WieberFam

Good Samaritan

2012-01-18T17:36:00.000-08:00

He said,
"My name is Carl, and I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

***
I turn and see her--
hands bare from forward propelling chair on wheels, she
uses her one good leg to spin around and heave backwards through the crowd,
low voice calling out to passerby's--
"Watch out! Comin' Through!"

Dark skin stark against hard life,
wearing white, stained tee.
And I see her wince under the weight of Market Street:
the sound of cable cars and tourists,
as she narrowly misses the 49ers paraphernalia taking up
valuable sidewalk space.

And the crowd did all but part ways for her.
So still the struggle.

The hurried tourists skirt around her like they did the overturned
garbage can up the street.
Some rush back to work after a quick lunch,
preoccupied with living.
Others don't see--
so much destitution becomes normal.

Still, a few just don't care. Her business isn't their business.
Isn't my business.
Pang in the heart.

***

Then he says it again:
"I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

And the way he says it--it's like....like he means it.
I stare and see then that he does mean it.
And he hasn't asked it as a question.

They shuffle a bit with his load.
He asks if she minds holding his beer.
She holds his Italian leather briefcase and
his open bottle of anchor steam
against her stained pants,
and bandage-wrapped leg;
smiles grateful at the man who offers such mercy.

And his young voice calls out to her above the noise of 4th Street.
She is being asked her name.
She is being asked about her day.
Shiny patent shoes scrape against 80-grit and
sounds like the melody of mercy and
she talks
--on and on and on.

I can still hear her voice as they sail around the corner.

***

He: young, able, income-savvy.
She: old, unable, destitute.
Both: despite race, income, age, or even the proposed daily agenda--
joined for a moment; exchanging names.

And for just a time, her hardship is gone and she feels like a person worth getting to know better.
A Good Samaritan. For another, life laid down.

Carl walked a mile.
A mile which wasn't his.
And he made it his business.

Will
I
make
it
mine?

Please visit Emily for more...

Snow Day 2012

2012-01-18T14:28:00.000-08:00

It's a snow day here...finally...and it just reaffirmed some strong truths in our family:

one certain person in our family thinks everything was put on this earth for us to eat.

Yes, Reesie. I'm talkin' to you.

See?

And Liv is forever our snow girl. She was squealing and somersaulting and squealing and hopping and squealing and acting all sorts of crazy. It was very difficult to get her to eat her breakfast. Did I mention the squealing?

Holland has never loved the snow, or being cold. But this year, there was not one sad face and that, my friends, is how we measure success in our family:

And Wieber girls are always interested and moving towards results. Let's see how they did:

Here we have fancy, boa-wearin' Snow Lady:

Miss Snow Bunny:

And I do believe Reesie has found a new friend.

Eskimo kisses even!

Now we are inside,

finishing up with schoolwork and a cup of hot cocoa,

and enjoying the quiet that blankets the earth after a snow fall.

Happy day to you!

Sushi for Kids

2012-01-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

Last night, Brian and I celebrated. Well, the whole night was cause for celebration, actually, because it was our monthly "Family Camp-out Night" in which every single stitch of anything resembling a blanket is dragged downstairs and layered to make a most fluffy type of sleeping arrangement.

We watch movies and eat junk food and tell the girls that they really must sleep and laugh at Brian because he is being strangled by one certain girl who likes to sleep with her arm in a choke hold.

Our family campouts are exactly like real campouts....we sleep underneath the tall ceiling, gazing up at our ceiling fan..listening to the rush of water flowing into the fishtank, and to the [rancid] wild breathing of our sweet terrier, Chester beside us....yes, exactly like camping...except without the bugs, cold nights, scary outhouses, or that one rock that wasn't quite swept aside before the tent was placed on top of it.

But that wasn't the only cause for celebration.

You see, we were celebrating because every. single. member. of. The. Wieber. Family. now loves sushi. Oh, to think of the family dinners in our future!!!

And not to brag (but, well, most certainly to brag because this is my spot to do so if I wish), but Brian makes the best sushi in the whole entire universe. He has ruined every sushi restaurant for me, in fact, because it is very difficult to drop hard-earned (thanks, babe) dough on sushi that your husband truly could make better. And really, I'm not just being a flattering wife here. I really mean it. His sushi is seriously the best I've ever had.

So now, instead of making separate dinners for the girls on sushi nights, we will all eat together! In the past, I have baked salmon or done something simple for the girls. And then Brian always offers them a bite. The girls have gone nuts over the smoked salmon, and Liv absolutely DEVOURS the nori (which to me tastes like crinkled fish skin....gross!), and they all have taken a liking to plain sushi rice. But last night, the girls ate sushi the way grown-ups eat sushi! See?

By the way, the chopsticks Holland is using have been WONDERFUL!

If you look closely at the above picture, you will see swollen eyes, and the unmistakable blush of a sweet girl who has gotten frustrated with her lack of chopstick skills. She decided that an 8-year-old is too old for chopstick aids, and so tried to eat sushi the adult way. She likes to catch on to new things rather quickly.

But I concur. It is hard to eat sushi with chopsticks.

Right, Reesie?

Here she gives up and just shoves it into her mouth. (Her chopstick is more like a stick with an appetizer fork on the end....I have no recollection of where we got it, but it's been great for the kids!)

So today, we celebrated their newfound love for sushi (all night long, the girls were saying, "Thanks, dad, for the sushi! And even our toddler was walking around saying, Thanks, Dad, Shushi!).

Yes, today we celebrated by eating PBJ sushi. (Why, yes, that is a peach in place of the soy sauce and wasabi!)

This is a very simple, kid-friendly faux-sushi for the girls to enjoy. I first smashed a piece of soft, whole wheat bread to make a very smooth "wrapper". Then I put a thick line of chunky peanut butter (or what about nutella, or cashew, or almond butter?) and jam down the middle. Then, I rolled up and laid the seam down touching the plate. Then, cut into pieces.

This was another opportunity to practice chopsticks, and to have fun!

Liv is grinning here because she is using her adult chopsticks much better today. She can pick up a new hobby in such little time. Boy, I wish I were like that!

If my mom were the one making this sushi for the kid-me, she would have made marshmallow creme/peanut butter faux sushi because,

"Yes, she was THAT fun."

Now, my mind is swirling of the different combos I'll be making my kids in the near future....

cream cheese and cucumber

goat cheese, spinach, and ham

marshmallow and peanut butter ;o)

any other ideas??

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas From The Wieber Family Year 2011 in Quotes

Reesie turned 2 this year…

“Gnk gnk!” (ice cream)

-Reese andher enduring word for ice-cream

“It's cold, hot-dip.”

-Reese holding the Tabasco that she just pulled out from out of thefridge

“Tee too (thank you), Jesus, for haircuts, hats, and hot balloons”

-Reese,during prayer time at night.

***

Holland turned 6 this year…

“Here'sone ride I'm tall enough to go on.”

-Holland, assessing theheight requirements while on daddy’sshoulders after spending themorning too short to ride on many of the attractions at Knott’s Berry Farm.

“C’mon pretty boy”.

-Holland to dad while helping him shovel dirt into the garden bed.

“Does this McDonalds haveeye balls, feathers, and fingers in their chicken?”

-Holland, after watching one too many documentariesabout fast food restaurants.

“But mom! I'm showing then some MMA!”

-Holland, after being told to quit wrestling with her friends.

“Dad, it doesn't look good on you, but it looks good on him.”

Holland, referring to a pink shirt and white pants outfit for a ken doll

“We were dancing a little jig then it got craaaazy!”

-Holland, explaining what happened to Brian afterhe had to confiscate the girls’ swords during a duel with their Jack Sparrowswords at Disneyland.

***

Liv turned 8this year…

If people see our car, they’re going tothink we are bad drivers!

-Liv, after a car crashin which we totaled our car.

"How come they X-ray shoes? There’s nothing in there but stink.....andshoelaces"

Liv, age 7, in line at the airport security check-point.

“I feel like holding a scorpion.”

-Liv, age 7.

“I want a cobra.”

-Liv, age 7, and a glutton for punishment.

“I thought you were the boss around here.”

-Liv, after Brian said, “Check with mom about that.”

“I’m glad that I'm not satan”.

-Liv, with a big sigh of relief. (We are glad, too, sweetie!)

“Dad, can I hug you from behind?”

“Liv, sweetie, that’s called choking.”

“I know, Dad.”

***

Doesn’t getting older mean that one getswiser, as well? Hmmm…we thoughtso, too…

“I couldn’t handle being in a real horror movie.”

-Jen, always bringing enlightenment and wisdom to any conversation.

“You girls want to see something funny about this blanket? I can makethis blanket scream and say, ‘No, no no!’”

-Brian, right before he began tickling Jen whilehiding under a blanket during a family ‘bout of Hide-n-Seek.

