Thankful thoughts

Even though it's only been a little over a week, Thanksgiving already feels like ages ago.  It's amazing how quick the switch from Thanksgiving celebration is to preparation for Christmas.  Despite the short holiday celebration, we greatly enjoyed our time spent reflecting on what we are thankful for and enjoying fellowship with family.  We were blessed to have all of Tyler's siblings and other extended family join us for the thankful celebrations.  It was such fun having everyone stay here in our house, and Renae really enjoyed hosting the meals and planning for several days of company.

Around a beautifully set Thanksgiving table, we all drew a question about being thankful and later shared our answers.  It was fun to hear the different things we are all thankful for; for example, the invention Uncle Ron is most thankful for is ...airplanes!  Go figure, in a family of pilots...  In the past year, Renae is most thankful for the gift of being a stay-at-home mom.  Tyler enjoys showing his thankfulness towards others by giving gifts, and expressing words of appreciation or some act of service for that person. 

We enjoyed a little black Friday shopping, and had a Schmidt family Christmas celebration on Saturday.  The Lord blessed our time together immensely!

Tyler, Kyle, and Trevor enjoyed setting up their own obstacle course in the backyard and played a little airsoft

Attempting to get Caleb playing in the snow...he wasn't so sure 

about it!  We got several inches over Thanksgiving week.

It's a......!

I promised that I would share with you our news after my ultrasound last week, so, here goes...  It's a BOY!!  Yes, another little Schmidt baby boy.  I am feeling slightly outnumbered, yet am filled with joy and excitement about the new baby.  We are so excited to have a little brother for Caleb.  As Tyler said, "Now he will have a little brother to roughhouse with!"  You can see what Tyler loved doing with his little brothers.  It will be such fun to observe how different our two sons will be. I think we are both most excited about Caleb having a playmate - he just loves other kids and playing with them/ observing them.

We are supposed to see some snow this weekend, but this is at least the 5th prediction we've had and still no snow.  Next week Tyler's siblings will come to spend Thanksgiving at our home.  It is the first time we've stayed home for a holiday and we are super excited to have family here to celebrate Thanksgiving and an early Christmas.  We hope you all have a wonderful holiday whatever you do, and appreciate the many blessings God has given you over the last year. 

Many thanks to you for your friendship and support in our lives!
Renae for the Schmidts

Christmas music before or after Thanksgiving?

I would rather not get into a debate, knowing that many of you are advocates for the "after Thanksgiving day listening to Christmas music idea", but we have never been able to hold out that long!  Ever since we got married, Tyler and I have either been year-round Christmas music listeners or would start about mid-summer.  However, this year we have actually made it until October!  That's right, for the past few weeks we have been enjoying the heralds of angels and the anticipation of family togetherness that Christmas music alone can bring.  It strikes me that though all the sentiments of Christmas are great to look forward to, I do not spend much time anticipating the true reason we celebrate.  That is why during our pre-Christmas listening time this year, I am trying spend more time thanking the Lord for the perfect Gift He gave us.  (having a baby moving around inside me does help me remember to do this too!)

This past weekend Tyler and I were blessed with the chance to attend a Weekend to Remember marriage conference.  What a gift to married couples!  If all couples could attend one every few years, I think it would help many more marriages stay together.  I was reminded and convicted of the importance of making our marriage a priority above the family.  Since becoming parents it is so difficult to love and cherish Tyler the way I did before our precious boy came along!  I am so thankful of the reminder and commitment to put our marriage first (which will hopefully start including some fun and creative dates planned by both of us!).  I am looking forward to the challenge of showing Tyler how important he is to me both through dates, prayer, and special reminders through the week.

Tomorrow I have my 20 week ultrasound to make sure the baby is healthy, and also to find out if it is a boy or a girl.  We did not find out what we were having before, but are most likely going to this time.  Of course I could wait another day and then post this blog so all of you would know, but you will just have a wait a week or so while we let all our family members know!

I hope this entry finds you healthy and joyful, abiding in the strength of the Lord.

More Fall Happenings

Goodness, time flies when you have a full work schedule and a family at home to keep you busy!  Since our last update we have had several things going on...

