tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86243131670735426912024-03-13T02:40:32.064-06:00We Be WiebesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-6923602010697060472014-12-09T10:55:00.001-06:002014-12-09T11:26:36.380-06:00Wiebehaus 2014 - Christmas Letter<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-cf9f0db4-2fff-8b11-f129-f9ac03916921"></span><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just finished stacking this winter’s store of firewood. I realized a couple of weeks ago that we were getting low, and wanted to get it taken care of before we got any serious snow. It’s a couple of weeks until Christmas, and a few days less than that until we get to see my side of the family for a few days. Mark and Jocelyn will come in from Lubbock with my first niece, Margot. Becka and Daniel, who live north of Little Rock, will swing through Fort Worth to pick up my dad. And then they’ll all converge on us for a long weekend. It’s been too long since we've all been together, and we’re very much looking forward to this time!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s coming up on the 2-year mark since I started with Church At The Ranch (CATR), and has been a little over 2 years since we moved here to Denver from north Dallas. Between my job, Amy’s job, other church activities, and our 3 kids, the last 12 months have been very full. When we started with CATR, we knew that I’d be spending a period of time training and being mentored to plant a church, and that at some point, we’d really start actually doing the work of that church plant rather than just dreaming about it. That transition time began in the late spring of this year. One of the last and perhaps most important phases of my training took place over the summer. My pastor and his wife planted CATR about 15 years ago, and they got to take their first sabbatical from mid-July until mid-October. It was my first real taste of what it would be like to oversee all aspects of ministry for a church for a longer duration, and although it was a very busy 3 months, I also learned a lot, and got some great hands-on experience that I’d never had before. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would add that it was also a learning and experience time for Amy and our kids as well to have a taste of what life might look more like in the upcoming years as we start a church together. After all, this is going to be a family affair. Amy and I strongly believe that God is calling US into this work, and that he’ll use both of us in a variety of ways to accomplish his purposes as we start this new work. As of the beginning of November, we have been blessed to help start a new community group with another CATR family – Solomon and Amy Madron - who live in the area where we plan to start the new church. Through a community organization we are starting to partner with, as a group, we have adopted a couple of families for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. These families joined our community group at the Madron’s home for a wonderful Thanksgiving meal (complete with an oven fire!) We’ll be doing the same again before Christmas in addition to being able to help supply them with some gifts. Our hope in all this is to begin to build some long-term relationships with some families in this new area that our burgeoning church can come alongside of and love in the name of Christ. We’re getting our kids involved in this process because we know that God can and does use little ones in unique ways to show his love to people in ways that adults cannot. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amy’s job continues to go well. For the first year that we lived in Denver, she was in a time of transition with PwC, holding a few different roles. It was a crazy time that resulted in much travel for her. In January, she was blessed to start a dream-role of sorts. She is now involved in the creation, development, and implementation of strategic planning for the Assurance arm of PwC’s finance division. (I don't know what that means either, but it sounds impressive.) It is really a fantastic fit for her skills and passions. She enjoys a certain degree of flexibility in her hours, a much reduced travel schedule, the challenges and tasks that are part of this role, as well as the people she works alongside. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ellie is now 8, Emma is 6, and Nathan is 3. The girls are doing very well in school. We continue to love our neighborhood for how many children it has, and our kids spend hours a week playing, riding, screaming, and running up and down our friendly street. Ellie and Emma have been participating in cheer and gymnastics classes this year and have enjoyed those a lot. Ski season will soon be upon us, and they’re looking forward to getting back out on the slopes. We’re also planning on introducing Nathan to skiing this year as well, so he’ll take some lessons at Arapahoe Basin for 4 consecutive weeks this winter. One other Nathan update that I’ll add is that in just the last couple of weeks, we have reached a major milestone: Our last child SEEMS to be fully potty-trained and out of diapers. For any other parents out there who have been there, you know how exciting that is. We've had a child in diapers for almost 8 1/2 years!! And for any of you who are looking out to that distant horizon, your day will come!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ll wrap up with one more thought. Over the last year, there have been some really high highs, and few valleys as well. God has spoken to us and led us in some very exciting ways and directions, but I also believe that he has used some hard experiences to both toughen us and to prune us in some ways. God’s pruning is never comfortable, but it </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">always</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for our good. It has also given us some great experience in dealing with people - who, as we all know are imperfect. With a church plant, we anticipate the high highs as well as the valleys to be a part of the process. It is easy to be thankful in those moments of excitement and blessing. It sometimes feels impossible to be thankful in those hard moments. However, the promise of God is that he is always with us. My heart for this upcoming season in our lives, as we look toward Christmas, and beyond as we head into this next season of planting a church, is captured in Paul’s encouragement to the church in Corinth from 2 Cor 4:16-18 when he tells them that in the midst of his great struggle, “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 9px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 9px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”</span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-cf9f0db4-3014-d757-2dfe-dd97b3e40984"><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blessing on you all at this time of year, as we set aside extra time to celebrate the momentous occasion of Christ’s birth! </span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-63458640860566074742014-11-19T20:26:00.000-06:002014-11-19T20:26:01.971-06:00Updated Elf on the Shelf for Underachievers and Advent Kindness CalendarHere are some updated calendars for this year for both Elf on the Shelf (with the hard stuff saved for the weekends) and our Advent Acts of Kindness calendar. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-74749422799645305002014-04-14T17:16:00.001-06:002014-04-14T17:16:40.934-06:00Disney World 2014<p>We’ve been planning this trip for years – pretty fun to see it finally come to fruition. My parents have a time share at Orange Lake Resort in Kissimmee, FL – about 15 minutes from Disney World. We met them along with my sister and her family for a week ‘o fun. With 7 children ages 8 and under sleeping in a 3 bedroom condo, what could go wrong?! In all reality, we didn’t spend much time with all 13 of us in the condo anyway, so it turned out to be a great time. </p> <p>On Saturday the 5th, our family got up at 4am to get to the airport for our 6:30am flight to Orlando. Meanwhile, my parents had departed from Dallas on Friday and were making their way to Orlando by car. My sister and her fam were also making the trek from Detroit by car and left Friday evening and went all through the night. We were the first to arrive and were able to check into the condo. Jennie and David made it soon after and we got all of our luggage unpacked and headed to CiCi’s for lunch. We went back to change for the pool, and were just about to head out when Mom and Dad arrived. We spent some good time at the pool and got some rest for our first day at Disney on Sunday.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-L7nulkIBa-o/U0xqwLqQZDI/AAAAAAAAEnM/mn8Vxr8_CPo/s1600-h/1288%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1288" border="0" alt="1288" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_pGJcJhrrQc/U0xqwgeFYdI/AAAAAAAAEnU/g8fJ7GkE43M/1288_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-o3VG149E3p0/U0xqxgAlqnI/AAAAAAAAEnc/aDgnBvQVpkM/s1600-h/1302%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1302" border="0" alt="1302" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hEsqGdZbvVI/U0xqy_cWEwI/AAAAAAAAEnk/bkwwM7136NY/1302_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yMY_uxgGNI0/U0xqzpenFbI/AAAAAAAAEns/KhfZYhPK4-A/s1600-h/1306%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1306" border="0" alt="1306" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-iKU0TrPdcxo/U0xq0TZM8cI/AAAAAAAAEn0/vPg3tzcW4KI/1306_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="left">Our first full day on Sunday was spent at Hollywood Studios. We didn’t intend to make it a long day, but we had some folks that wanted to get there at the opening to make sure we got on the Toy Story ride and others that wanted to stay for the Fantasmic show. So, it turned out to be a lengthy first day for the later group! We had a great day riding Toy Story, Star Tours (a group favorite), watching the Indiana Jones show and the Extreme Stunt Show, seeing Muppets 3D and then the older kids enjoyed the Tower of Terror and the Aerosmith Rockin Roller Coaster. We also picked up some jedi light sabers which is always good for 7 children staying in a 3 bedroom condo.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nXlgWPrn1q8/U0xq1BYlIkI/AAAAAAAAEn8/Bk-7R2TO_wY/s1600-h/1308%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1308" border="0" alt="1308" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1QTWZKwTEcs/U0xq15y3gKI/AAAAAAAAEoE/C1Y0woQRyo0/1308_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ntzHYnCp_bU/U0xq2sQNPhI/AAAAAAAAEoM/UhZ8371At9A/s1600-h/1312%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1312" border="0" alt="1312" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-sUXjdVTN7ls/U0xq3GxjmnI/AAAAAAAAEoU/FL-c6fTvuvc/1312_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KR3aCKnjnPI/U0xq4KhGpxI/AAAAAAAAEoc/aX0Vu-XV3vo/s1600-h/1315%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1315" border="0" alt="1315" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Z6kVn4bmih0/U0xq4xIrUfI/AAAAAAAAEok/PJwng84Yss0/1315_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5Mco8jSJPeA/U0xq5q5Oa2I/AAAAAAAAEos/dk9rgj8Kck4/s1600-h/wd002wdw201409661343723.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd002wdw201409661343723" border="0" alt="wd002wdw201409661343723" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qiA1-Lbh2aA/U0xq6IUy8yI/AAAAAAAAEow/QeDM89u5AH8/wd002wdw201409661343723_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="159"></a> </p> <p align="left">Monday was our day at Epcot. We did a little later start and took the boat over from the Yacht Club resort. We spent the morning riding rides including Test Track, Mission Space, Nemo and Friends, Talking with Crush and also spent some time in the Innoventions buildings. We got the Norway and Mexico boat rides in before squeezing in our Fast Passes to Soarin’ (one of my favorites) and then rushing back to Germany for our dinner reservations (that turned out to be about an hour later than when our reservation was). Dinner was good, though, and then we enjoyed the Reflections of Earth show before taking our very tired crew back to the condo. Apparently, I only took photos of our babies that day. Oops.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-QAXbafGGZCc/U0xq63uQc2I/AAAAAAAAEo8/1hYpqr0uw5w/s1600-h/1329%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1329" border="0" alt="1329" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-VWi6NJs9OLA/U0xq7Qor03I/AAAAAAAAEpE/NnKXDBshuNg/1329_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GJzS4WZp2_k/U0xq8P4IvpI/AAAAAAAAEpM/54r7Pdu2Up8/s1600-h/1332%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1332" border="0" alt="1332" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--toZkSuVwM4/U0xq85p60tI/AAAAAAAAEpU/3HjVZ5oOk8s/1332_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_KJ19vkfOMA/U0xq9hn2dtI/AAAAAAAAEpc/NM3nr5Md0xU/s1600-h/1336%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1336" border="0" alt="1336" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hQB9V5FEqgA/U0xq-C-IP6I/AAAAAAAAEpk/ZEN1Sz-GdgM/1336_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--I9xMDkUxEo/U0xq-z_XquI/AAAAAAAAEps/UvmJLvDkI5k/s1600-h/1339%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1339" border="0" alt="1339" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-IIg-U4SBqYc/U0xq_jOekyI/AAAAAAAAEp0/QcnYDLXU278/1339_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bsUhtgGrANQ/U0xrANJG2UI/AAAAAAAAEp8/1RDomma2iQE/s1600-h/1343%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1343" border="0" alt="1343" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-HgHN2QOMBxM/U0xrAl-ghiI/AAAAAAAAEqE/RJEsQ0jHbZM/1343_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>By Tuesday, I admit. We were pretty tired. We knew we just had one more day to get through before our rest day, though. Plus, the kids wake up at the same time regardless. We went over to Magic Kingdom for our only day where rain was in the forecast. It wasn’t too bad, and it make the crowds bearable. We left before my sister and her fam, so we were able to hit up a couple of princesses (something we tried not to do when all the boys outnumbered the girls). We did It’s a Small World, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Space Mountain, the Barnstormer, Monsters Inc., Lilo and Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, the Speedway, Pirates of the Caribbean, and of course Dad’s favorite – the Enchanted Tiki Room. I may be missing something, but we were able to cover a lot of ground that day. I thought the Buzz Lightyear photos were pretty hilarious.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0IUV5wZ4CIU/U0xrBfPNspI/AAAAAAAAEqM/Pn2rpZlYnEQ/s1600-h/wd009wdw201409861830220.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd009wdw201409861830220" border="0" alt="wd009wdw201409861830220" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-iMdAi5ffWV8/U0xrB5KCcNI/AAAAAAAAEqU/Ixb6loasigQ/wd009wdw201409861830220_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rnnHW9RrSBM/U0xrCkewGFI/AAAAAAAAEqc/lGv_lK2Cd6c/s1600-h/wd010wdw201409861830381.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd010wdw201409861830381" border="0" alt="wd010wdw201409861830381" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-w5Vet5RxB9A/U0xrDZ3CplI/AAAAAAAAEqk/aKl-pHUYYqM/wd010wdw201409861830381_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="159"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-v-ClwXDPhD0/U0xrEAr_PqI/AAAAAAAAEqs/fkB0UUTIIPg/s1600-h/wd013wdw201409861829900_19.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd013wdw201409861829900_19" border="0" alt="wd013wdw201409861829900_19" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ij9p5iKWNKk/U0xrE0TnMcI/AAAAAAAAEq0/4SySR6eK9oo/wd013wdw201409861829900_19_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-r3GMiyppPCQ/U0xrFTTQvvI/AAAAAAAAEq8/CkBrhsr4rHY/s1600-h/wd014wdw201409861830021_19.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd014wdw201409861830021_19" border="0" alt="wd014wdw201409861830021_19" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-TAmSGYZOwOI/U0xrGO0RfnI/AAAAAAAAErE/aB9x2ITBbes/wd014wdw201409861830021_19_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-100KpWloMVE/U0xrGp_r5PI/AAAAAAAAErM/Q_lBf1y_Olc/s1600-h/wd017wdw201409861864041.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd017wdw201409861864041" border="0" alt="wd017wdw201409861864041" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-n_nX6ouAeXk/U0xrHLJkdsI/AAAAAAAAErQ/L5DtCAUKnH4/wd017wdw201409861864041_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fReWyHwFR3E/U0xrHlck2dI/AAAAAAAAErc/JoxeUydCgQ0/s1600-h/wd018wdw201409861864042.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd018wdw201409861864042" border="0" alt="wd018wdw201409861864042" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rT3lqbJM8UU/U0xrIt9WJAI/AAAAAAAAErk/SXi5GwfrP2g/wd018wdw201409861864042_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IzYDhGhE00Q/U0xrJW5JXTI/AAAAAAAAErs/C6dPdtf6TMg/s1600-h/wd022wdw201409861864046.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd022wdw201409861864046" border="0" alt="wd022wdw201409861864046" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-VChjzFm3YmI/U0xrKFv8xMI/AAAAAAAAEr0/WmPy7M887wg/wd022wdw201409861864046_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="159"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TEuHhD-8UtM/U0xrKsxE3fI/AAAAAAAAEr8/y8iJ8SzpBzQ/s1600-h/wd023wdw201409861864047.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd023wdw201409861864047" border="0" alt="wd023wdw201409861864047" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-r7Iu81Eav8g/U0xrLH-jP8I/AAAAAAAAEsE/_5zh9yBVMfk/wd023wdw201409861864047_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3EPVhmYRToo/U0xrL4ZrvgI/AAAAAAAAEsM/YV5a0VNlSg4/s1600-h/wd025wdw201409861864049.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd025wdw201409861864049" border="0" alt="wd025wdw201409861864049" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VbPC0AncVpw/U0xrMSBwTXI/AAAAAAAAEsU/zqx9pngEZm0/wd025wdw201409861864049_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ycZJBcb4lFg/U0xrM0SVlcI/AAAAAAAAEsc/KVx_Wdm4ZyA/s1600-h/wd028wdw201409861852150.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd028wdw201409861852150" border="0" alt="wd028wdw201409861852150" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PS82AMqsaJs/U0xrNcE8LqI/AAAAAAAAEsk/fD7XdlFgrRg/wd028wdw201409861852150_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1RoGs8vWQcc/U0xrOO1qQrI/AAAAAAAAEss/tnqw9-AIt-Q/s1600-h/wd032wdw201409861852154.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd032wdw201409861852154" border="0" alt="wd032wdw201409861852154" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Nr5mVuiOWx0/U0xrOsN14pI/AAAAAAAAEsw/LQsYieTAOzY/wd032wdw201409861852154_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-gMQ9nJU8fss/U0xrPJFTZ-I/AAAAAAAAEs4/u1mDbi4vRPc/s1600-h/wd035wdw201409861873725.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd035wdw201409861873725" border="0" alt="wd035wdw201409861873725" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-AuYI1-uvpTQ/U0xrP97p27I/AAAAAAAAEtE/pt2bcZz8y-4/wd035wdw201409861873725_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oO2seYSCUvE/U0xrQZYDJFI/AAAAAAAAEtM/USmJWvJlE-4/s1600-h/wd038wdw201409861919430.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd038wdw201409861919430" border="0" alt="wd038wdw201409861919430" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UsN4W9L1GII/U0xrRIzRS9I/AAAAAAAAEtU/c6FDxj-B3b4/wd038wdw201409861919430_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="160"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oHztU2PATZQ/U0xrR7bRvaI/AAAAAAAAEtc/0hN6wR8g9rk/s1600-h/wd039wdw201409861919254.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd039wdw201409861919254" border="0" alt="wd039wdw201409861919254" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dT1A309iBcA/U0xrSbLJMzI/AAAAAAAAEtg/mnbOl_0eZNU/wd039wdw201409861919254_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="160"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qUsyMgt6tMk/U0xrTCGeznI/AAAAAAAAEts/m5yNnsIJ_Vk/s1600-h/wd040wdw201409861919499.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd040wdw201409861919499" border="0" alt="wd040wdw201409861919499" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rLrcibUXjN8/U0xrTiqzKQI/AAAAAAAAEt0/AIlyyBpfIpM/wd040wdw201409861919499_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="160"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AyhGkadEh_Q/U0xrUTxUoyI/AAAAAAAAEt8/VUUp76tQKm0/s1600-h/wd041wdw201409861919509.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd041wdw201409861919509" border="0" alt="wd041wdw201409861919509" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Z-Gu5jUqM0o/U0xrU0-lfWI/AAAAAAAAEuA/OuTICtvbR2A/wd041wdw201409861919509_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="160"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_uoRl3HB8F8/U0xrVoHNRBI/AAAAAAAAEuM/z6TMAdF4EWI/s1600-h/wd043wdw201409862014076.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd043wdw201409862014076" border="0" alt="wd043wdw201409862014076" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JSGFyW2RCp0/U0xrWF7cz8I/AAAAAAAAEuU/6VHw-DO5B-w/wd043wdw201409862014076_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="160"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wPRz0nTOH6A/U0xrWs0PQxI/AAAAAAAAEuc/lOB-5_RWORc/s1600-h/wd044wdw201409862014181.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd044wdw201409862014181" border="0" alt="wd044wdw201409862014181" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-V9Dq9qfdZug/U0xrXK16jvI/AAAAAAAAEuk/PzG8xPV4erA/wd044wdw201409862014181_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="160"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2DpMLdw5lt0/U0xrXpc4wpI/AAAAAAAAEus/QkasJGCDBwY/s1600-h/wd045wdw201409862014198.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd045wdw201409862014198" border="0" alt="wd045wdw201409862014198" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GtM4Ug1bNcg/U0xrYVJzWTI/AAAAAAAAEu0/bK9PmS-1ymc/wd045wdw201409862014198_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="160"></a> </p> <p align="left">From there, we took the monorail over to the Contemporary Resort for our one character dining experience at Chef Mickey’s. It was really good food, and the kids really seemed to enjoy the characters.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Mdu_Rqa134M/U0xrZCuV_RI/AAAAAAAAEu8/xUxeh5D7CCk/s1600-h/wd046wdw201409862028062.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd046wdw201409862028062" border="0" alt="wd046wdw201409862028062" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-nr2IidV55C8/U0xrZg2AXHI/AAAAAAAAEvE/2M8KTqMKse4/wd046wdw201409862028062_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="159"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-q_P2UpZhuw0/U0xraYdRXjI/AAAAAAAAEvM/GlG-gu91_E4/s1600-h/1389%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1389" border="0" alt="1389" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DcK2_W5odTc/U0xrbD-rvKI/AAAAAAAAEvU/bdjVZLWhJMY/1389_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-dxU65WZcdEI/U0xrbxS6mmI/AAAAAAAAEvc/cfrBTmyeUIA/s1600-h/1379%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1379" border="0" alt="1379" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bHWsnFPQk64/U0xrcq8YRdI/AAAAAAAAEvk/H4X4xKMECDo/1379_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-aVjZwRyBPr0/U0xrdP8aK6I/AAAAAAAAEvs/r56TFTfZdCY/s1600-h/1384%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1384" border="0" alt="1384" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XqUAvkRC4M0/U0xrd3sXPHI/AAAAAAAAEvw/RtQJnuMMW8I/1384_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0BYIh1_h1Zo/U0xrevUIi3I/AAAAAAAAEv8/PCTtBtUsJXM/s1600-h/1393%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1393" border="0" alt="1393" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-tnknYdM6C_E/U0xrfdAmNUI/AAAAAAAAEwE/Cu8GmBh7VOE/1393_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ArUg04_a7FM/U0xrgPYeFtI/AAAAAAAAEwM/e3T0_fEU29E/s1600-h/1397%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1397" border="0" alt="1397" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mQz0mL4GotU/U0xrguBqnpI/AAAAAAAAEwU/iCNJ8xvKDeg/1397_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fx1xHJbdFEo/U0xrhkYpvAI/AAAAAAAAEwc/qJlV9jMLtUE/s1600-h/1400%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1400" border="0" alt="1400" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dDpsgs5EAJ8/U0xriV45B0I/AAAAAAAAEwk/1pZysAe_BCg/1400_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-N64l0bhV3eA/U0xrjFliUbI/AAAAAAAAEws/vh_NifmYhPQ/s1600-h/1407%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1407" border="0" alt="1407" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ViETON6PM3g/U0xrjlaKrKI/AAAAAAAAEw0/5lM-58In-AU/1407_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IQt7x6vwKxk/U0xrkYGdXoI/AAAAAAAAEw8/DDzqIotbD4k/s1600-h/1416%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1416" border="0" alt="1416" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8eCOTToYNc0/U0xrk7FFkpI/AAAAAAAAExE/Z1dUGfsarnI/1416_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IzSin0J9eXw/U0xrlklVASI/AAAAAAAAExM/inQF5Kemz6c/s1600-h/1419%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1419" border="0" alt="1419" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-SE-Hr8TfhZ4/U0xrmU_bILI/AAAAAAAAExU/-O9WJP2Ga4s/1419_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="left">We then decided that we had enough energy left to head back over to Magic Kingdom to enjoy the Electrical Parade and the fireworks show. I’m glad we did – they were both really good.