“You can't tap out to tickling,”

-Brian, reviewing Wrestlemania House rules.

“A new helmet would be cheaper than an MRI.”

-Jen, the voice of reason.

“Stop boxing with your forks! That's called stabbing.”

-Brian,taking time during dinner to educate the girls on proper table manners.

You know you it’s been too long since you’vecleaned your car when you find a bees nest inside.

–Brian, during arestoring session with his Ford Bronco.

Some of my best friends have punched me in the face and choked meunconscious.

-Brian, trying to convinceHolland that the fact that Liv crossed the imaginary line between their bedswasn't a particularly bad grievance.

In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ. Angels and archangels may have gathered there, cherubim and seraphim thronged the air; but his mother only, in her maiden bliss, worshiped the beloved with a kiss. What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give him: give my heart. --Christina G. Rosetti.

Merry Christmas to you all!!! We love you!

Alternative Christmas Tree

2011-12-20T14:02:00.000-08:00

We've been wanting to do one for awhile. Actually, Brian is the one who has had this tree on his mind...it's been cooking in his brain for the last few years now. And it's just like my hubby to wait for a really full year to go ahead and bring this tree to fruition. So what if our car just got totaled and our other vehicle: our very cool, very needy '76 Bronco is in pieces in the garage...the only way for my sweet husband to get to work without having to drag his butt and bicycle out in 30 degree December frigidness? I like it that he always has time for creativity, even when knee deep in the To-Do's of life.

His idea was to make a tree out of scraps in the garage (he is a major recycler!) and make a super fun, awesome, totally modern tree for our Christmas this year, and those to come. And since he's using scraps, He figured the money that we would have used to purchase a tree, should be donated to The Water Project. They use the money to help fund wells for communities and schools in Africa who are in dire need of clean water to drink. It's amazing really: you donate the amount you are able and they send you a link where you can follow and watch the progress being made! They even give you GPS coordinates, so we will be able to involve our children in watching the well be built, pray for the people using the well...and we can map it on our map and learn more about Africa in the process. The well is implemented by Living Water International, which "exists to demonstrate the love of God by helping communities acquire desperately needed clean water."

The site gives you a choice of where you want the money to go, and the girls were adamant about Uganda. Not only do we know of and have been praying (please pray with us!!!) for a sweet family living in Uganda RIGHT NOW who is trying to finalize her adoption to a little girl (and who has adopted a little boy from Uganda as well!), but they have also watched the videos of Katie Davis, the young girl who went to Uganda to serve the people there, and has stayed to live and has now become the adoptive mom of 13 girls! Right after we finished sending in our donation, we were sent a link and learned that we helped fund a well for a school in Uganda. The girls were so thrilled and excited.

More about the tree...I call it our "tinker toy tree".

Because that is exactly what it looks like. The middle is made from PVC pipe, covered with very lavish, ~~expensive~~, authentic gold duct tape. The middle pieces (where the dowels rest) are recycled pieces from a beautiful oak bed my husband had made us our first year of marriage,

the dowels are from the crib Brian made Liv right before she was born

(These parts were further recycled when Liv built a real live scooter that really truly worked for her grateful little sister who didn't have a scooter at that time...and then went on to win first place at the fair in the category of: Recycled projects.....notice a likeness between Liv and Brian? :o) The base is from the girls' bassinet that Brian built for them. Yes, it is a very special tree for many different reasons.

God can provide for these people. It's not us...nor our measley donation, but how wonderful it is to do something practical for someone, especially at Christmas. That elderly neighbor who lives next door, the family down the street who is struggling, the person you don't know who is in pain....there are opportunities all around us to share God's love. So grateful for my sweet husband and his beautiful woodworking skills!

Liv Turns 8!

2011-12-19T11:45:00.000-08:00

In October, our Livvy Lou celebrated her 8th birthday! She is a dream...brimming with ideas and always tinkering and never short on love for her sisters, oh and my helper around the house. She is amazing and I am so blessed to have her as a daughter!

For her birthday, she wanted to invite the whole world to go to Powell's candy store with her. I had to decline, bringing up her college fund and her parent's retirement and asked if she wanted to eat dinner this week and all that. In the end, I did tell her that she could, in lieu of a big birthday party, invite 2 friends to go to Powell's with her. That is what she chose (and then proceeded to wrangle a slumber party out of the deal ;o). Boy was it a fun day!

It started with our traditional family crepe birthday breakfast. (The above picture shows Liv trying to give Holland a thank-you hug with syrup-y hands :o). I was able to make a poster for her at Brian's place of work, commemorating the entire year. Little gifts and balloons surrounded her seat, and a stack of delicious crepes proudly displayed the 8-year-old candle. 8 years ago, we became parents for the first time! Felt overwhelming parental love for the first time. And it brings a little of that to the surface, when we celebrate her life.

We then cleaned up and headed out for a Nature Walk (yes, homeschoolers are fierce...trudging on through birthdays! :o) with our Nature class (ie Mary and Chelsea) and explored the Fall-ness of Boise. We then ran home, had lunch, and then we took off to go to Powell's.

Powell's is a sweet, nostalgic, and surreal experience where every candy under the sun can be found. I'm pretty sure they sell packaged happiness, too. It's an amazing little shop. I made some origami rings made from $5 bills for the girls to use for their purchases.

Then the choosing and hemming and hahing and big eyes and filling of baskets began. Then, those who were more decisive, sat with their bags of candies in front of the screen showing of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. (Notice it's the adults and the teenager having trouble deciding? :o)

Afterwards, we went home to play and rest up for the birthday dinner and slumber party.

Liv's dream dinner consisted of Mizithra Pasta, Caesar salad (ok, so that was her mom's dream, not hers), and french bread. And what 8-year-old girls wouldn't choose Tiramisu for her birthday cake? :o)

I saw this awesome project on the Family Fun website. You save large tin cans (such as those that house V-8 or Apple Juice) and open it using a safety can-opener. Then peel the paper off to reveal the perfect robot body. Glue strong magnets to the back of the huge pile of doodads...light switches, wires, hooks, screws, etc.-- your husband has in the garage (and being the inventor he is, has stored these doodads for years for that light-bulb project he has up his sleeve) and allow the kids to make robots, by placing the magnet doodads on the robot body. It's a wonderful party project! Imagine....an hour of play switching out robot parts--no glue--no scissors--no mess--but an instant and complete art form to take home! Oh, and have I mentioned that Liv has always wanted to make robots? Isn't she awesome?

After Robots, came opening presents,

And then saying goodnight,

and waking up to choose your own mini cereal with your sweet friends.

Liv loved her birthday! She is such a wonderful daughter to me!!!

Longfellow

2011-10-07T14:47:00.001-07:00

Holland, 6 years old

2011-10-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Holland turned 6 a few weeks ago and ever since, I've been pondering on what a blessing she is to our family. I thought you might want to get a peek into the window of Holland.

Things you might not know about our new six-year-old:

She's rather shy

Mozart makes her swoon. In fact, she has shared her opinion that Chopin copied all of Mozart's life works.

Her most favorite color is turquoise.

John Singer Sargent's painting entitled "Carnation Carnation Rose" has been noted as one of her faves.

Unfinished art projects cause her to break out in hives. Ok, so maybe not hives, but they do illicit a sort of panic.

She dislikes getting her hands dirty. Mom has to crack the eggs.

She can use both hands to draw, catch, and do other notable things.

She isn't afraid to pick up ants with her bare hands. Around these parts, we call her "The Ant Slayer".

She has a serious (and absurd) disdain for melted cheese.

She loves to sing her conversations.

Everyday, she declares that she wouldn't trade her little sister for ANY other baby, EVEN a boy baby.

She adores singing, practices her songs on the piano every day, and can't wait to learn to play the violin or mandolin.

Root beer popsicles are her favorite.

She welcomes the sight of blood.

Antique shops make her happy.

So do book stores.

She adores technology and if we didn't care about her brain, she'd play Angry Birds 24/7.

She has compared herself to Mater and her sister Liv to Lightning McQueen...both characters from the Movie, "Cars". This really cracks me up. Really, Holland? Mater?!

She has an interesting fear that she will grow super small or super large.

She is an amazingly tender, creative, joyful little girl and I am super blessed to be her mom!

******************************

In other news, Holland decided 2 weeks before her birthday that she did not want any kind of birthday celebration. She had worked herself up to a panic at the thought of it. I was surprised, but then I wasn't. She likes to steer away from being the center. I assured her that she didn't have to have a party and she was visibly relieved. But knowing how much Holland really does LOVE birthdays and friends and celebrations, I decided a small little party couldn't hurt, and would make her feel loved and important. So we fashioned a small surprise party and made it just her style.

