The Holiness of Home

I try to be the heart of my home (have you heard that saying- the mom is the heart of the home?), while working full time, running kids around to appointments and simply trying hard to keep house. Having an inviting space for my family is important because we all lead such separate lives right now. Yes, I said we ALL, because the boys go to two separate locations everyday except Friday. With that being said, we come home and try to reconnect by sharing a meal, playing and snuggling. Creating space for each other. Intentional.

Having said all that, this is the picture I want, however it is rarely the picture that I see. Except for last week. We intentionally came together every night after dinner to remember what Jesus did for us. As a mom who is trying to raise 2 Godly little men, I so treasure those times. We talked alot about the events surrounding the the crucifixtion. I have been thinking a lot about the discipling of our kids and what it should look like- planned and structured or moment by moment-- maybe a bit of both. I love hearing the boys recite the easter story.

Here is what we did do (aside from the ressurection eggs)~

* we made palms and ate pistachio pudding (for the green) and talked about Jesus entering Jerusalem

* we created a special spot in our house for prayer and worship after we read the cleansing of the temple- it had a special table cloth, our bibles, the palms we made and of course candles. We asked Abe where it should have been and he said- the beach! Once we lit the candles, Jonah got all excited and yelled- Happy Birthday, Jesus!

* we had a pseudo passover meal where we ate lamb, and had communion and talked about the last supper

* we prayed for our neighbors & talked about who our neighbor is.

This is but a moment in our lives and we should treasure every second!

Spring Fever, Anticipation, & Weddings

I love this time of year! It is spring and easter. Yesterday I took the boys to Lions Park in Zionsville and we played and walked around looking for the "signs" of spring. What we found were many "baby" leaves, greener grass and (the most exciting part) 2 flowers- a dandelion and yellow wild flower. The boys were fanatic over the flowers and I thought that in the midst of grayness and winter, we get most excited about color and new life!

I am anticipating Holy week this year. We are not only doing the resurrection eggs but we are also going to try this: http://www.christianitytoday.com/holidays/easter/features/activities.html

from Christianity Today. Obviously there will be a little modification due to our kids only being 3 and 5, but we are going to try it. I have been meditating on this verse from John- "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become Children of God- children not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husbands will but born of God." 1:12-13.

We are also in the midst of wedding season here in our family. Hans' cousin gets married in a few weeks and they came and had dinner with us this weekend to talk about logistics, vows, and marriage. It provided good birth control for them! We will be meeting with them again this weekend so that will be fun.

And, my little brother is marrying an awesome girl at the end of may! All of us are in the wedding- i am a bridesmaid, Hans is officiating, both the boys are ring bearers- so it will be quite busy. The fun part is that I am hosting thier shower from Daniel's side of the family. We are so excited about all this!

The Shack

Ok, so I caught up with the rest of the Christian world and finally caved to read this book. This book is brilliant. And I am going to be like every other christian with a blog and write about it!

The depiction of relationship in this book is phenominal. I guess if you want a good idea of the intimacy that God desires from you then this would be a great glimpse. I would discourage your judgement, however, because we christians often times view books and want to make sure they are completely accurate doctrinally before we like something. I don't know if this is or not. I do know that this is all about relationship and nothing about religion.

I like books that blow away your ideas and so often we come to the table with all these preconceived notions of who God is, what his role is in our pain, why he does things or allows things to be done. This book is good for those things.

I came away feeling like a little girl holding my daddy's hand in a scary world full of adventures waiting to be uncovered. I'd love to hear what you thought if you read it.

Extra.... pictures!

Cousins! Addy- "what do you want me to do?" Koryn-"smile like this- cheese!" Abe-"i will when i am ready!" Jonah- "c'on Ella, lets say cheese!" Ella- "ok, Jonah, as long as you do it with me!"

My little wild animals at the Children's museum

Thumbs up for a good Soccer game!

Arrrgh, matey!

Brothers in undies- now if only jonah would want to be potty trained!

Jonah- "I'm batman!"

Brothers in a tree!

Post 3... Hans & Stacey

Ok, so I lied about about posting everyday! I will do two posts today and this one is going to be an update about Hans and I. A note about the pictures- the one of Hans is one of my favorites of him coaching abe, the one of me is not one of my favorites, but it is the most recent one I could find with just me! It was taken at my Dad's Christmas gathering and I, being betty crocker, made 2 snowmen cheeseballs!

First Hans- He is LOVING his role at Traders Point Christian Academy. I thought that he would not be as busy as he was as a youth minister, but boy was I wrong! He is way busier. He teaches 6-9 grade bible, coordinates & plans 3 chaples a week- Elementary, Middle School & High School. He coaches soccer in the fall and baseball in the spring. He just got back from the 8th grade field trip to Washington DC, Philly, & NYC- where he got to do all sorts of fun stuff.

