Dan Schmoyer’s Blog

I wanted you to see how fun Titus and Ruby have been this summer. The short video is from our yard where Ruby and Titus like to play and swim. Ti is more daring than Ruby when it comes to the water activities as you’ll see in the video. Ruby would NEVER do what he does here

Enjoy!

Titus and Ruby playing in the pool

Have you ever felt so blessed you were at a loss for words? That is how I am feeling right now. I am sitting in my living room with my laptop trying to put into words what the past 2 years have meant to me and my family. I have been thinking and praying about how to write this letter for 5 months and have come to the conclusion that sharing where my heart is and how God is leading is the best way to communicate what is happening in the Schmoyer Household.

I will be transitioning out of TreeHouse this August. My last day will be Friday, August 15^th. The reason I have come to this decision is because I feel like my first responsibility is to God, then Maggie, followed by my kids. My career and vocation fall into fourth place. I feel God is calling me to transition in to the field of school counseling so I can have a more structured schedule with more opportunities to invest in the lives of my wife and kids.

The past two years have been amazing years of growth, blessing, stretching, learning, encouragement, and clarity. I believe that God has placed me at TreeHouse for the past 2 years so I would have a desire to work with teens who want someone to listen to them. I have polled many kids at TreeHouse about their school counselor and the #1 characteristic they wish was changed was that “they would listen”. I am striving to be someone who listens and genuinely cares about my students.

I have been offered a job as a part-time guidance counselor at Spectrum High School in Elk River, MN and will start working there in August. This is the first year they have had a guidance counselor so I will be breaking new ground at the school. I am also coaching the schools first ever season of girls volleyball. I am excited to see how God is going to use me at Spectrum as the school grows and expands.

Please pray for Maggie and I as we try to figure out how to balance our lives as a family and a couple over the next year. I need to go back to school to take the required classes for my school counseling licensure and it is going to take time and lots of money. The last 2 years of support raising have proven to us that God is in total control of our finances and will continue to provide for us. Keep praying for us to trust Him.

I want to tell you all how humbled and honored I have been to represent you at TreeHouse. Without each one of you supporting me in my ministry I would not have experienced the blessings and spiritual growth I enjoyed ay TreeHouse. I believe in the ministry of TreeHouse and I hope you have seen how amazing and transforming TreeHouse is in the lives of so many youth.

I want to encourage you to continue supporting TreeHouse. Hopefully when life settles down I can volunteer at TreeHouse because I believe God is using TreeHouse is a HUGE way to reach hurting teens. It gives them a chance to hear the gospel message and see it personally lived out. If you decide you want to continue to give to TreeHouse please let me know and I will let you know how to direct your gifts. Thank you all for your prayer and financial support. PLEASE do not stop praying for us! If you have any questions or want to talk about our decision please feel free to leave a comment and I’ll send you my email address or phone number. Thanks.

For more Boundary Waters Pictures Click Here

Time really flys!!! I used to hear “old” people say that when talking about their kids growing up and getting older. I would always dismiss their statements because time seemed to go so SLOW for me as I grew up. Well, I have joined the ranks of the “old” people because Titus and Ruby have gotten so big, so quickly! Titus can stand up by himself and loves to crawl to any place that allows him to stand. He loves to wave “Hi” and is always excited to see Ruby. He is doing much better with his eating since we started the Glutton Free diet for him. He actually enjoys eating his crackers and rice milk, which is a HUGE improvement from one month ago. He is so fun to play with and does something Ruby never did at his age, or even now—-cuddle! He lays his head down on your shoulder and will sit with you and snuggle with you. It is so fun and cute

Ruby is a great big sister! She is the perfect “go-for” and enjoys being around Titus. To be completely honest she isn’t always the nicest sister (she is learning how to share and not be Titus’ mommy). Despite her faults she is still a loving and caring sister who is always ready to help with anything we are doing. She loves being outside and is a great helper when it comes to mowing the lawn, raking the yard, and cleaning out the garage. Ruby is a huge book worm and will sit with you and read books all day long of you allow her. She likes all the Dr. Seuss books as well as the Bernstein Bears collection. She is getting very excited about Mark and Grace coming to visit next week because she likes having other people around to entertain.

Time goes by VERY quickly with 2 kids. I am amazed at how fun they are, how much energy they expend (and take from us!), and how exciting it is to watch them grow and learn new things. God sure created kids with a unique set of characteristics- cute, fun, tiring, hard, smart, and rewarding.

I will try and update our photo page soon so check back there for the Spring 2008 folder.

Have a great day!

Dan, Maggie, Ruby, and Titus (and Timber and Grizzly for the weekend)

I posted a really cute picture of Titus on “The Great American Photo Contest” and if he receives enough votes we can win up to $2,500!!!!!! Please go and vote for his picture. Here is the link: https://www.greatamericanphotocontest.com/voter1/
index.aspx?referid=EmailFriends&p=476828&x=.jpg

Thanks! Vote a lot!!!

I have added a few hundred pictures to my album so if you are interested in seeing what has been going on at the Schmoyer Household over the past 7 months or so you can click on the “Photos” link on the right hand side of the webpage. A few of the new folders are “Summer 2007″, “Our House”, and “Radloff Visit- Easter 2008″. I have also added some pictures to some of the existing folders so check them out too!

Have a great day and I’ll talk with you all later!

Dan