A fictional character lives within our walls....our mind walls, that is. Suzie is a boy dragon (his mother wanted a girl...go figure) who was created to relax Holland's fears about dragons after a nightmare she had one night. ("Really?" you say. I know what you're thinking...a healthy does of dragon fear isn't so bad...but to that I say, "Dragons are not real.") Since then, Suzie shows up in bedtime stories nearly every night. Holland really adores Suzie...in fact, the other day she wistfully told me that she wished Suzie was real. Suzie spends most of his days saving the day and being a good friend. Instead of telling you about Suzie, I'll share one of my stories of Suzie:

Suzie {the boy} Dragon

The day Suzie was born was a sad day. You see, Suzie’s mom so convinced herself that she was having a girl dragon, that when out came a BOY dragon, she was in utter disbelief and refused to name him something other than Suzie. So if you look at Suzie’s birth certificate you will see that Suzie is indeed a boy dragon, and Suzie is definitely his real name.

Now that you know Suzie’s birth story, I am sure you, dear reader, will be able to accept Suzie as he is, dragon and all.

Now, I know you must feel bad for Suzie, since his mother wanted him to be a girl, but Suzie looked like any other happy, healthy boy dragon. Oh, his mother dressed him in a pink bonnet for a few weeks--at first. But Suzie is now choosing his own clothes and is able to wear black rubber boots and his favorite blue suspenders.

Have you seen Suzie? You can’t miss him. His deep purple skin and his bright yellow dots seem to pop out and say, “Here I am!!!”. And because he is the only dragon in town (except for his mother) he walks everywhere and claims his wings are only for looks. (Because, you see, Suzie is NOT a show-off). Suzie is slow and clumsy and every so often, he straightens his bow tie and gives a good click with his tongue (like this: “cluck cluck”). Everybody loves Suzie. It isn’t because he is so large or because every time he sneezes, fire comes out his nose. Nope. Everybody loves Suzie because he is kind and helpful to anyone who needs someone, well…kind and helpful.

One particular day, Suzie was out walking along the sidewalk, kicking at boulders along the way, when he heard a frantic train whistle. He had heard train whistles before but this time it was different. It was as if the train was shouting, “MOVE OUT! MOVE OUT!” Suzie did not waste any time at all. Now, I know I said Suzie wasn’t a show-off, but I also said that Suzie is kind and helpful to anyone in need. He spread his wings and pushed off towards the train with all the speed and might he could muster. Above the tree tops he soared. Around the fire station he turned. More blaring train whistles could be heard. Beyond the river and through the woods he gathered speed. The train whistles were becoming more and more urgent. And when he rounded the bend near the grocery store he saw why the train was so frantic--A car was stopped on the tracks and the people couldn’t get out! As he got closer, his heart raced fast: His best friend Holland and all her friends were inside! He glanced over and saw that the train was dangerously close now to the car. Hovering over the crowd of people who had gathered, Suzie swooped down and literally plucked the car from the tracks and carried it safely out of harms way. Holland and her friends tumbled out of the car and tackled Suzie with hugs of gratitude. The townspeople rushed at the loveable dragon and shook his hand vigorously, one by one, until Suzie thought his arm would fall off. And the following day, The Mayor of the town had a meeting where he awarded Suzie a “key” to the city so that, though he was a dragon, he was now an honorary member of the city and could now be counted in the annual census. Best of all, in Suzie’s opinion, was the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast waiting for him afterwards. With a click of his bow-tie and a skip to his step, he invited Holland and all her friends to join him and together they devoured those pancakes!

*********************

Anyhow, all this was shared with you so you don't have to ask: Why is this little girl so happy to have a dragon birthday cake?

My mom took Holland shopping as we set up for the party. When Holland returned, she was so happy to see friends and balloons and food! Then, as the kids were finishing their dinner, I gathered the kids together to play a game and then "noticed" that one of our guests was missing: Suzie! Well, of course, the kids wanted to know who Suzie was (though some already did know since Holland talks about Suzie all the time!), so I told the kids the story of Suzie as we waited for Suzie to show up.

Holland was ecstatic that Suzie was the center of attention. As I was finishing, Brian came up with a letter and exclaimed that a man with mask just dropped off a letter for Holland!

Holland and friends,

Your dear friend Suzie will not be attending the partybecause he is a little tied up right now. (muhaahaaa!!) In fact, you can kiss your chances awayof ever seeing your friend again!

Sincerely,

Bad guy

She looked nervous as she opened the letter. We all suddenly knew that Suzie was NOT coming to the party, and that Suzie needed help badly! He was captured and being held against his will. Suddenly a clue was found on the ground, and the hunt for Suzie began.

The clues led them to the sunflower garden,

the sandbox,

to the apple tree where the correct number of lemon drops needed to be guessed.

Then to the canoe,

a mad rush to the pastor,

up the climbing wall,

where straws were drawn to see who had to be brave enough to seek out advice from the sage,

and to the old sage...

...atop the mountain with a clear warning: "do NOT drink from the paper cup."

At this point, the pinata lowered and the kids desperately tried to free Suzie from the pink castle where he was being held.

Then the castle broke open and the kids gathered army men (who, of course, were guarding the castle), candies, and other treats. When all the goods were gathered, the kids were asked if they had seen Suzie. None had, but then a look into all the bags found him in Holland's bag! She was super happy to have found him.

Afterwards, the kids dug into the Suzie cake and the kids played the rest of the night.

Brian helped plan this party, and the whole time we were working on it, we both felt so grateful for our unique little girl. She is an enormous blessing to our family and completes it only the way she can with her wild imagination, individual ideas, and her warm little heart.

Happy Birthday, Hollywags! We love you!

Birch Bay

2011-10-04T10:08:00.001-07:00

Birch bay was calling our names...oh ok, not Birch Bay, but our family who lives there were! We were calling their names, too. We live way too far away from each other. We drove up for a very quick (too quick!) trip and had such a wonderful time. Tami and Mark took us to Hovander Farm and Tennant Lake and I got my Pacific Northwest fix for the year! (though, it was uncharacteristically tropical for the first 2 days, it did get damp and rainy on our way out!). Even with such warm weather, I still felt the usual pangs of homesickness every time I do when I walk along barnacle encrusted shores, gaze up and up at towering hemlocks, and get misted by perpetual rain drizzle.

Hovander Farm immediately transported me back into time and our family enjoyed viewing and sitting on old farm equipment, funny farm animals, a real live secret garden, a marsh nature walk, waltzing among gorgeous flower gardens, and a sweet picnic under the trees.

Oh, and Reesie would like to tell you that she had a most amazing swing session:

The next day was spent digging and splashing and getting all kinds of dirty!

We had a wonderful time with our family and miss them already.

Until we meet again, Pacific Northwest!

First Days of School

2011-10-03T15:37:00.001-07:00

With September, came our first day of school here at Wieber Academy School for Girls.

Please don't stare at my holy, or hole-y, or holesome (as in, some holes) tablecloth. Antiques are supposed to be old looking. Anyway, we haven't gotten around to mending classes here at WASG. Please apply in the comments section if you are willing to teach me. What I meant to say is, teach the kids. (of course).

Cheerful smiling faces are a welcome sight for this teacher.

The girls are especially excited to attend Providence Co-op this year, a ministry begun by a wonderful gal from our church. The girls get to take Music, Spanish, and Public Speaking classes. I get to teach creative writing. They attend once a week for a half day, and the rest of their schooling happens here at home. I mean, er, at WASG. We have loved using the Ambleside Online Charlotte Mason Curriculum for the past 2 years. If you want to fall in love with reading once again, or help your children to do so, I highly recommend it! Smart moms got together and created it for people like me, free of charge. What a blessing. It is also a beautiful way to be and learn and live with your kids!

Here's to a great school year!

FALL

2011-09-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

Summer Sun, A Tribute to 2011

2011-09-17T17:55:00.001-07:00

Come September, I find myself reluctant to allow Summer it's exit, and Fall it's debut. For this reason, I make a point to review my Summer pictures at the end of the season, to remember the fullness of all we were privileged to be a part of. So what follows is some of my favorite moments of this Summer, in pictures. Robert Louis Stevenson accompanies with his lifting words.

Summer Sun

Great is the sun, and wide he goes

Through empty heaven with repose;

And in the blue and glowing days

More thick than rain he showers his rays.

Though closer still the blinds we pull

To keep the shady parlour cool,

Yet he will find a chink or two

To slip his golden fingers through.

The dusty attic spider-clad

He, through the keyhole, maketh glad;

And through the broken edge of tiles

Into the laddered hay-loft smiles.

Meantime his golden face around

He bares to all the garden ground,

And sheds a warm and glittering look

Among the ivy's inmost nook.

Above the hills, along the blue,

Round the bright air with footing true,

To please the child, to paint the rose,

The gardener of the World, he goes.

Fair, 2011

2011-09-17T10:04:00.001-07:00

We live right down the street from the fair, so when the first carnival trucks pull up and rides begin to be assembled, the girls can barely contain their excitement. One of their favorite parts of the fair is entering various projects they completed during the year into the exhibition contests.