Before Christmas, we sold the Xbox 360 to get a Wii. So for his birthday this year, he got guitar hero. Abe likes to watch him

play.

Hans has the privilege of marrying 2 family members this spring! In April he is officiating the ceremony for his cousin Megan, and in May is doing the wedding for my (baby) brother Daniel! We are so excited for both of them and were honored that they asked him.

Now me- Stacey. What to say?! Well, I have been working now for over 13 months. I am in the same role, ready to grow professionally here at TriMedx. The company really is a great place to be. I have made some great friends here and really enjoy meeting new people. I was in this "christian" bubble for so long that it has been refreshing to step out and meet different types of people in varying levels of faith/ or lack of, and life stages.

I miss being at home with the boys, and unfortunately motherhood has the ugly companion called guilt attached to it, but as much grace is required being a working mamma as a stay at home mamma-- and it has proven to be sufficient when I allow it! The boys seem to be doing good with it and we have our moments of playing when I get home- which usually consists of first trying to locate them because they always "get lost" when they hear me pull in, and then me getting mauled! One of my favorite parts of the day is seeing thier excitement of us getting home!

I joined weight watchers last year and have lost close to 25 pounds (not as fast as I would like to go!) It has been great to do something for me because so often, moms seem to sacrifice everything for others. I also took up jogging- who would have imagined! I signed up to run my first 5K in april. I am nervous but up for the challenge-- and not really expecting to finish it fast or anything- just finish!

Being at home here in Indy has been healing for our family. We regularly get together with family. We are able to see our nieces grow up! At Christmas time, my siblings decided to not get gifts but try to spend more time together and we have gotten together twice (which is hard because with spouses and "others" it is 10 people!) All in all we have been good.

Post 2...Jonah

Look at the big blue eyes on that kid! Jonah will be 3 in a few weeks and he continues to make us laugh. He make us laugh to not get in trouble and sometimes it works!

Jonah started Kindercare part time in January because Hans' mom is going back to work. In a couple of weeks he will be going full time. You know, I never wanted my kids to be in Daycare, but I have grown to really love it! He likes his teacher and he is learning a lot. I guess, it is turning into a blessing. I worked in a daycare, and was fine with the one I worked in, but I never looked at them in a very positive light. They love him there and he really likes going.

Jonah is Jonah. He can be stubborn at times, and he loves playing with Abe. He has given Abe a run for his money but the two have become good buddies. He is constantly asking good guy or bad guy? And he loves playing with his Batman and Spiderman.

He is a mama's boy through and through. (Which I secretly love!!) He even tells me he is my baby. He brought me a diaper and said mamma- my diaper. I said well soon you need to start going on the potty! He said, no I am baby!

Jonah loves playing with his cousins- his cousin Ella is his favorite buddy! His cousin Koryn is his leader- when they are together, he listens to her like she was his babysitter and lets her be the boss and baby him. When he is at Mimi's house he plays with Koryn's puppy Lucy or Wutee as he calls her. Jonah can spend the afternoon in her cage if we let him.

He brings us a lot of laughter, for sure. He is a big boy in a small boy's body, so he spends most of his life trying to catch up and understand what his bubby (Abe) is up to and doing. Every now and then, he lets me call him a "big boy" and not a baby. :)

Well, we don't have many Jonah-isms yet! He is difficult to understand most of the time! A lot of things are clear though- "I wuv you", "guys", "nope","mamma", "da", "I strong", "I wike..."

Post 1... Abe

What can I say?! Look at his smile. He is growing up so much and we have been excited to watch him! He enjoys legos, playing the wii, playing outside, karate, hanging with his buddies and spending time with his cousins.

This year he went into the 4s+ instead of kindergarten. It has proved to be a wise decision as we have had some difficulty with a few things. He loves his teachers! Abe is excited to be at the "big" school with his cousin and his dad. He has lost 2 teeth since January and it was quite traumatic! The first one, I (stacey) pulled it out and he freaked a bit. He pulled the second one out by himself and loves to look for his "grown-up" teeth.

Star Wars the Clone Wars is his favorite show. He and Hans watch it every Friday night. He is taking after his Dad in that aspect (becoming a Star Wars Freak!) He and Jonah pretend all the time about fighting bad guys and running away from them or getting thier light sabers out in time for battle. Abe deffinitely is the ring leader in the house as he can convince his brother to do anything.

This spring he is looking forward to having a garden and helping me plant the veggies. He will also help Mimi and Papaw plant thier garden and is really excited about that. First they will plant potatoes and that should be this week sometime!

