That Tiny Space; So Filled...(by Michael)

The feeling was warmth.

The feeling was inclusive.

The feeling was as if arms were wrapping around us in an eternal hug.

St. Timothy Lutheran Church, our church, brought to us a night of warmth, inclusion, and hugs as they hosted a Bingo Fundraiser for Ella.

Young and old came from near and far to sit for an evening of white elephant gifts, candy and popcorn, pizza and pop surrounded by the infectious sounds of the classic bingo game.  A night that is etched not only in the memories of our family, but in the minds of so many who were involved.

A parishioner approached me the day after the fundraiser to express her exhilaration about the event.  She knew that the Bingo Night was successful simply by the attendance therein, yet she marveled at the young people who took a part in it. She was thrilled by the fact that compassion was experienced by these young people first-hand rather than them simply being told to be compassionate.  She called it their "witness".

As the parents of Ella we can only sit in wonder and awe at how God works through so many to take care of one of his children.  He orchestrates talents and ambitions, personalities and skills, love and labor to bring about His glory, His agenda, His will.  And through it all Ella benefits from the blessings that He has bestowed upon her, as do all whom had a partaking in the event, whether it be as a planner, a worker, a donor, a participant, or simply an onlooker.  He has moved His hand over the tiny space known as St. Tim's in Naperville and brought to Ella a chance for her to be all that He intends for her to be.

She's a fortunate girl, that Ella Casten...and we are fortunate to be part of her journey; as it's through her journey that we are finding the Truth and compassion that is meant to be in all of us.

Our Next Life Chapter: A New House! (by Michael & Lindsay)

The decision to put our house on the market actually took quite some time.  We had to first ascertain whether or not our current house would be able to accommodate not only Ella and her needs but also the needs of Ava and Henry; not to mention us, and of course our beloved dog, Sasa and our now single cat, Doublestuff.

From that distant thought the list of accommodations, remodeling, use of space, and storage is a list that seemed to grow as we were making the decision.  And while Ella is a phenomenal driver of her power wheelchair, the space she had to work within often presented challenges; repairs here and there were cropping up more frequently.  The kids were growing and the house, in contrast, seemed to be shrinking.

Yes, it took quite some time to finally pull out the stops and put our house on the market.

Many months ago, when we first planted the seeds of our plans,  a church member who is also a realtor, stepped forward and offered us her services.  Sandy Turnipseed (Naper Home Realty) not only stepped forward, she stepped into our lives, our home, our trials, and our search for the house that would provide everything we needed to raise our kids in a healthy, independent environment.

With the expertise that Sandy holds in the real estate game she miraculously sold our house in a mere 14 days.  That's right, 14 days!  Her advice, her confidence, and her delightful personality all played a role in marketing our property...and furthermore played a role in us finding just the right house for our special needs.

Once we accepted the offer on our current house, we knew the race was on to find a new house (our buyers would like to close at the end of April).  We had already ventured out to see close to ten houses, none of which would work for Ella and her wheelchair for one reason or another.  We were feeling quite discouraged.  But then we were fortunate to find a house that we feel can be modified to meet Ella's needs!  And we felt really good about this house.  We thought this could be "the one".

We put in an offer on this new house.  And we waited.  The owners countered our offer.  We then countered theirs.  And we waited some more.  Finally we came to an agreement and we will be buying the house!

The house is located on a quiet street in central Naperville.  Compared to our current house it's closer to downtown Naperville as well as to our church.  It also happens to be four houses away from the elementary school!

But most importantly, the house has the features we need to make it work for Ella on a long-term basis.

It has wide open doorways that her wheelchair will easily fit through:

Foyer looking into the living room

Dining room looking into the living room 

It has more square-footage than our current house, which means larger rooms for Ella to navigate through:

Family room

Kitchen

Open foyer

The entrance from the garage is a straight shot through the laundry room into the family room.  In our current house, Ella's chair cannot navigate through the turns of our laundry room, which means she can only enter the house through the front door.  In the new house, she will be able to enter through the garage so that we will not need a ramp at the front door.

Standing in the family room, looking through the laundry room to the door to the garage

She will have a large bedroom to accommodate all of her furniture and equipment with room for her wheelchair to navigate once we get an elevator:

Ella's bedroom

The kids' bathroom upstairs has plenty of room for Ella's wheelchair to move around and has the capability to be modified into an accessible bathroom when the time comes.

