A Wonderful Time of Year!

Since our last post (a LONG time ago) things have not slowed down one bit. Ashley celebrated her birthday on November 17th, Thanksgiving was next, Mikaela is now officially four, Christmas is in less than a week, and the boys will turn one in less than two weeks. In between all of that has been continued detective work for Chris, continued teaching work for Ash, holiday parties left and right, and wonderful fellowship at church. We have loved every minute of it, but there have been a few nights where we just crash after the last kiddo is tucked into bed. Braden and Karsten are getting closer to walking, but remain fairly content with the high speed crawl. As we look back on this year we cannot believe how God has chosen to bestow on us so many wonderful blessings. We are so grateful for the family we have and the friends which encourage us daily. As the 25th draws near we give glory to God for sending us Jesus. There would be no cause for celebration if Christ was not born, and yet God bestowed His grace on us through the perfect life (and eventual death & resurrection) of our Savior. Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family and have a wonderful new year!

Our Crazy Life & The Pig Flu's Twin

I look at our blog and I'm blown away at how quickly time passes. Our fall has been CRAZY and the swine flu or whatever our family caught doesn't help! So here is our moments of note for the last month. Tahlia finished another soccer season and played amazing, especially considering most of the girls were older than her. School is trucking right along, and Tahlia continues to do well, but it is Mikaela that has blown our minds. She has put much together in the last month and it is fun to watch. The boys are moving right along - literally. Braden I think will walk before Christmas ,and Karsten, well who knows he is a little behind. Although they are twins, they are very unique. More personality shows each day in both of them. Ash and I are doing well. Detective work has been very busy, but not as busy as homemaker work with 4 kiddos. Below are some pictures of the boys at 9-10 months, Mikaela our climber, and Halloween pumpkins. I was not a part of Halloween this year, instead I chose to watch my beloved Trojans get massacred by the Ducks at Autzen stadium! Stay tuned to our blog for some exciting news in the near future; & no it is not the announcement of another pregnancy (at least we hope not)!

Some of This and Some of That

Wow a month has flown by, and although there were multiple things to post we just didn't. Here is a quick run down of some Wick household activities in September. School began and both Tahlia and Mikaela are hard at work, and since we decided on at least one more year of homeschooling that means Ashley is the one who is totally slammed. September also saw us enter the world of Mac computers as well as enjoy Tahlia's first competitive soccer game, her 6th birthday, and her first lost tooth! Mikaela is still a little pinball which means she is a walking wound - the girl can't avoid hitting her head on things! The boys are moving around and pulling themselves into standing positions; next up is tree climbing! One highlight for us was a quick trip up to Seattle. We were able to see Great Grandma and Grandpa Wick and also Aunt Sandy. Those are truly memories for a lifetime! Lastly, we have just enjoyed our first snow (seriously!) and that means goodbye flowers and lawn-mowing and hello winterizing and blowing out sprinklers; the work never ends, it just changes! Here are a few photos for your enjoyment.

Another California Vacation

For the second time this summer we went to California for a week away with family. Several months ago we saw Kara and Matt in Northern Cali and this time we went to Grandpa and Grandma Wick's house in Southern Cali. We mostly hit the pools, lagoons, and beach. We also saw Kevin and Danielle and cousin Brooklyn. We enjoyed friends in Santa Clarita and at Placerita Baptist Church. We heard Scott Ardavanis preach twice on marriage and wordliness. We ate at some of our favorite spots. Chris had the opportunity to preach at Legacy Academy's chapel. We enjoyed an evening with our good friends the Sojka family, and also the Burns family! We stayed in two different hotels along the way, had plenty of car time, ate at In-N-Out, and enjoyed one another's company for over a week! Here are a few pics along the way.

Seeing Double

Here are some recent shots from the boys. They are growing! You can already see the different personalities. I guess we could adverstise an extra bathtub when we sell this place!

VBS & Summer Fun

The girls (especially Ashley) have been busy the last few weeks. Here are some pictures from VBS and some backyard fun. I added a bonus shot of Tahlia picking weeds for us on her own initiative. Sorry, no pics from swim lessons, and we decided not to go to the County Fair this year (too hot and major lightning storms). Enjoy!