This year, after he started school, he informed Hans and I that he is going to marry Alli in his class. It was a pretty confident statement! I said, well, we will see. We will pray for your wife that God will bring you. He said it will be her because he loves her, he knows already. I said ok, well, maybe we can meet her mommy and daddy. He told me he wants to be like Hans and I and have kids, too. Well, we stopped the conversation there! When I met her mom, she said the feelings were mutual! WOW!

Some other favorite Abe-isms:

1. "Jonah, if you don't trust God, you will die..."

2. "Addy is the cutest baby"; "I could watch her, you know" (his littlest cousin)

3. "Mom is the best cook, I am the best Dancer, Dad is the best lego builder"

4. "There are no pockets left for broccoli, only pockets left for cookies" (at the dinner table, pockets are where the food goes, you know)

5. "I am going to be a Rockstar"

Really.... does it have to take so long for an update?!

After much starts and re-starts to trying to blog again, I thought I would just bite the bullet and do it. We are busy, busy, busy! Lots have happened, and no you did not get snubbed at Christmas- we DID not send out cards this year! WOW, I read my friends' blogs and wish I could post more, so maybe I just have to do it. I am starting to think that maybe no one will read it- people have just plain given up trying to see how it is going with us!

Here is how I will get everyone caught up. This post will include the Christmas letter that turned into a New Year's greeting that never got mailed (in March, I know, pathetic!). Then I will try and post something EVERY day this week about all of us and what is going on! How does that sound?

Wow, we cannot believe that it is 2009! So much happened last year
that it is hard to believe it was only 365 days. The boys are growing,
both Hans and Stacey are working and we moved again this year! We did not
get our Christmas cards out in time & thought that it would be a good
opportunity to send an update and wish your family a happy new year.

Hans~ at the beginning of the year, he was an intern under JK
Stevens at Traders Point Christian Academy teaching Middle School Bible.
He loved doing it and when JK retired, he was hired as Secondary Bible Teacher
and Chaplain. The Academy has been such a great place for him to use his
gifts and regain confidence in ministry as he has grown professionally and built
strong relationships with his students. He creates the Chapels for
Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School & High School, teaches bible for
6th- 9th grades, while helping with coaching- soccer in the fall and baseball in
the spring. Last spring was his final semester of classes in
Seminary. He now has to write his big thesis in order to graduate.

Stacey~ in February she accepted a position at TriMedx Healthcare
Equipment Services as a Customer Care Representative. It was a tough
transition but everything went smoothly as she started back. The boys are
well taken care by Hans’ mom Sally as she has been their full time care
taker. The company is wonderful and has plenty of opportunity! It is
faith based and does so much for medical missions by donating and installing
medical equipment around the world. She has joined the Parent Teacher
Fellowship at the Academy.

Abe~ turned 5 in July!! We all celebrated with a
Swashbuckling pirate birthday party complete with balloon sword fights, water
balloon cannon wars, face painting and of coarse a pinata full of goodies.
He is in the 4s+ class at Traders Point Christian Academy and loves his
teacher. He played soccer both seasons last year. Towards the end of the
season, we were very proud as he (and the other boys) finally figured out the
way the ball goes! Now he is in Karate and loving it. Anything to
get out his energy is great!

Jonah~ turned 2 in
April!! He is your typical 2 year old- very busy, stubborn and
independent. Anything that Abe does, he wants to do. It is quite
frustrating living a 5 year old life in a 2 year old body! He spends his
days playing with Grammy and waiting for his brother to get home from
school. Ever the comedian, he loves making us laugh and is quick to do
that when getting in trouble. His big blue eyes are hard to
resist.

Overall, this year was spent with many celebrations &
our family has been blessed beyond measure. We continue to be involved in
a House Church at Common Ground Christian Church. They have all become a
part of our family. Our Journey continues as we look to Him this
year. We hope that your Christmas was spent with loving family, good food
and happy memories like ours was and that you rely on the Savior this coming
year.

Peace to You & Yours,
The
Weber’s
Hans, Stacey, Abe & Jonah

June is almost gone?!

It has been a while since my last post, but seriously where has all the time gone. This summer seems to be on high speed as the days fly by. We are trying to get settled and enjoying our location. Now it seems wierd that normalcy is coming back into the picture, it is like we are just scratching our heads and asking what just happened.


We are enjoying Mimi and Papaw's pool! The boys have swim lessons there each week and both love swimming. Jonah is jumping in left and right while abe is working on the head first in water swimming. It is great to see them treat mom's house as thier second home- that is what my grandma's house was. It sure seems like we have our weekends more booked with cookouts and get-togethers! We have always been pretty social so when we moved to IL, it seemed like not a lot ever went on!


