Guest Blogger: EMMA HORINEK

This is a guest post from my daughter, Emma.  Twin A, fragile like a bomb, wild and free, but cares so deeply.  This is a recent photo of her with her sweet boyfriend, Austin, who helped fight the wildfires yesterday along the Oklahoma and Kansas border.  Emma is "#1" in the post I wrote about the craziness of yesterday.

Yesterday was a little grounding for me and made me remember to count my blessings. 

I experienced a fire, my significant other experience a fire, my little brother experienced a fire (and his baseball senior night!) and my other little big brother experienced a tornado. Then my mom and stepdad along with my sister, my littlest brother, and their dogs evacuated their house due to a wildfire. Finally, when we got settled in I saw the news that one of my friends from high school lost their house to a wildfire. All this, yesterday. 

So my story starts when I was on my way to Stillwater and Austin Spielman called me to tell me that he was needed to help fight a fire in Silverdale. He told me he just finished filling the water tank on his truck as well as the water trailer and he was headed out. When I arrive at my eye doctor appointment in Stillwater a tree had caught fire in the parking lot due to getting caught in a powerline and the power went out, I was not able to finish my appointment. (I am getting glasses tho) During this time my brother was fighting fires in Osage County. When I left the eye doctor, I called my mom to tell her what had happened and she informed me that she was evacuating with the rest of the Weaver household due to a wildfire in Guthrie, Oklahoma. I made it home from Stillwater and later on in the evening had dinner with Austin then we were relaxing at a friend's house and he got the call. He had to go back out. It was 4 AM before he got home and while he was out, I was looking through Facebook and found out about my friend. My big little brother was headed up to Memphis Tennessee for basketball and they had a couple of run-ins with tornadoes due to this crazy weather. 

Yesterday could have ended so badly for me and so many people close to me but I thank God today that it didn’t.

The One With All The Colors

April 12 - 14, 2019

This weekend, it was Emma's turn for junior prom.  And, it rained on her as well!  Lara spent the weekend home (alone) taking care of our house and our puppy while the Weaver men and I traveled to Northwest Arkansas for (another) basketball tournament.  Lara caught up on laundry, homework, cleaning her room and car, and rest.  She showed up for some of the prom festivities and generally had a relaxing weekend.

Friday night, Emma and her friend Abigail got together to make their own corsages.  They decided that paying florist prices was just not work it, so they got the supplies, so ingenuity, a hot gun, and went to town on the project!  I am super proud of their initiative, and even more so of the results.  They turned out so well!

Saturday was prom day.  There was hair and makeup and food.  Something about McAlister's for lunch.  There was dinner twice - once at Texas Roadhouse and something about McDonald's in the truck on the way.  Caden, Emma's date, let Emma drive.  It was all very fun to hear about.  And I was lucky enough to receive some pictures.  A few from the Student Union (my work building!) on campus, and one from the promenade portion of the night at Backstage.  It looks and sounds like she had a great time.  Here is a photo recap:

Backstage, Stillwater

Emma - Jr Prom Mulhall-Orlando 2019

And because I want them to still be twins and still do everything together, even though I know that is not a reality, I had to make a collage pic of them in their finery

Prom - just another reminder that Junior Year is almost over!

Wings to Fly

I originally wanted to title this “I’m only going to say this once.”  But as I have had time to think it through and process it, I decided that was a bit harsh.  One moment in time can change everything, but as the sting wears off, and life moves forward, God grants us the peace to help us understand, and reminds us that grace always wins.

The question of the hour, that I’m hearing more and more each day, is “Where is Emma going?”  Short answer: Nowhere.  And EVERYWHERE!  (That solves the mystery, huh?)  But of course, because none of life’s big questions can be answered that shortly, there is a long answer.  That’s the one you really want to hear.  That’s the one I want to share with you.  But it’s hard.  One of the hardest things I’ve ever done.  I want to respect Emma.  I want to respect our family. But I’ve always been an open and honest person, so I will tell you.

As a young mother I was told that having a child is to “forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”  I used to think that a kind of odd quote.  But it has been true a few times in the past 14 years.  And never as poignant as this most recent season we’ve been in. A few days after my step-grandfather died (this has been a ROUGH summer filled with several personal tragedies), my oldest child came into my room late at night, sat on the end of my bed, and said, “I need to talk to you.”  The air left the room, and all I could feel was the stillness.  She was nervous, but managed to ask me a question that in that ONE MOMENT changed our family forever.  She asked if she could go to school in a different district and subsequently live with her dad (my ex-husband) and his wife.  There are no words to describe what that feels like to a mother. Gut punched.  Shocked.  Scared. Hurt. Confused. But willing to listen.  And to consider her thoughts and wishes.