TEF News

The Elisha Foundation has just launched a new website! The site was designed by a company named emote360. They are truly a talented group of people. You can check out the site at www.theelishafoundation.org This is one element of an organization rebrand and launch. The website will detail the vision we have. This is an exciting time and we pray God will use this organization to impact the lives of families across the globe!

10 Years!

Ashley and I celebrated our ten year anniversary yesterday! Ten years ago I remember how hot it was in Seattle and I thought I was truly going to faint on stage (maybe it was nerves), but yesterday was even hotter in good ol' Central Oregon. Never-the-less we were able to get out and enjoy the day. I am truly blessed to be married to Ashley and really thank God for His gift. As we reflected back at ten years we were amazed at all we have experienced and wonder what God has in store for the next ten. Whatever it is I am thankful I get to experience it with Ash.

A Summer Hike

Last week we decided to take a spur of the moment hike to Tumalo Falls. It was a little extra work with two non-walkers, but the girls can more than hold their own. The day was beautiful as were the falls, and the time with each other was wonderful. This upcoming month is slammed with stuff. We have VBS, the County Fair, Vacation to Southern Cali, various meetings, TEF Presentation at church, and hopefully a break in the madness for a fly-fishing evening or two. With those events I have ample blog material, so stay tuned. Enjoy a few pics of the Wicks at Tumalo Falls!

TEF Summer Retreat

Our family is so blessed to be a part of The Elisha Foundation. This most recent retreat took place at Lake Creek Lodge in Camp Sherman, Oregon. We had eight special families who we were able to serve, and all were very encouraged by the volunteers who gave of their time and energy. I know all the families involved appreciated the love shown, and I also know several families left impacted by the gospel which was presented and lived out.

The Lord continues to impress upon me how needed this ministry is, and how often the church has not ministered effectively to these families. Our prayer is that local churches across the world will take up the call to reach out to these families and show them the love of Christ.

I am excited about the future of TEF. In the coming months the foundation is going to launch into some exciting things. I will keep you posted at every step.

Below is a slideshow of some of our pictures. For those friends on Facebook I attached a link to a professional slide show: http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1191438108859#/video/video.php?v=93551363371&oid=22415967287

Thank you to everyone for your continued prayers!

Vacation!

Our family was able to get away for a week and relax . . . if you can say that with four young kids stuck in the car for hours traveling. We really did have a good time. We first traveled to Canby and saw family including Grandma's, and Chris' aunt, uncle, and cousins. We then traveled to Walnut Creek, California and spent some time with Uncle Matt and Aunt Kara. We continued on to Monterey, California and took in the beach, aquarium, and of course swimming in the hotel pool. It was a good time to be with one another and we were grateful for the lessons the Lord taught Ashley and I on this trip! I attached a slideshow below and for more good pictures see Matt and Kara's blog which is on the blogroll (Rehrer Moments).

Excitement of One Year Ago!

I can't believe a year has gone by since Mikaela was hospitalized and eventually airlifted to Portland for a severe case of pneumonia. God was gracious in her life and restored her to full health. In fact I think somehow through the whole ordeal she gained more energy! Praise God for His faithfulness and sustaining grace in the moment of trial (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

some recent pics

Just thought I would share some recent pictures. Next post will cover The Elisha Foundation retreat which we just returned from!


happy boys sitting on the man chair

Braden sucks eveything in sight, including himself

can you see the resemblance? . . . except for the severely crooked nose, which I expect them to have several years into rugby, basketball, figure skating, whatever

this is truly life with twins

JOY . . . enough said

The Elisha Foundation

We have the privilege of serving on the board of a non-profit organization known as The Elisha Foundation (TEF). This organization was created by our good friends Justin and Tamara Reimer, and it's purpose is to minister and encourage families who are caring for people with special needs. There is much I could say about how the Lord has used TEF to open our eyes to this community of people which is severely neglected, and over the course of the next month I will attempt to post some of how God has challenged, convicted, and changed me through our involvement.