Hans is working at Starbucks through the summer, his contract with the school will start in August. The count down is on! He is coming up with all sorts of fun ideas to incorporate in his teaching and chapels. He also gets to see the boys more, he and Abe have been Xbox buddies- they play Star Wars Legos.


Nothing new to report with me. I have been working and I started Weight Watchers last week with some friends. Seems like I am pretty motivated right now. I think getting healthy for me is a huge priority right now. I just want to feel better and have more energy.


If anyone can believe it, Abe will be 5 in 9 days! I am having a hard time grasping that! He is growing up so fast. We are having a pirate party for him on the 5th! He seems pretty excited aobut it. He has only been talking about his birthday since Jonah's birthday in April!


All in all the summer seems pretty good. We are enjoying the blessings and thankful for where the Lord has brought us.

At church, we have been going through a series call Grow. They have been talking about the disciplines which is always a good reminder of the benifits. I am going to committ to reading the proverbs- lectio divina style. God has so many treasures for us in his word. I am looking forward to just enjoying it!

Arriving

Well, I know that the title is a bit confusing. You say arriving to what, or where. I wanted to title it this way because this post will be about the dawn of our new adventure. Hans is going to be the new Bible teacher and Chaplain at Traders Point Christian Academy. He was officially offered the postion this week! Now, I know that our destination is not here on Earth, but in Heaven one day. This is an Arrival to the next leg of our journey.

God went before us on this one. I should not be so surprised, He always does, but we are about to move into a great house- one that is closer to everything we do! I will continue working as my Mother in law has agreed to watch Jonah and Abe! Our hearts are content with what God has given- his gifts are good and perfect, and I realize that now more than ever, He is faithful even when we aren't.

The trials and changes of these last several months have left a lasting impression on our souls. I know that this is a good thing, but the pruning hurt at times. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and support. We have been surrounded by people and that has helped us heal.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."- 1 peter 2:9

Chaos

This weekend, Jonah and I watched my little sister play Rugby at the State finals, we did not see it, but after the game we saw, they went on to win state! Yeah Whitney! Her team is called the Noblesville Chaos- and it is chaotic, the sport is viscious! Here are the pics that the Indianapolis Star took and the Article that was written about the team... she is the team captain. In like 2 weeks, I will watch her graduate highschool- she was one of my first babies

This is whitney pumping her team up!!

The Article from the Indianapolis Star :

Chaos reigned supreme at the North Central rugby field Saturday.
The Noblesville Chaos, that is.
Paced by tries from sophomore Lauren Barber and junior Allie Lee, the Noblesville girls rugby team -- nicknamed Chaos because they are a club program, not part of the school's athletic department -- defeated the two-time defending champion and previously unbeaten hosts 10-5 for the high school girls state title.
"We as seniors and captains have been waiting for this day for four years," said Noblesville senior Whitney Bowman, who shared captain's duties with senior Chelsea Hogle. "We had lost to North Central every single year, and this year we wanted it so much more. We almost beat them last year, so this year we knew what to expect."
Noblesville (8-1) took charge from the outset, Barber scoring the opening five-point try just minutes into the game with a dash around the right side.
"I was in support and when I got (the ball), I just took off," Barber said. "I was running and telling myself I had to go into a higher gear. I think that's the fastest I've ever run."
Just before the half, Lee made it 10-0 when she also sprinted down the right side for a try. Barber and sophomore Shelby Musselman each advanced the ball before it got to Lee, who took a big hit as she crossed the goal.
"(North Central) didn't want us to score and put up a fight," Lee said. "It was a great game."
About 10 minutes into the second of two 25-minute halves, North Central cut its deficit to 10-5 when senior Kristin Ennis countered a Noblesville attack with a long sprint down the left side for a try.
The Panthers pressed hard late in an attempt to tie the score, but Ennis was stopped once about 5 yards short of the goal and later senior Cierra McNeal was stopped about 2 yards shy of the goal. On each occasion, Musselman followed by punting the ball away from harm.
"I've been coaching for four years, and this is the first time we've beaten North Central," said Noblesville coach Brent McCurdy, whose Chaos topped Carmel 30-12 in a semifinal game. "I'm at a loss for words. All I can say is these girls have worked so hard and played so well together."
North Central coach Suzi Dillon, whose squad beat Brownsburg 10-5 in overtime in the other semifinal, said she was proud of her Panthers (8-1) despite the result.
"Every year our girls bring it consistently," she said. "I don't know if I would call (Noblesville's win) an upset because we knew how tough it would be. But we didn't stay out enough, they overloaded us and got around us two times too many."
Bowman said it was teamwork that allowed Noblesville, which avenged a 15-5 loss May 7 to North Central, to prevail.
"Right before the game, I told my girls that we don't play as athletes; rather, we play as a team and a family," Bowman said. "That's what won this game for us. Every person got a handle on the ball, and we stepped up."