It was especially nice this year because the girls were in different divisions (as opposed to competing against each other).

Here Liv shows the cookies she made for the fair.

And here she is with the painting she created for Brian for Father's Day. She won first place!

Holland shows us her bird collage, made with pre-cut shapes, torn paper, glittery rhinestone stickers and cloth flowers.

It took awhile to find it on the massive wall of youth entries, but after a bit of hunting we found Holland's photograph of Brian and I and Reesie on Bull Trout Lake. She got an honorable mention award for it!

And she was super excited to find out that she got first place for the painting she made of my dad (aka: Papa Snail) for his Father's Day present.

With an unusual name like Holland, we may not find her name printed on coffee mugs and barrettes, but we do see her name all over the place advertising either the country or the tractor line. Here she spots "her" tractors at the fair.

The funniest happening at the fair this year, by far, was when Liv and I were petting a horse. It suddenly let out a ear splitting sneeze. It sounded like his nose blew off his face. And it scared us silly. We both jumped about a mile. Laughing, I turned to look at Liv and her whole face was covered with lots of goo and green grass. It was disgusting. And hilarious. While I took a wipey to her face, she laughed and was an amazingly good sport. Looking back, I think I should have taken a picture of it, but at the time I couldn't bear to have her wear the horse sneeze any longer than she had to.

The girls loved combing the cow....

And riding the slide...

And having Mary join us for the evening...

The girls have always loved the most adrenaline inducing rides, but they also have a super soft spot for carousels and I love watching them pick their horse. I think it shows a lot of a kid's personality. For instance:

Holland chose the Zebra.

Liv chose the loudest and the fanciest horse she could find. And she poses just right to be riding such a horse.

Reese chose to ride with Grandma. :o)

And the fun house with mom.

And then Reesie rode away the night on the motorcycles.

Exterra, 2011

2011-09-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

I've been stalling the posting and documenting of this post. Because, you see, I have been afraid that the winners (yes, I said, winners) will be taken aback at the lack of photos I have of the race itself. Apparently, I thought the spectators were much more interesting this year (and one of said spectators kept me on my toes...need I mention a certain 2-year-old's name?) than the hardest mountain bike Tri in these parts. Even so, I think you will agree, that these spectators are one-of-a-kind:

If you want to see these kids spontaneously bust out their most hideous and funny faces, just grab the camera. It's almost like they've been taught to do this! We could take them on a traveling road show! Who's in?

Look at Reesie's face in the photo below. She has a great idea!

Noses are meant to be picked, right?

Look at the boys' faces here. Oops, Reese. Party foul.

Even racers get silly:

AND muddy.

And now I interrupt the posting of this race to show you that Wieber girls can, in fact, be serious (even if the attempt to be serious is silly in itself!):

This is the same exact look that Liv would give to us when she was an unhappy toddler. Our good friend, Troy, coined this look, "The Stink Eye".

And my friend Keri is --hands down--the best creative divert-er of children on the planet.

Liv has so many pictures of her communing with butterflies this Summer, that she is becoming known as "The butterfly Whisperer" around here.

Here are the racers and their families, pre-race...

Amazing swimmer extraordinaire, Kristin and her fam:

Super speedy Scott and his fam.

And now....the moment you have ALL been waiting for....

wait for it...

wait for it...

THE WINNERS!!!!

Oooops...er...

... the Winners!!!

The setting for this race is absolutely beautiful. The racers did AWESOME and their months and months of hard work paid off! We got to eat at My Father's Place after the race. Keri and I got to go on a trail run together. Our family's played by the water. It was a perfect "End of Summer" event! And I think my husband has already started training for next year's race.

I wish he were more competitive.

Sage Hen, 2011

2011-09-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

We were so super blessed to once again join a very large group of very friendly campers at Sage Hen. Our wonderful friends Jon and Shannon organize this, and their attendance this year was especially impressive as Shannon gave birth to her sweet little boy, Gabriel just weeks before. If you click on here, you can see what my beautiful friend, Shannon, looks like (think: Anne Hathaway). If you click on this link, you will see my personal favorite picture of Shannon. Sage Hen is a wonderful spot to gather as a group....the site held 7 families and there are trails and hillsides and a lake just a short jaunt away. last year, 20 kids and 14 adults showed up. This year, 16 adults and 24 kids were present. The kids completely outnumber. Similar to last year, though, no adult was tied up and forced to eat too many marshmallows.

The frogs were rampant, the kids were rampant, and the trips to the outhouse...well, they were rampant, too.

Here, Liv names all the frogs with help from her friends. I told you they were rampant! I will refrain from showing you the rampant trips to the outhouse. You're welcome!

The kids loved digging and exploring,

getting dirty and chasing butterflies...

...and eating their fresh catch.

A campfire is a must for a camping trip. But songs around a campfire during a camping trip is a dream and exports one immediately to their days of youth. I was a happy camper to think that our girls will remember these beautiful times spent singing praises with "family" friends.

By the way, I love Holland's hands in this picture. And I really love these pics of friends Holland and Stellan together. It brought back immediate memories from last year's trip when he sweetly showed her how to use a bow.

Sage Hen is already building some wonderful family memories.
Thank you Jon and Shannon!

Bull Trout Lake, 2011

2011-09-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

Back in July, we were able to get away for a couple days to Bull Trout Lake with some friends....we had a very leisurely time....well, as leisurely as it can be with a 2-year-old. I think my favorite part of camping is the lack of phone and computer and to-do list.

There is nothing more relaxing than to launch out onto quiet waters in red canoe.

To serenely witness first hand the jumping of fish and the moving of clouds and

the shouts of "Reesie the Garden Gnome" back at the campsite.

This campsite was unreal. HUGE sites right on the water. It was amazing. So were the bugs. I got attacked. Brian didn't. End of story. Some resentment.

Every time we camp, I include a treasure bag for the girls to find fun things around camp. This guy was waiting to greet us when we first arrived. Unfortunately, (and fortunately) he stayed behind to greet the next guests, as he was covered in sap.

Reesie adores her friend, Mary. The feeling is mutual.

These cuties found flowers for their hair during our hike.

The girls are happy here. This was a process :o).

We even had fun with the cleaning of the fish....

And when you are camping with a toddler, the camera gets a bit lonely. So then you hand it off to your 5-year-old. This is our camping trip, through the eyes of Hollywags:

Summers are for Fishing

2011-09-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

and, according to Brian, posing and touching the fresh catch is a must for all fisherwomen--which the girl's weren't happy about. at. all.

But bravery, as Liv shows us, can be learned.

Oh, I love her expression here!

Holland still has another 2 years to learn this skill of touching and posing with a dead fish.

But she perks up enough when she realizes a camera is capturing the moment.

Here is Liv a few weeks later, posing with her fish like a pro. She caught this fish without any help at all!

More camping photos coming soon!!

Mores Mountain

2011-09-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

A few years back, my friend Suz introduced our family to Mores Mountain, a 1-mile interpretive trail loop with little elevation change (read: perfect for youngsters). We got to go explore and enjoy the afternoon with our friends Scott and Keri and their boys. Afterwards, the guys would descend Bogus Basin on bike. Keri would descend in car carrying 2 boys. I would descend in car carrying 3 girls and 1 barf bag. It's no fun taking Liv on windy roads. In fact, we never go anywhere, even the grocery store, without a barf bag. The girl can get car sick just thinking of getting car sick.

Anyway, back to my point: We love an afternoon hiking with our girls, and Mores Mountain gives us a beautiful trail that even a tired toddler can handle.

Alpine meadows, canopies of firs, ancient boulders and panoramic views, plenty of shade and wildflowers, and.... caterpillars....

hiking...

posing...

and falling and becoming a dirt monster and still smiling...

and really great friends.

Reese: 2 Years Big

2011-09-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

With Reese's 2nd birthday, birthday season has officially begun at the Wieber home. Actually, if you really want to get technical, it started in July with Brian and my birthdays. There is a birthday in our family each month from July to October.

And that is why it is called Birthday Season (if you must know).

:o)

We couldn't have Reese's party until the day after her real birthday, and I'm such a sucker for birthdays, that Reese got real good and spoiled both days. :o)

Our family has a birthday tradition of crepes for breakfast. Here is Reese in all her morning glory, complete with sleep eyes, sheet marks, bed head, and birthday wonderment:

She opened her present: a new baby. And immediately wanted the diaper on. Good thing we have daddy for that. Remember last year when Brian showed Reese how to love her new friend? :o)

Reese's good friend Mary came to have lunch with her.

And Reesie loved finger painting the afternoon away.

And the sprinkler makes a nice pairing for finger painting afternoons.

But still, a birthday bath is needed. With her new baby, of course.

