2017 Weaver Wrap Up

Here we are at the end of another year.  2017 presented us with challenges, victories, heartache, and long awaited success.  Seems like every year that goes by brings a little of it ALL to our plates, and it is our job to find the joy and the peace with in it all.  Which would not be possible without this amazing family we are a part of, and without the Number One - Jesus our Savior, in our lives for guidance and protection.

If you know me, you know I like numbers and patterns.  Specifically even numbers and predicative patterns.  You know: twins, 4 kids, 4 letter names, things like that...  So, with that in mind, I am setting forward to write 6 sentences about the last year for each member of the Six Dream Weavers family,  I will share the good and the bad.  The triumphs and the set backs.  And you, the reader, will hopefully see God's hand in it all, just as we have.  So, since I like predictable patterns, we'll go oldest to youngest.. Or, Maybe alphabetically?  So may choices!

So, six sentences.  Alphabetically.  Starts with me...

Betsey

(Side bar - it is hard to find a good picture of me!  I either have on glasses, a hat, or a silly look on my face!)  2017 was en experience in personal growth and remembering I am blessed beyond measure - including starting the 2020 project to commemorate the last weekends we have with the girls at home.  This year also allowed me the opportunity to get closer to my family, know myself better, and learn a LOT of new things along the way.  My biggest highlight was earning an amazing promotion with the Oklahoma State University Office of the Registrar and staring my amazing journey as an Assistant Registrar.  This opportunity has allowed me to spread my wings, meet so many new people (that I just love and adore), and advance my career - dreams can come true!.  I think the low points all align with the struggles we have faced as a family including growing pains, financial and job stress, as well as learning to embrace the fact that we can't please everyone all of the time.  God has shown me patience, joy in the moment, and that I have an incredible husband, and 4 extraordinary kids - all who know how to roll with the punches and make every day a joy.

Britt

Britt has had a challenging 2017, but looking back and reveling in the blessings he was able to enjoy along the way truly make us grateful for this season.  While still looking for full time, steady employment, he has had the opportunity to take on the awesome responsibility for the logistics of our big, busy, bustling household!  What a wonderful moment in time where he is able to take the boys to school everyday, meet them at the end of the day, make sure we have groceries and meals, run all the kids to their activities in the afternoons, and be my personal Uber to and from work.  We are all so grateful for his contributions to our family in this way.  We are equally as thankful for the financial support from driving Uber late at night and working his ******** business during the day to ensure health for all those around us.  His lowest point was late in the fall when he dislocated his shoulder in the middle of the night and the subsequent recovery; we are all glad that is behind us now!


Emma

2017 allowed Emma to really spread her wings and fly after she moved away from Stillwater and all the challenges it had for her.  She faced her new surrounds, school, friends, and sports with such independence and grace - we can't help but be incredibly proud of her!  She has remained active in the Mulhall-Orlando FFA, and added another season of Lady Panther basketball to her resume.  Being a sophomore in high school with extra-curricular activities has shown her the importance of time management and helped her get organized. She still loves the outdoors - camping, trail riding, fishing, lake life, you name it - and spends much of her free time chasing those dreams.  The highlight of her year was "finally" getting her driver's permit - it's hard to be one of the youngest kids in your class!


Finn

Finn is still the crazy, unpredictable, surprise he has always been, he's just six now and is able to be more articulate about his chaos!  Graduating from Pre-K and entering Kindergarten has really allowed his personality to grow and shine - and he still charms everyone with that smile (even if you have to be pretty special to coax one out of him)!  He is a veracious reader, loves to collect (hoard?) a new treasure every couple of weeks, sings incessantly, and definitely wins the "screen time" award in our house!  He has taken after big brother in the love of video games department, and has also become quite the little dribbler by working on his own driveway basketball skills - although he is still too shy to play on a team where people might watch him.  We love watching him use his imagination as he plays with his massive collection of toys and games - he is definitely the most independent kid we have when it comes to entertaining himself.  The highlight of his year was probably this past week on Christmas morning when Santa DID come and he brought things on the (edited 20 times) Christmas list Finn had sent him!


Jake

Jake started 2017 playing basketball, and he will end it doing the same - even though there was a team change in there along the way, and a season of baseball squeezed in the middle.  Fifth grade has proven to be a good year for him - even if he says the teachers quit calling on him to answer questions because he "already knows the answers!"  Jake does everything BIG - he is 5'6" tall and weighs in around the 150 mark, his huge heart for others is a gift I hope never gets tarnished, he is the big man on his basketball team and the heavy hitter in baseball, super smart and very talented; he loves big, feels big, and is a big leader in everything he does.  He is a blessing to everyone around him, and he loves to tell stories, play video games, master all things sports related (including incessant statistics), solve every type of Rubik's cube there is, read any book he can get his hands on, and be a wonderful member of this big family.  It is hard to pinpoint the highest moment of his year, because he finds so much joy in everything he does, there is a highlight almost every day!  He is a fun-loving kid who is a patient big brother, a fantastic little brother, the epitome of a "middle child," and truly a treasure to raise and watch him change the world!