The kids' bathroom

The basement is a blank canvas to be made into an accessible playroom (with an office).

Basement

The deck is low to the ground, which will make it easy to build a ramp for Ella to have access to the backyard.

Deck and backyard

While this house is structurally ready for Ella, we still have a lot of work that needs to be done.  But luckily, there aren't too many major remodeling projects.  We need to paint the entire interior house (we love the white trim in our current house!), including the kitchen cabinets.  We need to fence in the backyard.  A few things came up in the inspection that will need attention.  And we plan to finish the basement at some point.

But we couldn't be more excited to start our next life chapter in this house!

We know that purchasing this house could not have been even remotely possible without the love, generosity, and sincerity of so many people; near and far, young and old.  It truly does take a community to raise a child!

Of course, if you know of anyone who would be willing and able to help with the work we need to do, please let us know.  Some areas that need work:

1. Painting
2. Minor electrical work
3. Minor landscaping
4. Possible plumbing work
5. Finish the basement
1. utility room
2. storage closet
3. office
4. drywall & insulation
5. drop ceiling/lighting
6. flooring

Things are moving quickly (closing for both houses is currently set for April 30th)...and as said before...we are really excited to start this next chapter of our lives.

Our Life Began...(by Michael)

Pastor David Miller of St. Timothy's Lutheran Church (Naperville, IL) with
Ella Sabine Casten on her baptism day.

He sat in our family room, a rather tall man, legs crossed, relaxed in the chair, the dog with her head upon a resting place on his leg.  He scratched under her ear as he spoke with us.

The conversation took many turns.  It resonanted of individual pasts, collective consciousness, and rituals dictated by those whom came many years before us.  It contained laughter, tears, and stoic contemplation.  It was both comfortable and uncomfortable as it dug deep into what beliefs were held by three people.

As he shared his experiences, spoke elequoently about Christian traditions, and listened with an ear that devoted itself to the one speaking, his eyes never lost their twinkle; never wavered from his soul.

It was that conversation that brought Lindsay and me to St. Timothy's Lutheran Church in Naperville, Illinois.  It was that conversation that ended a long two-year search for a church community that we could embrace.  It was that conversation that opened the doors to what we now know as our spiritual home.

Our children are happy at St. Tim's.  They thrive in the loving atmosphere that surrounds the entire congregation every time we find ourselves there.  They delight in the friendships they have made, the adults whom take time to talk, play, and learn with them.  They hum the tunes of the hymnals, with the promise of one day singing along.  They say the Lord's Prayer without thinking twice.

Ella was baptized at St. Tim's.  We knew nothing of SMA; let alone the fact that the disease was in her body, planning its arrival.  We were surrounded by friends and family that day.

There have been scores of baptisms at St. Tim's since then.  We have attended others at other churches as well.  There is one part of the baptism service that rings loud and clear to me now...as it never really did before.

It's the part when the spiritual leader turns to the congregation and asks if they will accept the child being baptized into Christ as "their own".  If they will care for, nurture, and guide the child.  Of course, the congregation always responds, "Yes" in whatever fashion is appropriate.  The ceremony continues, the child is baptized, and life moves forward.

For us, life took an unexpected turn.  The diagnosis of SMA came in like a flood.  It washed over our entire life, filling every crack and crevice.  It brought with it damage and opportunity.  It also elicited the St. Timothy community to honor their promise.  The promise made on her baptism day that they would care for Ella.  The promise that they would be there for her.

They have been.  They are.  And they continue to be.

We are truly blessed by the people of St. Tim's.

On March 22, 2014, through the love, compassion and promise that was made, St. Timothy Lutheran Church is hosting a fundraiser for Ella.  They've named it "Growing with Ella"...a beautiful name that brings forth the true meaning of their promise.  

Below you will find the pertinent information regarding the fundraiser.  If you are able to attend we would love for you to meet our community of family at St. Tim's.  If you could share this post, we would love to meet your friends and family who might attend.

As he left our house, Lindsay and I knew that Pastor Miller represented the entire congregation of St. Tim's...and we knew our search for our spiritual home had ended and our life had begun.

Please visit the Facebook Event Page at:

"Growing with Ella"