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--EgSmsV1bKg/U0xrm7HRk0I/AAAAAAAAExc/_znz1x5qwE8/s1600-h/1422%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1422" border="0" alt="1422" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-6nJAK7Q7TqE/U0xrnoB77YI/AAAAAAAAExk/dIqN_L4BzLc/1422_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--BHN00ntIYA/U0xroVyLuMI/AAAAAAAAExs/pXsd78R5M8Y/s1600-h/1429%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1429" border="0" alt="1429" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-NQYAY7oVWM4/U0xro-Nt7JI/AAAAAAAAEx0/iKD5_b-PxVE/1429_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-e_rnb3c4KqQ/U0xrptpvHbI/AAAAAAAAEx8/B8pHvpqlfUg/s1600-h/1431%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1431" border="0" alt="1431" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lnus2V8MxLY/U0xrqGAIapI/AAAAAAAAEyE/11NK7dD7DFA/1431_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9MGusasYl2Y/U0xrqyZhBeI/AAAAAAAAEyM/mMZYai4bCts/s1600-h/1434%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1434" border="0" alt="1434" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EagX08Y-5ME/U0xrrasryoI/AAAAAAAAEyU/WoBm4MzyS_Y/1434_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-NvRg-d_rFcI/U0xrsCk42GI/AAAAAAAAEyc/Yb033o7BMAs/s1600-h/1440%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1440" border="0" alt="1440" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-lm-cD6c5JK0/U0xrshwVJHI/AAAAAAAAEyk/5p04mvLDifw/1440_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="left">On Wednesday, we had planned for it to be a sleep in day followed by a lazy day at the pool. Thanks to the rain the day before, though, it wasn’t QUITE warm enough for swimming. David had the idea of checking out Old Town which has a carnival-like amusement park. I had thought we’d check it out for a few hours and go back and nap the littles, but we had so much fun! We ended up staying until dinner, meeting Mom and Dad (who enjoyed some down time in the condo during the day) for dinner and then all heading BACK to Old Town in the evening. Not quite as restful as we’d intended, but such a fun day. This day was a little more catered to the babies which was nice since Disney isn’t as much. This was the point at which Jennie and James decided to do the SkyCoaster. The rest of us put the kids on the bumper cars while they got ready and then we had a great vantage point to watch them. Only issue was, they got ready WAY too fast, and we missed the whole thing! So sad. All in all, super fun day, though.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IajdXz5KfJk/U0xrtVjGOPI/AAAAAAAAEys/sJkqp6XvhFE/s1600-h/1450%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1450" border="0" alt="1450" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4_rM96gFhpw/U0xruGsZ84I/AAAAAAAAEy0/34AganPesSY/1450_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kQrOk8wKdu0/U0xru8-q9aI/AAAAAAAAEy8/WMzWwA_otiA/s1600-h/1456%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1456" border="0" alt="1456" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-d8cz37gnMz8/U0xrvc58KLI/AAAAAAAAEzE/XC9eNMdiGm0/1456_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DzTjoRknDMU/U0xrwEtPBAI/AAAAAAAAEzM/cic0t5ZQpM8/s1600-h/1462%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1462" border="0" alt="1462" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6qBNPcZ-UjA/U0xrxIEMF3I/AAAAAAAAEzU/4_hIhUL7B_E/1462_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-skxvIkAS8FE/U0xrx1xrm2I/AAAAAAAAEzc/VDSCzzQk8AQ/s1600-h/1467%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1467" border="0" alt="1467" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MC-Rr41kujo/U0xrykdU8kI/AAAAAAAAEzk/JZvRocKAH50/1467_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-E8I27VGw9Hg/U0xrzISSBcI/AAAAAAAAEzs/xZTi24h4DP4/s1600-h/1469%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1469" border="0" alt="1469" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JgVkOEA8EeM/U0xrz8CLY1I/AAAAAAAAEzw/WJeZw3nKtaA/1469_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bs-nkaaSqAY/U0xr0vluiJI/AAAAAAAAEz8/SP1EjWvyUmk/s1600-h/1480%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1480" border="0" alt="1480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-5gLnp4Ithk4/U0xr1RQA_UI/AAAAAAAAE0E/FFVu9BgYKlY/1480_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Z7Ps_z37Cec/U0xr2r1QbrI/AAAAAAAAE0M/itbFDf_lUiA/s1600-h/1483%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1483" border="0" alt="1483" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mXhguxDFnxc/U0xr3WnkTFI/AAAAAAAAE0U/rfWSwZn5HHE/1483_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-baDFRom4huo/U0xr4sDFbcI/AAAAAAAAE0c/H0O_gqJlT6Y/s1600-h/1500%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1500" border="0" alt="1500" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-MEb4kggjs7w/U0xr5Wrr5CI/AAAAAAAAE0k/t2njrOTmUYA/1500_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XfJ3CKmFpmw/U0xr5w_gZXI/AAAAAAAAE0s/0DrWSmswXn8/s1600-h/1502%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1502" border="0" alt="1502" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_lcd9jPuCrA/U0xr6h00PAI/AAAAAAAAE00/zemfNpND2g8/1502_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="left">Thursday was our day at Animal Kingdom. We had really great luck with there not being bad crowds until this day, and this day was pretty crowded. I’d say our crew was just a little off that day – we weren’t amused by the crowds. We still enjoyed Expedition Everest, the Boneyard play area, the Kilimanjaro Safari, the Kali River Rapids and the jungle trek. The Lion King show was closed for renovation, and the Dinosaur ride while our group was in line. Sad. We decided to make it a shorter day and head to the pool in the late afternoon.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yWzJAN4uce4/U0xr8AktW-I/AAAAAAAAE08/IDfCywxiEmo/s1600-h/1517%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1517" border="0" alt="1517" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-NLc9xTvA2Vw/U0xr8oamLII/AAAAAAAAE1E/0Ce4Q0mibNQ/1517_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rwXI6vhFK34/U0xr984oBoI/AAAAAAAAE1M/ecwFSzj22_Q/s1600-h/1532%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1532" border="0" alt="1532" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gMAlIkS2TSw/U0xr-fN46aI/AAAAAAAAE1U/P_TxwBdc9jg/1532_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qEXFEuXrz5Q/U0xr_fbQHsI/AAAAAAAAE1c/ksrdzxh03c4/s1600-h/1538%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1538" border="0" alt="1538" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-oX6yj3JU2rI/U0xsACmRmxI/AAAAAAAAE1k/JwoPTpmIMT8/1538_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JaxHjSW9Xvc/U0xsA4lBSiI/AAAAAAAAE1s/A0v7CUkvzpM/s1600-h/1549%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1549" border="0" alt="1549" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CLwU2vH_by0/U0xsBm_zIOI/AAAAAAAAE1w/Q2lYNkAL32M/1549_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-3hCInZNG0_c/U0xsDBFANeI/AAAAAAAAE18/Ezrwo0oWwCs/s1600-h/1567%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1567" border="0" alt="1567" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YaTGTsgIVCk/U0xsD3azS0I/AAAAAAAAE2E/T8F5vTNMkAE/1567_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--EVDw7Oi9fQ/U0xsEr7Yc8I/AAAAAAAAE2M/QjrTWU04BKo/s1600-h/1569%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1569" border="0" alt="1569" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-elIIdzh0soQ/U0xsFVnQt1I/AAAAAAAAE2U/uJWAyr1ORWY/1569_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="left">Our last full day there was another day at Magic Kingdom. We did Buzz Lightyear, Monsters Inc and Space Mountain again and also added in the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (which was closed on Tuesday). We enjoyed the Country Bear Jamboree and the Hall of Presidents as well as the Pirates of the Caribbean Treasure Hunt before also making it an early day in favor of one last trip to the pool.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-DnOm6l5vYKg/U0xsF17dDFI/AAAAAAAAE2c/GO9WjTTA5DQ/s1600-h/wd052wdw201410162869830.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd052wdw201410162869830" border="0" alt="wd052wdw201410162869830" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pQLKwpToJhU/U0xsGaNvhsI/AAAAAAAAE2k/Wk_mlhuTtYY/wd052wdw201410162869830_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_t3iIePBxeo/U0xsHTtWg1I/AAAAAAAAE2o/PYMSTeLOZcY/s1600-h/wd054wdw201410162869832.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd054wdw201410162869832" border="0" alt="wd054wdw201410162869832" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Kq-EU9IlVbk/U0xsIKASLFI/AAAAAAAAE2w/vNDbjOcdO90/wd054wdw201410162869832_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-gk1MvNtly4U/U0xsI4PwZdI/AAAAAAAAE28/G-SPVo8RS0A/s1600-h/wd056wdw201410162869835.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd056wdw201410162869835" border="0" alt="wd056wdw201410162869835" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AGd4xAP3oYI/U0xsJW_E2fI/AAAAAAAAE3E/nlSSqlz3oxY/wd056wdw201410162869835_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="159"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-jdVEdV8XoOQ/U0xsKfc2KxI/AAAAAAAAE3M/onHNbP9YvwA/s1600-h/wd057wdw201410162865490.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd057wdw201410162865490" border="0" alt="wd057wdw201410162865490" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IESGXZtFSZI/U0xsLNcOVAI/AAAAAAAAE3Q/APymMDGH8jI/wd057wdw201410162865490_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="160"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BIgLPwntJH0/U0xsLg_SpFI/AAAAAAAAE3c/fagwX-0c1MY/s1600-h/wd071wdw201410162966840.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd071wdw201410162966840" border="0" alt="wd071wdw201410162966840" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-G1iQz2aprpA/U0xsMCPn6eI/AAAAAAAAE3k/6N0MmPPkLX0/wd071wdw201410162966840_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-i4MVRh2D1Ys/U0xsMrv0yVI/AAAAAAAAE3s/0G7QnPmm9NA/s1600-h/wd073wdw201410162966861.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd073wdw201410162966861" border="0" alt="wd073wdw201410162966861" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8OU2ggo4L7o/U0xsNau5nUI/AAAAAAAAE30/ndbQgZEwOHk/wd073wdw201410162966861_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9h2I5eObrfE/U0xsODHYYXI/AAAAAAAAE38/SZpgaqbm6Ic/s1600-h/1586%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1586" border="0" alt="1586" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SQ7kBdCHZmw/U0xsPEUuDoI/AAAAAAAAE4E/lVeEH20bRuI/1586_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-X3vyaMUZDqQ/U0xsP6rqRVI/AAAAAAAAE4M/F3jhmaDG6YQ/s1600-h/1588%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1588" border="0" alt="1588" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SvjUpmZmGiU/U0xsQkSYzOI/AAAAAAAAE4U/e4DXODxhTlE/1588_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wkjZCz8ub70/U0xsRK6vtiI/AAAAAAAAE4c/SIuTKQRvLUU/s1600-h/wd001wdw201410162966796.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="wd001wdw201410162966796" border="0" alt="wd001wdw201410162966796" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IUJ7utveYCA/U0xsRr0c4JI/AAAAAAAAE4k/NXQOWU3hf_I/wd001wdw201410162966796_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="240"></a> </p> <p>We enjoyed a nice mexican dinner in Old Town that evening and got everyone to bed at a good time before our departure on Saturday. We all left around 10 and the road trip families headed on their way. Our flight wasn’t until 3, so we had just enough time to get the girls’ hair wrapped by the pool before we left for the airport. They were SO happy they got to do this.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-MniFV8biKUE/U0xsSm7-MbI/AAAAAAAAE4s/OnFdguVfeBE/s1600-h/1591%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1591" border="0" alt="1591" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-N0S-al4Vl9A/U0xsTDjnx1I/AAAAAAAAE40/9RrC-c1BrCM/1591_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="180"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9iN8XmZfeYc/U0xsTsWxuDI/AAAAAAAAE48/_NtK62MIzKM/s1600-h/1600%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1600" border="0" alt="1600" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-82DjUupOStI/U0xsUayakkI/AAAAAAAAE5E/KlrlLxIHVFI/1600_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-zs2sduGdnHo/U0xsVICgpnI/AAAAAAAAE5M/UPSUOghn_6g/s1600-h/1605%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1605" border="0" alt="1605" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0PFMoj2m574/U0xsVv_40uI/AAAAAAAAE5U/rY5Ah_IRU64/1605_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> </p> <p align="left">It was a great trip. So blessed that we were able to do it, and very grateful to Mom and Dad for the use of the condo. Great cousin memories were made for sure!</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-6813847237145136552013-12-22T22:48:00.002-06:002013-12-22T23:13:47.835-06:00My Christmas Eve Eve Eve Prayer<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes, you don't really want to write a blog post, but it's writing itself in your head and you have to. So. This is one of those.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's three days before Christmas. We're watching Elf. I think I can honestly say we've done a fair job of focusing on Christ and giving to those around us this season. There's always more than can be done.... I've had a lot of travel, but we've kept up with the girls choosing an act of kindness to do almost every day, and we've been blessed yet again by our advent devotionals each night. This post may seem like I'm not focused on the real reason for this precious season. Or maybe it will seem like I am. You be the judge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can barely bring myself to even type "Duck Dynasty" because (and no offense is intended), I'm already sick to death of all of the blog posts related to this subject in my feed. And, to be clear, I've read some of them and they're really good. But still - the obsession with it in general seems so over the top. How is it that I find myself joining in? See the opening paragraph. That's how.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I don't really even want to talk about that. However, if you're curious on my opinion it, not surprisingly, aligns very well with Jen Hatmaker's post on the topic which can be found right <a href="http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2013/12/21/the-duck-thing-is-there-another-way" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On one hand, I admire many of my Facebook friends (on both sides of the coin, mind you) for being bold and sharing their views. However, I also think we forget who all may be reading these posts. Could a teenager struggling with the rejection that comes from being gay be reading the post? Could it feel like even more rejection? Is that the message of Christ?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our home is 2.9 miles from Arapahoe High School. 2.9 miles. I know no one involved, but I know people that know both the shooter's family as well as the family of the sweet girl that passed away this week. Heartbreaking. Also heartbreaking is what the mother of the shooter must be feeling. Could we cast blame? Assume she didn't parent him "well enough" if he was capable of such destruction? Start bringing up the gun control debate? We could. But come on.... Of course we shouldn't. Did one of us miss a chance to love on that young man? Maybe. Dear God, give us ears to hear..... </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's so much talk on these subjects, and I really do wonder if God is just shaking his head at us. I think we've forgotten when we talk about our ideals that we're talking about people. People that God loves violently, overwhelmingly, jealously, whole-heartedly. How can we forget that we're talking about people?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me at this point reference two of the other posts I've read that have aided in shaping my thinking. My ideas are building off of theirs, so I want to give them credit and encourage you to read them both. The first is <a href="http://spiritualfriendship.org/2013/12/20/gay-christians-and-the-robertson-controversy/" target="_blank">this one</a> written by a self-described celibate gay Christian. The other is <a href="http://intheparlor.wordpress.com/2013/12/19/what-you-believe-about-homosexuality-doesnt-matter/" target="_blank">this one</a> written by a youth pastor whose claim is that what you believe about homosexuality is not the point. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think each of us has a responsibility, as Christians, to study the Bible and have opinions on what following Jesus looks like. We should all be striving to follow him to the best of our abilities. We're all free to decide whether we think homosexuality is wrong or not, whether we women need to cover our heads and whether violence is ever warranted or not. In almost no case, though, is it necessary or positive to be sharing those conclusions in broad public settings. So often, we're unintentionally letting the world see our ugliness when we forget about people. It seems to me that the main goal of following Jesus is loving others. Not discussing our theological differences on Facebook. Let's be about the things that unify us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My prayer for us this Christmas Eve Eve Eve is this: Dear God, please oh please let us not hurt one of your precious creations by our beliefs but instead overwhelm them with your love. Let us leave any convicting that needs to be done in your powerfully capable hands. Most of all, teach us to love. Teach us to love well.</span><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-82148200047719684882013-12-04T20:42:00.001-06:002013-12-18T12:42:09.473-06:00Christmas Letter 2013<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Goudy Stout","serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WiebeHaus 2013</span></div>
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Here we are, just a few weeks before Christmas, and the snow
is already flying. Today’s temperature is -8, but the great thing is that
there’s a fire burning at my feet. And tonight, Amy and I head off to NYC for a
long-awaited weekend together (sans children because of Pen and Bill –
THANKS!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The undeniable fact is that
this year has been full of blessing. I started with our new church on January 1
of this year and it has been a great year of new things and people for every
person in our family. We moved into our home in March, and God provided us with
a street-full of children our kids’ ages. It is an amazing thing to be able to
let our kids go outside and play and run and ride bikes for hours with a huge
group of good children and helpful parents. Sadly, that’s something that
doesn’t happen much these days. We love our new home, and though there were
many projects to complete, we had and abundance of help from friends and family
members. And the even better part is that though we enjoy the house (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and basement play area and media room</i>) a
lot ourselves, we have also been able to open our house for WeBeGrillin about a
dozen times. This is a regular event where we invite our church members and
anyone from our neighborhood to come over and grill with us and share a dish
while we hang out on the patio on a weekend evening. The kids play outside or
in the basement, and the adults get to sit around and talk and laugh and eat
and share stories for hours. This has given us an opportunity to get to know
people in our neighborhood and from our church in ways we are all blessed by. </div>
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<br /></div>
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In
the long process of updating the older house we bought, Amy’s wedding ring was
unfortunately stolen. We were blessed to be able to replace it with her work
bonus, and were able to additionally get one other wish list item for her: a
hot tub. We found a great deal on Craigslist for a used one, and I was able to
do most of the installation work myself, and we’ve already gotten to sit out
there talking and watching the snow fall. In the busyness of life right now, it
has given us a chance to just sit and talk about what’s going on and what God
has been doing. Our church here is a smaller one that the one we were part of
in Texas, but it has given us opportunities to get involved in ways we couldn’t
have in a larger church. My role as an associate
pastor/church-planter-in-training has been a lot of work, but every challenge
has brought with it blessing. Over the last year, I have gotten a number of
opportunities to preach, which is something that I really enjoy. The preparation
for a sermon is exhilarating and fun for me because I love to write and read
and study, but also because God has opened his Word to me in ways I haven’t
experienced before. We help co-lead a community group, which has been a great
way to connect and grow with people in our church body. Amy and I both
participate on the worship team. Amy learned how to play guitar this year and
is a quick study. She has already led worship at a ladies retreat as well as in
a number of Sunday morning services. I am now putting my habit of annoying Amy
by constantly drumming to good use as I now play percussion on a Cajon during
our worship time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids find their ways
of helping too, and we’ve gotten to give and serve alongside them in a number
of really cool ways too this year. The church plant is still a ways out, and
God only knows where and exactly when that will happen. In the meantime, our
pastor is working with me in every area of ministry, and I’m getting a great
education in what it takes to run a church, and really stay focused on the work
of discipleship, which is really the point of why we “do church” in the first
place. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Amy’s job has been in transition as well. She wrapped up a 7
year stint working for PwC Dallas in October, but had already begun a new job
working as a deployment director for the San Francisco office. While there have
certainly been challenges in terms of travel and a heavier workload, she has gotten
some great opportunities and has worked with some great new people who have
shown great appreciation for the skills and talent she provides. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">She will likely edit this section, but her
track-record and feedback speak for itself at what a diligent and valuable
employee and colleague she is for her organization.</i>) The kids are doing very
well in school. Ellie is in second grade and soaking up information like a
sponge. She has developed a love of reading that is great to watch. Emma is in
afternoon kindergarten and is learning to read, write, and do math. She still
enjoys recess the most, though! Nathan is now 2, and like the boy he is, loves
to run, wrestle, and play hard, but is also a sweet, little man who loves to
cuddle with his momma and sisters. He is learning to talk and will soon
transition to a regular bed. Hopefully, moving out of diapers will soon follow!