Lara

Lara's goal for 2017 was to be more confident, and we think she NAILED IT!  She not only gained confidence, she gained skills that will last her a lifetime including time management, how to talk to strangers, how to assert herself when needed, the ability to see the forest for all the trees, to try new things - even when they're scary, and how to be true to who she is.  The sports medicine program she is in has raised every bar she ever imagined, and brought about new ones she would have never known about if it were not for the opportunity and for taking that giant leap.  This year as a 10th grader she went on her very first solo date with a boy - and it was to a semi-formal dance with a SENIOR boy she barely knew.  Her smile and her giggle are infectious, and she lights up every room she walks in to - that's what confidence will do for you.  I think her highlight of the year was just in the past couple of weeks as well, when she was chosen by the wrestling athletes to represent the women of the Sophomore class as their attendant for Wrestling Homecoming - the fruits of which will happen on January 11.


We ended the year with a very precious time of relaxing and enjoying time as a family.  With the kids out of school, Britt able to use this time to be present with us, and the University closed for me, we have had a very relaxing and refreshing couple of weeks.  We also chose to keep it simple for Christmas this year.  Not only in the gift department (which we always do - 3 per kid (like the Wise Men), and a "fun" gift from Santa), but by staying home as a family of six and having our favorite, low-key, one-dish meal for lunch.  It gave us time to just be; spend time together, play with new toys and gifts, and not worry about making appearances.  I recommend it!

As we throw ourselves full force into 2018, we wish you nothing but the BEST!  Enjoy the challenges and the opportunities the new year will bring.  And never forget to praise the One who made it all possible.

Our Christmas Meal Recipe:

Sticky Chicken 

Prepare a package of frozen popcorn chicken.

While it cooks, mix over low heat:
6 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp ketchup
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
Salt/pepper

Bring to boil, simmer 3-5 minutes (to thicken slightly)
Toss with cooked chicken, garnish with sesame seeds and green onions

serve it with boil in bag brown rice

The One With the Sticky Chicken Christmas

December 22-25, 2017
Sandwiched between finals, end of semester parties and school getting out, then basketball and wrestling practices, spending gift money, and family time (or dates) while on break, there was Christmas.  There are only 2 more of those with the girls "officially" at home.  Two More.  Two more Christmas mornings being the best big sisters watching little brothers tear into gifts - especially the little one.  Two more crazy Christmas Eve's of shuffling from home to home getting everyone to the places they want to be and celebrating with a big family.  2 more late Christmas Eves where I get to stuff stockings KNOWING they will be there the next morning to see what Santa brought.

We spent as much time as possible with the girls this holiday weekend.  These girls are supremely lucky and immensely blessed.  While a big family can be hard to manage, and communication failures are abundant, there are perks, too!  They have SO MUCH FAMILY that loves them, cares for them, and spoils them rotten.  My family.  Britt's family.  Their Dad's family.  His wife's family.  They had more Christmas Celebrations and presents to open than they could possibly count.  I hope they treasure that.  They have new clothes, new gadgets, pocket money, and a true momentum heading in to the new year.

Christmas Eve night was spent with Nana and Grandpa - the first Christmas in their new house in Perkins.  Nana brought Gigi over from her home at Brookdale in Stillwater, Grandpa picked up the girls from their dad at a meeting spot in Guthrie, while Britt and I brought the boys over from Stillwater.  We had chili (or chicken nuggets for the picky eaters), ate a plethora of desserts, and then opened presents.  We even stayed a little late after Gigi went back to Stillwater and played with new toys and gadgets.

After making it home to Stillwater, we read the annual "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and donned "Christmas" PJ's.  Jake took over the duty of reading the story this year,  He's such a big guy these days.  Then it was off to bed so Santa could come.  There are practically no pictures of Christmas.  We were too busy enjoying it!  We stayed home, as a family of six, all day.  We opened stockings, and presents, and then played with new toys, enjoyed each other's company, (one of us took a nap), and generally chilled until we got hungry for lunch.

For lunch, I chose our family's favorite and easy meal.  Keeping it simple.  Lara helped me make Sticky Chicken, and EVERYONE ate it.  No arguing, no begging for people to taste new things.  No worries about insulting the host or the person who made a certain dish.  We ate what we liked and we enjoyed it.  After the kitchen was clean, it was back to fun activities and playing with new toys.  Nana and Grandpa stopped over to play our new board game - Ticket to Ride.  Fun, relaxed, family day.

