their different strengths and weakness's and uses that to her full advantage. After celebrating her three siblings fall birthdays Eden has come to realize what birthdays are all about and is very excited to celebrate Jesus's birthday. I think we are all looking forwards to seeing Christmas through her eyes.

Chris is one busy guy lately, he is currently working three jobs! Chris is coaching boys gymnastics at Gym World, working part-time for Mason Works and working for the Cleveland Clinic department of Education. Chris has learned so much this year when it comes to computers and doors have been opening up for him which is really exciting! Chris is also a part of a men's ministry group that meet weekly through phone conferencing. Men these days face a lot of pressures and it's really important for them to have one another to encourage, support and hold one another accountable. I'm really proud of Chris and all that he has accomplished this past year, I'm really excited to see where this next year is going to take him.

This has been a very busy and sometimes overwhelming year for me. I often find myself trying so hard to be supermom and then becoming discouraged when I realize I just can't do it all. Homeschooling five children while taking care of a toddler and trying to keep the house clean, laundry done and everyone fed can be quite a task! We have also had a lot of trips to doctors and unpleasant experiences with health issues and such. I have learned so much about myself and have come to a place of surrender in many areas. I also feel like I have more joy and hope than ever before. Chris and I plan to move closer to our church this summer and we will be enrolling the kids back into public school. I am also looking forward to the trip to Mozambique, I'm a little nervous about leaving the other kids but I know that God is going to do something great in both Lauren and I. Even though things are chaotic and hectic sometimes I have a peace that surpasses all understanding. I'm learning more and more each day about my heavenly Father and about who he has made me to be. I love the life he has given me, I love being a Mom and seeing God work in each one of my children. I love the friends and family God has placed in our lives and I pray that each one of you have a wonderful Christmas, may God's presence be felt all around you as you celebrate this special day. I also pray that this upcoming year would be full of peace, healing and that each day God would show you how special you are and that you would experience his love in a fresh way.

Love,
Danielle & the rest of the Tollon bunch!

Over the valley and through the woods...

is what it has been for us this month. It's like we get over one mountain into the valley and then we turn around and it's time to walk through the dark scary woods. Such is life, right?! I'm a pretty adventurous person so I usually enjoy taking on a challenge and can easily see my way through but it's different when your children are involved. I would love to take everything on for them, it seems it would be so much easier that way. In the long run though I know that God works good in every situation and that my job is to trust him and teach my kids to look to him when they are facing difficult situations.

Today, we met with a specialist concerning Renee and found out that her immune system has now decided to attack her thyroid. The alopecia that Blaine, Owen & Renee have been diagnosed with is an autoimmune disease where the immune system is attacking the hair. For whatever reason when the immune system decides to attack one area it can also decide to attack another. There are hundreds of different types of autoimmune diseases and no cure for any of them. It's also a genetic thing hence, the reason we have three children with alopecia. Blaine has also been having some other symptoms this past month and has been referred to a rheumatologist. Many of the things the doctors have said have been quite overwhelming and at times I have to stop myself from falling into the trap of worry. It seems worry comes natural to Mom's but I have learned that it is not my friend! When it comes along side me I can spend hours researching things on the internet and find all the worst possible scenarios that could plaque my children but in the end it does no good. I'm always so thankful when the Holy Spirit comes along side of me and taps me on the shoulder and says "Ummhmm..remember me, Your true friend. The one that is always here. I know where you can find peace in the midst of all this." It doesn't take long for me to remember all the amazing and wonderful things God has done in our lives. I also look at each one of our children and I am completely and utterly amazed! They are all happy, content, beautiful, smart, amazing kids! I know I'm required to say that but it's actually very true!:)

So, through the woods it is right now. We will all get to the other side just fine with another story to tell of how awesome God is and how he got us through yet another challenging situation!

For more info on autoimmune disease:
http://www.lvhn.org/children/Ask_Our_Expert_About_Children%7C2431
http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site614/mainpageS614P0.html

Summer Happenings

Wow! Can it really be almost the end of summer? It sure did go quick! Here is a recap of our summer.

We enjoyed quite a few days at the beach, Eden was a lot of fun, hesitant about the water at first but by the end of summer she was loving it! We enjoyed some swimming days, pool parties, visits with my Dad at Ledge pool and trips to area parks. The zoo has been a regular summer hangout, we definitely get our money worth out of our yearly membership. We have enjoyed many of the events around the Cleveland area including, Parade the Circle, the North Coast Harbor boating festival, Fireworks and the Cleveland Orchestra downtown in Public Square, the 4th of July parade and the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Chagrin Falls. We have all read a lot of good books this summer while participating in the summer reading program.

Elijah continued with his gymnastics this summer and got his back handspring on the floor. He loves it! Owen and Renee have been going with Aunt Laraine and Uncle Rick on Thursdays for piano and golf lessons. Owen is really enjoying the golfing and is pretty good at it! Lauren has her temps and is practicing her driving. She has been doing a lot of babysitting this summer (not just for me ;)). Lauren has a really tough schedule coming up this fall but she is determined and I know she will do well. If you get a chance check out her blog at http://coracaoparaafrica.blogspot.com/.
Lauren, Blaine and Owen are all loving the youth group at Bethel Cleveland, it's exciting to see them deepen in their relationship with God and have fun at the same time.
Blaine was having some issues with infected lymph nodes again. The doctors are not sure why. We could take him to another specialist but he is doing better so we are just waiting it out. Blaine turned 15 this July and I can not believe how much he is growing. He has been doing the P90X workout and has become quite strong. It's nice having him along on big grocery trips!
We have actually had a few emergency room visits this summer as Renee has recently been diagnosed with migraine headaches. Thankfully, it's nothing too serious and now that we know what it is we are better able to deal with it. It's so hard when your child is in pain and there is nothing you can do to stop it.

Chris has also had a busy summer. He took one of the guys he coaches (Nick) to the championship qualifier earlier in the summer and Nick qualified to go to championships. A couple weeks ago they were in Hartford, Connecticut for Championships. Nick placed 17th in the Nation which is awesome and such an honor for Chris. Chris is also continuing to work part time for Mason Works and this fall he will work towards more Microsoft certifications.

I have really been enjoying summer! Eden is at such a fun age, she is quite adventurous, (don't know where she got that..Ha Ha) we have been enjoying outings and exploring new things. I'm a little anxious to start homeschooling again. It was difficult for me to stay home and do the same thing every day last year. I plan on doing a lot of field trips and projects to help keep myself from getting bored and miserable. I also have started the P90X workout with Chris, it's more intense than any other workout and I can honestly say I hate it but I'm determined!

Even though summer is almost at an end we have a couple things to look forward to. The end of September we will be taking a family vacation to Kiawah Island, South Carolina. A family is giving us their vacation home to enjoy for a week! We can not wait, it's been awhile since we have been able to go on a vacation together. Chris and I were also given night away at a local resort which is another wonderful blessing. We haven't had a night away since Eden was born, it will be glorious just to sleep in! God is good!

Well, time for my ramblings to come to a close, Eden is up from her nap and making it quite clear she is awake and ready to explore some more.