Amy continues to sew and embroider various crafts, and keeps us all
well-supplied in monogrammed apparel. She made all of our Halloween costumes
and is presently in the process of making the girls’ Christmas dresses. </div>
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We tried to take advantage of our new state and did a lot of
skiing last winter and a lot of hiking and exploring this summer. Thanks to the
lovely weather, we were outside (either in our own back yard or in the
mountains) often. We did take one trip to Dallas as a family in June. It was
great to see all of our friends and family. Amy also took the kids to Detroit
in August. This wouldn’t be all that remarkable, except she DROVE them. On her
own. If you missed her escapades, I’d encourage you to check them out here. We
also took a family weekend up in Winter Park which was nice.</div>
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Amy and I are continuing our family traditions of Christmas
devotionals with the kids this season and are incorporating some new Advent
traditions as well. The house is well and fully decorated, beautiful, and
prepped for the upcoming winter. We have upcoming parties to plan, sermons to
write and deliver, worship sets to practice, meals to prepare, crafts to
finish, regular work to do, children to love and take care of, and the list
goes on and on. However, in the midst of all of these things to do, it is easy
to get distracted, to stay overly busy, to feel tired - to focus on things that
are not the most important things. This is true all year long, but feels
especially true during this season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last
night I heard a beautiful version of “Gloria In Excelsis Deo” and was reminded
that in celebrating Jesus’ birth – the arrival of the Messiah – that we direct
all glory to God in the highest because he brought about his plan to save a
lost world in ways only He could. His plan wasn’t splashy or loud or fancy. It
was quiet, and miraculous, and humble. If the God who made everything and
everyone displays his power and love in these ways, it is no surprise that he
also calls us to love the world around us and shine the light of the hope of
Jesus to those around us in those same ways. As you spend time with family, as
you get through the bustle of December, remember that the bottom line of this
season is the joy of the Savior, and that gift is one you can and should share
not only with those closest to you, but especially with the stranger and the widow
and the orphan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wish warmest
Christmas blessings to you all, friends and family!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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-The WiebeHaus<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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James, Amy, Ellie (7), Emma (5), and Nathan (2)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-aERfKDg4Cvr5QQRta8hrhRjRDaYddRu27IFeCbfbndoJtnVRI63cqSj02WAKSMvBAzrj5CNtiG8S-iG4B3g7KVmp6fQczWd4HoK-lFOAh2zIuD4GnBUABVNYEJXZQV3dkVGB2C3kcg/s1600/Wiebe+Christmas+Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-aERfKDg4Cvr5QQRta8hrhRjRDaYddRu27IFeCbfbndoJtnVRI63cqSj02WAKSMvBAzrj5CNtiG8S-iG4B3g7KVmp6fQczWd4HoK-lFOAh2zIuD4GnBUABVNYEJXZQV3dkVGB2C3kcg/s320/Wiebe+Christmas+Front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-78665318993861363362013-11-17T16:42:00.001-06:002013-11-17T16:50:21.716-06:00Elf on the Shelf for Underachievers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz2-hgUnZcvbLXhaZ1FpUE5uRjg/edit?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8624313167073542691" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have been a blog slacker lately.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8624313167073542691" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz2-hgUnZcvbLXhaZ1FpUE5uRjg/edit?usp=sharing" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know the next 6 weeks are going to be hectic, so I'm trying to figure out a way to plan ahead to make it better and easier. We do an Advent devotional called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Meaningful-Christmas-a-24-day-Family-Devotional/168020766617323">Meaningful Christmas</a>. I highly recommend it - click the link to check them out (although I'm telling you too late for this year...sorry.) I'm also going to do 24 days of kindness. Add the Elf on the Shelf (a family favorite), and we could be going into the looney bin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's so important to me to keep Jesus at the center of all we do - all the time, but especially at this time of year. So, we manage to combine our Elf with Jesus. The sample hello and goodbye letters will show you how. I'm sure it can be done better, but this is our take. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Given that I want this to be do-able, I wanted something simpler than some of the other calendars I've seen going around. So, in my effort to get organized, I bring you the Elf on the Shelf for Underachievers Most of the weekdays are very simple - often just entailing our elf hiding somewhere new in the house. </span><br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz2-hgUnZcvbLXhaZ1FpUE5uRjg/edit?usp=sharing"><img alt="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz2-hgUnZcvbLXhaZ1FpUE5uRjg/edit?usp=sharing" border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjANJRiv9lw3SRrcbJoSww2iE9UJ6pN5n6lTxYzSmShFdv2bFJhYUp1w2R13Qs0bdriCSNVlQLmkVDgIZhPXPVxmB4-DobYh7Y36s7o6zCEm3nuc4prXg9krSetiqSxuRiBog9ikVj64/s640/Elf+Shelf.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8624313167073542691" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz2-hgUnZcvbLXhaZ1FpUE5uRjg/edit?usp=sharing" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm also including my first stab at 24 Simple-ish Acts of Kindness. We may not do these by the calendar but may put them in a jar. But I wanted to share the 24 acts in case they help spur someone else on. Some of them are a little more complicated on the weekdays, so feel free to move them around and adjust as you see fit.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8624313167073542691" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz2-hgUnZcvbLXhaZ1FpUE5uRjg/edit?usp=sharing" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz2-hgUnZcvbWTZsc3Y2djc1ckE/edit?usp=sharing"><img alt="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz2-hgUnZcvbWTZsc3Y2djc1ckE/edit?usp=sharing" border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GZeCR5Gzr_Hdjf-DggK8TVrSUB8guve0c6jwKSd5BPK6OcNvHE9HRCXf8Bx3GqymbCAApU1Ak9ESFcSKsokdimTSg9cMCyed5GroiZNfbXLfRcKtjH3CfD_7B4p2RWI0zJEHkGlBWYE/s640/Advent+Kindness.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz2-hgUnZcvbWTZsc3Y2djc1ckE/edit?usp=sharing"><br /></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now. If my Christmas cards would just design, print and address themselves......</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-42298182910836433322013-07-21T19:01:00.001-06:002013-07-21T19:01:20.824-06:00Carmaggedon<p>I have 4 nephews that I love. I also love my sister and brother-in-law. I also put a lot of value on cousins getting to spend time together as I have such good memories as a kid of playing with mine. So, since we saw David and Jennie for a couple of days in November when they came to visit us here, it was our turn to go visit them in Detroit. James didn’t have enough vacation to join us, plus he was preaching this month, so I decided to drive my 3 children across the country on my own to go visit them. It’s 20 driving hours from Denver to Detroit. </p> <p>For those of you who are friends with me on Facebook, I tried to have fun with the trip. I’m transferring all of my antics over here so that I remember the trip and can pass along the craziness to the kids when they’re older.</p> <p>7/13: Carmaggedon Update 1: On the road by 7:15. Score: Me – 1; Kids – 0. But it’s still early, folks. Very very early.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-191Pi4668RA/UeyDnAWeKYI/AAAAAAAAEF4/efUXdvnvpI8/s1600-h/IMG_1601%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1601" border="0" alt="IMG_1601" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mhDXs9yZ5us/UeyDnmyDL0I/AAAAAAAAEGA/PQBepc8TwfM/IMG_1601_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p align="left">7/13: Carmaggedon Update 2: And just like that, we have a game, people! We started our first video, and Emma wasn’t wearing her headphones. I asked why.</p> <p align="left">Emma: One time, I put them on, and they didn’t work.</p> <p align="left">Me: Do they need batteries?</p> <p align="left">Emma: No.</p> <p align="left">Me: How do you know?</p> <p align="left">See photo. Tie score. Me – 1; Kids – 1</p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9IM1WsqGORE/UeyDoIMjoII/AAAAAAAAEGI/OtcdUjQkbZ8/s1600-h/IMG_1602%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1602" border="0" alt="IMG_1602" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-N4jh94ReFpI/UeyDojhVgCI/AAAAAAAAEGQ/gP-3yDFSL3M/IMG_1602_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p align="left">FYI that Walmart does not sell wireless car headphones. I said to the lady in electronics: I’m in the first 10 minutes of a 20 hour drive with these kids. You and your company have failed me.</p> <p align="left">Actually, I didn’t say that to her, but I wanted to. After we got back to the car, only then did I remember that we had purchased a third set (for Nathan) that we weren’t using. I should have given the kids another point for that, but I wasn’t willing to give up so much ground so early. And it’s my game. So.</p> <p align="left">7/13: Camaggedon Update 3: Ellie lost her headphones. We’re in a car. Maybe 60 sf of space tops. Sigh. Me – 1; Kids – 2.</p> <p align="left">P.S. As soon as I got the car pulled over, she magically found them.</p> <p align="left">7/13: Carmaggedon Update 4: We had our first stop at 11, and it was successful. By that, I mean I got to pee and didn’t lose any children. Also, the kids opted for a “snack lunch” (stuff from a gas station instead of a restaurant). That saved us an hour. Me – 2; Kids – 3.</p> <p align="left">7/13: Carmaggedon Update 5 and 6: You know that snack lunch that I mentioned in update 4? Turns out it entailed a jalapeno corn dog for my son and a huge Hershey bar for my daughter.</p> <p align="left">Shoot.</p> <p align="left">Me – 2; Kids – 4 and 5</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-XBtczc9d_58/UeyDpAE4FMI/AAAAAAAAEGY/72L-NUXEqWw/s1600-h/IMG_1604%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1604" border="0" alt="IMG_1604" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bK5_9FqPdrs/UeyDprowj0I/AAAAAAAAEGg/H_FBDNw_R1w/IMG_1604_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="258" height="343"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KQYZ43onWfk/UeyDqFjiiZI/AAAAAAAAEGo/wrH6MadOD5c/s1600-h/IMG_1605%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1605" border="0" alt="IMG_1605" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pVaLPB-McJo/UeyDqubQZtI/AAAAAAAAEGw/C0qkQwNTLb8/IMG_1605_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="277" height="371"></a></p> <p> Also, I hate Nebraska. Sorry, but I do. Not only is the state boring, but apparently they don’t believe in their citizens needing cellular data unless they’re within 10 miles of a city. Which is just rude. Seriously. It’s like you cross the Iowa border, and it immediately gets beautiful again. It begs the question of whether God may have taken a quick snooze before day 7.</p> <p>7/13: Carmaggedon Update 7: A) Giving him the entire bag of Bugles seemed like a good idea. Did I learn NOTHING from lunch? B) Nathan had his first dirty diaper of the day. He doesn’t get a point for that as it was inevitable, but he does get a point for the fact that I apparently left our only package of wipes in the last gas station. Me – 2; Kids – 5.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-TIhjjw3B1Fo/UeyDrOGQ-lI/AAAAAAAAEG4/dMmCTQ5xhD0/s1600-h/IMG_1606%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1606" border="0" alt="IMG_1606" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nVw0963Bj9c/UeyDrj5T9CI/AAAAAAAAEHA/WsBUoQAMli4/IMG_1606_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="168" height="224"></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uP8ur7Yw3bw/UeyDsDLq-tI/AAAAAAAAEHI/HDIcdsZkwGk/s1600-h/IMG_1607%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1607" border="0" alt="IMG_1607" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-DxJMJSPv7xg/UeyDsz1NDpI/AAAAAAAAEHQ/HqfmCMKVY0Q/IMG_1607_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="168" height="224"></a> </p> <p>7/13: Carmaggedon Update 8: The jalapeno corn dog came back to bit me in a most unpleasant way. As in, I went ahead and just threw his pants away. (When I thought of them sitting in the car for the next 2 days, the answer was obvious.) Then, I had planned on a McDonald’s dinner, but the girls said they wanted pizza. Dang. It’s like they’re onto this game. I have to give them a point for that, too. Me – 2; Kids – 7. (And seriously. How cute are they?)</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-AOjiVYHc3OQ/UeyDtWAebEI/AAAAAAAAEHY/ODS5vD0AlNs/s1600-h/IMG_1614%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1614" border="0" alt="IMG_1614" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IeePwX1a-OA/UeyDuLiOijI/AAAAAAAAEHg/pg41hmvObpY/IMG_1614_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p>7/13: Carmaggedon Update 9 and Day 1 Summary: You know, it was a really great day. I’m really proud of my kids, and I’m a little proud of me, too. We did 12 of the 20 hours today with only 8 to go tomorrow, and we’re all tucked into our hotel. I’m giving myself 1 point for every nap a child takes (2). I get 5 bonus points for the fact that my son did not cry once. Not one time. So very blessed by all 3 of them but especially by his happy disposition. Kids get one more point for acting like crazy people when they got to the hotel. I get why and all, but it was a display worthy of a point. Final day 1 score: Me – 9; Kids – 6.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-B7FfJsMF5zo/UeyDunKxFRI/AAAAAAAAEHo/n8YIOgWiNXI/s1600-h/IMG_1615%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1615" border="0" alt="IMG_1615" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Mk8RSXBIMIk/UeyDvNMuTtI/AAAAAAAAEHw/qh3wwIqPNnY/IMG_1615_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="234" height="311"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Sgq1jBayrhw/UeyDvojB5gI/AAAAAAAAEH4/8NkTyE__m3E/s1600-h/IMG_1616%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1616" border="0" alt="IMG_1616" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bNhLsZdThRA/UeyDwLJz4cI/AAAAAAAAEIA/snb6AaD-PSA/IMG_1616_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="319"></a> </p> <p>7/14: Carmaggedon Update 1: All 3 kids slept all night long and didn’t wake up until I woke them up at 7:30. We’re on the road and breakfasted by 8:30. For those of you who haven’t parented young children in a while, I ought to get 20 points for that. But, I’ll just take 3. I have my Grande soy extra pump no water no foam chai (no, I’m not high maintenance), and ETA in Detroit (before stops) is 4:54pm. Bring it!</p> <p>Me – 11; Kids – 8</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0cJFiZTVpYY/UeyDwqBcz6I/AAAAAAAAEII/TuloaFN5I00/s1600-h/IMG_1617%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1617" border="0" alt="IMG_1617" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DDMH3WLSDEU/UeyDxLBz4fI/AAAAAAAAEIQ/Fx8wdNF5duM/IMG_1617_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="235" height="313"></a></p> <p>Sent from me to James on FB: I feel like if you were here, my windshield view would be a lot clearer. Guess I’d better break down and clean it at my next gas stop. I still view it as your responsibility, though. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-n23wn2HNOgA/UeyDxyMNBMI/AAAAAAAAEIY/yhzzAkydJE8/s1600-h/IMG_1618%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1618" border="0" alt="IMG_1618" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-K-CEHh706GE/UeyDyQJDWdI/AAAAAAAAEIg/N7s8s-CqoJc/IMG_1618_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p>7/14: Carmaggedon Update 2: Learned my lesson both with giving Nathan a smaller portion of pretzels and no jalapeno corn dog today. First stop complete, windshield is clean, and I got to pee.</p> <p>Me – 12; Kids – 8</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-LvG3UFz72mA/UeyDy4qjboI/AAAAAAAAEIo/Tr-zUn3Z0F8/s1600-h/IMG_1620%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1620" border="0" alt="IMG_1620" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-c8fPczSG0kw/UeyDzS4lY5I/AAAAAAAAEIw/BgddSv8Snk4/IMG_1620_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="217" height="288"></a> </p> <p>7/14: Camaggedon Update 3: We’ve hit that hyper part of the day. I’ll give the kids a courtesy point for the amusing display.</p> <p>Me – 12; Kids – 9</p> <p>P.S. I kept my eyes on the road during the duration of this video and am posting all of these updates either while stopped or with my voice to text program.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:dce67ad4-575f-4f3d-a98a-5a13df0585a3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="a2b32596-54d8-455f-879f-7dafccd969f0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbhpaVJon9U" target="_new"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-My5DpxP-miM/UeyDzjVK7VI/AAAAAAAAEI0/z45kspDLGcs/video1e4419e8928b%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('a2b32596-54d8-455f-879f-7dafccd969f0'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/EbhpaVJon9U&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/EbhpaVJon9U&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p>7/14: Carmaggedon Update 4: Well. It really can’t be a Carmaggedon without vomit, right? Nathan just choked on a piece of pretzel and threw up. I’ll spare you a photo on this one.</p> <p>Me – 12; Kids – 10</p> <p>And 5 hour energy drinks are fine for a 1 yo who just threw up, right? (J/K. It was empty when I gave it to him.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-W4V2rkvKICY/UeyD0H1i9QI/AAAAAAAAEJA/YZOFZbqhtdw/s1600-h/IMG_1624%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1624" border="0" alt="IMG_1624" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2GjH7wht7H0/UeyD0nlWraI/AAAAAAAAEJI/_AagSGbo5Sw/IMG_1624_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="225" height="299"></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>7/14: Carmaggedon Update 5 and Day 2 Summary: We made it!!! I get 2 more points for naps, and then Nathan gets the kids one more well-deserved point. About 45 minutes before we got here, he pooped. I pulled over on the side of the highway to change him, and I’m so glad I did. We lost that pair of shorts, too. I literally threw them on the grass on the side of the road. I feel badly about that, but it had to be done.</p> <p>Final score: Me – 14; Kids – 11. Woohoo! I beat them!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ygOaGFkKNJU/UeyD1ZWYyxI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/sVnYWcwPnsg/s1600-h/IMG_1753%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1753" border="0" alt="IMG_1753" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-o209pOO_MVg/UeyD1-N_U_I/AAAAAAAAEJU/6pXbYtTp4fc/IMG_1753_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="197" height="348"></a></p> <p>For the 4 days we were in Detroit, I did some Cousin Quotables. Here they are:</p> <p>Cousin Quotable 1: We just put the big kids to bed (Georgie, 7, Ellie, 7, James, 5 and Emma, 5) all in one room. After some talking, we gave strict orders for them to be quiet and go to sleep. Georgie just came down to report that James and Emma wouldn’t stop talking. We told him to pass along the message for them to stop. George says: But Mom. They need threats!</p> <p>Then those same 4 cuties woke up at 6:45am the first day. Goodness!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_yE3sph6Sqk/UeyD2WFXKbI/AAAAAAAAEJg/fy5J3JcGFjw/s1600-h/IMG_1630%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1630" border="0" alt="IMG_1630" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wLOatA7f5aw/UeyD2xDLThI/AAAAAAAAEJo/TkiBNYLkE5A/IMG_1630_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="219" height="291"></a> </p> <p></p> <p>We took the kids to the zoo the first day in Toledo. It was HOT, but we had fun.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5EJCEjY-6sA/UeyD3WJrlWI/AAAAAAAAEJw/QYGuZo2fWls/s1600-h/IMG_1631%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1631" border="0" alt="IMG_1631" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--BkhZvXlngM/UeyD34ln0gI/AAAAAAAAEJ4/V-hElCCgpFw/IMG_1631_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p> We got them McDonald’s afterward. And I did this:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-xpQJbj7rX4I/UeyD4QTOXMI/AAAAAAAAEKA/izXUMDlpQTQ/s1600-h/IMG_1651%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1651" border="0" alt="IMG_1651" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-t9F9fvnTmUM/UeyD4ySb26I/AAAAAAAAEKI/KKdlqq_iPKQ/IMG_1651_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="168" height="224"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lwXO6NiUUqc/UeyD5h1vwyI/AAAAAAAAEKQ/GVzziBV_Og0/s1600-h/IMG_1652%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1652" border="0" alt="IMG_1652" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-I79HLFq0G8k/UeyD5yIknbI/AAAAAAAAEKY/b6THI9q6vFk/IMG_1652_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="168" height="224"></a></p> <p>Not my best idea.</p> <p>Cousin Quotable 2, also credited to George (7): He and Ellie watched a show in the car on the way to Toledo. He asked Ellie for the DVD remote. She asked why he needed it as the show was already playing. In typical male form, he says: I just need to check the configurations. </p> <p>And all the women rolled their eyes.</p> <p>Cousin Quotable 3 goes to James, 5: Aunt Amy, will you please open this? It’s dark in the glow goo!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qBwMpFXM_QY/UeyD6qfetAI/AAAAAAAAEKg/_U5YPOpOWUM/s1600-h/998348_10151807945194363_42503360_n%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="998348_10151807945194363_42503360_n" border="0" alt="998348_10151807945194363_42503360_n" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--2I91X5R2Wk/UeyD7I75oQI/AAAAAAAAEKo/b6K-zuHWiF0/998348_10151807945194363_42503360_n_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Here’s the babies being cute on the way to Ikea while the big kids were at Sita Peg’s day care on day 2.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 425px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:cc36119f-e68a-4e14-bea1-743ffd2f8270" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="d5fb22c9-1416-4178-a615-246ded60cb6f" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb1Th1jT9_0" target="_new"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rKbwyUnI__A/UeyD7XidfSI/AAAAAAAAEKw/0zvIR7mNZgg/video6c1fa8d413e7%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('d5fb22c9-1416-4178-a615-246ded60cb6f'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/Jb1Th1jT9_0&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/Jb1Th1jT9_0&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p>Cousin Quotable 4 goes to James, 5:</p> <p>James: Aunt Amy, I fell in wove with Ewie.</p> <p>Me: You did? Today at day care?</p> <p>James: No. Wast night we were pwaying famiwy. Ewie was the mom, and George was the dad and I was the bwotha. And. I just fell in wove with her.</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ZxUsgg4QI9I/UeyD8GW-rXI/AAAAAAAAEK4/1OCuqUuk--s/s1600-h/IMG_1706%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1706" border="0" alt="IMG_1706" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yOF2x72ALnk/UeyD8wY2KwI/AAAAAAAAELA/BjyFM6uLKQw/IMG_1706_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p>Cousin Quotable 5 goes to George, 7, and is further evidence of how “all boy” he is. Ellie broke her pink water gun. George says: Aunt Amy, I can totally fix this with a few modifications.</p> <p>Duct tape and a piece of plastic were then mentioned. Again, I say “And all the women rolled their eyes.”</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-pQcLNtgPIow/UeyD9fF8eyI/AAAAAAAAELI/xH-fNMMDlGE/s1600-h/IMG_1726%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1726" border="0" alt="IMG_1726" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-a_tb-f8jqm4/UeyD95Q_EtI/AAAAAAAAELQ/-cLvzEAQi-U/IMG_1726_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="238" height="316"></a> </p> <p>A couple of photos from the water park. Jen and I were pretty excited we kept all 7 kids safe for 4 hours. It wasn’t easy.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rHRJJLedWPs/UeyD-ggDLPI/AAAAAAAAELY/JOszitLrEYI/s1600-h/IMG_1720%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1720" border="0" alt="IMG_1720" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-7PATmlw2MM4/UeyD_cTyfTI/AAAAAAAAELg/0IfKwEHVULE/IMG_1720_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-s43olLC0VgM/UeyEAPTpgqI/AAAAAAAAELo/WHvii4xAvjE/s1600-h/IMG_1728%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1728" border="0" alt="IMG_1728" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qF3nK-8ee8s/UeyEAoHL40I/AAAAAAAAELw/Y9ejh_zxbrc/IMG_1728_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-34E85HIrsfI/UeyEBWj5GlI/AAAAAAAAEL4/WMxgVMJzHVs/s1600-h/IMG_1734%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1734" border="0" alt="IMG_1734" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xWQxtO_kH-M/UeyEB4rXtxI/AAAAAAAAEMA/CSztSo_xrDg/IMG_1734_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p>Cousin Quotable 6 goes to Emma, 5 regarding Joey: I don’t mind fighting with that baby, but he’s got game. He has swowads and guns, and he knows how to use them.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-odonEkqEgD4/UeyECpctDDI/AAAAAAAAEMM/mXtwnkdD_Ik/s1600-h/1075717_10151814070054363_886102520_n%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="1075717_10151814070054363_886102520_n" border="0" alt="1075717_10151814070054363_886102520_n" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-lXnL_QUJ5Vg/UeyEDFVzBWI/AAAAAAAAEMU/xs6QGuGCD_c/1075717_10151814070054363_886102520_n_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p>On day 4, we squeezed in a visit with Gunther and Jane Schlender. Their daughter, Nancy is married to Mike Winegeart who did our wedding. We’re good friends with the Winegeart family, and the Schlenders were in Oxford when I was there for my 6 weeks of study abroad. They’ve lived in Detroit for years and were only about 20 minutes away. It was so great to see them!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-zCkyzsRa2Ms/UeyEDscOzoI/AAAAAAAAEMc/gMjp_FFbh_A/s1600-h/IMG_1743%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1743" border="0" alt="IMG_1743" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-90xtafAEdXs/UeyEENg1R7I/AAAAAAAAEMk/7bhHpenqwWk/IMG_1743_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p>I then introduced George and James to geocaching. There were some rough mosquitoes, but I think George in particular really enjoyed it. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-v1ltUjA_68k/UeyEE0RxxRI/AAAAAAAAEMs/juoBQWqFTVM/s1600-h/IMG_1744%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1744" border="0" alt="IMG_1744" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ynKH09NRAG4/UeyEFm2gucI/AAAAAAAAEM0/unXGABKYPlY/IMG_1744_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p>Later that afternoon, we took all 7 kids to see Turbo. We tried to get a sitter for the babies, but we weren’t successful. We just took them. They weren’t terrible, but there was a woman who got in a verbal argument with us after as she thought their noise was unfair to her kids. Oops! We went to a 4:30 matinee of a kids’ movie. Seems like it wasn’t completely out of line, but we did apologize. She just didn’t accept our apologies. :)</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AgNhlWDeD0o/UeyEGEkBx0I/AAAAAAAAEM8/lNlIWrwaZvU/s1600-h/IMG_1749%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1749" border="0" alt="IMG_1749" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WMlRpp7UWzY/UeyEGgO9ymI/AAAAAAAAENE/RX5kyIKG_CE/IMG_1749_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p>Then on Friday, I started round 2 of Carmaggedon. I added a few hours to the trip to be able to go get in a quick visit with the Cornwells. On Friday, we drive the quick 5 hours to Indianapolis. </p> <p>7/19: Carmaggedon Update 1: My goal was to be on the road by 9am. We pulled out of the driveway at 8:50. I think this is proof that it’s James that always makes us late. I get 2 points for that. Me – 2; Kids – 0.