Merry Christmas, indeed!

Sticky Chicken:

Prepare a package of frozen popcorn chicken.

While it cooks, mix over low heat:
6 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp ketchup
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
Salt/pepper

Bring to boil, simmer 3-5 minutes (to thicken slightly)
Toss with cooked chicken, garnish with sesame seeds and green onions

serve it with boil in bag brown rice

The One with Ceremonies

December 15 - 18, 2017
Having Sports Kids means there is a lot of pomp and circumstance around everything you do.  Games with their hype, homecomings with their pageantry, banquets with there celebrity.  It so much fun, and yet it can be exhausting!  And really, we've only just begun - we're 1/2 way through sophomore year - that's a lot of "stuff" to still go to!

This week(end) started with the 2017 Pioneer Football Banquet for Lara, and continued with 2017 Mulhall-Orlando Basketball Homecoming for Emma.  Lara spent the rest of the weekend in Orlando with her family.  Here are a few pictures from our ceremonies.

Also, Lara found out this weekend that she was chosen as the Sophomore Attendant for Wrestling Homecoming - let the dress search begin!

The One Where They Were Spread Out

December 8 - 11, 2017
Rural Oklahoma.  Kids active in Team Sports.  And other clubs and activities.  There are weekends where we do not connect much, if at all.  This was one of those...

Another weekend has passed.  The 2020 Project has made us all look at things in a different way.  Really lean in to the weekends and the experiences.  And to cherish the down time and the calm moments.  This weekend was a busy one for all - as usual this time of year.  With Christmas just a few days away, it seems everyone is celebrating, and with team sports kids, there is always a competition or a practice right on the horizon.

As I write this, it is Thursday.  Of the next week.  I think this is the latest so far that I have gotten around to logging my weekly #2020project entry!  I will probably start in on next week's as soon as I am done here!  As a family, we have had something every night the past week, and next week is no different!  Love my crazy, busy, big family, and all the adventures they take us on, but this old Mommy needs a NAP!

This pas weekend for Emma started with her Mulhall-Orlando Lady Panthers heading to Agra for an area tournament.  They lost out on Friday, but that didn't mean things were getting less busy for my #1 daughter!  She was soon off to Midwest City for her FFA MFE (Made for Excellence) leadership conference.  I know she had a blast with that and was able to connect with old friends, meet new ones, and hone her leadership skills.  My favorite part of that experience was her sending me a short clip of her FFA crew singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believing!"  That's the Dream Weaver theme song!

Emma at MFE

Only one I got of her in official dress

Lara's weekend started early on Thursday night with a wrestling match at Stillwater High School with her Pioneers facing Southmoore.  As a team they came up short, but there were a few fantastic duels where our wrestlers came out on top.  And if that wasn't enough wrestling, there was an area tournament in Perry that started on Friday and lasted all day Saturday.  Lara left from school to head up there on Friday, and got home late Friday night.  Only to get up super early Saturday morning and go back!  We had to have her at the high school by 7:15 Saturday morning.  She must really love being a trainer!  ;)  She was done by early ebeing Saturday, and then got to spend the rest of the night recooperating because the rest of te Weavers were with Jake at his basketball tournament!

cleaning up blood from the mat Thursday night

Sunday, we got to rest, and go to church.  Much needed day of catching up!  After church that evening, we met some friends on campus to take their Christmas Card picture in front on the big orange "O" on Library Lawn.  Since we were there, I had the kids pose and I got one of them as well!

Another weekend in the books.  Another marble out of the jar.  Childhood is fleeting.  Right before our eyes.  So beautiful to watch and share.

The One Where We Decorated

December 1-4, 2017
Thanksgiving is over, so that must mean Christmas is right around the corner.  And even though the best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear, the way we like to do it is by putting up a Christmas tree, lights and inflatables in the yard, and stockings hung with care.  And this was the weekend to make it happen!  Among all the other usual things we do on weekends...

Emma spent this weekend with her dad, and Lara stayed in Stillwater with us.  Aside from decorating our house for Christmas - which led to finding some real gems of the girls as babies and toddlers, we also had our usual trip to Edmond for Jake's basketball game - and an awesome meal at Ted's!  Lara and I also made some fun ornaments for her to share with the SHS Wrestling Mat Maids.  Emma was in the holiday decorating mode with her family as well.  They went to a tree farm in Edmond to pick theirs out.  And Lara helped Finn pose with the inflatables in our yard. Other than that, it was an easy weekend of homework, laundry, church, and our family meeting.  Here are a few pictures of our weekend adventures:

So as we get ready to celebrate Christmas with our family, we are still in Basketball and Wrestling seasons for the kids, so our night are full of adventure!  Plus, there is the school year to finish out...