Christmas Tree Hunt

Here are a few photos from our first family u-cut tree adventure.  Finding the first place was closed turned out to be a blessing because we found this amazing place!

2012 Nactus Award Nominee!

So call me a creature geek but I'm excited!  I have been trying to get in to the Nactus Awards for a while now and this year I had one of my photos nominated.  The competition will be tough but I am just excited to have made it in.  The following photos was nominated in Category 8: Scientific Record:

This is a photo of a Hatchet Faced Tree Frog (Sphaenorhynchus lacteus) I found while on a river trip in Bolivia.  I heard a frog call I never heard before and tracked it to this guy after wading through mud up to my waist.  Turns out braving the mosquitoes and mud was worth it.

If you would like to vote for the nominated photos before Nov. 26, go to http://www.exo-terra.com/en/photography/nactus_award.php  You will have to vote for one from each of the 8 categories.

What? A year passed?

Has it really been that long since we have blogged?  If you haven't guessed yet, neither of us are avid bloggers.  I think it is time for an update...

 Since our last post we have been settling into the Seattle area we have been doing our best to make new connections since we did not know anyone in the area when we moved here.  We found a great church and have been getting to know the people there.

I am still a Tobacco Quit Coach.  I have currently coached over 2,000 people in their journey to quit smoking or other tobacco products.  It is not exactly a job I ever envisioned doing, but it is great having a job that helps people make positive changes in their lives.  I also recently started working from home which gives me more time with the family.  I also now work 10 hour shift that gives me a 3 day weekend!

Jenna is currently working through her first semester of Midwifery school.  It is a lot of work for her but she is loving studying her passion.  Right now it is mostly classwork but before long she will be running around helping catch babies!

 Jenna's Midwifery Class

The boys are doing great.  Noah is learning new words daily and Gabriel is becoming more mobile, nearly walking at times.  Noah is quickly picking up his father's love of animals and enjoys playing with his dad's collection of weird pets.

We are staying in touch with the work in Bolivia and are eagerly awaiting the day when we can return.  I was able to return to Bolivia this fall to stay connected with the relationships we built during our 2 years there, to see how the ministry is progressing, and look at land for the future training center.  It felt really good to be back and re-confirmed our vision to return to Bolivia.  It felt like going home.

Future land for the training center? Perhaps...

We also have a new addition to our family.  Lindsey joined our family this fall as a volunteer live-in nanny.  She has been a huge blessing by helping take care of the kids while I work and Jenna works on her studies.

Jenna and I were able to get away for a few days up on Orcas Island (thanks to Lindsey watching the kids) for our 5 year anniversary.  It was a sorely needed very restful getaway.  Those 5 years came and went rather fast were sure filled with a lot of adventures!

So there is a quick overview of where we are at.  We will try to post more frequent updates again but we'll see how that goes. We did just send out a new update letter so if you have not received it please let us know so we can get you on our e-mail or snail mail list.

The big news and more news

Since we've been back in the USA we've been even worse keeping this blog updated.  So here is a quick catch-up starting with the big news of course!

Gabriel Mateo Weigner was born 12/21/11 at 11:15pm.  He was 7lbs 7oz and 20in long.  It was a very normal delivery at the Puget Sound Midwives and Birth Center and both baby and mom are doing great (both sleeping at the moment).  Noah is loving his little brother.  When the first met, Noah gave Gabriel a big hug and kiss with no encouragement from us.  He also seems to enjoy the fact that both he and his little brother have a nose.

Noah meets his little brother

In other news, I got a job at Alere Wellbeing as a Tobacco Quit Coach.  Basically I spend the day on the phone coaching people through their process to quit smoking.  Yes different than anything I ever imagined myself doing but it pays the bills and I actually enjoy it!  Gabriel's arrival made me take off two days before the end of my training period which ended up not being a problem since they decided to make and exception and graduate me anyway since I was doing well. 