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jds12a72axQ/UeyEHXedpxI/AAAAAAAAENM/19PlyLp_g3Q/s1600-h/IMG_1754%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1754" border="0" alt="IMG_1754" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mMzYWGdakCw/UeyEH1iHMNI/AAAAAAAAENU/xefGlrKB4UY/IMG_1754_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p>7/19: Carmaggedon Update 2: Kids gain 2 points. One for Nathan being a general crank. The other for Emma just being cute in the following exchange:</p> <p>Me: Girls, look! We just crossed into Indiana! That’s where they live.</p> <p>Emma: Awa we close?</p> <p>Me: About 2 more hours.</p> <p>Emma: WOW! That’s not long at all! I can’t wait to see my goylfwiends Weagan, Wiley and Weese! </p> <p>(for Reagan, Riley and Reese) </p> <p>7/19: Carmaggedon Update 3: A well deserved point for the kids (and McDonald’s for that matter) for the Despicable Me toys that have me contemplating selling them. (The kids. Not the toys.)</p> <p>Me – 2; Kids – 3</p> <p>7/19: Carmaggedon Update 4: We made it!! A fairly uneventful 5 hour drive , so I’ll give myself one more point for that. Me – 3; Kids – 3.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NKDeKpOZPPM/UeyEIZc6EBI/AAAAAAAAENc/V65E2EKtAaw/s1600-h/IMG_1759%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1759" border="0" alt="IMG_1759" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8h2x2cveaK4/UeyEI8vfOzI/AAAAAAAAENk/PI9nqvbg4Uw/IMG_1759_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p>We swam, had pizza, had a wonderful dessert Reagan made, and then settled the kids down for a movie while Paul and Lori introduced me to Carcassonne.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-NVxHDYu3GP0/UeyEJi3wqZI/AAAAAAAAENs/5-UAESA9Ad8/s1600-h/IMG_1768%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1768" border="0" alt="IMG_1768" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cT3a56mKWnE/UeyEKHPZp1I/AAAAAAAAEN0/AQQkR90W25c/IMG_1768_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>7/20: Carmaggedon Update 5: Day 2 of 3, and we’re on the road by 7. Mountain time, that is. :) 9 here. Here’s the silly face version of my crew and one more point for me for not choosing to leave them at the Cornwells and buy a plane ticket home.</p> <p>Me – 4; Kids – 3.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-grGci33odYk/UeyEKuNF61I/AAAAAAAAEN8/dnUsFm6JE4Y/s1600-h/IMG_1773%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1773" border="0" alt="IMG_1773" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VYD0OncSIpE/UeyELE0LvlI/AAAAAAAAEOE/nbLXmfUBwuU/IMG_1773_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p>7/20: Carmaggedon Update 6: Kids get 2 points. One for Emma managing to not use the restroom AT ALL this morning before we left, and one for Ellie losing her headphones again. In a car.</p> <p>Me – 4; Kids – 5.</p> <p>7/20: Carmaggedon Update 7: 3 more points for me! One for the nap depicted below. (I could just eat him up.) One because the girls opted for another quick snack lunch. And 1 for the “foot high” pie I found at a roadside cafe. Chocolate. Yum. I’ll regret it later. But for now, I’m giving myself a point for it!</p> <p>Me – 7; Kids – 5.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lASWN88WkDw/UeyELpsyq9I/AAAAAAAAEOM/hwi75eIw8bY/s1600-h/IMG_1776%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1776" border="0" alt="IMG_1776" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rqNVZ-R7IAg/UeyELzgI6QI/AAAAAAAAEOU/WgqwmrUeELE/IMG_1776_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="219" height="289"></a></p> <p></p> <p>7/20: Carmaggedon Update 8: Dang. Just like that, the kids get a point as the girls managed to wake Nathan up not 20 minutes into his nap. I am not a happy Momma. Praying he’ll go back to sleep. (And yes. Of course I’ll take another point if he does. Maybe 2!!)</p> <p>Me – 7; Kids – 6.</p> <p>(P.S. He didn’t.)</p> <p>I then randomly passed the Wheel of Fortune truck! I posted: I’m pretty sure I need to follow them and demand to be a contestant at their next taping. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Vanna in the passenger seat. But alas. She’s probably in the back napping.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VfEGFk89f_4/UeyEMSoE0cI/AAAAAAAAEOc/wy2Ugmyki0Q/s1600-h/IMG_1779%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1779" border="0" alt="IMG_1779" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-uNHaUvWXMq4/UeyEMzIZvpI/AAAAAAAAEOk/Uy33hR8S1LI/IMG_1779_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="219" height="291"></a> </p> <p>7/20: Carmaggedon Update 9: I think Nathan is playing his own game with a point system to see how many of his pants I’ll be forced to throw away. Score another one for him.</p> <p>Me – 7; Kids – 8.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-77ANIhlCTXk/UeyENfJ7SgI/AAAAAAAAEOs/6bGnjgTp2JU/s1600-h/IMG_1782%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1782" border="0" alt="IMG_1782" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fYq2PAO9qtc/UeyEN15MRdI/AAAAAAAAEO0/C8ihW1rWtcU/IMG_1782_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="185" height="203"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tpJsxutT3zo/UeyEOZQH0hI/AAAAAAAAEO8/a0dX7Gtxy-Y/s1600-h/IMG_1786%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1786" border="0" alt="IMG_1786" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-36ZlvCeprMA/UeyEO0LX85I/AAAAAAAAEPE/Lleu5Pwo8mU/IMG_1786_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p>7/20: Carmaggedon Update 10: I’m about 3 diapers short of what I’m going to need for this trip. It’s raining, so I went with what the gas station had. Apparently, they’re not familiar with my pants-ruining son. I think Julie is right that Nathan automatically wins, but I’ll keep up the ruse for a few more hours.</p> <p>Me – 7; Kids – 9.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fBCZlmG6z7I/UeyEPnSt4RI/AAAAAAAAEPM/pM_r6h6dzXo/s1600-h/IMG_1787%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1787" border="0" alt="IMG_1787" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MYuEy8PENCc/UeyEQBSRRLI/AAAAAAAAEPU/TX52hYtnCmg/IMG_1787_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p>7/20: Carmaggedon Update 11: I tried to think ahead and make things easier on myself for this trip, so I got one of those reusable bags and put one days' worth of clothes and our toiletries in it for our hotel night. The handle on the bag broke on the way to Detroit. So, I put the bag in an Olive Garden to go sack with handles for the way home. This just happened. So, this point is less for the kids and more against me. </p> <p>Me – 7; Kids – 10.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-coFSnCuScZc/UeyEQsBvvxI/AAAAAAAAEPc/7n2oHZnjJ0E/s1600-h/IMG_1788%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1788" border="0" alt="IMG_1788" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-v1o2roMsOck/UeyERJUjrxI/AAAAAAAAEPg/jwFzzWZhGC8/IMG_1788_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="220" height="292"></a></p> <p>7/21: Carmaggedon Update 12: Slept well and had a good breakfast. About to finish our last 5 hours. Dear God, I know what a miracle I’m asking for.. But Nathan’s shorts. I’m begging you. I don’t have any more that aren’t on the bottom. So. Please. Amen.</p> <p>Me – 8; Kids – 10.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4y_ynhyM_t4/UeyERlA0_0I/AAAAAAAAEPs/815tg13Hs5I/s1600-h/IMG_1789%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1789" border="0" alt="IMG_1789" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Sit0yOILrFI/UeyESuTTygI/AAAAAAAAEPw/mqGWzXCcjTQ/IMG_1789_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p>7/21: Carmaggedon Update 13: I don’t even have any words.</p> <p>Me – 0; Nathan – 1000.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WurQU8fcZ-Q/UeyETBQklCI/AAAAAAAAEP4/u4-SgyIFtb0/s1600-h/IMG_1791%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1791" border="0" alt="IMG_1791" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FMDL01AUzSg/UeyEUMdjVPI/AAAAAAAAEQA/uhlfP_GFQyw/IMG_1791_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="213" height="283"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PJx284dd7Pg/UeyEUnT0W7I/AAAAAAAAEQM/7dmbhjLyG28/s1600-h/IMG_1792%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1792" border="0" alt="IMG_1792" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6g1tyqRH4wo/UeyEVB16yFI/AAAAAAAAEQU/-puK2Rci_60/IMG_1792_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="219" height="291"></a></p> <p>And just like that, Carmaggedon is over! We’re home, and James got home to greet us shortly after we arrived. Thanks for joining me on my crazy (and shall we say overly poop-filled) journey. I must say, it wasn’t that bad. I would do it again if I had to. But not until I’ve had my spa weekend.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-y-25JkppHBk/UeyEVh9GJmI/AAAAAAAAEQc/Qzl9Q1nJEbI/s1600-h/IMG_1795%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1795" border="0" alt="IMG_1795" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ftUqpaBAXAY/UeyEWQZE-4I/AAAAAAAAEQg/BHwEFxY8rUw/IMG_1795_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-F9Gw753ECVs/UeyEXMIOkiI/AAAAAAAAEQs/_XhEc3HoHzs/s1600-h/IMG_1799%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1799" border="0" alt="IMG_1799" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CxHLP-X2mPM/UeyEXn0ZPdI/AAAAAAAAEQ0/awX22O4OJII/IMG_1799_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-78007979006834866802013-07-18T07:35:00.001-06:002013-07-18T07:35:08.039-06:00Sunflower House – Before and After<p>As many of you know, we worked on our house for about 6 weeks solid to get it updated and ready for our family of 5. As with any house, there’s always more we’d like to do, but we got a lot done in a compressed amount of time, because….well….we’re crazy. We also had a lot of great help. Here’s the day we closed.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YFbQGQRZh40/UeSsZkCgudI/AAAAAAAAD6g/YRMeMae2BMk/s1600-h/IMG_0965%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0965" border="0" alt="IMG_0965" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xsxQgln8qVI/UeSsbUV9GaI/AAAAAAAAD6o/cyDp3BVHf-I/IMG_0965_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="295" height="222"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wdKtEpk0_OU/UeSsdEAvbWI/AAAAAAAAD6w/W2_YbcOBJ4I/s1600-h/IMG_1120%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1120" border="0" alt="IMG_1120" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jZP3smYnn5I/UeSseu1CU3I/AAAAAAAAD64/nWD9rM59yIY/IMG_1120_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-FhjkMkvsiy8/UeSsgCSmneI/AAAAAAAAD7A/0RmiObjs-qk/s1600-h/IMG_1238%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1238" border="0" alt="IMG_1238" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-G9D8JG_A994/UeSsho018KI/AAAAAAAAD7I/x6xAsiUcbVE/IMG_1238_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p><strong>Master Bedroom:</strong></p> <p>Here’s the before and after. As you can see, the carpet was particularly in need of replacement.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Fh4Wu9Ai1Cs/UeSsiwIJRbI/AAAAAAAAD7Q/rSEazlE6yUY/s1600-h/IMG_1670%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1670" border="0" alt="IMG_1670" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-sTORKdxDyss/UeSskXYqnVI/AAAAAAAAD7Y/fl3qbP1VD9Q/IMG_1670_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sU8Vc0OlxCA/UeSsl8KOoAI/AAAAAAAAD7g/AYzWJjsVUeo/s1600-h/IMG_1684%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1684" border="0" alt="IMG_1684" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1HkmX1-SGZI/UeSsnVhdfeI/AAAAAAAAD7o/lsPdu8Yz3AU/IMG_1684_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p></p> <p>And my closet and shoe rack:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-HDyUShXoRuE/UeSsoqOOEII/AAAAAAAAD7w/pfcBKqIca3g/s1600-h/IMG_1685%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1685" border="0" alt="IMG_1685" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hm7foB-adn4/UeSsqHKZHRI/AAAAAAAAD74/6kaAVXe984A/IMG_1685_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="227" height="302"></a></p> <p align="left"><strong>Master Bathroom:</strong></p> <p align="left">We didn’t change much here other than the paint and the staining of the cabinet. We hope to maybe get to a remodel on this someday.</p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dTtxU3mMFzo/UeSsrXHF5zI/AAAAAAAAD8A/wghBg0LknZE/s1600-h/IMG_1671%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1671" border="0" alt="IMG_1671" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Isv2aW_Z-eM/UeSsslOJ6yI/AAAAAAAAD8I/VU3CdRRg8PM/IMG_1671_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ocR66trd6a4/UeSsuJFUJEI/AAAAAAAAD8Q/gPdMAFdVgiI/s1600-h/IMG_1686%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1686" border="0" alt="IMG_1686" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9fqtguqrPJc/UeSsveptdnI/AAAAAAAAD8Y/kb0Xddwb7-c/IMG_1686_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="247" height="329"></a></p> <p align="left"><strong>Nathan’s Room:</strong></p> <p align="left">I know, I know. We should have just left it like it was. We don’t have a complete photo of the new version, but it’s about the same as before other than a new valance and the gray wall color.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZaF6bgFNMk4/UeSswt4jVxI/AAAAAAAAD8g/FL74hBSQYpw/s1600-h/IMG_1672%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1672" border="0" alt="IMG_1672" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gv9FEe1Weks/UeSsyOtu53I/AAAAAAAAD8o/XEQ859qzyyE/IMG_1672_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-NbFW421VKhc/UeSszRmB-wI/AAAAAAAAD8w/BKF7bx13GKY/s1600-h/IMG_1687%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1687" border="0" alt="IMG_1687" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TjXzy_OsSLQ/UeSs07eLoiI/AAAAAAAAD84/57of0L9BsK0/IMG_1687_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="274" height="364"></a></p> <p align="left"><strong>Craft Room / Guest Room / Office:</strong></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-dOVsj07rKtg/UeSs2QuKJ6I/AAAAAAAAD9A/D7on75LvSLE/s1600-h/IMG_1675%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1675" border="0" alt="IMG_1675" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GfCxAnuz4SU/UeSs3-mc0hI/AAAAAAAAD9I/CRcz6mwXJx0/IMG_1675_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-THqRimfuHpY/UeSs5byB5xI/AAAAAAAAD9Q/xYSyanu3D64/s1600-h/IMG_1688%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1688" border="0" alt="IMG_1688" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-n7wF5sJf2xU/UeSs6g4P72I/AAAAAAAAD9Y/Ffrd4y2XMBA/IMG_1688_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="250" height="332"></a></p> <p align="left"><strong>Girls’ Room:</strong></p> <p align="left">In the after photo, the window is on the wall left of the camera.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2IDVz9aXveA/UeSs8LFlXDI/AAAAAAAAD9g/2h4bMSO21ck/s1600-h/IMG_1676%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1676" border="0" alt="IMG_1676" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PEFYbVIeS6g/UeSs9VMr5_I/AAAAAAAAD9o/MThjVIZdhl4/IMG_1676_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oRT62ZnsF0A/UeSs-3UVkWI/AAAAAAAAD9w/hdYY8eLRVK4/s1600-h/IMG_1689%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1689" border="0" alt="IMG_1689" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0124eL_H81Y/UeStAdnS7nI/AAAAAAAAD94/MHwmWb-PFNw/IMG_1689_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p align="left"><strong>Stair Well:</strong></p> <p align="left">This photo emphasizes all the trip painting I did. :)</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VziIqklABtY/UeStBipDuVI/AAAAAAAAD-A/Q-H0KXuiV74/s1600-h/IMG_1677%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1677" border="0" alt="IMG_1677" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xinRLsgcuSI/UeStC_X_LeI/AAAAAAAAD-I/EI2JtGmKDG4/IMG_1677_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CEqmwxsRbYw/UeStERJmQII/AAAAAAAAD-Q/MRd_K7K69h8/s1600-h/IMG_1690%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1690" border="0" alt="IMG_1690" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-LZrZxYpP-zY/UeStFmdC--I/AAAAAAAAD-Y/9klF2Ki3QZM/IMG_1690_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="251" height="334"></a></p> <p align="left"><strong>Front Room:</strong></p> <p align="left">This is the room just to the left when you walk in the door. We’re not exactly sure what to do with it. It’s a good conversation room, and we also may put a small pool table in it. We’ll see. Our family computer is there to the right also.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XxqHUTM4pTc/UeStG98IP0I/AAAAAAAAD-g/-UailwgVYus/s1600-h/IMG_1678%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1678" border="0" alt="IMG_1678" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Yzqyns5cOkE/UeStIeLViUI/AAAAAAAAD-o/nOJtEeU4Drg/IMG_1678_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-zapdSCu1gvQ/UeStJq5aZaI/AAAAAAAAD-w/yOmaLUh9hPA/s1600-h/IMG_1691%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1691" border="0" alt="IMG_1691" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-4YplgmIiWY8/UeStK-q1g3I/AAAAAAAAD-4/WY-3rXkS_qc/IMG_1691_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p align="left"><strong>Dining Room:</strong></p> <p align="left">I especially love the light fixture we replaced in here which we of course got from Craigslist.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-U3o-lmHNxmg/UeStMalJD7I/AAAAAAAAD_A/ypir40fwIzc/s1600-h/IMG_1679%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1679" border="0" alt="IMG_1679" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PZPHodHAYvk/UeStNtQ64TI/AAAAAAAAD_I/Ka4YtTdC688/IMG_1679_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xDxwy4CybNA/UeStPCbl0MI/AAAAAAAAD_Q/OyM3TbbAJ9E/s1600-h/IMG_1692%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1692" border="0" alt="IMG_1692" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ZSvWIrUiIts/UeStQWJRSiI/AAAAAAAAD_Y/rVaI-iNsUQ0/IMG_1692_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p align="left"><strong>Kitchen:</strong></p> <p align="left">We did a lot in here. We replaced all of the appliances, we gel stained the cabinets and replaced the hardware, and we of course painted. There’s also a big double bi-fold door to the left of the second before photo that had the washer/dryer before. We had it moved down into the basement (I would have preferred upstairs, but there was no space. We made a huge pantry out of the space instead, which I love.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-tDZhCFVzRL4/UeStReuFdtI/AAAAAAAAD_g/5wTFHJCFvG8/s1600-h/IMG_1680%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1680" border="0" alt="IMG_1680" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-dKpncZRYIsY/UeStSRR43VI/AAAAAAAAD_o/w8T1-T9dM3c/IMG_1680_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9j0gnI5iFoU/UeStT20Lq-I/AAAAAAAAD_w/PO6ynk1SIW4/s1600-h/IMG_1681%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1681" border="0" alt="IMG_1681" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-feeMVGBFAaQ/UeStVUKSb_I/AAAAAAAAD_4/sDJ4sCU0ojY/IMG_1681_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-qy1ln32xSpw/UeStWgIVjrI/AAAAAAAAEAA/RNSzGcwxyiw/s1600-h/IMG_1693%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1693" border="0" alt="IMG_1693" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rPsTMrFaNTU/UeStX_ureNI/AAAAAAAAEAI/llpRz31Pafg/IMG_1693_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-qCcazgjNVbs/UeStZUMeykI/AAAAAAAAEAQ/e3VYDjGsJsw/s1600-h/IMG_1694%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1694" border="0" alt="IMG_1694" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-H5-dYQ4XqOU/UeStakxXplI/AAAAAAAAEAY/QpEo7w4mZ4o/IMG_1694_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p align="center"><strong><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nIPFzAYP_sw/UeStb8ZYSwI/AAAAAAAAEAg/gVRaPpKOR3Q/s1600-h/IMG_1032%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1032" border="0" alt="IMG_1032" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-UE_vvlBqGgs/UeStdGdechI/AAAAAAAAEAo/3n6AVBHUVhU/IMG_1032_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="241" height="321"></a> </strong></p> <p align="left"><strong>Hardwood Floors:</strong></p> <p align="left">We worked really hard on these, too. They were in bad need of refinishing, and we were really happy with how they came out. We had to do each coat of stain and poly as we went to bed each night so that we wouldn’t walk on it. It’s in a main thoroughfare of the house.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hLWC-NTgcGo/UeStepyYfRI/AAAAAAAAEAw/cuQIsSEAJwU/s1600-h/IMG_1040%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1040" border="0" alt="IMG_1040" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-QIrKYpuxHRA/UeStgD89XZI/AAAAAAAAEA4/129uezljP-U/IMG_1040_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="250" height="333"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-89RtLVBPRa0/UeStho_pruI/AAAAAAAAEBA/JUKE6Y5WOMM/s1600-h/IMG_1695%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1695" border="0" alt="IMG_1695" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-B7HwEHvLF_0/UeStiytNJLI/AAAAAAAAEBI/noHcnzmBhQo/IMG_1695_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><strong>Living Room:</strong></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-So8Neeue1KI/UeStkbIBtzI/AAAAAAAAEBQ/44Vis0dTlUI/s1600-h/IMG_1682%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1682" border="0" alt="IMG_1682" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-g5cw2XiAqwA/UeStlhR5PCI/AAAAAAAAEBY/Ghp5BauSRTI/IMG_1682_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vp80UabLVZM/UeStnFVRj8I/AAAAAAAAEBg/p86IHiA6oJc/s1600-h/photo%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="photo" border="0" alt="photo" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-3fKnLY6V7Qc/UeStoky3sVI/AAAAAAAAEBo/lJYRBkvX_bk/photo_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p></p> <p><strong>Basement (Playroom and Media):</strong></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-DkKn2uh8glk/UeStp13fuiI/AAAAAAAAEBw/WNsCXb8SRCU/s1600-h/IMG_0976%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0976" border="0" alt="IMG_0976" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-YHccjkZEvvA/UeStre6fWpI/AAAAAAAAEB4/iVGNyy6pxLM/IMG_0976_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="273" height="363"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-53JoUrV0N-I/UeStslZM--I/AAAAAAAAECA/QgdSBAKTnpo/s1600-h/IMG_1124%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1124" border="0" alt="IMG_1124" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WuvrUYvFZmY/UeStuCwEY6I/AAAAAAAAECI/2wblKdEg8xM/IMG_1124_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="263" height="349"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XW6r9UlNcK0/UeStvi-0E8I/AAAAAAAAECQ/uFaUJ2uyFgo/s1600-h/IMG_1125%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1125" border="0" alt="IMG_1125" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-f12qWx9QfR8/UeStxD32oGI/AAAAAAAAECY/LqL4h_23580/IMG_1125_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-DfWEVbnSqZA/UeStzD3MV_I/AAAAAAAAECg/8SCgn_neHA0/s1600-h/IMG_1126%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1126" border="0" alt="IMG_1126" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ul19HFjRUoA/UeSt0vHBsjI/AAAAAAAAECo/rajBmGmsvNc/IMG_1126_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KGRk6JEnTXc/UeSt2TeNuyI/AAAAAAAAECw/a4uCftJNgzY/s1600-h/IMG_1127%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1127" border="0" alt="IMG_1127" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-3u6EEkSa8Os/UeSt3gcmt6I/AAAAAAAAEC4/OJLvW3MsQ1A/IMG_1127_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vipyIv3ZVMw/UeSt5Ev_q3I/AAAAAAAAEDA/--eCf7p6TZg/s1600-h/IMG_1059%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1059" border="0" alt="IMG_1059" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-mCVlfLGLIw8/UeSt6o_FQJI/AAAAAAAAEDI/WhXxm8UtY6M/IMG_1059_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p><strong></strong> </p> <p><strong>Deck / Back Yard:</strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-P8jT-LBdlpw/UeSt8F9O3gI/AAAAAAAAEDQ/PKX7vM8eezQ/s1600-h/IMG_0977%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0977" border="0" alt="IMG_0977" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_J5pRrrqYXo/UeSt9QwSebI/AAAAAAAAEDY/fLnMJpG29jk/IMG_0977_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="326" height="245"></a></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gwD_EqI9KDo/UeSt_NxCAEI/AAAAAAAAEDg/w6w99HtIqaI/s1600-h/IMG_1203%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1203" border="0" alt="IMG_1203" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wd90hdDDGYU/UeSuA__UK3I/AAAAAAAAEDo/szXs2Hmhmuk/IMG_1203_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RgOT8Xozug8/UeSuCmnSviI/AAAAAAAAEDw/YiNnApVsf4w/s1600-h/IMG_1204%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1204" border="0" alt="IMG_1204" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tV0vMSoSME8/UeSuDxZ9BNI/AAAAAAAAED4/P2OV6WgNQws/IMG_1204_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NgTQbRBFFjk/UeSuFmSpZKI/AAAAAAAAEEA/LLqPWjsPCzs/s1600-h/IMG_1207%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; 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border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1228" border="0" alt="IMG_1228" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-12sdUtRD5W0/UefvBGwDe-I/AAAAAAAAEFY/FhoAVP-PeuI/IMG_1228_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="223"></a> </p> <p align="center"><strong><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-boiZFZRdnCg/UefvBozpZCI/AAAAAAAAEFg/7Gb2_qFd3Dk/s1600-h/IMG_1183%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_1183" border="0" alt="IMG_1183" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7qH-u8NQyvY/UefvCoZU6BI/AAAAAAAAEFo/WM0T2mJGOSk/IMG_1183_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="325" height="245"></a> </strong></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>We’re so grateful to be here and to be living in our lovely little piece of Colorado.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-80317746757532919732013-07-02T20:40:00.001-06:002013-07-02T20:40:26.222-06:00Joy in Suffering…What about Blessing?<p>We know the verse. James 1:2. <em>Consider it pure joy, brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.</em> Many people post similar things on Facebook or the many blogs out there. God works through our weakness. We should take comfort in the fact that God is working to make us better in our trials. I’ve even heard some go so far as to say that if we’re not experiencing trials, we must not be impacting the kingdom of God at a level where the devil is concerned about attacking us. Frightening. On a number of levels, that one.</p> <p>I’m writing this out with 9 fingers. I slammed my right index finger in the car door a couple of weeks ago. (The same evening we said goodbye to our friends the Turners. I hold them somewhat responsible even though they weren’t there.) It hurt. Really bad. Turns out I broke the tip of the bone…which sounds ominous but really means nothing except that it still hurts. They don’t put you in a cast for a broken finger tip bone, apparently. The 9 finger thing tells you how heavily this subject is weighing on my heart right now. And it’s one of those blog posts that I know how it begins, but I don’t yet know how it ends. Let’s find out together, shall we?</p> <p>We’ve been in the beautiful state of Colorado for 8 months now, and we’ve been in our own home for 3. We’ve been done with our major projects on our home for about 6 weeks. Life is really just now returning to normal. And it’s good. It’s so good. The weather here is ridiculously amazing. We have an amazing deck, and a porch swing (where I sit as I type this). Our kids are all healthy and happy. James and I both have jobs we love (most of the time). We’re working on paying off student loans, but we lack for nothing. Seriously, perhaps my biggest trial right now is my silly finger or maybe my ongoing annoyance with my weight or maybe that I can’t take a bath in my own home and I really like baths. It seems unfair, right?</p> <p>Exactly.</p> <p>And I’m grateful. Super grateful. I tell God all the time. I’m grateful for the big and little things. Tonight Nathan cuddled with me before I put him to bed for a good 10 minutes. I soaked up every second, willing myself to burn it into my brain forever. And I posted recently <a href="http://webewiebes.blogspot.com/2012/12/shes-not-mine.html" target="_blank">here</a> that these blessings I’ve been given (the people in my life, I mean) aren’t mine and aren’t guaranteed. I have a friend who recently lost her husband. She’s my age with a 4 year old. She seems to get this concept. Granted, I’m not in her inmost thoughts, but from my viewpoint, she’s handling it with such grace. She seems to be allowing herself to feel the sad moments, but I haven’t heard her question God or say anything about it not being fair. This is a lesson God has been teaching me. </p> <p>But why? Does this mean someone in my life won’t be there as long as I’d hope? And I don’t say that in a pessimistic or morbid way. I really am curious.