The Reinhardt story continued with children!

Mark was living in Madison, Wisconsin when we got married in '79. In February of '80 we moved to Murray, KY where he took a job as news director at the local college. I started work on a MBA (remember I was pretty sold on feminist lifestyle) and Mark eventually finished two masters in communication, but not before Caleb was born in December of 1981 and Corrie in September 1983 and leaving the university to manage a new computer store. God began His intervention in our life as He revealed the various deceptions that we had bought along the way. Along came Hannah in July of 1986 a miscarriage in '87 and then Emilie was born in October of '89. We thought we were done then reasoning we had a 'large' family by comparison.

When Caleb was three, my sister sent me some books she had read about homeschooling. That caused another re-evaluation of what we were doing, so we began the homeschooling journey. For those of you with children under the age of 20, these were interesting times. Whereas homeschooling was 'legal', you still didn't take your children outside during school hours and eventually I found other ladies an hour away that also homeschooled and we would get together monthly just to encourage one another. We didn't know what we were doing, but we were committed to it. Eventually these ladies formed an official 'support group' and Mark and I became involved to the point of regional leaders and conference organizers as well as leading our local group which we were thrilled to have 10 families be members. It was an interesting time, laced with political and social battles. Homeschooling became very dear to our heart as it became a way of life and we just happened to learn along the way. I still love homeschooling today, though my views and attitudes have changed along the way. Perhaps another day, I'll share those with you.

After having Emilie we spent the next decade rearing our children, coaching their soccer teams, being 'swim/scout/piano' parents. There was a nagging feeling about the decision we had made to have my tubes tied years earlier. It wasn't that we wanted more children, but felt a conviction that we needed to surrender that area of our life to God's control. In 1996 at age 40 I underwent reversal surgery. Two years later, God blessed us with Abigail. Two more miscarriages followed and that pretty much brings us to the present.

I could write forever about our children. They are incredible kids and they stretch me in ways I never imagined. Our life is full and loud and anything but boring. They are my greatest joy and hardest path to walk. They are my best friends and can be my fiercest opponents. We are blessed to be able to share several meals a week as a family. And when they are gone, our home as Abby says it best, "...is very lonesome."

Caleb has played soccer in college and traveled to Portugal and Germany with Ambassadors in Sports. This last fall he traveled to Liberia with his sister Hannah and visited the orphanage in Dixville called ACFI.
He trains in karate and will pull together a team for paintball when given the chance. He's currently the computer technician for our local public schools and is seriously involved in a relationship with a delightful young lady by the name of Christi. God spoke to me when he was in the womb that Caleb was a Child of Promise.