Jenna finished her first semester of prerequisites for her midwifery program and completed some workshops that will count toward her midwifery program.  She will be taking the next semester off then finishing the rest of her prerequisites over the spring and summer.  The next step will be applying for the program and praying that she gets in.

We will be enjoying a quiet Christmas at home with Jenna's brother Kyle up from LA.  Thank you for all your prayers, encouragement, and support through all changes our family has been through over the last few months.  We wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Baby Gift Registry

Christmas is coming which means baby Weigner #2 is coming too! For those of you wondering how you can shower the little guy with gifts, here are a few option:

Registries:
Cotton Babies - http://www.cottonbabies.com/7001.php
This is the company that gave us free reusable diapers when we were working in Bolivia.  They are a great company. Be sure to follow the instructions on the site (i.e. when choosing colors or checking out), it isn't as streamlined as some websites.

Babies"R"Us - Search for "weigner" under "registries"

Since we left most of our baby stuff back in Bolivia, we are also looking for clothing under 12 months.
We have no problem with used items.

Settled in Seattle

We made it! We are finally settled in Seattle after what felt like months of living on the road. 

We drove through 20 states! (click to view large)

After leaving Bolivia we took a road trip up the east coast starting in Miami and ending in Syracuse visiting friends, family, churches, and the SAM HQ along the way.  In Syracuse, we sortedhrough our junk that had been in storage for the last 3-4 years and got rid of the majority of it.  After all, we survived several years without it, we could still live without it.  We packed up what we wanted to keep and shipped it to Seattle via Amtrak (hint: Amtrak is the cheapest way to ship or move long distances!).  We threw the odd shaped stuff into our car (generously donated through the combined efforts of family and supporters) and into my parents van and embarked on yet another road trip, this time from the east coast to the west coast.  It was a beautiful drive although challenging keeping Noah happy for 700-800 miles a day.

People & Places along the way (click to view large)

The idea of moving to Seattle was more intimidating than when we were planning on moving to Bolivia. At least then we had a place to live, a job, and a support community.  When we started to move to Seattle, we had no place to live, no job, no car, and knew almost no one in this area.  Yet we knew this is where God had been leading us and one by one things fell into place in His time.

First off, some of our supporters and family members pooled their resources and got us a car.  Then right before we began our road trip to Seattle, the one family we knew in Seattle (missionaries we met in Bolivia) helped us find a wonderful apartment. We've plugged into a Church and small group and been making friends fast.  Then just yesterday I was offered a job.  It was a fun ride but is sure feels good to be settled.  Jenna has started classes.  Noah is growing fast and picking up new things every day.  Baby #2 is healthy and growing away.

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement along the way.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we enter this time of preparation for our long-term return to Bolivia. 

Keep you eye out for our latest newsletter in your mailbox or inbox!

GOOD RIDDANCE!

As much as I would have loved to have punctured the fuel tank, pushed it off a cliff, then lit the trail of diesel and roasted marshmallows over the fireball, I decided it was a good idea to recover a little money from this hunk of junk.  Now before I tell you how much I sold it for, let us review a few of the problems I have had in the two years I had this vehicle:

Repaired side view mirror - 3x
Blown Head Gasket - 2x
Radiator problems - Lost track
Replaced alternator - 3x
Timing Belt - 2x
Other belt issues - 3x
Repaired Power steering - 4x
Electrical system repairs - Lost count
Suspension Repair - 1x
Leaky break fluid line (repaired with chewing gum) - 1x
Random parts falling off our car - 6 or 7x
Various other repairs - Who knows
SNAPPED CAM SHAFT - 2X! (Who snaps a Cam Shaft?)
Left unrepaired: Busted turbo, AC pump, oil leak, fuel pump, and who knows what else

Used car prices in Bolivia are very high.  We bought this car for $8,000.  We sold it for $7,000 two days before we left! Talk about God's timing.  The crazy thing is, used car prices are rising so fast in Bolivia that if I had more time, I probably could have sold it for $10-$12,000!  Bolivia is one of the few places in the world that purchasing a car is actually a good investment!