</p> <p>I know the trials will come. They always do. We’ve been called to plant a church. That will come with inevitable trials, no doubt. But am I crazy to almost feel like I’m waiting for the shoe to drop? I’m not walking around waiting for lightning to strike. I promise. But, does my lack of trials mean I’m not doing enough for the kingdom? Does it mean I’m not enough of a threat to Satan for him to worry with me? I reject those notions, although the insecure part of me questions it from time to time. I think the more reasonable explanation is that God is giving us a time of peace. For a reason. Because the trials are coming. The planner in me would like to know WHEN they’re coming, but that’s not for me to know. </p> <p>There have been people in my life through the years that have seemed to have a picture perfect life. They seemed to have it all, and everything seemed to be perfect. Of course it wasn’t. We’re all sinners saved by grace. I cringe at the possibility that someone could think that of me (and even writing that sounds borderline arrogant…please know I don’t mean it that way). There are more imperfections in me than I can count, but I also get how blessed I am. Crazy blessed. I’m so grateful, and I’ll choose to rest in this time – however long it lasts – and keep pursuing my Savior and try to be ready to take joy in my future sufferings. I certainly take joy in the blessings….but then again. That’s the easy part.</p> <p>P.S. If there are typos in the above, blame it on my injured finger.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-33477251166368417582013-01-10T13:30:00.001-06:002013-01-10T13:30:38.246-06:00Joy in the Waiting<p>Have you ever felt to much anticipation over things coming up in your life that you find yourself wanting to speed God up? I’m sure we all have… I’m there.</p> <p>We’re in a period of waiting – hopefully the end of such period that we’ve been in for some time. As my previous posts have suggested, God is doing some amazing things in the Wiebes’ lives. It’s humbling and exciting. James is only 2 weeks into his new job, Ellie is now attending the elementary school nearest my aunt and uncle’s house and just started there yesterday. We’re getting to know our new pastor and his wife and believe God orchestrated the relationship in such an amazing way. I’m sort of itching to get to know her even better, and James seems to feel the same. We’re getting to know our new church family, and there’s so much fun in that, too. We’re a family of 5 living in a home with my aunt and uncle and their family law practice (complete with multiple employees who are here throughout the week). We’re completely grateful, but being in transition this long is of course not easy. I attended my first “Over the Coffee Cup” Bible Study last night and greatly enjoyed the time in the word with other women.</p> <p>There’s a large part of me that wants to move things ahead.</p> <ul> <li>I’m ready to get past the “get to know you” phase and be in deep relationship with our Pastor and his wife as well as the church family.</li> <li>I want to jump feet first into helping in ministry. I feel God asking me to wait, so I’ll obey, but I want to HELP!</li> <li>And yes, of course we want our house sold and to start dreaming about where our family will move. I’d even like God to just go ahead and give me a specific date on this one. So far, he’s not biting.</li></ul> <p>But that’s just it, right? There are lessons in the waiting. Important ones that I don’t want to miss. I know what some of them are now, so I’m doing my best to try and get them learned! And some I don’t know but I want to learn those, too. I remind myself that a few months of this life will be looked back upon and considered a blip. </p> <p>I also know that God is working it all for good. Some may wonder why God would ask us to move to Denver and then not sell our house. Believe me – I’ve had times where I’ve wondered, too. But I can tell you what I THINK the answer could be. There were some terrible comparables for our house in the late fall. They were preventing us from getting a fair price on our home. I think in our desperation, James and I were tempted to accept way less than what our house was really worth. (When will we learn, right?!) Due to some various issues, we’ve chosen to change realtors. First of all, our new realtors are Christians and have already prayed over our listing with us on the phone. We’re optimistic about their ability to sell our house and are excited they’ll get the commission. They’ve also shown us that there are much better comparables that have come through in the last month or so. This will allow for us to get a better price on the home, and we’re expecting the house to appraise for a more fair price as well. In addition to that, I think God is also working out the timing so that the home he wants us to purchase is available at the right price at the right time when we’re able to make an offer. I’ll finish that part of the story once it has happened, but I truly believe that’s the case.</p> <p>My Bible study last night was on choosing holy living over our own happiness. I equate this to wanting God’s will above my own. It’s a hard place to get to, but it’s so freeing once you’re there. I don’t claim to have permanently learned the lesson, mind you. I think it’s one you must learn over and over again – every time your desire creeps up to high in the priority list. But I’ve learned it a couple of times recently and am committed to keep myself in that place.</p> <p>For a practical example, there’s a house in the mountains that my flesh wants to fall in love with and cling to. I WANT to go to any lengths to make it ours. But I won’t. In fact, I refuse. By God’s grace, I’ve gotten to a point where I don’t want to be ANY where that he doesn’t want me to be. Ever. Do I hope that he is planning this home for us? I do. I really do. But it’s one of those situations where many doors would have to open. It’s not even on the market right now! And God will either open them, or he won’t. And if he doesn’t, I may be sad for a day or two, but I would never force a door open that he hadn’t opened. I’ll trust him as this isn’t just our home. It will be the starting point for a church he’s allowing us to lead in a few years. How could we want to buy a home anywhere than exactly where he leads. There will be people nearby affected significantly by something as insignificant as our home purchase. It’s mind boggling, really.</p> <p>So, today’s lesson he’s trying to teach me? Enjoy the journey. Enjoy the wait. Be grateful for it. And I am. We’re way less busy than usual, because we don’t know many people here. I have time to write this blog, for example. And I played Uno with my four year old this morning. And we’ve been skiing twice and are going for the following 4 Saturdays (for some consistent lessons for the girls). James 1:2 says to “Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” Our trials are minor right now. In fact, I’m not even sure you can really call them trials. But the principle is the same. I’ve challenged myself to get to the point where I WANT the kinds of trials that develop perseverance. Is that crazy? Perhaps. But if they produce good in us, even if painful – wouldn’t we want to go through the pain for the end result? I hope so.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-89281423257773219902012-12-17T09:07:00.001-06:002012-12-17T09:09:10.281-06:00She’s Not Mine<p>I didn’t want to write this blog. I still don’t. But it started writing itself in my head, and those of you who blog know that there’s almost no stopping it once that starts. I haven’t posted a single thing about the tragedy in Connecticut on Facebook. I haven’t watched a single news story on it. (And I admit – I’m kind of proud of myself for that since by all accounts the media is not doing well with the topic.) Almost everything I know about it is from word of mouth or things my friends have posted on Facebook. I’ll even admit that I haven’t shed a tear. Not for lack of care – not even close. But I’ve sort of shielded myself and “cared from afar”. Selfish? Maybe.</p> <p>I felt like so many others have said things far better than I can. Case in point… My friend Jen wrote a lovely blog that shares her thoughts so eloquently <a href="http://jrowewalters.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/what-six-looks-like/" target="_blank">here</a>. I don’t want to compete with her words or anyone else’s. Part of me hopes no one reads this and it’s just my way of getting this out of my head so I can move on with my day. But there’s the other part that will share it in hopes it helps someone out there, too.</p> <p>“My” six year old is upstairs in bed coughing next to “my” four year old. “My” one year old is in the next room with my husband. Ellie (the 6 year old) is recovering from a virus. Her fever broke yesterday, which is good news, but her cough is relentless. We all lost at least an hour of sleep over it last night – probably far more for her. As I lay there last night begging God to give her some relief and allow her to sleep, I found myself grateful. Grateful that I could hear her in there and, while struggling, know that she was fine in the grand scheme.</p> <p>We’ve been home schooling this semester, but we’re sending Ellie back to public school in January. We live in Littleton, Colorado now. You could practically throw a rock from her school to Columbine High School. It’s impossible to remain unaffected by that. Will it be tough to send her to school on January 7th? Without a doubt.</p> <p>Here’s what I’m reminded of, though. We call our families “ours”. It’s not even totally untrue. The family I have on earth is the one that has been given to me. So…they’re mine. But then again, they’re not. They’re not mine in any sense that I can control. They’re gifts. Each and every one of them from my extended family to these precious 4 people I live with. I’m not promised another day with any of them. It’s not something I even deserve. Such a tough truth to swallow.</p> <p>Even when Ellie, Emma or Nathan are in my care, I’m still not in control. Something unimaginable could happen to any of them at any time – a thought I refuse to dwell on lest I crumble into a heap of despair. But this is what trust is all about. They belong 100% to my God and Father. And I trust him. Completely. That’s not to say I trust him to keep them with me well into my old age, although this is absolutely my hope. I trust him to take care of me and them in his way which is not always clear to me.</p> <p>Some question how God could “let” something like the tragedy in Connecticut happen. When he chose to give us the will to choose him – such a gift, by the way – he also knew that in that gift of choice, we’d bring poor consequences upon ourselves. If God stepped in and stopped every evil act, would we really still have free will? I think not… </p> <p>I posted on a similar theme about a year ago and will end with this: I will use my gift of free will to choose to cherish every moment I have with “my” family. I vow not to question God and his sovereignty in the midst of tragedy – mine or someone else’s. I vow to grieve and mourn the tragedy and not remain unaffected. And I vow to raise my children and influence my part of the world for good and the truth that comes from Christ in hopes of doing my part to minimize the horrible choices that lead to the evil in this world.</p> <p>They’re not mine. They’re his. And I’m grateful for that, too.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fpkvskBDZtM/UM81MKG77_I/AAAAAAAAD4w/iPFQ6mHWV88/s1600-h/photo%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="photo" border="0" alt="photo" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-eD3XYfrqUl8/UM81M0xRtrI/AAAAAAAAD44/I_MHHhj0JUg/photo_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="230"></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-81241810819817602172012-12-07T15:41:00.002-06:002012-12-07T15:42:33.530-06:00Christmas Letter 2012<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Wiebes find themselves living back in beautiful Denver, CO as 2012 comes to an
end. We are as surprised as anyone about this development, but God’s direction
has been clear and abundantly confirmed. Amy’s earlier blog post has all the
details about how it happened, but the mile-high version (pun intended), is
that God has called us to move here to continue the pastoral work He has been
leading me into for the last several years. We wrapped up our loose ends in
Dallas in late October, and drove our two Uhaul vans to Denver with the three
kids taking turns in each truck. God has made His sense of humor clear though
in this transition. The church we are leaving behind in Texas is The Ranch
Community church, and I will begin a 2-4
year position here in Denver starting in January at The Church at the Ranch in
Highlands Ranch, CO. I will be training during this time to plant a church
somewhere in the area. It is not what I expected, but God rarely checks with us
to see if our plans line up with His. Yet, I could not be more excited about
the possibilities that lie ahead. What has also been incredible to watch is how
God has graced our entire family during this transition.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The kids
have had a very busy year with all that has happened. Ellie played another
season of soccer in the spring and scored several goals this year. With the
trips back and forth to Denver in July and again in August and then permanently
in late October, the girls spent the
summer swimming, driving, hiking, and generally enjoying the outdoors. Because
we knew that we would be moving to Denver in August, we started Ellie in an
online home-school that we teach to her at home. She has been doing great with
it, but with both of us working full-time jobs, she will return to public
school in January. Emma was very sad to
leave her fantastic preschool in Texas, but has quickly adapted to her new
preschool here and is being her usual social, hilarious self. Both girls will
be taking more ski lessons this winter and are really looking forward to that.
They have also been waiting for some big snow to fall here since I promised to
use my expertise from a childhood in upstate New York to help them build a
snow-fort. Nathan turned 1 in mid-October, and continues to amaze us. His
sisters smother (sometimes literally) him with affection, and he loves to
roughhouse. He’s been teasing us for months, but it seems that he’ll be a slow
walker, as his sisters were. He has been a total champ in the chaos of our
move, and we thank God for his sweet disposition. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There
were definitely some other noteworthy events this year as well. Back in
February, we drove with some great friends, the Hubers, to Red River, NM to do
some skiing. The weather and conditions were perfect. We all had a great time
tearing up the slopes during the day, and relaxing sore muscles at night in the
cabin we rented together. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In May,
Amy and Nathan were blessed to join a number of other family members at her cousin Lee’s
graduation from West Point Military Academy. It was a weekend to remember. West
Point is one of the most beautiful places in the country. Lee upped the ante by
getting married to his wonderful wife Kim in July at a beautiful ranch up in
the mountains west of Denver which we were blessed to attend as a family. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As I
wrap up this letter, I cannot help but to share with you how remarkably
grateful and mystified we are by God’s goodness, faithfulness, and the depth of
complexity by which God works out his plans in our lives. We had absolutely no
plan to move to another state, but in hindsight, God has been training us to
trust him completely for a long time. To trust that He knows what He is doing,
and that he will both provide for us and use us as He sees fit, is the reason
we are here now. It is also the reason that we will be blessed to work with a
great church here, and eventually plant a church ourselves. The blunt truth is
that we are imperfect people in the supremely capable hands of a God who has a
plan to redeem humanity one heart at a time. As the popular saying goes, “God
doesn’t call the equipped. He equips those He calls”. We’ve been blessed over
the past 6 years to work alongside an incredible group of people who love God
with their whole selves, and we have watched God shape those people and we’ve
felt him shaping us. What we are certain of as we walk through this huge
transition is that we will continue to be refined and that God will continue to
use us and bless us and stretch us in ways that glorify Him. And at the end of
the day, that is the purpose of our existence. The cool part is that we get to
be part of a plan that stretches back before time began, and forward into and
endless eternity with a God who loved us enough to send his only Son to earth
to reconcile a lost world to Himself. This Christmas, know that God loves you,
and be blessed in the knowledge that he will use you remarkably as you place
yourself in His supremely capable hands. We wish you the merriest of
Christmases! James, Amy, Ellie, Emma,
and Nathan Wiebe. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK07ZiAIk7aS5nfz-45SFdU48Ixi-0MjttGY7Mu9M-HEz7tAYeJz7vUIUtp9ThpyVfJ8MRq5k0CnN7-Dq4eNqkcvyH1bmH6KEpeM0wQOKJ0dH4rRe55NRCjhlNT2dPIZiQjcjrn4LF38Q/s1600/Christmas+Cards+2012+front.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK07ZiAIk7aS5nfz-45SFdU48Ixi-0MjttGY7Mu9M-HEz7tAYeJz7vUIUtp9ThpyVfJ8MRq5k0CnN7-Dq4eNqkcvyH1bmH6KEpeM0wQOKJ0dH4rRe55NRCjhlNT2dPIZiQjcjrn4LF38Q/s320/Christmas+Cards+2012+front.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5mKhFVFTCsvgsVluDMC2p_KclfBtD0Ib66CZW2JAj0rXRvrxh74FH3jjT6oSEGWhWPPtcrnj2xZnECAb91qlGqBU1ynj8yD5x7vkKOIoCPL6XF5skz9Nv3eqkWa4WhqcpefPkQTLYuM/s1600/Christmas+Card+Back+no+addy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5mKhFVFTCsvgsVluDMC2p_KclfBtD0Ib66CZW2JAj0rXRvrxh74FH3jjT6oSEGWhWPPtcrnj2xZnECAb91qlGqBU1ynj8yD5x7vkKOIoCPL6XF5skz9Nv3eqkWa4WhqcpefPkQTLYuM/s320/Christmas+Card+Back+no+addy.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-5140084564690069332012-11-10T23:52:00.001-06:002012-11-26T21:14:24.643-06:00How God Moved the Wiebes to Denver<div id="dE_H" style="height: 100%; width: 100%;">
I've been debating on when to write this post. It seems like the story isn't over yet. But it may never really be over. So, we'll just call this part 1 and continue from here as we go.<br />
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My last post was about our trip to Denver and New Mexico. I posted about the happenings of that trip but saved most of the important stuff for this post. </div>
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James has been on staff at our Texas church (both under the name Four Corners and The Ranch) for 6 years. There have been financial struggles at the church really that entire time, but we thought the sale of the Four Corners building and our move to the leased space at the Ranch would resolve all of that. We learned shortly before our July 4th trip that it wasn't the case. I'll spare you some of the details as they're really to personal to publicize, but the events of the late spring and early summer had us seeking God intently for direction. We very much love the people in this church and honestly had no desire to make a change. James and I spent our time in New Mexico in July listening for what God wanted us to do. By the end of that trip, we were certain our time at The Ranch would be short. This was a sad realization but also a very clear one. </div>
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About 3 years ago, God spoke clearly to James that he was being called to be a lead pastor. This is something James never expected, but he was obedient and has been mentoring under our pastor ever since to learn how to write and deliver sermons, etc. So, of course knowing we needed to leave our church also meant a job change for James. We were not naive to the fact that God could call us anywhere. There are a lot of churches in Dallas, and God is certainly able to open up a position there for James. We knew he may or may not choose to do that, so we worked at opening up our hearts to whatever God had. </div>
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I'll admit...I love Texas. I mean, I really really love Texas. I wanted to raise my kids in Texas and live there forever. When we first started discussing that a move was a possibility, I was dead set against it. But, as he does so well, God changed my heart rather abruptly. We left Denver in July thinking, "Okay, we have to leave the Ranch soon, and God may ask us to move. If he does, Denver wouldn't be so bad." That was exactly where we were at. </div>
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When we got home, we really didn't share these thoughts with others at first. We were just praying and continuing to seek direction. What was amazing, though, is that God used our friends and acquaintances to insert references to Denver into countless conversations we had during the few weeks after our return. And these people weren't just referring to our trip there. They'd mention Denver in what seemed to be completely random ways. None of them knew we were even thinking about moving at that point. By the end, it almost felt like God was yelling "You're supposed to go to DENVER!"</div>
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So, I remember one conversation we had in our closet in late July. I asked James how sure he was that we were going to Denver. He was at 70% at that point. We continued to get confirmation that we needed to go. We went on a previously planned beach trip with our friends, the Turners, and spent more time in prayer. James had a dream that resulted in us knowing this would be a leap of faith. God was asking us to go to Denver before there would be clarity on James' job. Do you think we were acting crazy? I thought so. I wasn't comfortable with going before the job, either, but God changed my heart again really quickly. </div>
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Gratefully, I had the whole month of August off of work as I still had a month of leave left. The first week was our beach trip. The second week, we started getting the house staged to put it on the market. We got it ready and on the market by the end of the second week in August. We decided James would go up to Denver the second half of August to job hunt. Since I was off, we decided to go as a family. </div>
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My aunt and uncle live in Littleton, a southwest suburb of Denver. They were kind enough to let us stay with them in August and also offered to let us stay in their basement for a while when we moved. James got two separate job leads during that time, so it was a fruitful trip. Also during that trip, I got confirmation that my employer was going to let me work remotely from Denver 3 weeks out of 4 at my same job. That was a huge blessing and another door opened. </div>
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At the beginning of August when we realized we'd be moving soon, we struggled with what to do with Ellie's schooling. We learned that there's a public online school in Colorado called COVA that we started Ellie in. It's basically homeschooling with teacher support. It's been fun so far, but we're thinking that once James starts his job, we'll put her back in public. The flexibility in location has been exactly what we needed during this season, and she's doing great with it. </div>
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We originally thought we'd make the move in early October. My aunt and uncle started finishing out their basement in August. We realized that it wouldn't be finished until late October or November, so we decided to set our move date for 10/28. </div>
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We got a contract on our house in late September and set the close date for the Friday before we left. We were super excited, but sadly it fell through the Monday before we left. We were disappointed, but we know God has it under control. In fact, God has already shown us a potential reason why, so we're trusting. </div>
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After also being hit with the stomach virus the week before our move, a bunch of our sweet friends came to say goodbye and help us load the Uhauls on the 27th. We filled one 26ft. truck and then had to get another 20ft. truck which we also filled. We got a car transport and loaded the Maxima on it. We finished loading and cleaning by 8pm and went ahead and got on the road to get started. We made it to Wichita Falls. Nathan's car seat was in the middle seat in my truck, and the girls took turns in the passenger seat of both trucks. We were a sight, but the trip went well. The kids did fabulous. We made it to Denver by 10pm on the 28th. </div>
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We've been getting settled in. James had his interview with one church on Thursday night. It's for a mentorship position where he would ultimately plant and lead a church in 2-4 years. The interview went really well, and we should hear back in a few weeks. If he gets it, he would start in early January. The basement is still in progress, so we're staying upstairs right now. James and Bill have been taking the girls on lots of hikes, and we also already found a preschool for Emma that we really like. We'll start looking for a house sometime after James starts his job and our house sells. UPDATE: James got the job! He's working out details this week and should start at the first of the year!!</div>