Nanette and Papa Snail treat Reese to a birthday dinner at Spaghetti Factory. Reese's favorite part was having the serving staff sing jovially to her.

Reese has two main loves in her life: toast and friends. I think friends are number one, but toast does follow a close second. In fact, the other day while Reese said her prayers, she thanked God first for her friends, Trevor, Joel, Scott and Keri, and followed immediately with Toast, butter, and eggs. (yes, toast is meant to be capitalized here, as it is a proper noun in our house.)

A Summer evening at our favorite park with Reese's special friends = birthday success. Happy Birthday sweet baby. And thank you, dear friends, for your special place in her life.

how we became us.

2011-08-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

I called him that night, Friday. The cold gray walls of the dorm hall were easy to resist, and When I asked him if he wanted to hang out

he did.

We hopped into his red Nissan with the rottweiler plates and he asked me if I wanted to drive. And I lurched and stalled it so many times that we traded seats. He may have laughed at me--yes, I am sure he did.

My lack of experience was a novelty.

Up the hills we went overlooking the City of Trees, the air cold and crisp, and lighted by Christmas. And when we reached the tip-top of the highest hill away from every street lamp around, we teetered at the edge, and our eyes spotted a sort of road. The narrow beams of the headlights offered us little to view.

"Let's go for it--"

down the roller coaster of clay-mud away from the perils of studying for finals, the threat of cardboard pizza, stale coffee and the quietness of an all-girls floor the week before testing. Over the frozen cold and steep down while engine lost power and kept going....only to

p
l
u
n
g
e

to
a

stop

at the dark bottom of--what--? we couldn't see anything except gray shapes of unfamiliar.
The road was not a road at all, but a trap instead. Other auto-victims had been here before, of that we could tell. He told me to stay put and he dug out with his shovel. Because, you see, he is my "McGyver",

never without a life-saving device.

Fervent digging became pointless. The Nissan called out to offer his wench. But the wench sighed, shoulders drooped with disappointment, because sagebrush offers no leverage. But of course--what is sagebrush? When you have lived your whole life in Washington State,

there is no reason to know such things.

Darkness was heavy and fingers were numb but we were kids with no weight on our shoulders, and getting stranded in the hills was no big thing. Especially when you get to wear a warm coat that smells like him, and get to hold hands that experience

first-love spark.

But like I said, it was no big thing. Even when the tow truck resigned, and the tractor said, "no way", and finally, for all ~~our~~ his measly college savings, the truck was set free by the CAT and the driver of the red Nissan with rottweiler plates warned. But of course this was nothing M&W white powdered donuts and orange juice couldn't fix

(because remember, we were kids, still).

But what I recall most was that we drove up the hill as friends, and came down as a glimmer more. And 3 years later, on bended knee, a promise was made on the same hill of foolishness. But this time, instead of foolishness, a proclamation of devotion and friendship.

And yes, love.

Our family looks quite different these days, as our "two" is now "five" and what a loud house we have become. We've spent time on the top of the hill, but life has brought unexpected blows and we have found ourselves at the bottom, with all the mud and mire and prayer knees.

And still I can say that I like the way his jacket smells.

And if I had to choose a different path, I wouldn't. I would again get back into that Nissan truck with him. He, who has offered me 14 years of wedded enjoyment and the gift of sacred faithfulness. He who has injected fun and frivolity into my bent towards structure. He who has given me three beautiful daughters.

I give you my heart, again, my loving husband.

Thanking God today for my husband, for hills AND valleys, and a happy anniversary to us.

She Is

2011-08-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

She Is--
By Jen Wieber

Who is this fair child, gifted to me?

She is

carefree, she is lovely
like fresh rain from heaven.

silly girl, so wily
like pillow fight parties

a mountain-high ice cream
commanding and winsome

She is beautiful to me.

She is

a summer thunderstorm
so warm and consuming

like cold raging waters
naturally refreshing

A thousand buttercups
to gather and adore

And she is daughter to me.

She is

indulgent caretaker
sure and compassionate

a bright moonflower
giver of words and rune

like grandma's old hymnal
full of worship and praise
She is a blessing to me.

(My youngest little gal, Reesie, turns 2 today! Happy Birthday, Honey Pie! )

Reese

2011-08-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

She changed my life one day. I don't remember the calendar page, or what I had for breakfast that morning. But I'll never forget the words that suddenly spewed from my heart, through my hand, and onto paper. She was only a faint stir within my womb.

A joyful baby, I wrote of her and because of her. Paper and pen by my pillow and scribbles in the middle of the night. She is the giver of words and the encourager of heart thoughts.

She--with her exact ideas and her arms full of dollies and a whole list of foods she wants--now.

She--with her second birthday in two night's sleep and her notion that the world is full of friends just for her.

She--who doesn't miss a beat and loves riding in the grocery cart fashioned as a speed-car.

She is my beloved daughter.

Happy Birthday, sweet Reese.

Fourth of July 2011

2011-07-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the 13 colonies from Great Britain occurred, and really, the month of July has never been the same. In fact, the day before the Declaration of Independence was signed, John Adams wrote this letter to his wife, Abigail, approving and encouraging all our silly, fun and ridiculous antics that go on July 4th:

...The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

The second day of July, instead came to be the 4th of July, and so aligned itself with the date shown on the Declaration of Independence.

Thank you, John Adams, for making way for celebration. He must have been a fun guy, don't you think? Strangely, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson--signers of the declaration and past Presidents of the United States of America, died on the same day: July 4th, 1826. This was the 50th anniversary of the signage.

Now that the trivia has been dealt out and we are a whole lot smarter, we can put all our focus on the pomp and games that went on during the amazing block party we were blessed to attend. A big thank you to the BEST friends and neighbors a family could ever ask for. Literally, this is a whole block of fun-ness. So without further adieu:

THE fourth of July party:

Before the party began. (read: non-sweaty, very excited, unpainted, pre-dunked kids)

Friends that play together, stay together. Isn't that how it goes? No?

A little friendly competition never killed anybody, though, I'm pretty sure Caycee said: "Elicia's going DOWN!"

Don't let them fool you.

See? Here they say, "No matter what happens, let's promise to be friends, K?"

Getting their marshmallows ready on the paper plates. The broomstick falling on the plate is designed (or so we are told) to catapult the marshmallow into the player's mouth.

I would show you action shots of Caycee and Elicia attempting the rare feat of actually catching the marshmallows, but I'd really like to remain friends, and so I'll not post them until I get the okay. I mean, IF, I get the okay. :o)

Jake apparently takes after his dad at Tug 'O War fierceness.

And no 4th of July party is complete without a cookie-eating contest. No hands were allowed to help get the cookie from the forehead to the mouth!

Victorious!

You decide: Hospitable host, or not?

Liv in the dunk tank:

Luke, being dunked and loving it!

It was just a matter of time before Reese found the face paint:

Friends make the 4th complete!

Things that don't surprise us:

Wieber girls are always, always silly.

Reese loved the fireworks. (Here she is saying, "Whoo Hoo!")

Blue frosting make blue teeth and lips.

Reese is eating. Again.

The fireworks were spectacular--more amazing than a picture can tell.

Thank you, friends, for a happy, fun, blessed day!
Happy Birthday, America! (OH, and Happy Birthday, Dad!!!)

Main Street Friends

2011-06-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

Note: This post can also be called, "I run for Ice Cream" or "My Friends are Faster Than Your Friends".

Once again, third year running, we came out to support Men's Prostate Health at The Main Street Mile in Boise, Idaho.

We love the freedom to run in the streets, greet all the City mascots in one convenient location,

cheer on fast friends,

(5:25-ish)

(5:39)

and chase the Meadow Gold truck.

Here we are before the race, taking some pre-race photos:

And then when I said, "Strike a pose", Holland thought I said, "Strike a hose". hehe.

So we tried "Strike a pose", again. And gee, it worked!

Sisters are always cheesy:

Liv ran by herself this year, but there were plenty of looks back at dad...just enough to make him feel good. :o)

Julia and Luke and their dad:

I was sure proud of Holland. She didn't want Liv out of her sight (for competitive reasons, not for security, I am sure :o) and so pushed herself to her limit. Though she was hurting, she refused to stop. Though, by the looks of it, I'm positive Brian got plenty of dirty looks for "dragging" his girl along.

Eli and his dad:

Trevor with his mom:

And Trevor seeing his supporters:

Sure, the blue ribbon is a big deal, but the ice cream just can't be beat.

Some Fan photos: :o)

And Papa Snail gets the award for most races supported. He's been to every Main Street Mile race to cheer on the girls, and he even raced in one of them when Brian was out of the country for work.

Awesome race. Awesome Summer memories!

Thankful

2011-06-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

Thank you God

for these simple pleasures

here on earth...our home temporary.

For grins

and cool breezes with a slight chance of rain

For blossoms on the tree we pass

to bring beauty into our peripheral and

to make our hearts stand

at attention

and race for The One who made it.