My purpose in writing tonight is to let those who read this know TEF is hosting a family retreat beginning tomorrow. Eight families will experience the unique ministry offered, and we would covet your prayers for the families attending, and also the volunteers who are serving.

Please visit the following link to learn more about TEF and the vision behind it: www.theelishafoundation.org/

Below are some images from the last function we had.

Mikaela's interaction with a very special boy, and cancer survivor as well!

The boy pictured in the middle is Lucky, and Ashley served his family during the last retreat

Allergy Season in Central Oregon

I have to preface this post with an apology to Tahlia for exposing her misery, however, I couldn't help but think of Will Smith in the movie "Hitch" when I looked at her. This time every year we seem to get hit with allegies, but obviously Tahlia suffers the most. Below is a picture of her allergic reaction (to pollen I think?) I wish I had a photo from the previous day, much worse . . . would have been better for the blog!

Now for those of you who have not seen "Hitch" click on the link below to see how I draw the comparison.

images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0S0201VGiJKIFYApbqJzbkF?p=will+smith+hitch+allergic+reaction+image&fr=yfp-t-501&ei=utf-8&x=wrt

Although, I find the whole thing amusing, please know allergy medicine does amazing things. She is much better now. I thank Tahlia immensely for her sense of humor and her joy even when feeling miserable.

Bedtime Fun

We put Tahlia and Mikaela to bed about 8 pm every night. Rarely do they fall asleep straight away, but I love how their relationship grows each night as they talk and play on their beds. I know some parents are firm on having their kids go to sleep, and not come out of the room once they are tucked in, but I clearly remember my childhood, and the bonding time I had with my brother when we were supposed to be sleeping.

I love the laughing, singing, and storytelling that occurs as soon as we walk out of the room (we know this because we have kept a baby monitor in their room for our listening pleasure). I'm not really frustrated by the need to get drinks of water 14 separate times a night, or the statement "I just wanted to kiss you one more time" uttered on multiple occasions in a night, or the sudden urge to go pee six times in an hour. However, the last few nights have been a little crazy. Here are the highlights of our last several weeks:

Walking in and finding Mikaela asleep on the foot of Tahlia's bed.

Walking in and finding the pajamas they were wearing an hour ago are now being worn by their stuffed animals.

Walking in at 9 pm and finding them both standing on their bed wearing nothing but panties and who knows what they were playing. At 10 pm I checked again and was advised they would be staying up all night long, to which I replied "great, if you do you can have candy for breakfast." (Both fell asleep by 10:30 and had oatmeal in the morning!)

And then tonight, Mikaela walked out and told Ashley, "Mama. Tahlia's asleep and I want her to wake up so I can have lots of fun."

I wonder what the boys will be like in a couple of years?

Our Crazy Girls!

A Lunchtime Treat!

I have the privilege of working in the city we live in, and therefore I often try to get home and have lunch with the family. The picture below is what I was privileged to come home to, the whole family on the front porch! They were so cute I had to snap a photo (which is saying a lot, since I rarely photograph anything!).

It reminds me of that country song by Lonestar, From My Front Porch Looking In. Several other things also crossed my mind as I pulled into the driveway and saw them all sitting there. First, I thought "wow, our family seems huge." Secondly, I thought "wow, Ashley's job is huge." She is an incredible mother, and if you know our kids then you know Ashley is doing an amazing job! On this upcoming Mother's Day I thank the Lord for a mother who modeled biblical womanhood as I grew up, and I thank the Lord for His provision of my wife - who loves me selflessly, and who is rearing our children to be set apart for the glory of God.

Fun in the Sun

The good weather seems to have finally arrived. Five days ago it snowed, and I was beginning to wonder if winter would last into May. We had a good day outside and began the day watching Tahlia score six goals in her soccer game. She has finally learned the key is to score not knock people over, and kick the ball out of bounds. After the game we bought some plants and trees and went to work in the yard. Below you can see Mikaela helping me dig a hole. She is a hard worker and truly my little buddy. We are truly blessed to have kids that desire to spend time with us, even in the midst of hard labor!