First off I had the option to go to Prairie School of Mission Aviation at Three Hills Canada.  This was the last flight on the summer tour with the Kodiak.  It was only a day outing but was a good opportunity to show off the plane to some of the future missionary pilots and tell the students there that they could also get their turbine training at Spokane Turbine Center.  I was also excited to go because this would give me some more flight time in the Kodiak.  As we were passing over the Rockie mountains, I was once again awed by God's power and majesty in the creation I was looking at.  Some of the mountains went straight up 3 or 4 thousand feet  with no interruption in its climb for the skies.  Even though we were cruising at 19,000 feet I still felt very small compared to the peaks that were jutting up all around me.  On our return trip back to Spokane we started to run into weather and the night time.  The temperatures were starting to drop and ice was starting to to form on our wings faster than it could sublimate, so that started to get the heart rate up trying to think of our "outs" (ways to get out of the weather) and options.  It was good experience for and it was amazing to use the full capabilities of the G1000, using the XM weather which overlays where the precipitation is happening over your moving map.  All in all the flight was completed successfully even if it was long day and we didn't arrive back home till the wee hours of the morning.

 

Most recently I have finished my Certified Flight Instructor Instrument rating as of Oct 22.  This has a huge burden mentally for me and hasn't been easy.  I had been working on this rating for almost a month and was starting to get some pressure from work to get it finished since they needed me back at the "office" and not boring holes in the clouds all day. 

Caleb is lovin' life as he figures out new skills and develops his own little personality!  Around 14 months he finally took off walking, and now he never stops!  He is a busy little guy, and keeps us entertained and on our toes at all times.  He's really smart too.  One of his favorite activities right now is taking at least three of our pot lids and spinning them on the floor.  We watched him the other day and he has a method:  he holds them a certain way to be able to throw them so they always spin, and he can have all three lids spinning at the same time!  It's pretty incredible the things they can figure out to do.  One of the cutest things he does is "talk" on the cell phone.  He has a toy phone that he holds to the back of his head and walks around gabbing like he's talking on it.  Precious! He also loves to stack things and knock them over, and if we'd let him he'd pull all of the toilet paper off the roll.

Big news in our lives right now:  Caleb will soon be a big brother!  Renae is about 19 weeks pregnant and due around March 20.  We should find out soon whether it is a boy or a girl.  We are SO excited about the blessing of another child and the joy it will be to have two little ones to train and love. 

Renae still loves the blessing of being a stay-at-home mom and is keeping herself busy with a women's Bible study, Tots and Co. at church, spending time with other moms, and teaching a couple piano lessons.  She also enjoys the "baby" reading time at the library once a week, which apparently is just a hilarious time observing fifteen babies together with their parents singing and listening to short stories.  

I realize this entry is a little lengthy due to our lack of current updates...I will try to post sooner so that you don't feel as if you are reading a novel!  Hope you enjoyed the current news, and feel free to send us an update on your lives too!  We would really enjoy hearing from you.  God bless!

We love the fall...

Fall just happens to be my (Renae's) favorite season.  I love September in Spokane, and especially  love picking peaches and apples and enjoying pumpkin donuts at the local fruit orchards.  Life has been busy since we returned from our 6-week long trip this summer.  Though I enjoyed the time with my family, I am so happy to be home again.  As fall starts, so do programs that I am going to try being involved in this year.  I will soon be attending my church's women's Bible study, and also Tot's and Co.  Both will be a nice outlet for Caleb and I.

Tyler and I were so encouraged by several people who have committed to supporting us during our vacation/deputation/work(for Tyler) time.  We were especially blessed to share at my home church in Rugby, and experience the love and support of those that I have known for a long time.  I am sometimes still overwhelmed and discouraged by the amount of support we need to raise, and the lack of traveling time we have to visit churches or people.  But we have seen God provide so much already and know that it is not anything "we" can do, but what He can do.  Tyler has to remind me often that God will raise the support we need, not us.

