“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
This was a year of anxious waiting, fervent prayer and many joy-filled moments. Our family has grown by two little feet and our two oldest boys are growing bigger and smarter every day.
At 5-years-old, Eli is sweet and silly as he is smart. He has enjoyed his preschool where his teachers frequently comment on his exceptional intelligence. It’s hard to believe he’ll be a kindergartener soon. He mastered riding a bike with training wheels this year and has become quite fond of coloring – with careful attention to staying in the lines and making intentional color choices. He asks hard questions and likes to make us laugh.
At 3-years-old, Samuel is passionate in everything he does – in good and bad ways. He has tested our parenting more than ever but melts our hearts in an instant. Every night, he wanders out of bed with the simple request, “I want to give you a hug, a kiss, an I love you, and a blow a kiss.” How could we possibly say no? Samuel has mastered the scooter and loves to sing songs he’s learned at church and preschool. Even though he’s had three open heart surgeries, he is impressively strong and active.
In the fall of 2022, we discussed with Samuel’s cardiologist the possibilty of having Samuel’s final heart surgery in 2023. In April, we reconvened and scheduled the surgery for August. By this time, we learned we were due with a baby in October, so it was important the surgery happen on time so Samuel could be fully recovered by the baby’s arrival.
By God’s grace, Samuel’s third and final open heart surgery – the Fontan – on August 17 was a success. While it’s never easy witnessing your child endure post-operative pain, it was rather uneventful in all the right ways. The average in-patient recovery period is around 10 days. We were home in five days.
Getting through the surgery freed us from the burden of worrying about it and allowed us to focus on the next big event. In October, we welcomed our third baby boy, Daniel Lee. Throughout the pregnancy, we saw a high risk doctor to ensure Daniel did not appear to have any heart complications. Thankfully, he is a perfectly healthy little boy. He is so healthy, in fact, that at two months, he is wearing 6-9 month clothing.
In 2023, Matt continued his role with Jack Henry, even being promoted to a manager position. He also spends every week teaching jr. high and high school students the truth of the Gospel with our church Oak Crest Baptist and took a wonderful group of students to a mission trip at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in the summer.
I, Leah, primarily stay home with the children. It is a blessing I don’t take for granted. I have enjoyed teaching the boys what they are willing to learn and experiencing many adventures together. As time allows, I also do contract work as a communications specialist for Texas Baptist Men. I admire the ministry dearly and am thankful for the opportunity to write stories and help them communicate their message. I also enjoy volunteering in student ministry by focusing on ministry to the youth girls. They are a delight to spend time with each week.
We are most thankful this year for the love and support we received from friends and family during two major events in our lives – Samuel’s surgery and Daniel’s birth. Many people blessed us through gifts, food, prayer and childcare. We are forever grateful to everyone who cared for our family this year.
Merry Christmas & happy new year from our family to yours!
Love,
Leah, Matt, Eli, Samuel and Daniel Reynolds
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