Waiting, Praying, Waiting, Praying, Waiting...

This by far is the most stressful time... it is funny, I feel like I have said that over and over again in the last several months. We are standing on a cliff of opportunity. The rubber is meeting the road. I feel promise in my soul but then again, there are not gaurantees in this life. So what is going on?

Last week we needed to make a choice about our living situation. Really, without knowing what is to come. I guess it should not surprise me, it seems like our decisions always seem to be made based on faith. Sometimes, I wonder if we will ever be able to make a decision based on concrete facts rather than the unseen. With that being said, God provided such a cool house for us in Zionsville. We did agree to rent it, and are excited about the location, yard and house! It is cute and we move in 3 weeks- YIKES!!

This week is another story. Hans has an interview for the position at the academy on Friday. We are both nervous. It seems like we are both kind of grasping for things to anchor us here. Why is that our natural tendency to be anchored here? We know that our anchor is Jesus, he is preparing a place for us in his Kingdom, not here on earth...

Yesterday, Abe said he was done moving. He told me he wants to stay in Indiana. How do you explain all these things to him? How do I tell him that we are going to follow God wherever he takes us? He is 4 soon to be 5... my heart hurts for this. I want to be here too.

Today, I picked up my devotional "Streams in the Desert" and turned to today's date- Here is the Entry, it is long, but worth me typing it out in hopes it gets written in my soul~

May 6

The Secret of the Lord is with them that fear him (ps. 25:14)

There are secrets of providence which God's dear children may learn. His dealings with them often seem, to the outward eye, dark and terrible. Faith looks deeper and says, "This is God's secret. You look only on the outside; I can look deeper and see the hidden meaning."

Sometimes diamonds are done up in rough packages, so that thier value cannot be seen. When the tabernacle was built in the wilderness there was nothing rich in its outside appearance. The costly things were all within, and its outward covering of rough badger skin gave no hint of the vaulable things which it contained.

God may send you, dear friends, some costly packages. Do not worry if they are done up in rough wrappings. You may be sure there are treasures of love and kindnessm and wisdom hidden within. If we take what He sends, and trust Him for the goodness in it, even in the dark, we shall learn the meaning of the secrets of providence. -AB Simpson

Not until each loom is silent,

And the shuttles cease to fly,

Will God unroll the pattern

And explain the reason why

The dark threads are as needful

In the Weaver's skillful hand,

As the threads of gold and silver

For the pattern which He planned.

He that is mastered by Christ is the master of every circumstance. Does the circumstance press hard against you? Do not push it away. It is the Potter's hand. Your mastery will come, not by arresting its progress, but by enduring its discipline, for it is not only shaping you into a vessel of beauty and honor, but it is making your resources available.

A Mommy's Heart

I thought that when Abe was born, my heart grew a little to make room for him. One of my anxieties when I was pregnant with Jonah was how on earth I could love that kid as much as Abe. Well, it happened, and it was overwhelming. We have a lot of fun things going on this weekend, and quite frankly, they are things make my heart soar.

First of All, Jonah will be 2. Yes, 2. I can hardly belive it. We are having a birthday party for him this weekend. His personality is fun. He is stout, loves his brother (although Abe is not so nice all the time) and is loud. After Abe's practice yesterday, he ran up and was hugging him, like he had not seen him for a while. He is our comedian and loves to make all of us laugh. More than anything, I love watching him do new things. There is not much he would not try, because he is sooo fearless.

Now, for Abe. He made me a soccer mom this week by starting this sport. I, for one, am excited to meet new people and see him meet new people. His first game is on Saturday- weather permitting. He is in the Pike Youth Soccer league. Which, by the way, makes him like the 3rd generation in our family to play for pike... I played in the 80s, and his Uncle Daniel and Aunt Whitney played in the 90s. There are people on his team that are from Mexico and Africa (I think). He would not get this experience in Central IL- that is for sure! I am glad he will be able to get to know new people.

One another note, one of my dear mommy friends this week lost her 6 year old daughter. I am sad for the family, but she is celebrating with Jesus today. As a mom, I simply cannot imagine. My heart is with them in IL, as they grieve. This little angel gave many lessons to the people that knew her on earth, and I cannot wait to see her in heaven.