Though Tyler is back to at STC, he is spending much of his time at Moody Aviation once again, working to get his CFII, which certifies him to instruct instrument flying.  Pray that he would continue strong with his studies and work hard for his flights and the lessons he has to teach, as studying can get very tiresome!

Caleb continues to outgrow the baby phase!  He has taken several steps on his own, though does not try it very often.  He babbles all the time, but not recognizable words yet.  And last week he decided to see what it is like to play in the toilet. "Why haven't you let me do this before, Mom, this is fun!"  He could probably spend the entire day outside and be a happy boy, except for meal times of course.  We love watching him change and grow all the time!

Thanks so much for all your prayers, hope this gives you a snippet of our life recently.

End of the Line

My first Kodiak tour has come to an end.  I am excited to be going home and seeing Caleb and Renae but also sad that I won't be able to fly the Kodiak on a regular basis.  We have traveled in the last 10 days from Grand Rapids Michigan to Akron OH to Norfolk VA passed Washington D.C's busy airspace and then back up to Lancaster/smoketown PA.  I have enjoyed getting to "know" the Kodiak by flying for several hours and just familiarizing myself with the G1000 avionics package.

We just finished yesterday the biggest mission aviation air show in the world! This is located in Smoketown PA, just a few miles east of Lancaster.  The airfield is located in a contrasting environment with aircraft  flying overhead and buggies driving in the middle of Omish country.  Even some of the locals came out to see what all the noise was about.

At the moment I am waiting to board my first flight of three today.  Even though it is 5:30 am here on the East coast it is funny to think that I was awake and driving to the airport when in Spokane the clocks were only showing 12am.  I only wish I could be with my family for breakfast this morning, guess I just have to wait only a few more hours.  The trip was a good one but I am very ready to be home with my son and beautiful wife.

How many people can you fit in a Kodiak?

The answer to that is 74...well 74 people over the course of 10 flights.

We were very busy giving rides to some students from Western Michigan Aviation Academy. This is a new charter high school for students that are interested in aviation as a career.  We were there to help start the school year out with a thrilling ride in the Kodiak to almost 160 total students over a two day period.  It was a great time seeing the smiles as they bounded out of the airplane, chatting and talking with their friends.  For some it was their very first flight and they were nervous when I first sent them off on the flight but were grinning from ear to ear when I opened up the rear door.

Tomorrow we will head over to Virginia and then to Smoketown Pennsylvania.  This has been my second business trip away from Renae and Caleb and I am excited about return home already.  This has been a great opportunity for me to be able to gain some more flight time in the Kodiak as well as meet a lot of people that have been praying and supporting Spokane Turbine Center. 

Kodiak Tour in Full Swing

Spokane Turbine Center has been giving rides for the past week in the humid air of Missouri.  The reason we are doing this is to let people know more about what mission aviation is and how it is a necessary part of overseas ministry.  My job for these tours is to get people to sign up and give their weight (oh the horror!) for a weight and balance calculation for the Kodiak, and then give them a safety briefing like you get on a big airliner.  This group above is from a church in Muskegon MI where most of the kids have never been on an airplane before.  It was funny to hear Jeff (the pilot) comment that as soon as they started to taxi the kids would start to scream with delight and they would not stop screaming till they touched back down on the runway.  All of them had a wonderful time and would pile out of the plane with huge grins on their faces asking if they could go up again.  This is one way that we can influence some of the kids into thinking about becoming pilots and hopefully for missions as well.  I did talk to one lad that was in sixth grade and because of this flight he was very interested in wanting to learn how to fly. Just like me when I was a young boy.  It is amazing what one experience and the Lord can do to shape the rest of your future.

Oshkosh has been a BLAST!  In between working at the Spokane Turbine Center booth I have been able to visit the many different exhibits, see vintage aircraft, watch air shows and talk with different pilots.  This air show has so many different aircraft that come from all over the world, and it is fun to see new designs of aircraft as well as the older "war birds."  One of my favorite parts was being able to go to the section of the airfield that was a reenactment of the old WWII base.  There were reinactors that were living just like they did on the battlefield almost 70 years ago.  They had the tents set up, full gear on, the trusty jeeps and other vehicles and some various weapons that they use to back then.  I had a lot of fun taking pictures and talking with them.