Nothing much was said by me that night.  Emma stated her reasons, and told me she was serious about it. (While Emma was in my room talking to me about it, Lara had gone out to the living room where Britt was to tell him what was happening.) I listened to her for what seemed like an eternity, but never said a word – just let my heart broke tears run down my face.  I had told her I would think about it, talk to her dad (Britt) about it, and talk to her later.  After we sent the girls back to bed was when my breakdown occurred.  I think I cried 7 gallons of tears and I know I didn’t sleep much.  My mind raced with all the self-deprecating questions you can possibly imagine, and all the wandering thoughts of “what if?” and “what now?” 

Before she was given an answer, Britt and I talked for hours about it.  We even set up a meeting with the girls’ dad and his wife to discuss what they thought and some beginning logistics.  Honestly, at one moment during all of this I felt like it was a no win situation for me as a mom.  If I made her stay here with us in Stillwater, she would resent me and be miserable.  If I let her go, I would be miserable.  But then, God worked on my heart.  Reminded me this isn’t about me (as much as I still think it is at moments!).  This is about what’s best for Emma, and letting her grow.  No matter what roof she lives under, she’ll always be my daughter and I will always be her Momma.  So, I told her she could go.  (Then cried some more.  For like the last 2 weeks. Every. Single. Day.)

So, last Thursday, we enrolled Emma in High School at Mulhall-Orlando.  She is a Panther.  She can’t wait to sport the Gold and Black at her new school.  She will be a part of the FFA and 4-H there and has decided to play basketball.  She will be living with her family on their small ranch where she can see and ride her horses every day.  She is close to her school and is excited about the small class size and one-on-one instruction.  She already knows many students there from FFA and just from being at her dad’s house on a regular basis.  When we enrolled her, the principal asked about Lara – and I know you’re curious too. 

 

 

 

Lara was given the choice to move, too.  She chose to stay in Stillwater and be a Pioneer.  She likes the life she has here with her friends, her dance studio, and the opportunity to be on color guard.  Or as she puts it, she’s a “city girl” and Emma’s a “country girl.” (No one tell her Stillwater is not a city. LOL!)  This is a whole new adventure for Lara as well.  She gets a room to herself, but will definitely miss her womb-mate and roommate, twin sister, best friend.  She's not excited about the first few days of school and all the questions she'll get about where her sister is.  I told her I would make her business cards to hand out that say "She lives with our Dad. I don't want to talk about it." or maybe a T-shirt... The next few weeks will be a HUGE transition for both of them.  Please pray with me for their tender hearts.

As a big family, there were lots of people and emotions to consider when making this decision.  While we didn’t really involve the boys in the decision making process, we of course had to tell them what was happening, and help them sort through their feelings and reactions as they processed this new reality.  But, they’re young boys, so you can imagine what that’s like.  Jake says he’s OK with it.  But we know he’ll miss his partner in crime.  The Jake/Emma combo was the one to be afraid of if you left them alone together.  They fought a lot, but they also schemed and dreamed and came up with mischief together.  Finn is 4.  A baby.  I think about the fact that he’s so little he probably won’t ever remember living with Emma as his sister in the home together, and that makes me sad.  He just keeps asking me if she has moved out yet.  I’m sure as it sinks in and school actually starts they will both have questions and new reactions, but for now, they’re just waiting for her to move out.  She moved some of her stuff last weekend, and will finish up this weekend.  We’ll take her to Orlando on Sunday afternoon and say our goodbyes as her school starts this coming Wednesday.  Pray for the boys so they can understand what's happening and can sort through their feelings.

This whole event reminds me of an encounter I had with a gentleman I didn’t know when the girls were tiny.  They weren’t even school aged yet, and I can’t remember the circumstances behind the meeting, but I met a dad from Enid with high school aged twin girls.  I think he had stopped to talk to me because of my stroller full of pink twinning-ness.  Anyway – he told me his twin baby girls were in high school now – a though at the time I couldn’t even fathom.  But then he told me the weirdest thing (to me anyway).  He told me they went to different high schools in Enid.  One went to Enid High, and the other to Oklahoma Bible Academy.  I remember wondering 1,000 questions about why and how.  But today, I get it!  Thank you God for putting him in my path so many years ago to help me though this difficult time.  Thank you, sir, for showing me how to let each of my twins be an individual.  I love it that this encounter stuck with me until I needed it again.  God is so good.