I am going to try and put pics up.... or at least get them on my picassa album- good grief it has been awhile since we have done that

soccer, sixty degrees, reading, yard work, delighting

We had an absolutely wonderful weekend. Here is the point- we hung out at home most of time. It was awesome. Saturday we had a pancakes, sausage, and eggs, I cleaned out and organized all the closets and the kitchen- I was like a mad woman, actually! We all got to take naps, we played outside, and we had what Abe called a pajama party- I made homemade pizza, and breadsticks, we cleaned up and got on our jammies and watched Alvin and the Chipmonks. After the boys went to bed Hans and I watched Beowolf- which is an odd story.

On Sunday we went and watched Adyson Joy get dedicated at TPCC. She is so precious! We also went to lunch with everyone. Played outside some more, raked leaves, grilled out, went for a walk and basically hung out together. I miss weekends like this, it has been an awful long time for us to not have to work, go places, or have things to do.

I talked to Abe on the phone and he said he was playing outside- "it's 60 degrees today, mom!" We are so ready for warmer weather. He is going to have a great week because he starts soccer this week. His first game is on Saturday!! We also have been doing reading lessons... he is so eager, I thought that I would not delay it if he is ready.

Jonah is going to be 2 in 2 weeks. Cannot believe it. Time goes to quickly, although, I am ready for him to get out the "terrible twos"! We are in the midst of planning for his b-day... it will a Toy Story party seeing how he cannot get enough of it. He yells Buzz whenever it comes on and gets so excited.

Basically this weekend was a weekend of delight. Delighting in the ordinary, simple things that we do with and for each other everyday. It was sweet and relaxing!

The hope spring gives...

These last couple of weeks something has been stirring inside of me. We are embarking on a new season in our life and this time of year makes me get a little anxious anyway with spring on the horizon. I had one of those moments when I felt my soul being touched by the lord.

In the ugly brown-gray ground, you see little shoots of green. New life is emerging, this is what I am feeling deep inside too. I have been stretched beyond my abillity to comprehend but yet I feel the deep growth of all those promises I have tried to convince myself about- mainly the one saying that God does have a plan for us, one that gives us hope. They have taken root, and are growing.

I am not going to pretend either, every day of this journey has its own challenges. I may not fully understand things, but I know that this too will pass. Just like winter. Winter is exciting when you start out- the snow, hot chocolate, christmas, new years, but the time between winter and spring is hard. I long for spring. I long for the spring in our life. I long for new life and the realized promises it brings.

If you have ever planted bulbs in the fall, you know that they require cold weather to grow in the spring. Well, this is a great metaphor of the "winter" in our life. That season is necessary for the spring growth. My spring is coming- I can smell it.

So my new book I am reading is by my favorite author- Phillip Yancey. It is called Prayer, Does it make a difference. Reading it feels like reacqainting myself with an old friend. I appreciate Yancey's humanity. He is not like a typical christian author. He readily admits that he is no expert in prayer, but a student like all of us. He writes:

If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn
about prayer. Most of my struggles in the Christian life circle around the same
two themes: why God doesn't act the way we want God to, and why I don't act the
way God wants me to. Prayer is the precise poin where those themes converge.

I am looking forward to reading about this and the next few months of our journey. I hope this post was an encouragement.

My little Samson!

So you are probably wondering what in the heck I am talking about. Last night I gave Abe a haircut- well, shave really. Here is the story of my night---

Right before I started cooking dinner, I got a phone call from my dad, and we were chatting. Like usual when i am on the phone, the boys act up. Well, Abe was being a stinker and I told him to wait in his room and I would be up in minute. (He has had a hard time this week adjusting to mommy being gone, so he is trying to get my attention.) After the call I went up to find him and he was hacking away at his hair telling me it was too long. I gave him a hug and told him that we would cut it later not to worry. I am trying to show him as much grace as possible right now.

We had dinner, went for a walk, and came home to get ready for bed. While I was examining his hair cut I started trimming and it was cut to the scalp in a lot of places. He was squirmy and I decided maybe it would be better if we got the clippers out. I could not find the gaurds, but I thought, I will just be careful and try to trim it longer. Wrong idea, he is bald now.

After taking one look in the mirror, he freaked. I did not expect his reaction. During the shave, I kept thinking, this is WAY too short, but we can't go back now. He took one look at it and immediately started crying and screaming - saying this is scarry! I kept reassuring him that mommy likes it (in a neo-nazi kind of way). No our family is not a family of skinheads... but we now because Hans and Jonah are taking one for the team. We are shaving them tomorrow.

He was really worried about if it will grow back. When Abe was eating a little snack while I cleaned the kitchen, he looked up and said, "I don't want to show mimi". I told him that it look cute and although I love his curly hair, it will grow back.

