Here we go again!

So in keeping with our tradition of never staying in one place for more than a year and a half, we're moving again! 

Places we have lived since we were married:
Camp Hill, PA - 3 months (I lived there for a year prior)
India House @ ECHO, FL - 6 months
Block House @ ECHO, FL - 6 Months
Host Family San Jose, Costa Rica - 4 months
Our own apartment San Jose, Costa Rica - 4 months
Santa Cruz, Bolivia - 6 months
Pailon, Bolivia - 1.5 years
Kenmore, WA - 1.5 years
Mt Vernon, WA - ?

We were looking forward to being in one home for a few years for the first time ever but it is not going to pan out that way.  Although we are not looking forward to the process of moving, we are looking forward to getting out of this moldy apartment.  I don't think we will have to worry about mushrooms growing out of the wall in our next place! 

Still mushrooms even after the "repair". 

The reason for the move?  Jenna was accepted to a birthing center as a student to start getting some hands on experience.  The center is about an hour north from here (not a good commute for a baby catching job) and since I have a job that moves with me, away we go!  The fact that mold grows everywhere in our apartment, the large increase in rent, and the fact we can get a MUCH nicer place in Mt Vernon for the cost of this place made the decision easy.

Nice Nanny Needed

We have a unique opportunity for you to help us in this time of preparation for work in Bolivia. As you know, I just finished my first quarter as a full time student in my midwifery program. We have a wonderful nanny who has worked with us for a season through a great organization called Mission Nannies. However, she will soon be wrapping up her time with us.

With that said we are looking for a new nanny to help with the kids! Gabriel just turned 1 and Noah is 2.5 yrs old. Ideally we would love to have someone come and live with us with a minimum commitment of 6 months. We would give them room, board, utilities and wifi in exchange for helping with the kids. The nanny would have their own room and would share a bathroom with our 2 year old. There is a possibility of a stipend but would require raising support through Mission Nannies. Flexibility is a must as I will be on-call starting in April and my schedule will be very unpredictable. Please let us know if you, or someone you know, might be interested in serving us in this way. 

We are just trusting God to provide the right person for our family during this time.

 Who could resist such cuties? 

Christmas 2007-2012

 2012 - Kenmore, WA

 2011 - Kenmore, WA

2010- Pailon, Bolivia

 2009 - Santa Cruz, Bolivia

 2008 - ECHO, North Fort Myers, FL

 2007 - Camp Hill, PA

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.