At the writing of this, only a small handful of people know this story.  Immediate family, close friends.  As it gets more and more "public" (the girls started posting on social media, so I knew I could tell people), it feels like it's really happening.  The start of school is very soon. Rumor mills are harsh and hard to stop, and the "silent shame" about our parenting choice that people will look upon us with will not go unnoticed.  One of MY biggest fears is what other people will assume about this situation and then pass along as “truth.”  After praying this one through, I remembered my God is bigger and it doesn’t matter what other people think.  This was a personal and private decision made inside the loving boundaries of my unique family.  Another thought was about the endless questions people might have.  This writing is my answer to that.  So even though my title changed, my reaction has not.  Any questions brought to me after I have poured my heart out probably won’t be answered.  Unless you gave birth to one of my kids, raised them, lived with them, held them when they were hurt or disappointed, or disciplined them on a daily basis, you just can’t understand. Pray for my husband and I.  This one stings.

Someone said to me this week that “you have to let them go sometime.”  I was slightly taken aback.  It’s not like she’s 18 and I’m moving her in to her dorm room (which so many of my friends are right now!  KILLING me!  So bittersweet!). She’s FOURTEEN, my little girl, and I’m being asked to let her go.  It’s rough.  It’s not my timing.  It’s not my wish or my dream. I feel like I did all the “hard” parenting (diapers, middle of the night puking, doctors appointments, spelling tests, daily battles of clothes, dirty rooms and homework), but now I’m missing out on the “fun” part of being there with her in her high school years.  But it is hers – her wish, her dream.  She has committed to a year to see if this is what she really wants.  At the end of the year, I will be here with open arms.  To either welcome her back, or to congratulate her on a decision well made.  We want her to FOLLOW HER ARROW.  Britt and I have worked so hard to give her the roots she needs to be grounded, and now we are letting her spread her wings to FLY!  Fly high, Baby Girl.  We love you!  God’s got this!

 



 Edited to add a link to the public response I wrote to all the outpouring of love and support.

Year in Review: 2015 Six Dream Weavers

Merry Christmas and Happy New year from our home to yours!  2015 found the Weavers with seasons of growth and challenge, as well as adventure and celebration!  We watched tweens become teenagers, a little boy become at tween, and a toddler turn into a little boy.  We moved, found new passions, and bought a new (to us) car.  There is never a dull moment with a house as full as ours, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!  We look forward to wrapping up these last few days of 2015 as a family, and diving into new escapades in 2016.  

THE GIRLS

Emma and Lara turned 13 and started the 8^th grade in 2015.  They also saw their biological dad remarry (again) and move closer to them that he has been in the last 12 years since our divorce.  All of that brought many changes, adjustments, and fine tuning along the way!   Through all of this, Emma has emerged with a new found love: horses!  She has always been my animal girl – especially puppies and dogs – but her step-mom is a horse girl and introduced Emma to their care and nurture, and also to rodeo.  Emma participated in several JRRA (Junior ranch Rodeo Association) rodeos throughout the year and finished her first season last month at the Finals in Pawhuska.  Along with her regular classes, an advanced Algebra class and an advanced history class, she is also in her first year of Agricultural Education classes and FFA membership at school, and all of this experience and knowledge is helping her learn more about her hoped career path of becoming a veterinarian.  Lara, on the other hand, is our “inside” girl!  She is still dancing every chance she gets.  5 hours of classes on 2 nights each week at Encore! keeps her busy!  She is taking a pointe class, as well as classical ballet, lyrical ballet, and a jazz class.  To accompany her regular class load and her advanced English class, she went out on a limb and tried new things this semester to be more involved at her school.  She tried out for winter guard (competition color guard) in November and was thrilled to be chosen to join the Cadet team!  She is very excited about this new adventure and all the new things she is going to learn about spinning and competition teams.  