Funny thing is that he thought it was going to grow back last night. Two lessons were learned-

1. Don't shave your head right before easter because you will resemble the easter egg.
2. From here on out, we will be taking the boys to get their hair cut by professionals- yes, I guess I will dish out the $$ for it.

If you see Abe, do me favor and don't laugh. Try and be encouraging!

This season of life, rejoicing, growing, and suffering....

Okay, so I know that I have not blogged in like forever, but it is hectic being a working momma. Kudos to all my friends who never left the workforce after thier kiddies were born. I do enjoy my job, but like most women, I enjoy the relationships I am forming with my co-workers. I am going to do a run down of my day...
- wake up around 4:45 am to get myself ready
- try to get downstairs for breakfast, coffee (yes I have taken to coffee, due to the huge amounts of caffiene my body needs at 5 am), lunches that need to be made and feed buddy
- wake boys up at 6 am, and get them fed and dressed (although Jonah is an early riser and he is usually up first)
- out door by 6:30 am to work at 7:00
- work from 7:00- 3:30 home by 4:00- usually
- get home and hope I remembered to get something out for dinner! Pick up, start laundry, put dishes away if I did not have time in the morning and have dinner cooking
- after dinner we do baths and usually we play with the boys- they are in bed by 8
- get everyone's clothes out for next day, and clean kitchen, pick up house
- I usually get to bed between 9-10

It is not so bad once you get used to it. God is good to us, he is so patient and gives us everything we need for each day. After being home for almost 5 years, I have an overwhelming peace about working. I enjoy my job! I seem to appreciate the boys more. It does somewhat feel like a break, although, I am still pretty tired.

We are still in waiting about Hans' future. I never really understood what patience is. I still think that I don't get it. Patience is never easy for me. I know that God is cultivating that fruit in me because I am anxious all the time. Right now we are enjoying where we are at. Hans loves teaching bible as an intern at Traders Point Christian Academy. I think the healing process is ongoing, because we both are a little "gun shy" when it comes to looking for work in a Church. I flat out don't want him to, but I am realizing that this life we are called to is not about our gifts, our interests, but more about surrender. Surrendering to what and where God wants us. His wisdom is beyond our comprehension. I feel my soul getting older through this process. I see my faith changing. I am realizing that I really don't "Trust in the Lord with ALL my heart"- maybe just part of it on most days.

At our church, we have been going through the book of Collosians. A lot of what we have talked about and heard is about community. Last Sunday I sat through the sermon and realized that rejoicing in our suffering is made possible through sharing in our sufferings with our community. Well, with that being said, our house church has been sharing in our sufferings and we are ever greatful for that. At first, I was reluctant to share with them, and I felt like they would not really want to know anyway, because afterall, who wants to invest in people if they may be leaving soon. But they have been awesome for us and now I am scared about the "what ifs..."- like what if we leave, or what if one of them leaves, etc.

Anyway, I am enjoying this season for the time being. It is excruciatingly difficult, but I enjoy the "newness" of it.

Some awesome news is that we have a new niece!!! My brother and sister in law had a new baby girl this weekend!! Her name is Adyson Joy... she was tiny- 7lbs even and 19 inches long!!! Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures soon. Very sweet!

The Last day of Being a Stay at Home Mom...

That's right, today is it. I accepted a position at Trimedx Healthcare Services and I start on Monday. I will talk more about the company later. I am not grieving yet, but I know that I should take extra time today to hug my boys. I am approaching this like eating a hippo- one bite at a time. A lot of change has come to our family and I am surrendering my controlling nature to God who can handle all the details my heart needs to know about.

I have never been a working mother. This is new territory for us. One that I am ready to explore. The tools I am taking on this exploration are simple but hard to use. They include- humility, trust, time management, and organization. All of which seem to be a struggle for me now. I have never followed a tight schedule with the boys, but we are going to be following one from here on out. I think the logistics are worked out for now.

Now about Trimedx. First of all last week I had like 3 awesome opportunities before I got the offer at Trimedx. Actually it was last on mu list, but true to form, every other door slammed shut on Friday... I was in a heap of fear thinking that I would have to start all over with the searching process. I was also in a state of anger for most of the day and trying to figure out what was God up to because he knows I need a job. Late Friday afternoon, I got a call and they offered it to me.

What makes Trimedx stand out is that it is a faith based company with lots of opportunity for me to grow. They started a foundation that takes old but working equipment out of hospitals and send teams of technichions and people from the company on mission trips around the world to help hospitals in needy countries. I will be working for the "for-profit" company, helping customers get the problems they have solved, but I will have opportunities to travel and help with the missions aspect of the company.