We dance and sing

For YOU-- creator magnificent

Layer-down of life

and giver of eternity.

Did you catch that?

I said, eternity!

Who blesses with colors

of splendor and sounds

of nature.

Who carries the weak-kneed

and honors those who go last.

Who gives and then takes away,

taking the ash and rubble

and the wounded

and making beautiful out of ugly.

Who bled,

a tortured man on a cross,

and rose as was promised,

to give us life everlasting.

The day of remembrance does pass,
but our praise to the One shouldn't

And like a kid with money in his pocket,
we don't forget

the cool against sweaty palm.

If we have God, we have it all.

Thank you God--

giver of life and joy

and promise eternal.

Pushing

2011-05-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

Insomuch as any one pushes you nearer to God, he or she is your friend.

--French Proverb

Flower

2011-04-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour...

William Blake
England 1757-1827

Spring

2011-04-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Words By Eleanor Farjeon
England (1881-1965)

Morning has broken
Like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken
Like the first bird.
Praise for the singing!
Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing
Fresh from the Word!

Sweet the rain's new fall
Sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dewfall
On the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness
of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness
Where his feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight!
Mine is the morning.
Born of the one light
Eden saw play!
Praise with elation,
Praise every morning,
God's re-creation
Of the new day!

Happy Spring to my baby girl, Reesie...a girl who believes the world was made just for her.

Happy Birthday Sisters!

2011-04-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, is what I always like to say.

Which, unfortunately, is code for:

"What?! It's been 7 months and I still haven't posted about the girls' shared birthday party!"

It must be the warm Spring air giving me the nudge to finally post the girls' party. So without further adieu (and before the girls turn 6 and 8...sigh)....

I present to you, Liv and Holland's birthday celebration:

Tim looks completely honored to hold the pinata for us! It's the only reason he got an invitation :o) Just kiddin' Tim!!!

Reese wants a turn!

Lovely little packages to delight growing hands.

Happy Birthday sweet girls! We love you so much!

McCall

2011-04-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

We were incredibly blessed to spend a fun weekend in McCall with friends. It wasn't just fun, it was educational.

For example:

We learned that Reese much prefers to be ON the sled, than off. (that look of horror you see there is actually her inner-adrenaline-junkie's-token-scared-face).

This is Reesie OFF the sled:

We were relieved to discover that Brian's "winter shorts" made it through the snow. Here he takes Reese up for another sled ride.

We also learned that Reese and Liv have similar adrenaline-junkie-token-scared-faces:

As does Adam:

And we were reminded of what an awesome biggest sister Liv is. Here she checks on Reesie after their sled ride. Everyone is happy.

One word of caution: Do not ever, EVER throw a snowball at Brian:

You will lose every time. Reese says, "My dad can beat up your dad!"

Not only will Brian win, he will also stick his tongue out at you. Real mature, buddy. Real mature.

Sledding is MUCH more fun with a scared face.

And with your right arm raised:

And especially while looking cute:

And McCall just isn't McCall unless you're with your friends!

Love The Shams

2011-04-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

We have these amazing friends who also happen to live just around the corner. They invited us up to their cabin a couple of weeks ago while Rob and Brian went to the Calvary Men's Bootcamp weekend. It was a whole weekend of NOTHING. Well, only if you call laughing and resting and playing games and crafts and food and snow forts and movies and finishing a super good book "nothing". I even got to sleep in until 9AM one morning. I seriously have no recollection of the last time I was able to do that!

It was a restful and encouraging weekend and I am just so thankful for their family, affectionately known to us as "The Shams". :o) Long story, but let's just say that if you type in their real name, "spell check" changes it to "Sham". Ok, that wasn't such a long story. It was actually short. And not at all interesting....to you. I apologize.

These "indoorsy types" stayed inside almost the whole weekend. And smiled the whole weekend, too.

And this "outdoorsy" girl of ours had a blast outside. Liv Wieber is always, always silly.

Jake and Liv were super compatible play partners. They spent literally every waking moment outside working on their fort:

Snowboarding:

Being goofy (again):

I took this picture of Holland during the 5-minute window she was outside. Remember, snow has never been her thing. :o)

This little one of ours is an "outdoorsy-type" as well. She loved hanging out with Maddie.

We are so thankful for the friends God has given us!

Mr. Stinky Attitude

2011-02-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

Our morning went as usual yesterday. Breakfast had been eaten, bible read, prayers said, girls dressed. Dishes were being put away. Silver spoons transferred to their familiar dwelling place, see-through drinking glasses lined in a row, earth-colored plates stacked like a tower, familiar little-girl chit-chat mixed in with mama's frequent reminders to stay on task, baby--sitting at counter--contemplating the ingesting of the washrag, now that her bananas were finished.

Then it struck. Like a poison. It started first as an indignant shout. From one sister to another. Rights had been violated. Feelings hurt. Indignant shout was justified by the sender.

What if she was allowed this?

What if she continued this way through her life?

See the lake of bodies in her path. See the broken bridges. See the disarray.

I sighed. I hadn't wanted to mention the visitor that had come to stay with me for far too long. I had wanted to keep him a secret. I didn't want anyone to know he had been allowed in my home. But I have a responsibility to share with the girls what could happen if they let him come and stay with them. Stooping low, anguish eyes meeting sullen eyes. My beloved daughter, let me tell you a story.

When I was a young girl, much like yourself, I heard a loud rasp at my door. I opened up the door wide and there stood a boy, with a crisp, white shirt. He had nice pants on, too. His shoes had just been shined. He asked if he might come in for just a minute or two.

"What do you think I said?" I asked the wide eyes staring at me.

"I don't know," she whispered.

I told the boy to come on in! I made him comfortable, gave him some lemonade to drink. I put his feet up on a stool, and I asked him to stay awhile. And you know what? He did! He stayed, and he stayed and he stayed. No longer, though, did he have a crisp white shirt or shiny shoes. Over time, his shirt had became crumpled and stained, his shoes were in tatters. He slept on the couch day after day after day and made a complete mess of my house. Garbage was everywhere. And he was mean! He had a stinky attitude. His attitude was so stinky and he made such a mess that I started calling him Mr. Stinky Attitude. With Stinky Attitude around, my house just got messier and messier and he started moving around to other parts of my house, messing things up. After while it was hard to go visit my sister and my friends and my parents, because of the mountain of mess in the way.

"I'm not talking about my house, am I?" I asked my girl.

"No, you're talking about your heart," she said with a sheepish look.

"yes," I said.

Amazement set in. She understood that. But of course, maybe because she recognizes the story. Don't we all?

I continued.

I had all but given up. I thought Stinky Attitude was going to stay in my house, making messes, forever. I forgot I had asked him to come in. If I had asked him in to my house, surely I could ask him to leave. I finally got the courage to ask Mr. Stinky Attitude to leave. He didn't want to. I had to drag him out. And let me tell you--he didn't go quietly. He hung on to the door jam and finally I had to kick him out. And he didn't take his mess with him, either. I had to clean up after him. And it took awhile. Huge black garbage bags filled. Filled with tears, shouts, hurt feelings, mean looks, cross eyes, slumped shoulders, screeches, scalding voices, muted ears, padlocks, stomping shoes, slammed doors, and self-righteousness. When it was finally cleaned, I looked around with gratitude. I had forgotten what it was like to have a place to stay and rest and be happy; a place to give joy--not take joy away--from my loved ones. I finally was able to go visit with my sister and my parents. I even saw my friends again. During the time I was cleaning, Mr. Stinky Attitude kept rasping at my door. Every day I had to tell him to go away. He got in a couple of times. But I remembered what would happen if I let him stay.

I prayed and asked for help. I asked God to keep Mr. Stinky Attitude away for good. He helped me do that.

Oh, he still knocks at my door. And he even comes in and tries to stay. But I pray and God helps me get him out and he stays out when I do that.

I look at my daughter. Furrowed brow and hard eyes are gone. In it's place: tender looks and a repentant heart. Other daughter has eyes wide with excitement. She is bursting. I can see wheels turning. She runs and grabs a scrap of paper. On it she draws a face with it's tongue sticking out. She asks me to write a note to Mr. Stinky Attitude. So we can tape it to our door (heart), reminding him to keep away. So we do.

I'm not sure the tongue sticking out is the non-stinky way to ask Mr. Stinky Attitude to stay away, but I guess we'll find out. :o)

Mr. Stinky Attitude--You do NOT live here!

Reposting this for Imperfect Prose Thursdays over at Emily's! Need to do a little "housekeeping" this week! ;O)

2010, Year in Review

2011-01-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

I love to look back at my photo folder titled: "Yearly Favorites." In it can be found countless memories and lasting moments.