THE BOYS

Jake turned 8 at the first of the year, and is currently 5’1” and weighs about 112 pounds.  He is a giant among his peers, but he is our sweet, kind hearted little boy.  He is a sports and video game fanatic!  He played on a competitive baseball team in the spring and summer (Stampede:  first base, third base, pitcher), his first tackle football team this fall (Cowboys: D-line, O-line, Dedicated deep snapper), and is currently honing his basketball skills with his teammates (Haymakers: big guy inside).  If he’s not playing, practicing, or conditioning, he’s watching sports on TV or playing video versions on his game system.  He spouts off stats like they are spelling words and has big dreams.  He is in the 3^rd grade and is an excellent reader, a spelling champ, and a math wiz.  He loves lunch, recess, and science (in that order).  His teachers rely on him to be their helper, and we couldn’t be more proud of the friend he is to others.  And then there is our Finicky, Feisty, Fighter boy, Finn!  He too has had quite the year!  Still attending pre-school at the Methodist church and giving everyone a run for their money.  As usual, he has spent a lot of time in doctors’ offices this year.  We have graduated from Hearts for Hearing (he finally passed all his hearing screenings!), and only have to see his pulmonologist as needed instead of routinely.  Plus, his pediatric ophthalmologist doesn’t want to see him till he’s 6!  The ENT has cleared him as well unless he has issues.  But with the highs come some challenges as well.  Early in the year, we were diagnosed by his endocrinologist with Idiopathic (no specific cause) Short Stature (ISS).  He was born with the diagnosis of “Small for Gestational Age” (SGA), then coupling that with the ISS, we were tested for deficiencies and then started Growth Hormone Therapy.  He has been on nightly injections for about 6 months now and we are happy to report approximately 5 inches in growth!  So ecstatic for him!  Not only has he grown taller, but his overall health is better, he is hitting more milestones on time, and his overall outlook and demeanor are better.  His HAIR grew back in from all the bald spots from his twirling habit, and he needs new (bigger ) clothes.  We are still battling eating and weight gain issues, but go back in February to work on those some more with his gastroenterologist.  Apart from his medical things, Finn spent the summer taking private swimming lessons to get over his fear of water.  We came a long way!  We hope it lasts till next summer.  He was also honored to be chosen as a featured preemie on the Mercy NICU wall of Hope and enjoyed being in the spotlight a little it for that fun unveiling event.  We love that his face and story can bring hope and a light to others traveling through their NICU journey.

THE PARENTS

Britt and I are both still working at Oklahoma State University.   He celebrated his 10^th year with University Health Services this past fall, and I just marked my 2 year anniversary with University Dining Services.  Being on a thriving and diverse college campus keeps us young and in the know, and we really like it.  We are also enjoying watching our ******** business grow!  He has lost 95 pounds, I have lost 45, and we have grown a thriving business along the way.  It is truly a blessing to help others be healthier, as well as show them how to have freedom from financial debt and time burdens.  We have great visions for 2016 and what it can do for those around us!  We want everyone to have the health and freedoms we are enjoying!  We are loving raising our family, keeping busy, and growing and changing every day.  Our latest BIG change is the used car we recently purchased.  Shortly after we got married (9 years and 11 months ago), we bought our minivan.  It was a year old at the time, a 2005 white Chevrolet Uplander that we affectionately named “Derek” – as in Derek Zoolander (after the Ben Stiller movie of the same name).  At some point in our young marriage, we bought a blue 1996 VW Cabrio from my brother, and named it “Otto” – a nice German name for a nice German Auto (don’tcha think?).  When Finn came along, Otto was sold and we bought a much BIGGER vehicle.  A blue 1997 Ford Expedition that our then 5 year old aptly named “Rip” due to a small tear in the headliner that he noticed as we drive it home.  We just recently traded the van for a timberline green 2009 Nissan Armada.  Naming this behemoth (seating for 8!) has been a challenge, and his name has changed a few times these past weeks.  We have officially branded it “Hiro.”  As in Hiro Armada.  After our favorite animated character from 2015 Hiro Hamada (and Baymax) from the blockbuster movie Big Hero 6!  Fitting, I would say!

Hiro Armada

So, here comes 2016!  We hope to start it with a BANG and never look back.  We have big hopes and even bigger dreams for the coming year.  It is a good time to be one of the Six Dream Weavers, and we can’t wait to see what God has in store for us!

Don't Blink

I did.  Blink, that is.  Not on purpose, really.  I mean, "THEY" told me not to, too.  But I did.  And the girls grew up.  So fast.  My Twister babies are now twelve year old young ladies with opinions, and dreams, and drama.  And they have been 12 year olds for 2 ENIRE WEEKS! I guess I was blinking again...

I really have been in a bit of denial about this birthday.  As usual, since late April through the end of May is traditionally super busy, it snuck up on us a bit.  You known, someone said to me during the week of their birthday something about how "next year" when they turn 13 is the BIG ONE.  While I didn't say it out loud, my first thought, screaming in my head, was, "Holy Cow, if I am this emotional this year, I am going in to hiding next year!  And to me, this one is HUGE!  I don't even WANT to think about next year.  NEXT YEAR!?!?!  Let me get through this one first!". I cannot believe they are twelve.