True to form, God takes something I am not so sure about and leads the way for me to follow him. I wish I would not be so stubborn in following him. It would make my life easier if I just surrendered everything on a daily basis... my how far I have to go before I understand! I am like a child where I have to learn the same lesson over and over again. Is everyone like this???

More news to come, pray for our family as we adjust to this time. A lot is on my "to-do" list for the weekend to get ready for this life-style change.

2008

Well another year. I like the fact that we have an open road ahead of us. Thankfully, 2007 is over and we can look to what blessings will come. Every year I struggle with resolutions and making them and keeping them. This year, I am throwing them out the window. They have never worked for me, I am tired of buying into the self-help attitude when all I really need to acknowledge is that Jesus accepts me for who I am. Imperfections and all. No more regrets, no more guilt.

I am declaring this year a year of Love- love for my Lord, for all the people that he put in my life or will put in my life and love for myself. This is not going to be a list of changes I want to make this year. This is going to be about all the hope that this year brings me.

No doubt, the promise of hope for a future will be what we cling to this year. So much is unknown, yet, in this moment we are surrounded by people who love us. I know that God is putting into place the exact spot where he wants us, we just are waiting to find it.

Here are some "pit-stops" on our road this year-
1. Hans is interning at Traders Point Christian Academy. It is exciting for him to be learning and teaching bible to middle school kids.
2. I am close to getting a job! I am going to be a working mom and am pretty excited about getting back into the workforce. I have interviewed at some pretty cool places.
3. Hans completes his last semester of classes before his thesis... we are so close to being out of this season!!
4. Abe will be 5 and Jonah will be 2!
5. A new niece will be born in our family in couple of months... can't wait to meet her!


Sure there are a lot of things I want to "change" or do better, but I would not be human if that weren't the case. I am going to take one day at a time and focus on what my blessings are today. Change will come because I am a new creation in Christ and he is always at work in me.

Here is one last picture that sums up our Christmas... Abe and Jonah in the midst of Holiday glee! They were so happy they actually are holding hands without being told to!!

This was our Christmas letter... we decided not to send it out! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!!

As our family looks back over the last year we are reminded of the hope that we all share in Christ. This is the time of year to remember and offer thanksgiving, but also to look forward and offer a message of hope. Most of you know that this year has been a particularly difficult one for us. However, we are going to share the blessings about this year.

Hans has suffered much this year, but he is still holding firm in what he believes and the values that he has. The value of family is strong in his heart, and he has said no to difficult things in order to be with us. He is currently working at Starbucks and is going into his last semester of seminary classes before he writes his thesis. We are both anxious to see what God has in store for him. I (Stacey) have spent a lot of time utterly amazed at God. He is giving me so many gifts right now, even in the midst of my trials or lack of faith. Currently, I am looking for full-time work. I have been blessed to take a class this year with Hans. It is a Marriage Enrichment class and I can see us doing this as a ministry together as it has helped us and we both enjoy helping others.

Abe and Jonah continue to bring us much joy and delight. They bring smiles to our family for sure. Abe turned 4 in July and he is at Traders Point Christian Academy in the Four year old class. He loves it! He is very active and has really enjoyed seeing the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins on a regular basis. (We all love that!) He is enjoying his new church and making new friends. This year in his class, he will be a shepherd in the Christmas pageant. His teacher told us at his conference that he is a blessing to have in class and has such a sweet spirit. Finally, after 20 months, he is starting to like this brother thing! He and Jonah are becoming buddies and it seems like they have an ongoing secret joke between the two of them because they giggle at each other so much. Jonah turned 1 in April! He is wearing us all out as he runs, jumps, climbs and generally gets into everything. He is extremely active and smart. He is also probably going to be the clown in the family as he thoroughly enjoys making us laugh and respond to him. He is following in his big brother’s footsteps with the Thomas the train thing. He loves Thomas!

We have joined a house church at Common Ground Christian Church. It has been the biggest blessing in our life since the move back home. We don’t know everyone that well yet, but they have truly surrounded us in our time of need. We are amazed at this group of people. They have prayed for us, with us and are surrounding us with strong biblical fellowship- which seems to be a balm of healing over our hearts. It still does not feel real yet. But every week they love us for who we are. I can see how this group will soon become an extension of our family. Just like so many of you who have crossed our path along this journey of life.

Our wish to you and your family is that you find the hope that Christ offers this season!

“I keep asking that God our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”- Ephesians 1:17-19

Love to you all,

Hans, Stacey, Abe and Jonah Weber

http://www.the-weber-family.blogspot.com

http://www.hans-journey.blogspot.com