Janelson

It's hard to find words when a lovely young lady says your son is her "best friend, spiritual, head, and love of my life!" We are truly blessed to welcome Janelle to our family.

And they even have their own hashtag! #janelson

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD." (Prov. 18:22)

Dale Allen Eisenmann 4.25.2015

"Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers." (Prov. 17:6)

Dale Richard Eisenmann

Bradley Dale Eisenmann

Ryan Dale Eisenmann

Dale Allen Eisenmann

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." (Psalm 127:3)

So blessed am I!

Ryan & Sarah 8.18.13

"Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth." (Prov. 5:18)

We continue to marvel at God's goodness to us.  So blessed to find love multiplied, not divided, as we welcome our daughter Sarah.

More Ryan & Sarah

I'm not sure engagement pictures ever look "natural".  But it seems as if our second session with these two yielded better results than the first.  Or maybe the dad/photographer was more relaxed.

In any case, it's been a joy watching these two begin to blend their lives together.  And in that blending, we have again been blessed to "gain a daughter" whose life is now blending with our family as well.

"For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;" (Mark 10:7)

Guapa Chica!

My blogging hiatus after Dad died has me reaching back a few months.  Most of my posts are not "time sensitive" as this is not really a diary or any kind of attempt to chronicle the events of our lives in an organized fashion.  That said, our Julie spent the spring semester studying in Spain and we were blessed to visit her in late March.

Spain is amazing and I look forward to dribbling out some images from the trip over time.  The highlight was our long weekend in Granada, Julie's "home" for almost five months.  The Alhambra is an amazing icon of that once Moorish city.

If you're so inclined, you can read some of her exploits here.

Ryan & Sarah

"Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth." (Prov. 5:18.).

I'm way overdue to post and especially on this topic.  Right in the middle of Dad's illness and passing we were blessed with the arrival of a new family member in the form of Sarah Drake whose engagement to our son Ryan was announced.  The smile on Ryan's face is pretty typical of how he seems to feel having her at his side! 

For our part, we feel blessed beyond measure as God continues to reveal Himself in the lives of our children.  An August 18th wedding is being planned.

Dad

Dale R. Eisenmann, 72, of Darien, Illinois passed away at the Tidewell Hospice center in Bradenton, Florida on April 23, 2013.

He was born January 13, 1941 in Watseka, Illinois to Christian and Lydia (Koehl) Eisenmann. He married Judith A. Feller on June 25, 1961. They loved each other deeply and enjoyed almost 52 years interwoven with blessings and life’s challenges.

They were blessed with three children; Bradley (Cynthia) of New Lenox, Illinois, Todd of Darien, and Luann of Darien. He loved his four grandchildren; Greg (Diana), Ryan (fiancée Sarah), Julie, and Nelson. His two brothers, John (Beverly) and Kenneth (Sharon) also survive. He had nine nieces and nephews.

Dale served on the faculty at the University of Illinois College of Dentistry in Chicago for 32 years. He worked in research and administration, ending his career as Interim Dean in 2000. However his true profession was in the service of the Lord. He was a member of the Apostolic Christian Church for 59 years and served as minister and elder until his retirement in 2010. He deeply loved his church and cherished so many close relationships among the brethren. In his spare time he enjoyed gardening and nurtured a deep affection for God’s marvelous Creation.

Services will be at 11:00 AM, Saturday, April 27, 2013, at the Chicago Apostolic Christian Church with ministers of the church officiating. Visitation will be from 3:00 to 8:00 PM on Friday, April 26, 2013 at the Modell Funeral Home in Darien, and also from 10:00 to 10:45 AM Saturday at the church. Burial will be at the Apostolic Christian Cemetery in Elgin, Illinois.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Apostolic Christian Home for the Handicapped in Morton, Illinois.

Not one cubit!

If I said it once, I said it a dozen times, "which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?" (Luke 12:25)  But all three of them passed me up with a grin that seemed to indicate they had accomplished something.  Poetic justice has the youngest now the tallest; some satisfaction in that for dad!

Greg & Diana 6.3.12

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord." (Prov. 18:22). 

We're just marveling at the goodness of God to give our son a wonderful new bride who loves him and has faith to believe that God has drawn them together.  All glory to God!

Attention

She's very interested in what he's interested in, don't you think?  I pray this will continue for this dear couple and am reminded of how important it is to give attention to each other. Real attention.  Listening with intent attention.

I'm not crazy about the fuzziness of this image; it was taken without flash in low light (so as not to distract my subjects!).  But on further reflection, maybe it lends an effect that supports the thought.  What do you think?

Greg & Diana

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13)

Our son Greg is engaged to Diana Wagenbach and we find ourselves deeply grateful and humbled at the Lord's tender leading and care for our children.

Soulmate

There's a look that you only give to your heart's love.  A smile that only years of knowing and loving can evoke. 

I love to make her laugh.

18

Can a dad be forgiven if he is partial to his little girl?  This beautiful young woman came into our lives 18 years ago today and we haven't been the same since.

We had a bit of a start that day when the doctor showed us the perfect knot our new daughter had tied in her umbilical cord in utero.  We gulped hard to think of the outcome had she pulled it just a bit tighter.  Cindy worded plaintively what I was afraid to think, "Is she OK?".  The answer resounded in that little room from a doctor sensing our fears, "Very, very OK!".  Truer words never spoken.  She has brightened our life at every turn.

Love you so much, Julie!  Happy Eighteenth Birthday!

Oh, and she graduated high school this week too.  :)

6/1/86

How do you capture 25 years of life spent married to your best friend?  I doubt that it's possible.  In truth, I fear that too many words might detract more than they'd add.

But I sure love that smile!

"Her price is far above rubies." (Prov. 31:10)

Credit: Ryan Eisenmann, photographer

My Blessings

"Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table." (Ps. 128:3)

I'm a blessed man!

Polydactyly

The giant of Gath had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, 24 in all (II Sam. 21:20).  Our Nelson had something similar with his feet at birth, a condition known as polydactyly.  Though corrected as a toddler, the great toe on the right foot had a mind of its own.  He goes in for surgery today--please pray for him.

He's more of a David than a Goliath, truth be told.

Sydney

I've never been to Sydney, though I'd love to go.  And I've never asked this young lady or her parents how she got her name.  She's "Syd" to us and a part of our family having watched her grow up and then having the blessing of her living with us last summer.

I've always liked this snapshot, caught at a relaxed moment rather by chance than by artfulness.

Grandpa

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." (Ps. 116:15)

But we sure miss him...

Merry Christmas!

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

BFF

"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
(Prov. 17:17)

That's the closest passage I could find to capture the current expression "BFF".  (Best Friends Forever, for the uninitiated!)