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I'm so excited to see what God has for us here. It's going to be life changing. I feel like we're at that point in our life where you look back from here and the past 6-8 years have been preparing us for this. And we'll look back to this moment and know that this is when everything changed. What an amazing place to be! We welcome your prayers as we continue this journey. Stay tuned for part 2!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-69704816529104916312012-08-27T22:53:00.001-06:002012-08-27T22:53:51.089-06:004th of July 2012…A Road Trip, a Wedding, and an Older Kid-Free Vacation!<p>As I mentioned in the earlier WestPoint post, my cousin Lee got engaged and set his wedding date for 7/7/12. Easy to remember, as it’s also my Dad’s birthday. So, the Wiebehaus loaded up in the car and departed at 6am on 7/3 for the 13 hour trip to Denver. The kids, yet again, did GREAT in the car. Nathan didn’t fuss except for about 5 minutes the whole way there. It was kind of amazing. My aunt and uncle again rented a pool house to allow us to all stay together, which was SO nice. There was one crew at the Littleton house (my aunt and uncle’s house) and then we and another crew stayed at the Ohio house (the street, not the state) near Cherry Creek. This house was POSH. I’m not kidding. We shared the upstairs with my eldest (he’s way older than me) cousin Joe and his wife, my parents, and Ashley (Blair’s girlfriend who was our roomie in Red Hook). We were blessed to be given the master suite since we had the kids. The suite included a sitting room with balcony and wet bar, an ENORMOUS closet (this is where Nathan slept in his pack-n-play), an amazing master bath complete with steam shower and jetted tub with a light that changed colors, and of course a beautiful bedroom with windows all around. </p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/480456_10151100691094363_986307948_n.jpg"></p> <p align="center">View from our bedroom:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/396049_10151100692154363_629177929_n.jpg"></p> <p align="center">Our bedroom:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/486506_10151100693019363_1007423391_n.jpg"></p> <p align="center">The sitting room:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/295391_10151100693809363_808691351_n.jpg"></p> <p align="center">The kitchen (and the old cousin I was talking about):</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/530592_10151100688934363_176963241_n.jpg"></p> <p align="left">We basically spent a very lovely 4th of July just hanging out by the pool all day. It was so nice…</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/487182_10151100754669363_445259577_n.jpg"></p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/577276_10151100756214363_399235799_n.jpg"></p> <p align="left">Thursday was another pool day, and we spent Friday doing pedicures and then heading out to the rehearsal dinner. The kids went with us, and the girls were cared for by a sitter my aunt had hired. How nice is THAT? Nathan hung with us and was seriously an angel baby – staying up until after 10. The rehearsal dinner was great. It was up in the mountains a bit, and the food was so good. It was kind of in a big barn, and a thunderstorm rolled through in the middle. It was actually really neat and just added to the experience. Here’s a photo of Ashley, my cousin Bonnie and Nathan at the dinner:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/403895_10150930799139067_1514191291_n.jpg"></p> <p align="left">The wedding itself on Saturday was also in a barn a bit further into the mountains. For some reason, our sweet baby was MISERABLE the whole way there and through the wedding. He clearly wasn’t feeling good since this is super out of character for him. We get to the wedding, and he’s still screaming…super. My dad offers to take him for a walk. This is a few minutes before the wedding, so I just think he’s going to go to the back for a minute and bring him back to me before it starts. He doesn’t, and I keep looking for them, but the wedding has started, so I’m stuck. It was a beautiful wedding with super cute bridesmaid dresses (short pink chiffon with brown cowboy boots). Here’s a photo I took with my phone that I thought turned out pretty great for a phone pic:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/532448_10151109138754363_1611195039_n.jpg"></p> <p align="left">Turns out Dad had taken Nathan to the car and missed the whole wedding! What a great Crouchburger!! I felt really bad, but then again. As long as Dad gets cake at a wedding, he’s happy. Keep in mind that the wedding was on his birthday… Here’s a photo of him and James a little bit later at the reception:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/553725_10151109140049363_1315353507_n.jpg"></p> <p align="left">And here’s a sweet photo of the female Wiebes:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/555506_10151108983209363_1177348730_n.jpg"></p> <p align="center">The sweet bride Kim and Nathan:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/394726_10151109143274363_1050218706_n.jpg"></p> <p align="center">The whole fam:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/527998_10151109148279363_850435263_n.jpg"></p> <p align="left">Here’s a bad mom story for you. Nathan was WIPED, and there were some bedrooms upstairs. I put him to bed in his stroller thinking he can’t get out of it. (I know, I know…) I laid it down flat and it seemed like he’d gone to sleep. James checked on him at one point and he was fine. Then Ashley went to check on him later. He was on the floor playing with a garbage bag. (I KNOW, I KNOW!) Who knows what happened when he actually hit the floor from the stroller. Won’t be doing that again. Lesson learned. :)</p> <p align="left">We checked out of the Ohio house the next morning and went to Bill and Pen’s for a brunch before driving down to Angel Fire with Nathan. I’ll tell part of the story of this trip in another post, but suffice it to say here that we had such a nice time just the three of us. </p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/539580_3917915019071_78263488_n.jpg"></p> <p align="left">We were down there until Wednesday morning, and it was so relaxing. On Tuesday, we went over to Red River and went up the chair lift and hung out on the mountain for a while. Here’s our photo from the top:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/417739_10151115358394363_1263664540_n.jpg"></p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/532198_10151115362709363_76509930_n.jpg"></p> <p align="center">Me and Nathan on the chair lift:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/406177_10151115368549363_1015057285_n.jpg"></p> <p align="left">Then on Wednesday, we drove 6 hours up to Idaho Springs to go to a great little hot springs resort we know. We did a quick unload and then got BACK in the car to do the 2 hour drive up Mt. Evans to over 14k feet. It’s the highest paved road in North America. Here’s Nathan at the end of that trip. He did SO great:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/208868_10151117919474363_1417582171_n.jpg"></p> <p align="left">Our time at Idaho Springs was also fabulous. We swam in the warm mineral pool which Nathan loved, each got massages, went down in their cave baths, and had some great food. </p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/561045_10151119612634363_958985299_n.jpg"></p> <p align="left">We went back to Denver Friday afternoon and spent some time with Aunt Pen and Uncle Bill before heading home first thing on Saturday. We didn’t get home until midnight, so it was a long day. Again, the kids did great, and we were able to unwind a bit on Sunday before hitting up a new work week. It was a great trip to say the least.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-68209858513073580522012-08-27T17:06:00.001-06:002012-08-27T17:06:29.855-06:00Nathan and Amy go to WestPoint!<p>We already had a lot going on this summer including my cousin Lee’s wedding in Denver (more on that later), so we couldn’t figure out how we could make his graduation from WestPoint, too. Finally, we decided to use some points we had forgotten about to fly just me and Nathan up to New York for the festivities. James couldn’t go due to some other commitments, so he and the girls stayed behind.</p> <p>I was a little nervous about travelling by myself with Nathan, but he did awesome. My parents picked us up, and we went back to the hotel to settle in. We shared the hotel room on the WestPoint property with my parents. (This was a whole adventure in itself. I love them, but they crack me up with their quirks. Mom brings her own reading light that clips onto her bed, and Dad doesn’t go anywhere without his manicure kit.) </p> <p>Friday morning was the cadet parade. It’s basically where the seniors “pass the torch” to the junior class. It was really cool to watch all the pageantry.</p> <p> </p> <p align="center"><img height="473" alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/401611_10151008945944363_1799296788_n.jpg" width="640"></p> <p>The graduation itself was also great. Joe Biden was the speaker. It was a neat event for sure. The only drawback, really, was that it was HOT. There was a lot of walking, a lot of baby on me, and a lot of sweat. A LOT. But, thank goodness for showers and washing machines. All of that was handled in short order. </p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="479" alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/547661_10151018744239363_986371495_n.jpg" width="639"></p> <p align="center">Here’s Nathan sleeping on me at graduation. Sweet love.</p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="532" alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/246414_10151018744504363_133976902_n.jpg" width="709"></p> <p>On Sunday, we moved from WestPoint to a house up in Red Hook that my aunt and uncle had rented for the family. Nathan and I shared a lofted room there with my other cousin Blair’s girlfriend Ashley. Nathan won her over quickly, so we were good buds. Here’s a photo of Nathan swinging in the yard at that house:</p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="482" alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/521342_10151013588879363_941275117_n.jpg" width="643"> </p> <p>Here’s a photo of my dad and aunt being….well, themselves.</p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="494" alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/522973_10151014354374363_1416343917_n.jpg" width="659"></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Here’s my super cute Memorial Day baby. (That’s Ashley in the background checking her armpit – actually she’s just braiding her hair – and Kim, the fiance of Lee who graduated is actually holding Nathan.)</p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/398822_10151018745434363_1849951859_n.jpg"></p> <p>Me and Nathan in the pool:</p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/540414_10151018745679363_256476321_n.jpg"></p> <p>Here he is sleeping in the cute little crib they had there:</p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="547" alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/534440_10151018745774363_1763432628_n.jpg" width="734"></p> <p>Here’s the view from the back deck – lovely!</p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" height="536" alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/301777_10151018746044363_391609585_n.jpg" width="714"></p> <p>We made homemade ice cream. Nathan was the cutest ingredient:</p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/181219_10151018746204363_1765031431_n.jpg"></p> <p>And these are his sweet feet on the airplane on the way home. He did great, and it was such a great trip. Congratulations, Lee!</p> <p align="center"><img height="430" alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/538831_10151018743639363_738680712_n.jpg" width="573"></p> <p align="center"><img height="424" alt="" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/469261_3530476055432_2073318212_o.jpg" width="565"></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-66628930052763744522012-08-27T16:32:00.001-06:002012-08-27T16:32:14.598-06:001st Annual Rib Throwdown<p>Ahhh…look what can come from a simple Facebook post. James put a comment about making some ribs one day, and our friend Rene’ commented that her husband Bruno could beat him any day (basically). Thus began the first annual Rib Throwdown. We invited some of our mutual church friends over to be the judges, and it was a super fun event. The kids played in the pool, the adults chatted outside by the grill, and good food was had by all. The voting commenced, and I think you can see who the winner was:</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/526104_10150927614465818_511199540_n.jpg"></p> <p>Thanks to Stephen for the fun shirts that say “Winner” and “Loser” on them!</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-46764986818580587522012-08-27T16:23:00.001-06:002012-08-27T16:23:51.716-06:006 years, 4 years and 6 months Photo Shoot<p>Leah took our photos for our milestones noted above, and as usual I was thrilled with the results. Enjoy!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-owNjWfVKEJg/UDvzRDd8YVI/AAAAAAAAD0Y/AsU9JQY6Pe0/s1600-h/2_0%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="2_0" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="2_0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jXhzVLpYd0M/UDvzRje3tVI/AAAAAAAAD0g/sJ7sDeNcewI/2_0_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="174" border="0"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6C8frJO-its/UDvzSGMbplI/AAAAAAAAD0o/ux1J0q8Vu4I/s1600-h/1_0%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="1_0" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="1_0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qiLpwwzbZuM/UDvzS3tm3xI/AAAAAAAAD0w/jshSe5uyT18/1_0_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="151" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6GSYmx1htzs/UDvzTdm_A5I/AAAAAAAAD04/jx2XYI-8w1k/s1600-h/3_0%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="3_0" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="3_0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AOCeSiFhgFE/UDvzT2ifjRI/AAAAAAAAD1A/qt18CLnNrlQ/3_0_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="284" border="0"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QlWuped1g2g/UDvzUhU7V5I/AAAAAAAAD1I/lnv2VWlkjEw/s1600-h/Family%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Family" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="196" alt="Family" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-LWc2ElI8U6Y/UDvzVDgESII/AAAAAAAAD1Q/pNS1i_ZgNLw/Family_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4W3CJlTrRh4/UDvzVg-E9VI/AAAAAAAAD1Y/2zEElSVvVUM/s1600-h/p1017339_0%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="p1017339_0" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="p1017339_0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2IZSO1WwJzI/UDvzWUosOKI/AAAAAAAAD1g/SYicR1mEJRo/p1017339_0_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="149" border="0"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-6arZQ5xZ9Rk/UDvzW1hbPVI/AAAAAAAAD1o/wibGbUPkc5Y/s1600-h/p1017353_0%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="p1017353_0" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="p1017353_0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hIGzL-L1HRw/UDvzYkEKWoI/AAAAAAAAD1w/nhEJNsylrDI/p1017353_0_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" border="0"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yvz682T78S4/UDvzZHms8jI/AAAAAAAAD14/xmAYdXxJirE/s1600-h/p1017390_0%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="p1017390_0" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="p1017390_0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rhazzFEPVHU/UDvzZn5xVAI/AAAAAAAAD2A/5VvgCtbINgM/p1017390_0_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="174" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5adZIMtgtvE/UDvzaId5ApI/AAAAAAAAD2I/LhMLxlBRQDY/s1600-h/p1017406_0%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="p1017406_0" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="p1017406_0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XWAZPYUhB7Y/UDvzabUD51I/AAAAAAAAD2Q/gzYVnh33TFw/p1017406_0_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kP4G1RhozEQ/UDvzbIcEN5I/AAAAAAAAD2Y/PFrWpitRCQ0/s1600-h/p1017476_0%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="p1017476_0" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="p1017476_0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-G6IrIQ_PXA4/UDvzbgP_JTI/AAAAAAAAD2g/L1G4PVIZITg/p1017476_0_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="174" border="0"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-K02ka6ywJsI/UDvzcAfeWCI/AAAAAAAAD2o/xfYtZsH_sgk/s1600-h/p1017479_0%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="p1017479_0" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="p1017479_0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RcQwuXHHXCY/UDvzcpCfcMI/AAAAAAAAD2w/P-t5Aq5uvKU/p1017479_0_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="174" border="0"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6Fs0nmTJXpI/UDvzdDqjwlI/AAAAAAAAD24/KYEp8I7-zjY/s1600-h/p1017544_0%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="p1017544_0" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="p1017544_0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-b81JuvNvRK8/UDvzdpQSuLI/AAAAAAAAD3A/PzoVv4QSZ68/p1017544_0_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="223" border="0"></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-61285136869114422342012-08-27T16:01:00.001-06:002012-08-27T16:01:47.790-06:00I’ve Been a Bad Blogger<p>It’s true. Life has been even more nuts than usual, so… I’m working on getting caught up! Yea! Stay tuned for lots of fun posts in the coming days – QUICK! Before I go back to work!</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-77348227513879622012012-05-12T06:58:00.001-06:002012-05-12T06:58:01.678-06:00Life Group Camping Trip – Spring 2012<p>I think it’s been almost two years since we went camping. Which is sad, because our family loves to camp. And no – no camper or RV here. We do tent-style. Our air mattress is a must, so it counts and roughing it to some and not to others. We also prefer real bathrooms somewhere nearby. Two days or less – no showers for us. More than that, showers preferred.</p> <p>We lead a great Life Group through our church, and one of our members suggested the camping trip a few months back. We have 5 families represented in the group right now, and 4 of the 5 were able to go. (The other was in Hawaii, so, while we missed them, we didn’t feel SO bad for them!) It was so fun to have such great participation.</p> <p>We drove up to Beaver’s Bend State Park north of Broken Bow, OK on Friday afternoon and got our tents set up around 7pm. The Spencers had arrived earlier and secured a great location right on the river with lots of trees. We did a simple hot dog dinner and went to bed sweaty and tired after all that setup. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hCAKxYIyMVg/T65eEzIRcvI/AAAAAAAADxE/T3h8L9YvWw4/s1600-h/Img%25252011%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Img 11" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="Img 11" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-oTOYGSqEEts/T65eFeHLHLI/AAAAAAAADxM/FzFO26RnVGE/Img%25252011_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rEzQsprJS_o/T65eG6H3goI/AAAAAAAADxU/tw_DUgvKRxs/s1600-h/Img%2525207%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Img 7" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="Img 7" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-l_cwdAESwCU/T65eHaDnoaI/AAAAAAAADxc/Yw1CjUyaAeY/Img%2525207_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p></p> <p>I’m not sure any of us slept well on Friday night. Just takes some getting used to to sleep under the stars, I guess. There was also an annoying bird that contributed. We had a super early start, a yummy breakfast thanks to the Callahans, and got ready to go horseback riding. There was a little place to do it just around the corner from our camp site. They determined Ellie was too big to ride with me or James, so she had to have her own horse. I was nervous she’d get on the horse and get scared and not want to ride. No reason for nerves! She LOVED it! Emma sat behind me, and she loved it as well.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wBfIDIWOS4E/T65eHgwC-jI/AAAAAAAADxk/ZwG_O6W6Rnk/s1600-h/Img%2525201%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="Img 1" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="299" alt="Img 1" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-prz0Dzc9B2Y/T65eII3DZrI/AAAAAAAADxs/RaI4qZssVvc/Img%2525201_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="224" border="0"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--8MsKLkbjEE/T65eIhJZZRI/AAAAAAAADx0/0Cnq-NcJRRk/s1600-h/Img%2525202%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Img 2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="Img 2" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-A20_0v0DPzo/T65eJJu_mWI/AAAAAAAADx8/haXNwSyCwkI/Img%2525202_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dKSdDramBHw/T65eJghgiqI/AAAAAAAADyE/cVNHylWc6nw/s1600-h/Img%2525203%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Img 3" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="Img 3" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZVtoSPzzZ8I/T65eJ4sMMNI/AAAAAAAADyM/wJFEbnCQzeM/Img%2525203_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p>After the horses, the Spencers provided our yummy lunch, and we rested for a bit before getting ready to go swim in the river. It was around 90 degrees on Saturday, so we were all looking forward to getting cooled off. Little did we know just how cool it would be! The water was FREEZING. Most of us worked our way in (and James forced Dax in), but it was crazy cold. It was still nice to get cooled off, though.</p> <p>We went back to the campground and had a nice relaxing evening. James made the Wiebe dinner of BBQ chicken, corn and beans. And of course S’mores were made. We got the kids to bed and had a much more relaxing evening by the campfire.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wRDfMYF5kjU/T65eLBsn92I/AAAAAAAADyU/-scQcDzFWfI/s1600-h/Img%2525209%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Img 9" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="Img 9" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Bvn2cFC_i20/T65eMZXl0KI/AAAAAAAADyc/vxa5s7o5h94/Img%2525209_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8pnRvnS8kRk/T65eM2HyOHI/AAAAAAAADyk/9gv_FFPhi6k/s1600-h/Img%25252010%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Img 10" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="Img 10" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-HR5HEBo9HxQ/T65eNVHXLDI/AAAAAAAADys/u1oMjYN70qM/Img%25252010_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hHYYZ6V6Fbg/T65eN_DRJmI/AAAAAAAADy0/9_on1oU9LHM/s1600-h/Img%25252013%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="Img 13" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="276" alt="Img 13" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yN4x7qoNpRg/T65eOUI4m_I/AAAAAAAADy8/TDxzy9o8Xa0/Img%25252013_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="207" border="0"></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-dz8jJ2df5yk/T65ePFXf28I/AAAAAAAADzE/bMvEJX-2e-8/s1600-h/Img%25252017%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="Img 17" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="277" alt="Img 17" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-xqsYDwclyzU/T65eQedMynI/AAAAAAAADzM/T0g0LhNfyxc/Img%25252017_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="208" border="0"></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-dlVq3uG68o4/T65eQ0O6sYI/AAAAAAAADzU/hhhh8jTSJXg/s1600-h/Img%25252018%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="Img 18" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="272" alt="Img 18" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-QCkr3Zw9Veg/T65eSUteMlI/AAAAAAAADzc/3p1xQGZGxdM/Img%25252018_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="204" border="0"></a> </p> <p>We did sleep much better on night two, I think. The kids all did SO great. They played by the river for hours and came back up super muddy. No one had any major bug issues (except for a few ticks), so I was really proud of all of them. On Sunday morning, the Aleman’s made a great breakfast, and we all started packing up to head home! Here’s the whole group:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wigCug5pWck/T65eTnx8N4I/AAAAAAAADzk/FLaErpRSp04/s1600-h/Img%25252012%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Img 12" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="Img 12" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BnEYpDipOmM/T65eUpr-CRI/AAAAAAAADzs/HIaCwOTdpXA/Img%25252012_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p>Clearly we wore out our kids:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XbJfOrI4GwY/T65eVJxgi5I/AAAAAAAADz0/jyTjifvrXOc/s1600-h/Img%25252019%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="Img 19" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="293" alt="Img 19" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0QpZg5LlZzY/T65eVl2FKJI/AAAAAAAADz8/OgTJQruK_xg/Img%25252019_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="220" border="0"></a> </p> <p></p> <p>Can’t wait to go again in the fall!</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-5765314120607297722012-04-22T19:18:00.001-06:002012-05-13T17:47:31.010-06:00I Want to Be a Grandma When I Grow Up<p>I’ve been told a story that when I was little (I imagine 5 or so…) and was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I answered definitively that I wanted to be a Grandma. I’ve always thought this was a cute silly story, but today I was thinking that I think I was a 5 year old little genius. Let me ‘splain.</p> <p>My whole life, I’ve always looked forward to the years I’m in right now. The young family years – mostly my 30s. Even when I was young, I knew this would be an amazing time of life, and I’ve always been drawn to kids and babies. Of course my understanding of the blessing of children has matured and expounded exponentially since my pre-children days. I love it as much as I thought I would and a thousand times more. I have two close friends, one of whom is also a relative, who are ready to embark on the adventure that is motherhood. I hate so so much that it’s hard or slow for some who will clearly be amazing parents and sometimes so easy for those who aren’t ready. In some small ways, I feel like I want that blessing for my two friends as much or more than they do since I’ve experienced those sweet moments with my kids and can’t wait for them to experience the same. It feels like not enough to simply join them in prayer in hopes that God’s timing is within sight.</p> <p>When I think of God’s calling on my life, it certainly relates to sharing his good news with others – both near and far. I love some of the mission work we’ve done with our church, and I’m so excited to bless our new Compassion International adopted child Alexandra in Peru. But I feel like my work with my own children is equally important to all that. I’m helping mold 3 little creatures who will go out and execute God’s calling on their 3 lives, and they’ll mold their own children who will then execute their calling on THEIR lives…and thinking beyond that is overwhelming.</p> <p>I certainly don’t want to speed up today – not at all. But the day when I can see my children experience this joy that I have now is a super exciting one. People ask us all the time since we’ve had Nathan if we’re done having children. James answers with an emphatic yes. :) I understand where he’s coming from, but at the same time I could NEVER be upset to learn that I’m pregnant. I don’t think it’s possible for me. I’m blessed in that I have great pregnancies, but it’s more than that. I could never be upset that God entrusted us with another life. Having more does seem intimidating right now, but my truthful answer to that question is that I’m content with whatever God has in mind. Whether our Wiebehaus is complete or not.</p> <p>As I’ve mentioned recently, God has really been working on my heart as it relates to gratefulness and the existence of his grace in both good and, perhaps more importantly, the bad. Another friend posted a horribly sad link yesterday about a little boy who is 4 and, aside from a true miracle, is going to die soon of cancer. Of course I cried as I read the blog post from his sweet mother, but God has showed me to see that there’s such grace and blessing in those precious 4 years and no more was guaranteed or – dare i say it – deserved. This isn’t a thought I would have had a year ago. Could I think that if I were in the position of that precious mother? I cannot truthfully answer without being there – nor can I allow my mind to fully go all the way there, but I pray that I could. Grief…oh yes. Sadness…immense. Heartbreak…immeasurable. But gratefulness? Could it be possible? Maybe….only with God’s help.</p> <p>And with much gratefulness, I don’t have to go there today. Today, I soak up these sweet baby grins from Nathan, Emma’s hilarious phrases and Ellie’s precious cuddles – not to mention the glances that say more than words could with my husband. I’m aware of our mission with these kids (as well as teaching them by example to take the mission to our community and the world), and in the end…I really do want to be a Grandma when I grow up. </p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-15329460882280309232012-04-22T18:23:00.001-06:002012-05-13T17:47:47.201-06:00Emma’s 4th Birthday Party<p>Oh how could it possibly have been 4 years. I remember so clearly sitting in the patio room at our old church building with our Life Group – people like the Hubers, Faulkners, Rogers, Poes, Webbs, Alemans, Rosses, etc. and praying and praying that Emma would come early so I could increase my chances of having her naturally. I remember us all talking about how confusing it all was when I was sitting there – still pregnant – at 9, 10, 11 days late. Such a little stinker she was to manage to make her debut between my birthday (the 19th) and James’ (the 25th) when she FINALLY made her appearance on the 23rd. And of course God had the last laugh, because he granted my heart’s desire to have her naturally and unmedicated. It was one of the best experiences of my life. (What can I say… I don’t do boring births, evidently.)</p> <p align="center"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQ-9XhChB7CdfmxDzpYbnIbPDmkJ40ZV5UmdsYFWx86tOhgH-6CQ5ucNmAgERe7yoHXCAcDZcZtOAv540QwqRle2h5E7uM58solPzrXuaCJjZFvqz0jPbZVffW-GV6lk0c5tnZurpuHow/s320/DSC03640.JPG" border="0"></p> <p>Now we have a little 13 year old in a 4 year old’s body. She may not be able to say her l’s and r’s yet, but she has such teenager comments and expressions as she says things like “whateva!” and “I appeeshate it!” (for appreciate). She has perfected the eye roll and the hand on the hip, but she’s also so loving and sweet. She loves me to the “moon and back” which doesn’t even begin to describe how much I love her.</p> <p>Her actual birthday is tomorrow, but since James works all evening we celebrated her on Saturday. She said she wanted a painting party with a bounce house. We considered nixing the painting part and just having a party at a bounce house place like Pump It Up, but I found a painting party idea on pinterest that I could easily expound on far less expensively than Pump It Up. James volunteered to make the easels for each attendee, and painting aprons were an easy party favor. I picked up the child aprons from Hobby Lobby, but added my own touch with each girl’s name embroidered on them. Each girl put her hand prints on the apron when they arrived at the party.