As I "work" the booth I met many people that have a passion for missions.  To be able to talk with people that have the same focus is refreshing.  My job was basically to network with the mission people and to let the reps from different colleges know that we offered turbine training at a low cost for their students.  I also met some wonderful people that encourage me about our support raising.  As some of you already know that we are only at 25% of the needed support level that we need to be at.  These veteran missions told me that they had been in many hard situations but every time the Lord would provide just enough to see their needs met.  Those words were helpful to me to stop stressing about what we were going to do about deputation while in North Dakota, since not much interest was generated from different emails and phone calls.  Our support will come from the Lord and I should not be concerned about thinking of what people would be able to "afford" to support us financially.  All that is needed is trust what we do will please the Lord and He will meet our needs.

Road Trip To North Dakota

The summer schedule is here and the Schmidt family is about to go on another journey.  What started out as a family vacation has escalated into a month and a half trip.  We are doing a deputation (missionary term for raising a support team) trip for Proclaim Aviation in North Dakota where many of our friends and family are. I have an opportunity to work a booth at AirVenture the worlds worlds largest airshow on behalf of Spokane Turbine Center, and then go on the Kodiak tour.

Vacation in Rugby ND: July 16^th – 24^th 

Airshow at OshKosh WI: July 25^th -Aug 1^st  

Deputation in ND: Aug 2^nd -11^th

Spokane Turbine Center Kodiak Tour: Aug 12^th -23^rd

Return to ND: Aug 23^rd

Return to Spokane WA:  Aug 26^th ???

There are still a lot of details that need to be filled in, but if you could pray for us as we begin this journey for: 

• Safety while we are on the road for 3,000+ miles
• Caleb (and us) since this is his first long road trip confined to a tiny car-seat
• For people to join support team 

Thank you to all that are already apart of our support team and help keep us going through prayer everyday.

Kodiak Tour

I (Tyler) just accepted to go along on part of the Spokane Turbine Center Kodiak Tour that is starting on August 13th in Grand Rapids Michigan and ending (for me) in Smoketown Pennsylvania on August 23rd. I am VERY excited to be able to fly the Kodiak while in route to the different destinations and get some turbine flight time. Some of my other responsibility on the tour will be to coordinate loading of passengers on flight tours in the Kodiak and manning a booth answering any questions about Spokane Turbine Center or about its wonderful yellow aircraft. This is a great opportunity for me but also means that I will be away from Renae and Caleb for about 10 days, which will be hard. The plan is for them to stay in ND with family till I return and then we will make our trek back to Spokane.

Today Caleb and Renae got to go and pick strawberries at one of our local fruit farms.  Although most of what Renae picked did make it home there were a few that were tasted for "quality" control by our "little man." Green Bluff  is a group of farms that in the summer and fall grow cherry's, peaches, apples, strawberries, pumpkins and all sorts of different fruit and vegetables that you can go out and pick yourself.  There is something special about going out into the field and selecting what you want fresh from the brush or tree. We have been coming here for almost three years and this is where we get our fruit that lasts us throughout the winter in the form of smoothies and homemade jam. Now that we have the fruit all that is left is washing, cutting, cooking and packaging the fruit into jams or freezing it for later.

Renae and Caleb: A Day at STC

Caleb and I just got to spend an entire day helping out at STC!  We braved the long day away from our normal routine in order to give the secretary a break, and also to be a part of a safety seminar that the STC staff are going through.  Most of the day was spent in the classroom for Tyler and the other staff, learning about emotional and mental safety for flying and living on the mission field.  The information was also helpful for me, what little I was able to sit in on!  There are so many ways that we need to prepare ourselves for that kind of service.  Often in every situation and relationship on the mission field, emotions, stress, challenges, trails, etc... are heightened.  For this reason we have to be even more prepared, especially our pilots, to have control over our minds and emotions to be able to deal safely with our situations and relationships.  The number one relationship with Christ has to be our priority to be able continue to serve others and not burn out.  We praise God that He is the one that gives us the strength and wisdom to deal with all this when the time comes!  Caleb enjoyed crawling the long halls of STC, rolling and chasing after his ball, while I answered phones, played with him, and listened to some of the classes.  We are so grateful to be a part of the ministry and training that STC is offering to missionary pilots and mechanics.  The men being trained here are already using these new tools where they are at overseas.  I am so thankful to have observed some of the things that they do here at STC! Although I will say...Caleb and I are BOTH ready to return to our normal routine at home tomorrow.  Whew!

