Merry Christmas!

The Wieber Family

2009

A Year of Quotations

Do they eat owls in there?

-Liv, age 5, passing by a Hooters restaurant

You know what I’m thinking about Liv? I’m thinking of how much fun you and I will always have hiking together. We’ll come up here and hike all the time.

You know what I’m thinking about, Mom? I’m thinking about shooting animals. Like bears and squirrels. I wonder what they’ll taste like. That’s what I’m thinking about.

-Conversation between Jen and Liv during a hike up tablerock

Daddy’s a junker. So am I. I like junk food. I like dressing up, too.

-Holland, age 4

Girls, let me tell you something: when your mom makes something to eat, it’s so you grow up strong and healthy. When your daddy makes something to eat, it’s because it tastes good. Don’t you forget that.

-Brian, during a breakfast conversation with Liv and Holland.

I think Reesie will have stinky feet, just the same as Liv and me.

-Holland, in response to the question: “What do you think Reese will be like?”

Daddy, why don’t some kids think their parents are cool?

Well, when some kids turn into teenagers, they don’t think their parents are cool anymore.

Dad, I’ll always think you’re cool.

You promise?

I promise.

-Conversation about being cool between Liv and Brian

It’s crazy! We can’t do ANYTHING HE can do!”

-Liv, marveling at God’s greatness

I changed my mind. I don’t want to be a horsey girl anymore. I want to be a girl who takes care of dogs. And a girl who rides giraffes.

-Holland, age 4, about her future career choice(s)

When I grow up, I want to be an inventor first, then a baker.

-Liv, age 6

Look at the lobsters, THEY’RE GORGEOUS!

-Holland, seeing live lobsters at a restaurant, right before Liv told her that they take the lobsters out, make them delicious, then eat them

There are a lot of waitresses here! I saw some with BEARDS!

-Liv, age 5, still needing to learn that the term waitress is reserved for females

“Oh.”

-Reese, age 1 month

It’s even more amazing the third time around.

-Jen, about that first glimpse of baby, after the birth of Georgia Reese, girl #3

Awww! She’s so CUTE! I’ll never stop loving her!

-Holland, after meeting Reese for the first time

…And thank you Jesus for making Reese feel so warm and smell so good.

-Holland, praying in her room by herself

Reese is glad she gets to be in our family!

-Liv, after Reese smiles at her

I was trying for a girl.

-Liv, after being asked if she had wanted a brother instead of a sister

I havn’t said anything funny this year.

-Jen, during the writing of the annual Christmas quote letter

I hope I still like to play when I’m a teenager. I think I will, cause you still like to play. Are you a teenager, mom?

-Liv, age 6

…And here is King Harold.

-Liv, meaning King Herod, while explaining the different characters of the Nativity story.

It’s amazing—you’re two souls right now. You are one half of the girls in our family!

-Brian to Jen while pregnant with Reese

Are we going to die, Dad? I’ll be sad if I die, because I’ll never see you!

No, Holland, the bible says that if we die, we’ll be in Heaven someday together….all those who believe in Jesus. We don’t have to be sad about death. If we die, we’ll “sleep” then awake in the Kingdom of Heave,n in the presence of Jesus. The bible says we need to have Faith in Jesus.

-Brian’s conversation with Holland one night when she couldn’t sleep.

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

-Luke 1:20-33

Wishing you a Merry Christmas,

The Wieber Family

Brian, Jen, Liv, Holland, and Reese

Red

loves last words are mostly red

and linger on and on instead

of vanishing away from thee

a hardened heart with no retreat

And when the words are lastly spoken

and thoughts are left alone to end

the hold that keeps my soul in prison.

My love, My Savior, who bled for sin.

The Ship

My first 6 or so years of life were spent in Tacoma, Washington, in an old Farm house alongside a gulch. The gulch was steep and brushy, and the river bed had long dried up thanks in part to an earthquake which evidently disrupted it's ebb and flow. I, along with my brothers and sister, would dash out of the house during play time--past the magenta Rhododendron bushes and the hovering apple trees. Carefully, we'd army crawl underneath the electric fence, around Freckles, past the salt lick, and to the entrance of the gulch.

The entrance was also the start of the escape route the cows used when they saw the butcher van drive to the pasture. Or the Bull van. Both vans were dreaded sites for these small-time cows.

Once there, careful footing was imperative, as we'd follow my oldest brother, John, down the steep slope, slipping and sliding, grasping at ferns and thick grasses along the way, ignoring the cuts from the thick blades. Once at the bottom, we'd run along the rock bed until we reached THE CAVE. The cave was actually a small, cleared spot, perfect for 4 scrawny kids to play and imagine and dream. We'd make plans to haul chairs and sleeping bags--that box of Ritz we saw in the cupboard-- in order to provide some sort of comfort for an overnight stay. We'd pretend to hide there from the wolves and we'd act out our defense plan once they did try to reach us in the dark. Even though these plans were never brought to fruition, I fondly remember those days of escape into dreamland.