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nw00vptVBPc/T5SglYG-zOI/AAAAAAAADsE/Uvz6WkGgn7Q/s1600-h/P1010770%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010770" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010770" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pEmhDCLtBl0/T5Sgl7ql1sI/AAAAAAAADsM/_mxwMMYgic0/P1010770_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-3mEuEKSxtec/T5SgmdCM_uI/AAAAAAAADsU/7XdlY_BeA_g/s1600-h/P1010771%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010771" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010771" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OHCydWR7gG4/T5SgmwwOjLI/AAAAAAAADsc/vjdfDEnvZv4/P1010771_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p></p> <p>We put the painting table in the middle of the yard and had each girl go to the table to get paint on their brushes. We hoped this would minimize kids carrying jars of paint around.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZLTZ6qppUS4/T5SgoIHc1fI/AAAAAAAADsk/qjnzjLbVKfU/s1600-h/P1010773%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010773" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010773" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-QXFtPzEigHo/T5SgopI7ywI/AAAAAAAADss/bqE_7P8uNuo/P1010773_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="left">She wanted a cake that was painting themed with Aurora on it. A little odd, but I just decided to make Aurora the art, so it worked. Not my best work as time was limited, but Emma loved it so that’s what counts.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sCkWU5q7ta0/T5SgpLBtPII/AAAAAAAADs0/UeXvALEZKKo/s1600-h/P1010774%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010774" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="289" alt="P1010774" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Vm21wEin_ac/T5SgpfgjyWI/AAAAAAAADs8/CT4-6tQEMqs/P1010774_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="217" border="0"></a> </p> <p></p> <p>We borrowed this cute little bounce house from a coworker, and I’m SO grateful for it. The kids loved it, and I admit I’m a little tempted to purchase one. There’s a little button the girls can turn off and on themselves, and it blows up so quickly!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FueEq-dMur0/T5Sgp2xlN5I/AAAAAAAADtE/1SeZE_M8_z4/s1600-h/P1010778%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010778" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010778" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_8Dsiv-WLA0/T5Sgqc3qrXI/AAAAAAAADtM/X7p4uFp4Zdk/P1010778_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Vzl6Wpjguk4/T5SgqiyicWI/AAAAAAAADtU/2MKK8YTzPYs/s1600-h/P1010783%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010783" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010783" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-E0r0pfZj3zE/T5SgrTcpOmI/AAAAAAAADtc/Pp53ApatS1I/P1010783_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-VbYDhrjS93w/T5SgrtY4tYI/AAAAAAAADtk/3Rdp5EGzs7c/s1600-h/P1010784%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010784" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="308" alt="P1010784" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-H4i4lC3U6K8/T5SgsErpDDI/AAAAAAAADts/I9qfkx12vC0/P1010784_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="231" border="0"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dphUIR5ifls/T5SgskaMFfI/AAAAAAAADt0/3jY9PSdUTYs/s1600-h/P1010787%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010787" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010787" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EqLmrc79-DY/T5SgtS1OI_I/AAAAAAAADt8/yje8rtLAECw/P1010787_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p></p> <p align="center">Some in progress samples:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rp4x51vPVKU/T5Sgtx0It-I/AAAAAAAADuE/mahVlPPZ2Os/s1600-h/P1010788%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010788" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010788" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-7W_jO9K2j8o/T5SgvcDaGqI/AAAAAAAADuM/7_XdKRD136E/P1010788_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4KNBiOZ6VKI/T5SgvopcipI/AAAAAAAADuU/2ZouHQzzSfc/s1600-h/P1010790%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010790" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010790" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-oMji3jkvt3I/T5SgwYdygdI/AAAAAAAADuc/PylTe04FRbE/P1010790_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-cLWi1P1ORJ0/T5Sgw878IrI/AAAAAAAADuk/Ctw6JMH6YZ0/s1600-h/P1010791%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010791" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010791" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_9tlD-SUQLQ/T5Sgxej9tDI/AAAAAAAADus/De7Taqa3PDk/P1010791_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-bbnrcFkEV8g/T5Sgxx3ygzI/AAAAAAAADu0/fg4BtdBtsik/s1600-h/P1010792%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010792" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010792" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OJxcmRNKqiE/T5SgySTEUrI/AAAAAAAADu8/mMviUp-GCvY/P1010792_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kfYm8Fj0coQ/T5SgzMUDd6I/AAAAAAAADvE/awqlsJGXwKM/s1600-h/P1010793%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010793" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010793" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0_sNvPbrjkg/T5SgzyODekI/AAAAAAAADvM/ew16ZaIq7f0/P1010793_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9E1zafixp7k/T5Sg0dVDrgI/AAAAAAAADvU/RP0n0ZwJYYQ/s1600-h/P1010794%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010794" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010794" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-A4B0WXqKCCc/T5Sg02OFpaI/AAAAAAAADvc/Ri7Xy6XQfGg/P1010794_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bWmFBNjyAFA/T5Sg1OEaw2I/AAAAAAAADvk/3nCYtyD2f9M/s1600-h/P1010795%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010795" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="271" alt="P1010795" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-byBUBVA3XmE/T5Sg1qzCwGI/AAAAAAAADvs/i5CHzPjFymM/P1010795_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="203" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ucNjpqG7yx0/T5Sg2BCak-I/AAAAAAAADv0/NhqhMJM_ow8/s1600-h/P1010797%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010797" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010797" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8K6mZDIHatc/T5Sg2kqKOFI/AAAAAAAADv8/e49iez9vkDI/P1010797_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-us15Vh0eft8/T5Sg3T7A1hI/AAAAAAAADwE/ZKqVAfOiczM/s1600-h/P1010798%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010798" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010798" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5m88LGEMt5k/T5Sg33NJvKI/AAAAAAAADwM/baASR1VDhTU/P1010798_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center">The painting seemed to be a big hit. I wasn’t sure how long it would take or how interested they’d be, but it took 20-30 minutes, and they all seemed to have fun.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AkcevSYzvB8/T5Sg4OP1U1I/AAAAAAAADwU/bsSonoGNJso/s1600-h/P1010799%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010799" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010799" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AGXsXqyZeZo/T5Sg4vDbM6I/AAAAAAAADwc/qymhppHbjxM/P1010799_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-tp2lVInYbdQ/T5Sg505qKXI/AAAAAAAADwk/4NFS4XOk8Lc/s1600-h/P1010800%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="297" alt="P1010800" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SzvdYzRNErM/T5Sg6QpxC7I/AAAAAAAADws/NFtmZDfT38I/P1010800_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="223" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-URFURaZ6aSY/T5Sg68AgrxI/AAAAAAAADw0/w79gvCOJ-Ic/s1600-h/P1010803%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010803" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010803" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-N2RQAzFbWC8/T5Sg7ciBGfI/AAAAAAAADw8/sZvajrxTf50/P1010803_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="left">I think she had a great time, and her friends were so sweet to come and participate with her. Happy birthday, Emerson Claire. Please slow down your growing up!</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-26313863471096632262012-02-07T22:40:00.001-06:002012-05-13T17:47:58.353-06:00Ponderings from 2 Days in the Life of a Mom of Three Littles<p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Gu_yzprc4mI/TzH8revnovI/AAAAAAAADrw/eaXznoCxr5k/s1600-h/IMG_7017-1%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_7017-1" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="206" alt="IMG_7017-1" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-KJv9IslS-no/TzH8r7vcLpI/AAAAAAAADr4/rJye9vHC-xY/IMG_7017-1_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p>This week is my first week back to my normal 80% schedule at work after taking 3 1/2 months off to spend with our newest addition and his big sisters. My schedule includes working half days (mornings) from home on Mondays and Tuesdays. Here’s a rundown of those two days this week as well as my ponderings to follow. Note that James works late both of these days, so I don’t see him until after 9pm.</p> <p>Monday: Nathan wakes up at a good time, feed him, get going on work early around 7am. Stop work around 9:30 as the ladies in my Bible study had planned a small outreach that morning. Completed our task by 10:45 and was back to work by 11. Finished up work at 1, fed Nathan, got birthday presents ready, scarfed down my own lunch and went to get Emma from school. Played on the playground between pickups and chatted with friends, went to get Ellie from school. Straight home to change clothes for gymnastics class and off to a sweet little friend’s birthday party. Stayed at the party for 45 minutes (where I fed Nathan) and then jetted over to gymnastics class. Watched gymnastics class and then scooted the kids to the gym child care so I could attend my Turbo Kickbox class. Punch out my stresses, finish, get kids home, make the girls dinner, feed Nathan, scarf down some dinner for myself and start bedtime. Kids in bed by 8:30, kitchen cleaned, and take a bath while watching one of my silly tv shows. Ahhhh….</p> <p>Tuesday: Work from home from 8-12:30 stopping once to feed Nathan. Nathan rejects that feeding all over our bed on the sheets we just washed. Strip bed, James starts sheets, I keep working. I think I’ll have from 12:30 – 1:30 to get lunch and get some things done around the house while Nathan sleeps, but he wakes up right at 12:30 screaming. I quickly make myself a lunch and eat while nursing. Out the door at 1:40 to go get Emma from school. Talk with friend on the way and decide to cancel Bible Study which was supposed to be at my house at 8pm. (What a blessing that will turn out to be.) Play on playground again and chat with friends again. Off to get Ellie and on to a friend’s house for our standing Tuesday play date. Nathan who was asleep during Emma’s pickup and playgrounding wakes up on the way to get Ellie and screams all through the waiting and drive to said friend’s house. The screaming starts to wear on me. I feed him at friend’s house and then go to change his diaper to learn that he’s had a blow out onto his clothes. Excellent. Grateful for change of clothes in the diaper bag. Change him. After 20 minutes of happy, the screaming starts again. Finally get him to sleep right before we leave and pray for a long nap in the car seat. While at friend’s house, check email to see that Ellie has soccer practice at 5:45. Ack! James mentioned this, but it didn’t make it onto my mental Tuesday calendar. Load kids up, leave friend’s house at 5:15, race home to get some soccer clothes, make it to soccer practice about 10 minutes late with no camping chairs to sit in. Stand and watch practice. The baby screaming starts again about 6:20 and continues until 7. Leave practice with screaming baby, hit up McDonald’s drive through, get home and again eat while nursing. Yell at the girls for arguing and fussing. Get kids to bed, lament the fact that I still have to put the sheets back on our California King on my own, and wish I’d had the energy to give the kids a bath. Can you imagine if I then had to host Bible Study? Eeek!</p> <p>Kudos to anyone who actually read through all that madness, but here’s my point. Monday was insane, and I clearly packed too many things in. Yet, I finished it feeling like Superwoman. A supermom who kept it together and even got a great workout in at the end of the day. I thoroughly enjoyed my children and felt like I got my work accomplished well. But…don’t worry. I didn’t pat myself on the back too much about this, as I know all too well that the Tuesdays come. The days where you’re exhausted by noon and don’t even know why because you got pretty good sleep (considering you have a 3 month old). The days where you yell at the kids and regret it the second it’s out of your mouth. The days where you’ve also packed too much in but you don’t even know it yet because the surprise soccer practice pops up out of nowhere. The days where it seems like the kids whine and fuss more than is normal. The days where you baby who has been in a pretty good routine decides to scream three times more than normal.</p> <p>The amazing thing, though, is that my blessings were the same both days. This is what I will choose to focus on as I close the books on a challenging day. Both days, I had a great husband who helped me with the kids especially in the mornings. Both days, I worked a job I enjoy and get paid well for. Both days, I spent time with my precious children who, amazingly, love me unconditionally even when I’m unkind to them. (Literally, two minutes after I yelled at them for not moving quickly tonight, Ellie says “Mom…I love you.”) Both days, God calmed my heart and was with me. Both days, my little clan was healthy. Both days, my kids had fun. I could go on and on.</p> <p>My two little days mimic our lives in general, do they not? The characteristics of the days (or months or seasons) are different, and the blessings are different, but it’s all still there. Even in the worst of situations, I believe God is still there and there is good to be found. My little rough day on Tuesday was nothing, but I’m grateful God showed me the blessing in it. I pray that He’s grooming me to see the blessing in my next crisis and to be able to walk through it with Him in full faith that He’s working it for my good no matter how painful the road may be.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-5460449963152199592012-01-26T23:53:00.001-06:002012-05-13T17:48:09.152-06:00Hair Bows<p>With 5 and 3 year old girls, we have a lot of hair bows….a LOT! The kids’ bathroom only has two drawers in it, and all of the bows took up both drawers completely. While Nathan really doesn’t need any space NOW, someday he will and the bow situation has been driving me crazy. I searched pinterest for ideas and didn’t find anything that was exactly what I wanted. So, I created my own. Here’s what I came up with and how I did it:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-EYdxxoB1qdU/TyI7757QTNI/AAAAAAAADrg/svgE6AJZCBk/s1600-h/P1010697%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010697" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010697" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WJGwpC9e8yA/TyI78YbMMBI/AAAAAAAADro/3c7hoKZrshs/P1010697_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p>I got an 18” x 36” piece of cork board from Hobby Lobby along with some cute fabric and some batting. I picked up some coordinating ribbon, and then went to Home Depot and got a few hooks for the bottom. Using James’ staple gun, I stapled on the fabric and the ribbon. I got some pink spray paint (because really, what’s a fun project without spray paint?!) and turned the hooks pink. Then James helped screw the hooks into the board. (Tip: If you try this, cut the fabric and the batting first with an exacto knife before you drill the holes. Otherwise, the batting bunches up and wraps around the drill. Don’t ask me how I know this. I just do.) Last, I added the ribbon loops on the lower corners to hold headbands also just with the staple gun. Screw into the wall, and voila! The empty drawers make me happy, and I think this looks pretty cute. (James was a little concerned about having something so girly in what will ultimately be a bathroom shared by a boy. I basically told him Nathan is going to have to get used to being around some girly things. It’s not like the whole bathroom is decorated girly. Ha!)</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-87678208586201367552011-12-28T23:01:00.002-06:002012-05-13T17:51:01.116-06:00Wiebe Christmas 2011<p>As I mentioned in my last post, we decided to go to Detroit for Christmas since it had been so long since we’ve been with my sister and her family. We started our drive on Sunday the 18th and made it the 8 hours to Springfield, MO for the night. While we do have the pleasure of having the DVD player in our vehicle, I wanted to add some fun non-TV elements to our journey. We’ve been having fun with our Elf on the Shelf Peter. (He has done such shenanigans as eating our cereal and using a sharpie to draw mustaches and glasses on Ellie and Emma’s photos in our living room!) Peter decided to make the journey with us, and he left the girls some surprises in their car seats. They were excited to have some new coloring books and a new movie each. I also put up a count down line in the car with milestone cities along our trip. The girls had fun taking turns pulling them down as we reached each city.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hsX__BUCLYE/TvvzIo-iHWI/AAAAAAAADdM/RLTSBDIFSmM/s1600-h/381744_10150541612244363_682994362_10831085_234573777_n%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="381744_10150541612244363_682994362_10831085_234573777_n" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="381744_10150541612244363_682994362_10831085_234573777_n" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Z7iGOjY7eIc/TvvzJJYp3qI/AAAAAAAADdU/DfCCNESTjwE/381744_10150541612244363_682994362_10831085_234573777_n_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="174" border="0" /></a> There’s Peter just “hanging out” and our little milestone banner.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ifu_dGHcrsY/TvvzJkxgruI/AAAAAAAADdc/J_heXLUXV24/s1600-h/400239_10150542906274363_682994362_10838630_489655702_n%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="400239_10150542906274363_682994362_10838630_489655702_n" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="400239_10150542906274363_682994362_10838630_489655702_n" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-35Bfj8E7VvQ/TvvzKNGV0tI/AAAAAAAADdk/tPlKhF1srXw/400239_10150542906274363_682994362_10838630_489655702_n_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="174" border="0" /></a> And let me take just a moment to brag on my kids. All 3 kids did SO great. We had a super rough night with them before we left, but they were great travelers. Nathan cried maybe a half hour total on the whole way up there! The girls did great taking turns choosing videos and coloring, etc. I’m so glad our little family can handle long road trips, because I’m pretty sure we won’t be shelling out the money for 5 flights to anywhere anytime soon! :)</p> <p>The next morning, we took off for Indianapolis where some of our very best friends the Cornwell’s live. We made it by dinner time and had SUCH a great 36 hours or so with them. It was so nice to let them get to meet our little guy. We played games (one of our favorite things to do!) and decorated cookies. I just love that even though we’re miles apart and only see each other every year or two, we can fall right back into a super comfortable friendship in no time at all. Those kinds of friendships are rare, and we’re super grateful for this family. It was fun to get to celebrate Paul’s birthday with them while we were there, too. Here are some photo highlights of that visit:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--u4ynHBz03A/TvvzKa7gAJI/AAAAAAAADdo/MjBNE3XqWBw/s1600-h/374765_10150543414106620_649791619_11221308_1203334930_n%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="374765_10150543414106620_649791619_11221308_1203334930_n" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="206" alt="374765_10150543414106620_649791619_11221308_1203334930_n" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-LYguQpFJqZs/TvvzKstC_nI/AAAAAAAADdw/OB4Jw3JFJvw/374765_10150543414106620_649791619_11221308_1203334930_n_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OE7K3H4N224/TvvzLA0hePI/AAAAAAAADd0/7YRFa8EGkOk/s1600-h/379778_10150543412821620_649791619_11221279_1300635201_n%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="379778_10150543412821620_649791619_11221279_1300635201_n" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="206" alt="379778_10150543412821620_649791619_11221279_1300635201_n" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cyHRcURn9hU/TvvzLamk78I/AAAAAAAADeE/oOQpFvufkZE/379778_10150543412821620_649791619_11221279_1300635201_n_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sbzZRPk_ND4/TvvzL0I4z3I/AAAAAAAADeM/-_30Ow3xyl4/s1600-h/379940_10150543413771620_649791619_11221299_345183239_n%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="379940_10150543413771620_649791619_11221299_345183239_n" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="206" alt="379940_10150543413771620_649791619_11221299_345183239_n" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wxTqKRuuW6w/TvvzMpq_xUI/AAAAAAAADeU/QQFCCKi4pys/379940_10150543413771620_649791619_11221299_345183239_n_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-XmaGY5Elt9U/TvvzNFdpJnI/AAAAAAAADec/hUi6cSQ2-Eg/s1600-h/383369_10150543414391620_649791619_11221312_1513571839_n%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="383369_10150543414391620_649791619_11221312_1513571839_n" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="206" alt="383369_10150543414391620_649791619_11221312_1513571839_n" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FEjubioG74c/TvvzNcZMorI/AAAAAAAADek/N1YYzesrgCA/383369_10150543414391620_649791619_11221312_1513571839_n_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-5uz_R8dTSi0/TvvzN0ypVKI/AAAAAAAADes/ydy4JlgstUk/s1600-h/407782_10150543414031620_649791619_11221306_1497584905_n%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="407782_10150543414031620_649791619_11221306_1497584905_n" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="206" alt="407782_10150543414031620_649791619_11221306_1497584905_n" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KvrePPh56oY/TvvzOHaoa4I/AAAAAAAADe0/f7gXlgVK3Hc/407782_10150543414031620_649791619_11221306_1497584905_n_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a></p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7yOaZAeOc-U/TvvzOmBJOCI/AAAAAAAADe8/dlDgeavqqH4/s1600-h/393516_10150543412506620_649791619_11221274_335834068_n%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="393516_10150543412506620_649791619_11221274_335834068_n" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="206" alt="393516_10150543412506620_649791619_11221274_335834068_n" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-c0SOwf5vbDQ/TvvzPKzPa4I/AAAAAAAADfE/RI8Xrw_F8MQ/393516_10150543412506620_649791619_11221274_335834068_n_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>On Wednesday morning, we left fairly early to get to Detroit. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on those sweet nephews of mine! Jennie had her fourth son just 3 days after we had Nathan. (It was an eventful week!) I hope these little guys will be good buds. Here’s their first meeting:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ZW5RZ6eSGlU/TvvzPV2aYjI/AAAAAAAADfM/PSB-Wi1LADU/s1600-h/P1010522%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010522" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010522" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dSKsU9tk1eM/TvvzP_ZoMRI/AAAAAAAADfU/wt828Kyk8bs/P1010522_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> Their size difference makes me smile, but it will be gone in no time, I’m sure.</p> <p align="center">Here’s our first attempt at getting a photo of the 7 cousins. If this doesn’t make you laugh, I don’t know what will:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-VUpRBcdQO_Y/TvvzQeP0WLI/AAAAAAAADfc/56kwKtcV0V8/s1600-h/P1010529%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010529" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010529" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7a49sWBDZ3A/TvvzQrip2-I/AAAAAAAADfg/lW-AryeD9mI/P1010529_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="center">Here’s the best shot from that session:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-v6laTTO8mcQ/TvvzQ1k-mcI/AAAAAAAADfo/-_rUv8CvL_8/s1600-h/P1010535%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010535" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010535" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zS3Tkvwr2kQ/TvvzRYHmLjI/AAAAAAAADf0/6WSt5_Xmshw/P1010535_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="left">For sleeping arrangements, we started off trying to sleep the 4 oldest in the same room in two twin beds. Ellie with little James and Emma with Georgie. It didn’t quite work out. HA! We ended up deciding that little James was our biggest challenge, so he spent the rest of the week in with his grandparents. The other three had some challenges but succeeded generally speaking the rest of the week. We tried to be laid back about it in hopes that they were making some sweet memories.