I am Stephanie, married eleven years to a wonderful, exasperating man who thinks I’m the exasperating one (and he’s probably right). We love and baffle each other, and most of the time, it works.
I am a mother to three beautiful children (told you I’m biased)—Jenica (9), Tarica (6), and Micah (3)—whom I love beyond words. I botch this mothering business every day, much to my consternation. My ideals have met with reality, and reality wins all the time.
There are also three little strangers in heaven, children I never had a chance to hold, gained through miscarriage. I wrote a book about miscarriage called Light My Candle, Prayers in the Darkness of Miscarriage. Contact me at stephaniejleinbach@gmail.com for purchasing information.
Tarica was diagnosed with epilepsy in March of 2014. For a good portion of that year, her seizures were uncontrolled, even with medication. In 2015, she had brain surgery, which wasn’t successful. However, she is currently not seizing and leading a normal life with the help of an anti-seizure drug. We praise God for the grace He has shown our family.
The other details? I am a Mennonite by name, a follower of Jesus by heart. (I botch that last one also, but God is patient with me.) I am a writer and a thinker whose idea of a good time usually involves solitude and coffee and words. I love learning and honesty and books and challenges. I don’t like housework, so I get to practice self-discipline every day.
The rest of it you’ll have to pick up in bits and pieces as we go along. You can come along with me by subscribing to receive updates. I don’t know where we’re going, not yet, on all kinds of levels, but if you come with me, none of us will travel alone.
Good reminder!
Thank you for juicing up those shriveled apples and making an extraordinarily nutritious juice! Your fruit is more than you know. I am drinking from it right now. Here’s a toast to you and the bounty in you and you writing, May His healing reign down in the storms. I will be praying for you, your daughter, and your family. .
Your blog is very inspiring. Thanks
Stephanie, it’s so GOOD to rediscover you! I was not intending to find you on a website when I found you, but I’m so glad I did. I had no idea what all was going on in your life. Keep trusting in our miracle God who turns valleys of Baca into wells! I can tell you know something about that. Love n prayers!
Yes, well, I wasn’t expecting to find me on a website either. Glad to have you here. You would be surprised how often I recall the times we spent together. It’s such a shame when life takes us on paths that no longer intersect with the good friends of our youth. But here!–an intersection. Hello again, and welcome. 🙂
Am enjoying reading your blog. Children’s is a very nice hospital. My son had a liver transplant there. We will pray for you & Linford & your family as you walk this journey that God has called you too. Rose
Thank you for your prayers, Rose. Our niece, who had MSUD, also had a liver transplant at Children’s. I like the hospital slogan: “If you have kids, be glad you have Children’s.”
Dear Stephanie, I really don’t know if I should write you, as this is just out of the blue, but I thought I’d throw myself out there. I’m not a writer or a letter writer but I found your story under Lucy Miller’s blog and decided to read more. You see, I feel like you and I are walking down the same road right now and thought it would be nice to have someone to share with. I am 30 years old and my husband and I have 4 children. 1 boy and 3 girls. We live in Montana and attend the Elk Creek Mennonite church. Life has been good with a few ups and downs and I can’t complain (although I still do, too often). Anyway, when my second child, first daughter was born, her nasal passages were too small so we were flown to Salt Lake City UT and spent 3 weeks in hospital there. Then when she was 2 she spent a week in hospital with a very bad eye condition. Later diagnosed as Ligneous conjunctivitis. After almost 2 years of being clear of that, she got the chicken pox this past September which caused her Ligneous to return and she got strep infection in her eye on top of all that. And because we did not realize all this quick enough the infection ate away at her cornea and they had to remove most of the cornea which caused her to lose her sight in her one eye. She was in the hospital for 9 days over that time and has had many many doctor visits also. My son also got strep infection in his eye while we were in the hospital and was also diagnosed with Ligneous. We also learned that it is hereditary and all our children could have it. That is making a long story short but that’s our story. This has happened only recently so we are feeling like we are finally getting a new normal around here. And I really don’t know why it is that I’m telling you all this except that I’ve been feeling very down lately with everything that has happened and no one to share with that understands. So I just thought I’d share and I like to subscribe to your blog and read about your journey. May God bless you and thank you for sharing your heart and experience with others. Sincerely, Laura
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I heard about your blog through Maria Martin. Sounds interesting and would like to follow your blog.
I have added you to the list, Hope.