It's been a long while since I've dreamt of wolves and caves :o), but now I get a kick out of our kids doing the same.

The girls have a similar place along The greenbelt and River. When the water is low, they clamor across the riverbed rocks to enter the Ship from the shore. They giggle with glee and hop rocks, occasionally getting their socks wet.

Not a care about the socks, though, when they see their beloved Ship: a small, woodsy clearing with a bright canopy of branches dotted with saturated colors of yellow, orange, and green. The girls gear up for their voyage each time they arrive at their special spot, sweeping it to get it ready for launch. They also grab branches to use as rescue sticks, in case anyone has an unfortunate fall into the ocean. They plan to bring a lunchbox packed with snacks the next time they come.

Here's THE SHIP.

Here are the Ship Captains, inviting you to climb aboard.

And here, a weary traveler, awaiting the day she can also captain The Ship.

'
Happy Dreams to you today!

The Little Things

I love my family.

I'm so thankful that God has given me such a fun, strong husband.

I'm grateful for smart, active girls.

I'm happy that we have pillow fights and that on certain days we all sack out on the couches while watching movies, and sometimes sleep there through the night. I love our midnight ice cream runs, and the time we hopped on our long bike train 10:30pm to try to catch the last of the Summer Fireworks at Hawks Stadium. I treasure the memories we have had cheering Brian on during his triathlon races, and the time I got to cross the finish line with Liv at the end of my own race. I fondly remember the year we went to the Fair 4 days in a row. The fountain at The Saturday Market has gotten us wet a few times on purpose, but I like the time when Brian rode us all on our bikes through it, all of us girls screaming, the best. We've had moments of reflection, fun conversation, and even birthday wishes atop Tablerock. We've watched the sun set along the hills together and The girls still talk about the time we all "played" in the shop making wooden kitchen spoons. Saturday Waffle Mornings. Christmas light gazing--especially that one house. Hot chocolate tastes even better in small espresso cups, and ice cream tastes way better when shared straight from the carton. We celebrate every family triumph at our favorite restaurant at the end of Harrison Blvd, affectionately nicknamed "Snickers Pie", and our girls will never be able to eat pancakes without thinking of The Trolley House and the tattoos with skulls that they get afterwards. I treasure the traditional "Daddy's home" shouts of "Who Loves Daddy!" and "Who loves Reese", and "Who loves Liv's stinky feet?" and I smile when I think of all our hands raised.

I could list more, but the point is....It's the little things. The little things are what we will remember for years to come. It's the little things that don't cost much (if anything), and will build memories to last our children's lifetime. It will shape them. It will shape their children. It will shape their children's children.

What are your "little things?"

Three Blind Dancing Mice

The girls wanted to be the three blind mice for Halloween. With tutus. The girls always add some sort of twist to their costumes. One year, they both dressed as Minnie Mouse--with a pirate patch. The twist is often added as we are heading out the door. This year it was all premeditated. Our friend Christi's mother-in-law lent us the mice costumes. They were so cute. After knocking on the doors of our favorite neighbors, we headed to our favorite eatery in all the world: Highlands Brew Pub, where kids eat free on Halloween. Then we headed down Harrison for trick or treating.

They got asked multiple times to sing "Three Blind Mice". They obliged, belting it out with their squeaky voices. The girls were thrilled that Reese also got to join in the fun.

Tutu Cute!

The last several weeks have been a complete blur for me. After Reese was born, I went in to have surgery to repair 2 hernias--one that I got while pregnant with Holland, and one from carrying Reese. It has taken a longer time to feel better than I had expected, but my recovery was made possible by my wonderful husband. He not only sacrificed his back to sleep on the couch with me for 5 days straight, he also got up in the middle of the night to feed Reese during the first couple of nights, and then for weeks to hand her to me since I couldn't lift her chunky self :o), but he also set his alarm clock so that I wouldn't miss my pain meds. He made the painful times memorable and fun for us all. One of our funniest times during my recovery was a certain 6-year-old girl pulling out her book of 500+ tattoos and tattooing us all. Four weeks later, I have finally removed the last ones from Liv and Holland. The temporary tattoos turned out to be not-so-temporary after all...in fact, they looked so real, I have already picked out my next one.

So, now, I am playing "catch-up" with all the latest pictures. This batch was taken in October.

My sweet friend Wendi made the girls the cutest little tutus to celebrate the birth of Reese. It was such a fun, indulgent surprise. She also screen-printed tees for the girls to wear with their tutus. As you can see, Reesie was shocked to get such a beautiful gift.

Here she is saying, "For me? You shouldn't have!"

True to Reese's nature, she can't contain the smiles.

Reesie also discovered that although tutus look appetizing, the texture leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Thank you, Wendi, for spoiling our girls! And congratulations on the birth of your new little guy, Christian Edward. We can't wait to meet him!