We just graduated class 12 today from Spokane Turbine Center (STC). The entire course started on June 7th covering subjects like PT-6 engine familiarization and how to do in depth inspection on the engine, to Garmin 1000 maintenance practices and finally Kodiak Systems which is basically a class teaching some of the differences about the Kodiak compared to other aircraft. Sean Cannon (wearing the hat) has been here in Spokane for entire three weeks which is a long time to be away from his family.  We have had him over for supper several times (to make sure he wasn't getting thin) and even do other activities outside of the classroom setting together. Sean and his family will be going to Indonesia with MAF and the training he has taken at STC for the Kodiak will help him maintain the the aircraft in the harsh conditions of the jungle. Before going to Indonesia they will be in language school for about 9 months learn the language and the culture in which they will be living in.  You can pray from them as they transition from their home in Colorado to the islands of the Pacific.

MAF Kodiak passes through Spokane on its way to Nampa ID

A new Kodiak that was just delivered to Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) passed through Spokane on its way to the missions head quarters in Nampa ID.  It was neat to see yet another Kodiak ultimately going to end up somewhere in the world serving overseas as a tool for Jesus.  We had just finished a class of Spokane Turbine Center students and they were able to get a ride in this very new aircraft back to Nampa.  This past class was a lot of fun to get to know and find out more about where they were serving at and what kind of things they were doing in normal life overseas.  David Holsten was one of our students and guests in our house this month and he was from  Borneo Indonesia.  It was a great encouragement to talk and see pictures from where he is serving at, and to hear that life carries on in a somewhat normal way just like here in Spokane.  One thing that I may have taken away from our time with David is that we did not have a specific area in the world that we felt that God was nudging us to serve in.  Now that we know more about Indonesia we will see how that "seed" of interest will grow.

Thank you to all that are praying for us, we appreciate them very much in our day to day activities.  It is amazing looking back on certain events to see how God had protected us, like a near accident in a car, or provided a wonderful house and yard that we can grow our garden it!  God is good in times of plenty and in times of need, no matter what, the Schmidt family will choose to praise His Name.

Spring is still lingering here in the inland Northwest.  Although we are starting to see the signs of warmer weather coming with our grass growing long and our garden is starting to sprout from the ground.  Yes this year we are trying our hands at growing a garden. We have planted all sorts of veggies from corn to lettuce and even some cantaloupe.  At the moment just our corn and green beans are starting to peak through the soil, which makes us very excited to see that some things survived the few nights below freezing temps.

Renae has been busy keeping the house clean as students go through a three week classes Spokane Turbine Center (STC).  It has been so fun and encouraging to get to know these guys that have come from all over the world to train here on the Kodiak.  We can hear what their stories are about living overseas and what kind of struggles they go through adjusting to life in a different culture.  It helps us see where we want to be and how the Lord is directing the path that we are on even though we cannot see very far along the path.  Renae is also enjoying the days she has to see Caleb grow up and develop into a little boy.  He is starting to learn to crawl on his hands and knees but still prefers to scoot on his tummy.  Caleb is also discovering how to open and shut the doors on cupboards, but his favorite thing to do so far in the kitchen is when the fridge door is open to try and get his head into the blast of cool air flowing out.