For instance:

This year, our bike train officially became longer than our car. We found a tandem tag-along to allow Holland the chance to ride like contributing member of our train. And she contribute she did. We even had the girls bike us home one day from one side of the neighborhood to the other. Meanwhile, Brian and I put our feet up for much needed rest.

This was a year of "Firsts" for Reese: First trip to the Zoo, first visit to the waterpark, first snow day.

Oh, and the first time we discovered her insatiable love for LIFE cereal.

This year, our close friend Stephanie was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has undergone chemo, surgery, and now radiation. And bolstered our faith in God the entire time. She's been a walking example of God's strength. Here we are at a make-up class put on at St. Lukes. It was such a sweet time for me, and an honor to spend time with her in the middle of this hardship. Whenever I left her presence, I went away in awe of The God we serve. He has provided her with such grace. It hasn't been easy--in fact it's been miserable--but she has chosen to trust in God. And because of this she pours out joy wherever she is.

Our dear little baby was dedicated to God at Calvary Chapel Middleton. This was so exciting for us...to hand her life over to God--the one who made her. It also meant a lot to have Troy dedicate her.

Just loved these pictures:

We continued to Homeschool this year and loved it: This pictures shows the technology benefit our kids will have that we didn't. A quick question about apple preference on facebook provided the girls with a great amount of data to successfully make a pictograph.

Liv received a special ribbon at Awana's for completing 2 books. The questions from other parents were funny: How much did you have to push Liv to finish all that? How many verses did you make her do a week? Lucky for us, we don't have to egg her on at all. :o)

We attended a Greek Festival downtown this year with our great friends, Matt and Tanya. We had a blast.

Brian had the opportunity to grapple in a few tournaments. They took a lot of practice and dedication on his part and we loved watching him. In one tournament, Brian signed up for 2 different weight classes and so had to grapple countless times, even men 60 pounds heavier. The girls loved collecting medals. It exhausted me just watching him...he is so strong.

Waiting for another match:

The girls were so proud of him:

Both girls waited all year for a chance to race in the Main Street Mile.

Apparently, so did Brian:

The girls participated in HP's "Bring Your Little Inventor To Work" day. Can you see the excitement? :o)

I've seriously lost track of how many teeth Liv has lost. All I know is that she's definitely growing up!

For Father's Day, a bunch of our friends gathered for a rainy hike at More's Mountain. It was muddy and windy and SO. MUCH. FUN.

We were able to travel to Winter Park, CO for a wedding this year. Brian's good buddy in H.S. got married. On the way there and back, we camped at the Timpoganoes caves and had a blast.

I celebrated 35 years this year and got to spend the whole day with my girls. I love Reese's arm on Holland's head. Happy memories!

We were able to celebrate our freedom again this year with our neighborhood friends (and fun was had by all!):

The garden was a favorite escape for Reese. She loved sniffing flowers, watering, and stomping in the mud.

We decorated our bikes and helmets and shoes with foil and rode in the Tour de Fat Bike parade this year. It was pure fun.

Reesie turned one and we celebrated with sweet friends at the park.

The girls asked about the fair at least 360 times this year and were ecstatic to finally get to go.

Brian, Kristin, and Tulug participated in the Exterra Race. They did awesome and won third place. Here the kids are "trying on" a win to see how it feels....

and up way too early, cheering parents on. (except Reese looks like she'd been up for hours, hanging out at the local coffee joint):

We were camping fools this year. Brian was acting the part of Mountain Man here:

Me, trying on a mossy mustache:

Katie arranged for our playgroup to tour a fire station. It was great!

And we toured the Boise Capitol with our friend's Anna, Esther, and Isabel:

It was so wonderful to celebrate our friend Myna's birthday, her first one here in the states. It was such a precious celebration and surreal that she is finally here with her sweet family. We loved on her and got to ride ponies (the girls were ecstatic!):

I got to go on a Girl's Weekend to McCall and enjoyed hiking, sushi, and crocheting. I love my friends!

Apple orchards are one of our favorite things! Holland got to go picking on her birthday!

And every year is more complete with a visit to the pumpkin patch:

The girls got to dress up a few days before Halloween and go trick-or-treat from cubicle to cubicle. They dressed as kick-boxers and wore black eyes that matched their daddy's. :o) Reese went as dorothy:

My sis, Aunt Bucky came to visit and the girls loved on her for a whole week:

We celebrated the girls' 5th and 7th birthday together.

Thanksgiving tradition at The Drakes. The year my parents, Steph's parents, and Katie and Adam and their parents got to join us. The guys had a great time chatting.

Holland got an award this year for "First Wieber Child to Go To The ER". She split her head open on our table bench and had to have it glued shut. She was so brave.

The girls saved up their money to have their ears pierced. Though I told Holland countless times that it was going to hurt, not tickle (like her friend told her it would), I don't think she ever fully believed me. It hurt.

But nothing a sucker couldn't fix:

But the best event of the whole year was the day last Spring the girls chose to be baptized "because they love Jesus" in front of all their friends and church family. It was a wonderful occasion and such a praise to witness such boldness and the desire to live for Christ in our two little girls. A few weeks later, one particularly tough afternoon, Holland came to me crying, "Mom, How come it's so hard not to sin? I think it should be easier now that I'm baptized." The girls took this so seriously and still celebrate their decision to be baptized. My pictures became ruined in my memory card somehow but these managed to show the event clearly enough.

2010 was a wonderful year of growth and stretching and I'm so thankful to God for his faithfulness. I'm also thankful for the loyal and encouraging friends and family He's given. I'm looking forward to the excitement of 2011! :o)

Seek Thy Face

2011-01-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

Unthwarted

2011-01-26T21:07:00.000-08:00

"I know that you can do all things

And that no purpose of yours

can be thwarted."

~ Job

When he woke that morning all better, I remember fearing that it wasn't going to last. And I asked God to make it so. For those four glorious months we rejoiced and rested, not knowing that the true test was to come. And how do you react when your greatest dream realized, is then again taken away? And how do you go on when your best friend holds the hand of physical pain each day, an unwelcome friend? And do I really mean it when I say I wish it were me, not my girls' daddy? At the time I do, but I know no one can go on feeling this way every day and not crumple.

I remember the afternoon 11 years ago when I walked into the room to find the strong half of me laying on the hospital bed. And I ran--the hallway a marathon filmed in slow motion. And the nurse, busy talking, walked slowly to his side. And then the flood--the flood of doctors and voices and shouts and code blues and "Get her out of heres!" and I--hiding in the corner, too busy crying to pray. And I feel that desperation again. In the middle of a movie. In the still of the night. Even in the middle of a noisy hallway. I am there again. And I feel it again. Like death is looming. And the same shock and devastation tastes bad in my mouth. Sickness is a robber...stealing and stripping and ransacking. Until nothing is left except absolute dependence on The Maker of the World. And we are forced to completely surrender our rights, our expectations and even our future.

How do you rise after you fall on your knees in disappointment?

Cry...

Cry to God.

Seek.

Seek HIS wisdom.

We are not to go about this world alone.

We are to continue meeting together...praying together...

encouraging one another.

And praise.

Praise the God who gives and takes away. Praise the One who sees the beginning and the end. Praise the One who saves.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Consider joining this compassionate community of writers and be blessed....

Fresh Mind

2011-01-13T06:37:00.000-08:00

She sits in still water and it's supposed to preserve her and keep her.
Or so the child says.

And she looks at me as I slice peppers and when I rinse fork.
This oddity has become a fixture on my sill--

Sharing space with sprouting beans and leafy basil
warmed by Winter's bright sunlight.

Feet patter through and she sits forgotten
day is gone, and then another.

Until aged water becomes stagnant
and jar hides in plain view with complacency.

A brightly packaged novelty is now familiar
and eyes pass by but no longer see

And sometimes I know I do that as I
mother and wife. Taking for granted

splendor and delight and wonderment.
And not really "seeing" the gifts before me.

It's time to dump old water and see with fresh mind
and renewed heart, filling hearts to the brim.

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-24T22:58:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from

The Wieber Family:

A year in quotes, 2010

Dad? How will I ever buy a car when I just spent all my money on a Zhu Zhu pet?

-Liv, age 6, experiencing an early onset of buyer’s remorse.

If you see a talking snake, that’s definitely Satan.

Deep Thoughts, by Liv Wieber.

Hey, I’m all about taking a placebo--if it works.

-Jen, just happy it works.

We should have named Reesie Princess Buttercup, but we didn’t think of that.

-Holland, age 4.

I’ve never seen little girls so proud of their stinky feet before. It’s so we can defeat you, Dad!

-Brian and Liv, and the unveiling of the Girls’ most effective Superpower.

What if Reesie married a tiger? That would be weird. And dangerous.

-Deep Thoughts, by Liv Wieber.

Holland, Heaven is going to be so fun! The streets are lined with gold! What if the streets are lined with avocado?