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-R2Wk79k64vQ/TvvzR3I0RDI/AAAAAAAADf8/-BpvOwm-y-g/s1600-h/P1010538%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010538" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010538" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-OGHblYT8-As/TvvzSQkWKoI/AAAAAAAADgE/8G9MkZYKvik/P1010538_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="left">On our arrival day, we just laid low and ordered dinner in. It was a nice time for everyone to reconnect. On Thursday, our main activity was decorating cookies. We also ventured out for dinner that night but ended up deciding to split up where Jen and I went to Olive Garden with the babies and the guys took the big kids to Burger King to play. (Yes, I know we got the better end of that deal. To pay us back, Nathan screamed pretty much our whole dinner…)</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-FYksO1NvJI8/TvvzSjuRiaI/AAAAAAAADgM/PHobN3o40og/s1600-h/P1010540%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010540" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010540" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GWYuBhfB2KQ/TvvzS4jRkCI/AAAAAAAADgQ/4mEytOlcxbk/P1010540_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rqKDvxSbVCw/TvvzTtpvDBI/AAAAAAAADgY/cXpHG43Tr6k/s1600-h/P1010541%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010541" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010541" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JnzHnynWZ1w/TvvzT2seQ9I/AAAAAAAADgk/VOH7YBeyQ1o/P1010541_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--SPXI7oiMtU/TvvzUYDfYpI/AAAAAAAADgw/NOF8Smnq5gA/s1600-h/P1010543%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010543" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010543" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7Y15uQ-Ubr0/TvvzVJl32qI/AAAAAAAADg0/5MGF4CC2bTU/P1010543_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="174" border="0" /></a> This one just makes me smile…</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GIL47HGg8P0/TvvzVfuRjnI/AAAAAAAADhA/ssTLC-0Mqvk/s1600-h/P1010544%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010544" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010544" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-UWOwjyqP8VU/TvvzVvvx8uI/AAAAAAAADhE/c8fSVlVlHYo/P1010544_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-n5xmNYae6C4/TvvzWJz-jcI/AAAAAAAADhQ/9VMHG8uAhjY/s1600-h/P1010545%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010545" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="274" alt="P1010545" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Trq6IcWE01o/TvvzWvQNzTI/AAAAAAAADhU/KCNLKKkfQTM/P1010545_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="206" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9rtOIH8b2qs/TvvzXIXoxTI/AAAAAAAADhg/NEfPxsrOJFA/s1600-h/P1010546%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010546" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010546" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wb6K1oonbns/TvvzXRBajBI/AAAAAAAADho/ZYraE_gsqZw/P1010546_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6yHDE5SoVMk/TvvzX0iGGdI/AAAAAAAADhw/GR6D91ExhkQ/s1600-h/P1010547%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010547" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010547" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PBBlqGTY4sA/TvvzYauelAI/AAAAAAAADh4/4egoE2i8hhY/P1010547_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> Georgie showed Ellie his video game skills</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Tz8cfFRQCdE/TvvzYkUlb9I/AAAAAAAADiA/DhlGJ5EegoQ/s1600-h/P1010549%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010549" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010549" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-RHjJXr7QDOo/TvvzZJk0b_I/AAAAAAAADiI/dvMSRnKTIGw/P1010549_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> Emma and John playing with Uncle David</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Cqr0LQE33dQ/TvvzZeUULjI/AAAAAAAADiQ/cgncVYMvFaw/s1600-h/P1010551%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010551" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010551" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mqEErnTMHjg/TvvzZqGVzYI/AAAAAAAADiY/jDo0hJtnx1Y/P1010551_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>And another sweet bedtime scene</p> <p align="left">Friday was our big photo shoot day. We all went to a park (yes – outdoors in Detroit in December!) to take some photos. Stay tuned for another post with the highlights from that, but let me just say that the photographer was AWESOME about going fast. It was in the 30s, so we were all bundled up. She did great about getting the photos as quickly as possible. I think it went well and can’t wait to get the photos back. Here are the candid highlights from Friday:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lLjSx-QmCJ8/TvvzaJmKpCI/AAAAAAAADig/qEL9EVVOl90/s1600-h/P1010553%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010553" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010553" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tMGSAohmXVI/TvvzapEDduI/AAAAAAAADik/49fxD6-jh1Y/P1010553_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VcrTthvWbGQ/Tvvzbo1uDPI/AAAAAAAADiw/znZyOJnyq5U/s1600-h/P1010556%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010556" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="288" alt="P1010556" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WO-ysnQOIN8/Tvvzb_t_PuI/AAAAAAAADi4/Yrs-VWYCdSQ/P1010556_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="216" border="0" /></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YQgPZ6vwb9w/TvvzcMikAsI/AAAAAAAADi8/lv6UVEdAAI4/s1600-h/P1010557%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010557" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="285" alt="P1010557" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-vOu5NkdLIPM/TvvzcZNwVeI/AAAAAAAADjE/Hsn2UxzOrhE/P1010557_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="214" border="0" /></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-tRnB_zwby5M/TvvzcyVPl3I/AAAAAAAADjM/aDWwgc2IPfo/s1600-h/P1010560%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010560" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="281" alt="P1010560" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5YJt7JVQrCI/TvvzdGRJj1I/AAAAAAAADjU/fEEOP_DEOTw/P1010560_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="211" border="0" /></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8i1j8eXg-sE/TvvzdzF9hZI/AAAAAAAADjg/F_5uaGLyib8/s1600-h/P1010559%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010559" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010559" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nmzS_l-8q1g/TvvzeTeBGnI/AAAAAAAADjk/-1MOcLJ8MZQ/P1010559_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> Post photo-shoot cookie treats</p> <p align="left">Saturday was Christmas Eve. We had a nice day hanging around the house before heading to David’s Aunt’s house for a lovely Christmas Eve gathering.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-3vPE-Y77xS8/TvvzetHLE8I/AAAAAAAADjs/QtNk8cL5RjI/s1600-h/P1010561%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010561" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010561" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Nr4bFaYCRP4/Tvvze4cPikI/AAAAAAAADkA/MXxGkEJylFo/P1010561_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>Our crew at lunch</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-cWUO0renLHE/TvvzgW0vhBI/AAAAAAAADkI/8as-emgi5tw/s1600-h/P1010563%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010563" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010563" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-MVNyPXgb6ls/Tvvzg619fOI/AAAAAAAADkM/wwwdjelj7t4/P1010563_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> Little James is such a sweet little love. He kept wanting to see “that cute little baby”.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xQyBzPEKtvM/TvvzhJFLkEI/AAAAAAAADkU/JVqe3y3qeNw/s1600-h/P1010567%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010567" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="275" alt="P1010567" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MJcuVv2_ryg/TvvzhQLJ21I/AAAAAAAADkc/fXh5BKScLmM/P1010567_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="206" border="0" /></a> Georgie and Ellie were good buds the whole time</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gjLEAIB6axw/Tvvzh1K3VzI/AAAAAAAADkk/Z_RtHVAmp40/s1600-h/P1010568%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010568" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010568" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4j9SvgULu2Y/TvvzibLtCLI/AAAAAAAADks/0Y6UmtW5l90/P1010568_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> This photo captures the difference in our babies’ temperaments while we were there. :) Nathan was just off from the trip in general, I think, and was fussier than normal. Joseph, meanwhile, was pretty much a perfect baby and never made a peep. I love them both to pieces, but the difference was funny!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MIYK6oVTiSg/Tvvziw3gVdI/AAAAAAAADk4/tduCTJqbr6E/s1600-h/P1010569%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010569" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010569" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-T0-X8yu8Y8E/TvvzjSVS3cI/AAAAAAAADlA/ki0WEh7HcjY/P1010569_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> Our crew at Aunt Ann’s that evening. The food was great, and the family was SO nice. We felt so welcomed.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0ccVDZcYiZg/TvvzjhpzzwI/AAAAAAAADlI/OMOdVAPqXsI/s1600-h/P1010570%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010570" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010570" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-sKfbuPiT4rg/Tvvzj1n56NI/AAAAAAAADlQ/gp0I_JZfX4M/P1010570_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> We did our gift exchange here, so this is when all of our family opened their PJs that I made.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bwPnS4m_hhk/TvvzkXE0izI/AAAAAAAADlY/ojlNAd5OCJ8/s1600-h/P1010571%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010571" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="267" alt="P1010571" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EXZwvJbYpJ4/TvvzlN5JUrI/AAAAAAAADlg/VxhZY_P1gMQ/P1010571_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="200" border="0" /></a> Ellie and James changed immediately and were pretty cute if I do say so myself.</p> <p align="left">And of course that leads us to Christmas morning! Here’s the scene before the kids woke up (oh – and did I mention that we had to WAKE them up around 8?!?! Most mornings they woke up Jenn’s in-laws in the 6am hour – nuts!)</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-s6oTUfiSuTA/TvvzloE5HAI/AAAAAAAADlo/m5XYJ0a72U0/s1600-h/P1010572%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010572" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010572" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-x8CtXw5rl9A/TvvzmEzjauI/AAAAAAAADlw/sywjcyqMN2I/P1010572_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--h6o4f0fBAE/TvvzmQEynvI/AAAAAAAADl4/7xzjGLre47I/s1600-h/P1010573%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010573" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010573" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OGycP-ehnko/TvvzmxWpgcI/AAAAAAAADmA/O6k9lKThtjo/P1010573_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3a061N55yxo/TvvznJUE6fI/AAAAAAAADmI/bPmaQwr4A-4/s1600-h/P1010576%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010576" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010576" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JS03Nlx0kuw/TvvznyPM9dI/AAAAAAAADmM/TCbZAbO7xC0/P1010576_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> Our sweet babies before they came around the corner to see what Santa brought them. Are we blessed or WHAT?!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-i080gEcVm-o/TvvzoMyuHCI/AAAAAAAADmY/Yb71a3e-jzw/s1600-h/P1010577%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010577" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010577" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-eZ_krVTY0jw/TvvzogFwTcI/AAAAAAAADmc/0TiJJIvtzBc/P1010577_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> Emma with her Sleeping Beauty doll from Santa</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zgz-e_T_RJU/TvvzpLy3tTI/AAAAAAAADmo/p7KvPtuY3kE/s1600-h/P1010578%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010578" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010578" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--0Yv-Gp_HBU/TvvzpnVwFXI/AAAAAAAADmw/RuvYUQXEZ7c/P1010578_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>Ellie with her Tangled doll from Santa</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-54tlm_7cbtA/TvvzqEl4OsI/AAAAAAAADm0/Aerspidv6ww/s1600-h/P1010607%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010607" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010607" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8JY_06-kMu4/TvvzqbUCAEI/AAAAAAAADm8/MoQJPlXkeck/P1010607_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>Guns and dress up :)</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--3L_Aqv9-QI/Tvvzq8KVGxI/AAAAAAAADnI/laqllhSfDf4/s1600-h/P1010611%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010611" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010611" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9idwrvjek-g/TvvzrBccKEI/AAAAAAAADnM/Xpsw6Qpm_Kw/P1010611_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>All of our babies in their matching little jammies</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Ijlb54Ep9Vg/TvvzrpYjPbI/AAAAAAAADnY/kXEXKO18eDg/s1600-h/P1010613%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010613" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010613" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lPANedobE74/TvvzrwcrZrI/AAAAAAAADnc/TxBeMbf1JSk/P1010613_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>Outtake!</p> <p align="left">Peter the Elf adopted the Brady boys upon our arrival. They ate it up, so I’m pretty sure they’ll have their own elf next year. He wrote them notes and even turned the milk green while he was there! Here’s his goodbye note on Christmas morning:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hi6xiwIkMho/TvvzsQ8yNXI/AAAAAAAADnk/Jx8q-yLyNeg/s1600-h/P1010614%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010614" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010614" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-HoUFOHccqis/Tvvzsv2lIpI/AAAAAAAADnw/BjBRXHlSC4s/P1010614_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-r_xOjtDX0ss/TvvztdUM10I/AAAAAAAADn4/uVEGVMSqzVg/s1600-h/P1010615%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010615" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010615" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-p67RsdZx6Zw/TvvztkfVjII/AAAAAAAADn8/vpqOXa7F7GU/P1010615_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>Ellie and Georgie wrote Peter a note on Christmas Eve asking how the elves make all the toys. How cute is that?!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5IXrib2Dzw8/Tvvzt51mSTI/AAAAAAAADoM/YDBUQ__P1q4/s1600-h/P1010616%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010616" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010616" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-aWG___TSbSY/TvvzvEIWKeI/AAAAAAAADoU/jssdzpY8WVA/P1010616_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>The boys got a fun trampoline that all of the cousins enjoyed immensely.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-stJ20izOnxQ/TvvzvSOf-uI/AAAAAAAADoc/VACLYk0ay5g/s1600-h/P1010618%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010618" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010618" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ezvy6ZJdwT0/TvvzwpXYZiI/AAAAAAAADok/5QabA7rsL94/P1010618_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>Cousins playing</p> <p align="left">In the afternoon, we were invited to a family friend’s house for a Christmas gathering. The host has 8 children and an AMAZING home. We were blessed to be included.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vlVCZjNZY7g/Tvvzw74XK8I/AAAAAAAADos/4NRaZWkUlgw/s1600-h/P1010621%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010621" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010621" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-eHQraSXwhjU/TvvzxAMznDI/AAAAAAAADo0/5kRiLdhnmI8/P1010621_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="174" border="0" /></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-TSp6j076-1k/TvvzxpDgIUI/AAAAAAAADo4/rb0J1HeSC_Y/s1600-h/P1010622%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010622" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010622" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-KB3LGTzaIQA/TvvzxzKHkiI/AAAAAAAADpA/UePqYBg1jQI/P1010622_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="174" border="0" /></a>Georgie didn’t want his picture taken, but Aunt Amy didn’t care. :)</p> <p align="left">One of the traditions at this home is to do a play of the Christmas story. All of our big kids participated and Baby Joseph was even included as Baby Jesus. They did so well – it was super cute.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MPJRKxeONxg/TvvzyEliLMI/AAAAAAAADpM/4GHwveM5UiI/s1600-h/P1010624%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010624" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010624" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Rrb7SayphqA/TvvzyhByX9I/AAAAAAAADpU/xM4ITBxL5nQ/P1010624_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bqquRiLh3Yo/TvvzzZpLAmI/AAAAAAAADpc/WWTktHQAMks/s1600-h/P1010625%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010625" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010625" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-K9RzjNSHHsM/Tvvzzugs7ZI/AAAAAAAADpk/V0e07Dug_qQ/P1010625_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>Baby Joseph/Jesus :)</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_1XhP0ARy5g/Tvvz0FlqsgI/AAAAAAAADps/bsU3USPCtzw/s1600-h/P1010628%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010628" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010628" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lDgoiZrVtUc/Tvvz0khkacI/AAAAAAAADp0/1vgen8BgBYI/P1010628_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>Georgie as a shepherd</p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-NCTYYMIns6A/Tvvz1KVlY1I/AAAAAAAADp8/88JA7iBDgS0/s1600-h/P1010631%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010631" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010631" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-LR60tbs4Q0o/Tvv0CjeLANI/AAAAAAAADqY/93wznPZwKow/P1010631_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> Ellie was one of the wise men</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jXdLsYjfMVg/Tvv0CyvOB0I/AAAAAAAADqg/dQCO9Ow9nmQ/s1600-h/P1010634%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010634" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010634" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uN0tm3XfkoA/Tvv0DPqc-EI/AAAAAAAADqo/5ciREQ2muKc/P1010634_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>The whole cast including James as the leopard. (John was dressed as a cow but opted not to participate in the actual play. He was still a cutie, though!)</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-f_kBPhjBDUQ/Tvv0DcDBIEI/AAAAAAAADqw/hyxJjZXeWTY/s1600-h/P1010635%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010635" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010635" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Hbm5D3hXWDI/Tvv0Dw2uZ9I/AAAAAAAADq0/JpGHtQHSqKk/P1010635_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>My tired little man at the end of the night. He was coming down with his virus by then, so he slept a TON while we were there.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-w3Ol5-SI8FM/Tvv0Ej0MOTI/AAAAAAAADrA/0PvqdNxq_1U/s1600-h/P1010637%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010637" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010637" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kJqMlLja4sg/Tvv0G2DPa6I/AAAAAAAADrI/Caq98oRTsZY/P1010637_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a>This is the home we were at….just wow.</p> <p align="left">We left the next morning to head back. We were sad to say bye to the Brady’s, but we had SUCH a great time. So good to see you guys, and we pray it’s not another year or more until we see you again! Our trip back was less fun that the one there mostly because Nathan came down with a virus. He started running a fever and breathing unevenly on Monday, so we stopped in Bowling Green, KY to take him to an urgent care to get checked out. They thought it was still in his head and not down in his chest and gave us an antibiotic and some instructions on what to watch for. We were thinking about driving straight through but decided to stop and get some rest given his illness. We stayed overnight in Nashville where Nathan slept well and then made our way back home on Tuesday. Nathan clearly improved, so we were grateful for that. We made it home by bedtime and were so glad to have all of our kids in their separate beds for the night.</p> <p align="left">Throughout it all, we kept our focus on Christ and the true meaning of Christmas. What better way to celebrate our Savior’s birth than by building on the relationships of great friends and sweet family that he’s placed in our lives. We are immeasurably blessed and are grateful for yet another fabulous Christmas! </p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624313167073542691.post-58119793276878661952011-12-28T21:49:00.001-06:002012-05-13T17:48:43.493-06:00Twas the Week Before We Left For Detroit…<p>So, for those of you who know me well, I tend to over commit at times. Crazy, right? The thing is, I have fun doing all the things I over commit to. Such a conundrum! What made this year a little more challenging was our decision to drive to Detroit for Christmas. It had been over 2 years since we’d seen my sister and her family, and I just wasn’t willing to wait any longer. Stay tuned for a post on our trip and visit. We left here on 12/18, so I had to get all my December tasks done before that! To add further complication, James spoke at our church’s youth retreat on 12/16-17, and we went with him! So, essentially I had to finish my tasks before THAT!</p> <p><strong>Christmas Eve Pajamas</strong></p> <p>One of our family’s Christmas traditions is opening one gift on Christmas Eve that is our pajamas to be worn on Christmas day. Usually we don’t get matching since it’s hard to find pajamas that are the same in all of our different sizes. Now that I’m more comfortable with my sewing machine, I decided it would be fun to make the pajama pants this year. THEN, I realized we’d be together with Jenn and her fam and thought how cute it would be for all of the little cousins to be matching. And I couldn’t leave out Dave and Jenn, too, so I ended up making 11 pair of pajama pants. (I’m nuts, I know.) I finished the pants the week before my crazy week, but I was wanting to add something to the shirts (all solid red and white that we just bought) to tie them all together. I added the embroidery to the kids shirts (isn’t that snowman pattern cute?) and the initials to the adults. Here was the finished product before we left. Stay tuned for photos of everyone wearing them in my Christmas Day post.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--qiGiNFr9xE/TvvjAEVk_1I/AAAAAAAADZU/v2WSxBSj0WY/s1600-h/P1010513%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010513" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010513" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cBR5lU4_Jk4/TvvjAbbAoeI/AAAAAAAADZc/_p8MCUFzdeA/P1010513_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> All 11 pair!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-6VzQQtcIaCs/TvvjA6A_CLI/AAAAAAAADZk/1zMdaFzGMGg/s1600-h/P1010515%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010515" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010515" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Ob0_hpAYJgk/TvvjBKNv9UI/AAAAAAAADZs/9Q3cTPlEIf4/P1010515_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> Close-up of the kids’ embroidery. There’s an eyes and nose of a snowman, and the kids’ names are the mouth</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-M0ibkKchgH0/TvvjBlmFTbI/AAAAAAAADZ0/MNTucI0Z6vY/s1600-h/P1010517%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010517" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010517" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-olwmjV_jHiE/TvvjCsQRRKI/AAAAAAAADZ8/dI03xnnjA8E/P1010517_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a>The adult versions. I also put ruffles on the bottom of the girl ones to make them a little more girly. </p> <p><strong>Teacher/Staff Gifts</strong></p> <p>Again, since I have the resources and am enjoying my sewing room so much, I like to make personalized gifts for the staff/teacher gifts if I can. This year, I found a cute tutorial for fabric bookmarks and decided to give that a try for the girls’ teachers and the staff at our church that James works with. Everything was going great until I realized I’d made a mistake about 75% through the first batch (of 15!) and would have to start over. Shoot! I did, though, and managed to still get them finished in time – barely!</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8yTVi2XBaPw/TvvjDHGJG0I/AAAAAAAADaE/S8mpYTEEs-A/s1600-h/P1010488%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010488" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010488" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Q8MYhn4eg90/TvvjDX2ALvI/AAAAAAAADaM/k_DY3k-i7HE/P1010488_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> </p> <p align="center">I made boy ones with the tassel and flowers for all the ladies. People seemed to like them!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4HSqr-RHgSk/TvvjDpLak8I/AAAAAAAADaU/bSnrc6x883c/s1600-h/P1010489%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010489" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010489" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MacXR4BsYMQ/TvvjENxLyvI/AAAAAAAADac/HFeKr2_k_Mc/P1010489_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> Here’s the note that went on the teacher ones from the girls (including all the teacher’s Ellie interacts with at her public school).</p> <p align="left"><strong>Gift Wrapping</strong></p> <p align="left">Then of course there was the actual wrapping of presents to be done! :) James and I did that around 10pm the day before we left. Whew! But, we got it done!</p> <p align="left"><strong>Emma’s Happy Birthday Jesus Party</strong></p> <p align="left">As if all of that weren’t enough, I volunteered to make the cake for Emma’s Happy Birthday Jesus party at her school. This is where I admit I may have gone a bit overboard. :) BUT, I did a pretty simple cake trying to remind myself that 3 year olds aren’t my toughest critics. Here are some photos from the party including the cake:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-tXjqxJgMyO0/TvvjEXNxU4I/AAAAAAAADak/9szPu5b8OVY/s1600-h/P1010493%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010493" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010493" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-eyhc9QrTqto/TvvjEusmYaI/AAAAAAAADas/zEsgBK8jDNk/P1010493_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RZhBiTsiXlc/TvvjE6ZUzaI/AAAAAAAADa0/-u_RDu-ZoTY/s1600-h/P1010495%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010495" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010495" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-O134XNqnV7o/TvvjFLsdh7I/AAAAAAAADa8/IFT8IrIeLM4/P1010495_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> Working on a cute ornament craft</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-DImfciii7CQ/TvvjFim9h2I/AAAAAAAADbE/dvt77n0gNx0/s1600-h/P1010500%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010500" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010500" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wd4dA4RBN04/TvvjF4-watI/AAAAAAAADbM/CLgmAbsuJgY/P1010500_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> Doing a little Christmas Story play where they ALL did EXACTLY what they were supposed to – HA!</p> <p align="left"><strong>Woodbury Visit</strong></p> <p align="left">Our good friends the Woodbury’s have been living in London for the last year and a half. We ALWAYS make time to see them when they’re here in town, and they were free on Thursday afternoon. As soon as Emma’s party was over, we jetted home to spend time with them. James and Ellie joined us as soon as she was out of school. As always, it was so great to see them!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nNGJtkK9x5w/TvvjGa_FRBI/AAAAAAAADbU/WKQEBGpU3TM/s1600-h/P1010502%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010502" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010502" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZVOehejSvEI/TvvjGgKPvlI/AAAAAAAADbc/fJmbje9Ar98/P1010502_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> Ellie and Brylie reconnected as if they hadn’t spent any time apart.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-XpErhH8Qp5Q/TvvjG0hTCAI/AAAAAAAADbk/RJmlxt_FLm8/s1600-h/P1010505%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010505" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="285" alt="P1010505" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wNypO4zs-JQ/TvvjHZ8SkeI/AAAAAAAADbs/AYstAqeDLMw/P1010505_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="214" border="0"></a> How cute are they?!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LBgySSdY9dM/TvvjH7zzb6I/AAAAAAAADb0/Bu3tgrqD8-4/s1600-h/P1010508%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010508" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010508" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-vZH3xi45iUg/TvvjIHI1GCI/AAAAAAAADcA/lWgu7k_vRJk/P1010508_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> Thanks to Ellie for being our photographer on this one. :)</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9s8-T1vh4Hw/TvvjJxX9JMI/AAAAAAAADcI/H8PLPEfV6Nk/s1600-h/P1010511%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010511" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010511" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fUQUnxKQ3oA/TvvjKVU1fCI/AAAAAAAADcQ/nBsp_Kr1Rd4/P1010511_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0"></a> All the kids (and be impressed that they’re all generally looking at the camera and pleasant looking!)</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-V8lvGo7PesA/TvvjKz2NGvI/AAAAAAAADcY/e2UuemXM1Jw/s1600-h/P1010512%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1010512" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="232" alt="P1010512" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sRvyZr4s_g8/TvvjLFPe-QI/AAAAAAAADcg/3Yv27VNfCrY/P1010512_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="174" border="0"></a> Emma: “I need some help!” LOL – Yes you do, child….</p> <p align="left">James spoke at church the Sunday before we left and then at the youth retreat (3 times) the Friday and Saturday before we left, so he spent much of those two weeks prepping for all of that. The kids did great letting me spend time in my sewing room to make this all happen. Most of it happened during nap time and after bedtime, though. In addition to all of that, I also went to Ellie’s class party on Friday, had an eye doctor appointment, and had a fun play date and dinner with a sweet friend. I almost lost it once or twice, but I’m so excited to have gotten it all done. It was also SO nice to head out on our trip and be done on the 18th with shopping, presents, etc. It made for a great trip to just be able to relax after all that craziness! Stay tuned for our trip post!</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06590244375210482023noreply@blogger.com0