Tyler has been working on changes in the Kodiak System curriculum for the next class which will emphasis maintenance aspect of the PT6 engine and the airframe of the Kodiak.  While he and Jeremy Toews (the other intern instructor at Spokane Turbine Center) have been chipping away at the curriculum and they have been trying to get some flight training in the Kodiak the week before classes where scheduled  to start up.  Regrettably the Kodiak was delayed in Sandpoint ID at the Quest aircraft factory for modifications, so Tyler will have to wait a little more till he can finish his training in it.  While not at work, the lawn has started to grow as well as the weeds.  So he is busy spraying and mowing the lawn trying to make it look good.  Tyler has also been given a Mazda pickup truck from a friend.  This new little project was totaled by the insurance company because it was rear ended and the bumper fell off and the frame was a little bent.  It has been a good learning experience to try and heat and bend metal back to where they will fit again.  This little truck comes at a very good time because the Buick that Tyler has been driving around is starting to really show its age after only 261,000 miles.  We are very thankful to get this gift from these very generous people.

Caleb dedication this past Sunday

Caleb was dedicated this past Sunday.  It was such a special time with friends and even some family (Ron & Anne Schmidt) attending the service.  During the dedication the pastor usually gives the meanings of the names of the babies while he holds them, and what he said about Caleb's name surprised us.  It means "dog" in Hebrew....of all the things to name our son we had to pick that one!  However we were naming him after Caleb in the Old Testament and didn't think of looking up the Hebrew definition.  However the character of the Biblical Caleb changes  definition of the name from "dog" to "tenacious dog" because of Caleb's faithfulness to God when everyone else around him shrank away.  Then to top it off they said my name's meaning, which is "roof layer" or "tile worker" because Caleb's name is Caleb Tyler Schmidt.  So now Caleb's full name is Tenuous dog "woof" layer ;).  It was very amusing but still meaningful for us to be charged to bring Caleb up in a home that is centered on Christ and a biblical based teachings.  I (Tyler) am just starting to feel the immensity of the job that my parents had when I was small.  I think God has a very humorous side because if Caleb is anything like I was when I was a kid we are going to be have some VERY interested life ahead of us.  Till next time...  

Moody Aviation Promotional Video

Lots to catch up on

2009 has come and gone and we have been very busy since then.  Once again we went chugging down the railroads tracks to North Dakota to be with family over the holidays.  Blessedly, we were able to spend about a week with both sides of the family!  It was the first time in three years that Tyler's entire family, plus two new additions (Caleb and Trevor's wife, Kristen) have been together.  Needless to say the Lord provided just an amazing time for us to all be together and celebrate the birth of our Savior.  It was even more difficult to leave this year, knowing that we will not see Tyler's family for a long time and that Caleb will not get to be spoiled by his grandparents very often!  Family is so precious, this we are  being reminded of every day now that our family continues to grow.

Tyler has now settled into his internship position at Spokane Turbine Center (STC).  However, he never exactly knows what he'll be doing each day!  There are still a lot of things that need to get done as STC gets on their feet, and he is assigned to a variety of tasks.  One of the main projects he has been working on is developing a curriculum for the Kodiak systems.  The men that come and study will soon have a workbook to use for study and to take home for future reference.  This has been a challenging but fun project for him to be working on.

Renae just recently chose to take a leave of absence for the remainder of the school year so that she can stay at home with Caleb.  God's timing could not have been more perfect, as Caleb came down with an awful virus just a day after she finished her final day of teaching and performing a choir concert with her kids!  He has been a pretty sick baby for the last week, but is finally acting like his normal self except with a bit of a cough still.  She is so excited to stay at home and focus on being a home-maker, wife, and mommy.

Caleb is such a joy in our lives!  Nothing makes us smile more than hearing him laugh and seeing him growing and happy.  He loves to play on the floor with his toys, putting everything in his mouth!  He rolls over all the time, and has tried to get his knees under him...but still has some work to do there before crawling.  He loves his baths, jumping in his jumping johnny, eating vegetables, kicking his legs almost constantly, touching our faces, and so much more!  We are just so thankful to have a healthy baby boy to love and experience life with. 

We are enjoying being the hosts of the STC guesthouse.  It has been a huge blessing to us, allowing Renae to take this leave of absence to stay home.  Recently we are renovating our kitchen to give us a little more room for the table.  Tyler is enjoying the hands on work and learning about construction.  He also loves having a garage with plenty of space for him to get his hands dirty working on different projects, one of which is his love for fixing airsoft guns!