-A conversation about the fear of death in which Liv earnestly tried to console Holland.

You have to be a real strong girl, just like my dad is.

-Holland, advising her friend, Mary.

Holland, did you know Satan wants to BE God? That’s not very nice! He’s got to be grateful for who he is!

-Liv and Holland, having an earnest discussion about Satan’s fall from grace.

Liv, she’s your sister—not your toy.

-Brian, reminding Liv to be gentle with Reese.

I know! We can punch her in the face, choke her, then hit her on the top of her head!

-Holland’s suggestion of how to get Liv’s loose tooth out.

Ohhhh! I just want 99 sisters! I wish, I wish, I wish! Our house would be FILLED with little girls!

-Liv, expressing gratefulness at being a big sister.

You make awesome mixed tapes. That’s one of things I love most about you.

-Brian to Jen, speaking from the deepest, most sentimental place in his heart.

Dad? Why do you have a mustache under your arm?

-Holland, age 4 and full of questions.

If you weren’t my mom, and someone else was my mom, I would sneak out of my house and find you so that you’d be my mom.

-Liv, always creating “what-if” scenarios. (Yes, I melted)

Dad? Are you stronger than Popeye? (Liv) Lucky for me, Popeye isn’t real. If he was, he might be stronger. I was right! Popeye is stronger! (Holland) I said MIGHT be.

- between Liv, Brian, and Holland (and the belief that Daddy is indestructible at stake).

That would be cool if your harmonica was also a knife—and a small hatchet.

-Liv, age 7, overflowing with good ideas.

It’s the best job ever.

Jen, about being a mom.

I had a bad dream that I didn’t like vegetables and there was a big box of them and you “let” me eat all of them. I think God was trying to tell me to stop saying that I don’t like veggies.

-Holland, dream interpreter.

Mom, someone keeps putting too small of socks in my drawer!

-Liv, extremely frustrated until she discovered her feet had grown.

Would you like another chance to do it right, Liv? Yes. (Sniff.) We all deserve another chance. Yeah! Just like the Israelites! God gave them lots and lots of chances!

-Liv and Mom, practicing obedience.

LaLAla! (I love you)

-Reese, age 16 months

Oh Look! Reese can eat human food, now!

-Holland, ecstatic that Reese was finally eating solid food at a restaurant.

Dearest family and friends,

We are forever grateful for the blessing you are to our family.

May God’s peace and love lead you into the coming year.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”Luke 2:14

For All The People

2010-12-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:10-11

Suddenly, this morning, these words jumped out at me, ..."for all the people."

For all the people.

Share His love today with someone else. It's for everyone! We should jubilantly make known the cause for our Christmas joy. Our everyday joy!

What Can I Give Him, Poor As I Am?

2010-12-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak midwinter, frost wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain; heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign. In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there, cherubim and seraphim thronged the air; but his mother only, in her maiden bliss, worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

Words by Christina G. Rossetti, 1830-1894

Snow Day Firsts

2010-12-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

It's a Girl Thing

2010-12-03T11:15:00.001-08:00

Crowns, are. They must be. It seems like there is always one lying around here in this house of little girls. Liv loves to create things. I've noticed that she gets stir crazy if she doesn't get a crafty outlet regularly. This morning, I declared it an official "Craft Morning". And who knew, in doing that, I would benefit. I now have my very own crown made from carnival-type tickets and an extra large rubber band. Our girl is very resourceful and never lets a thing go to waste.

Sing in the Night

2010-12-02T21:39:00.000-08:00

"....Ice on trees will bend many a branch to the point of breaking. Similarly, I see a great many people bowed down and crushed by their afflictions. Yet every now and then I meet someone who sings in affliction, and then I thank God for my own circumstance as well as his. There is never a song more beautiful than that which is sung in the night...."

Henry Ward Beecher, from Streams in the Desert

Life Saver

2010-11-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

For years I kept afloat by my own
buoyancy:

A desperate tread of water
and
the dismissal of
things I couldn't think
about.

Keep busy I think
and I do. Fears are buried.

The storm picks up pace
and my splashing isn't
sufficient and I feel I might
drown. Water stings and my
eyes dip below and I
panic.

And now the choice must be made:
sink or swim and I choose swim.

I reach out and grasp the Holy One
whose hand is a constant stretch
and He breathes calm into me
and He rescues my drowned hope.

I gulp fresh air and rest in stable lifeboat
which is He and I feel drained and
haggard breath fills silence.
Air is honey and I call out
to the only one who gives true buoyancy.

God is ever faithful, my Savior.

"Oh Lord, My God, I will give you thanks forever." Ps. 30:12b

Joining Emily for Imperfect Prose...

Up And Riding

2010-11-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

So I've pretty much decided that in order to be cool, you need to dress like a surfer. Especially after seeing this site. (www.upandriding.com)

Seriously, do they have this in my size?

Or this hat?! Why don't they make adult clothes look like this? Actually, my head is so small, I could probably wear this.

I have a small obsession with birds. Not real ones. I have a friend who used to get attacked by birds while running and then when she had a bird as a pet, he liked everyone in the family except her and would peck at her! Peck, peck, peck! Plus, I still have eerie dreams about the kind of mind it takes to write something like Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS. Actually, did you know that Hitchcock didn't write it? He directed it. Daphne du Maurier wrote it. She must have been a conflicted woman. This little bit of trivia does nothing to explain my slight obsession. But, still, I'm obsessed all the same.

And I've decided that it's a good thing we don't have a boy, or he'd be wearing this:

And it's just not that subtle, you know? We don't want the whole world to know that we're ninjas.

Apparently, if you sign up now, you can get a 30% off coupon in time for some Christmas shopping. AND, free shipping right now on all orders with the code: FREESHIP. I'm totally going to bookmark this site....and maybe see if I can squish into that hat!

Mud Pies Forever

2010-11-10T14:54:00.000-08:00

Mud Pies call to me

And there I sit, again.

I am six and the mud oozes

And drips

and cakes

and clumps

And it’s not half as messy as

My smile. I am a top-notch chef,

A connoisseur of simple happiness

And I bake the mud right out of

The pastry until it’s way past time

To go in and I’ve made hundreds—

No, thousands of sloppy pies.

The taste of Imagination

is pure deliciousness

And my palate is quenched like the

Time I sat next to my lonely friend

Instead of keeping with the crowd.

I wipe mud on my pants and begin again.

The mud is mine, And I am it.

***

And the reverie is over and

Now I have a girl of six

And she drips,

She cakes,

And she clumps mud

And her smile is messy, too.

She is a top-notch chef,

A connoisseur of simple happiness

And she invites me to stay long

and bake hundreds—

No, thousands of pies and I

Agree and before I know it,

I am her playmate and my palate is quenched

Because I choose it to be, like the

Times I sit with my girls to play together,

instead of doing my grown-up thing,

to sugar-coat and entertain our

imaginations.

We wipe mud on

our pants, and smile. The mud is ours,

and we are it.

Linking with Emily today....

I SO want to win this bike!

2010-11-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

Madsen is giving away one of these. Just click on the link (picture), or visit madsencycles.com to find out how you can win. But if you do win, you'll have to let me ride in the back....as a sort of "commission". :o)

I'll keep you Confany

2010-11-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

"I'll keep you confany (company)." spoke the younger to the older with creased forehead the night the oldest girl had to sleep on the hallway floor beside the bathroom the same day she turned 7 and consumed way too many treats of delicious nature and sweet celebration. And then gentle-eyed sister sidled up beside her and made camp for the night.

A moment is made and a bond is given glue.

And mom turns around corner and peeks at little hands pulling back hair with purpose, both bent over porcelain, and her mama eyes well up at the blessed offering, shown by the small, but big, gesture. And later again in the softest of whispers, when little heads go down, "It's okay, you can take my pillow," noses almost touching. Beloved spot for pretty little head and downy hair--is sacrificed for the first night in 3 years.

And mom stands quiet, barely breathing as words are exchanged in the still air of harmony. A sweet fragrance of words fill the space: I'm so glad I have you. And me, too. So glad I have you and Reesie. Because if I didn't, I would be lonely. Yeah, because mom and dad would be busy sometimes. Yeah--hundreds and hundreds of times busy. Hundreds and hundreds of times busy. So glad I have you. Lonely.

And mom is discovered before eyes close shut.

I prayed for her tonight, Mom.

Oh, really? What did you say?

I said, "Dear Jesus, thank you for Liv...." And then I forgot what else....Mouth frowns.

But the comforted remembers. The comforted cannot forget.

"She asked Jesus to make me feel better by the morning!"

Lullaby tunes of late nights past are hummed and sung to the older from the younger. And she is nourished by the giving of another...Baby mine, dry your eyes, lay your head close to my heart.....Please keep singing till I fall asleep, kay?

M'kay.

Please join Emily as she shares beautiful prose...