They had a hard time deciding what to do for a "party." The last 2 years we have had a sleepover for them.  2 years ago was not a great experience, and last year was plain awful, so we had vetoed that idea.  The girls decided they wanted to take a few friends to see a movie. Disney's "Million Dollar Arm" was coming out the weekend after their birthday, so we decided to get a group together to go see that on Saturday afternoon.  They seemed pretty excited about it.  But, they have the coolest bonus dad EVER!  You know what he did Friday night as a surprise (to us all)? He drove around town to their friends' homes and let them "ambush" them - ring the bell, get parental permission, pack a bag, and get in the car as quickly as possible - for a sleepover!  The "Ambush Sleepover" was born.  Emma and Lara loved it, and so did their friends.  Such a fun way to celebrate!  And the movie on Saturday? SUCH a great story!  They all really enjoyed it - and so did Britt, Jake and I!  (We sat away from the girls and their friends - just watching them from a far...). After the movie, we took all the kids home, and the girls went with their Other Dad for the rest of the weekend.  So, without much planning and the usual fanfare, we had a GREAT birthday weekend with them!

And then, life with 12 year olds was under way.  It is dance recital season around here so we have all that going on with Lara.  She has had studio rehearsal, picture day, junior company clinic and tryouts, and dress rehearsal is today.  Emma ended volleyball season and has found a way to spend as much time as she can with her friends away from this house.  LOL!  School ended.  They both received certificates for being on the Straight A Honor Roll first semester and Lara received an outstanding music student award.  Emma scored highly on her math placement test and was recommended for Pre-AP math next year by her teacher, and she has accepted the challenge.  7th grade, here we come - ready or not! I simply could not be more proud of these two amazing orange haired, spunky girls!

But I blinked.  It all happened so fast.  There was a very real time in my life when I thought they would be the only babies I ever had.  It was not what I had dreamed, but I knew I was so lucky, and so very blessed.  Not long after that there was a time in my life where it was JUST US GIRLS!  The three of us, surviving on our own, trying to conquer the world; they were my world.  Then we ended up here - this large, loud family with an amazing man leading us in Christ and working his tail off to provide for us (tween girls are expensive), two little brothers in Jake and Finn to pester and love, guide and teach.  (Emma and Lara have changed HUNDREDS of diapers and gotten invaluable baby sitting experience - things I had no idea about at 12!). They are smart, happy, God-loving servants of Christ.  They are sweet and compassionate, and they both love to cook.  They each have very distinct differences, but it's in the similarities that my heart smiles.  They are 2 peas in a pod, even when life takes them in different directions.  I am so proud to be their momma.  So lucky to guide them as they grow.  So blessed by their love.

Don't blink. Don't wish away the hard stages of childhood.  Cherish them.  Embrace them. Then love the outcome...

Our busiest time of the year

For a lot of people, the time surrounding the winter holidays is the busiest time of their year.  But not for the Weavers!  It always seems to be around April and May – the last 6-8 weeks of the school year.  We always have 100 things going on each week, and it is just a crazy time!  So, here we are again!  In the middle of just plain CRAZY!  But, you know we love it.  And, this is a GREAT time for a shameless plug for the most AMAZING calendar app around, Cozi.  I just love it!  Color coded, can text each family member, even had to-do lists and meal planning options.  Seriously.  Try it.  You won 't be disappointed.  I promise.  LOVE. <3

Let’s get caught up on what’s keep us elbow deep in calendar appointments these days…  There’s always work for the hubs and I.  And of course, with our new ******** biz jumping off the ground, we are always telling people about that!  I’ve got Dream Weaver Prints keeping me going as well!  So, those are the fun ways we are keeping busy and helping people out. Not to mention March of Dimes!  We got to lobby for babies and mommies at the Capitol earlier this month, and it's time to start thinking Team Finn's Fans for this fall!  Doesn’t get much better than that!

The Twisters are hurling fast towards being 12 years old.  It just donned on me today that we are a mere THREE WEEKS from their twelfth birthday.  How in the world did that happen???  They are truly my joys.  So different, but both loads of fun, considerate, smart girls.  The have their own interests, friends and activities to keep them busy.  We are right in the middle of volleyball season for Emma.  She really loves it and has signed up for a camp this summer.  Lara has added a dance class for the rest of the year and is honing her skills.  We hope to find a fun dance something for her to do this summer as well.  They are both participating in a kids’ mud run this Saturday – that should be a mess of fun!

Emma and Lara - Easter 2014 (age 11)

Jake is LOVING his baseball season.  And frankly, so are we.  Our Pirates baseball team is just awesome.  GREAT group of parents and kids.  The kids all work really well together and are having so much fun.  We had team pics recently and we are just loving the way they turned out.  Thinking I need to commission the photographer for some kid pics later in the summer…  Anyway – baseball is LOVE.  Jake is completely smitten.  His 8U team is going to go out on the field with the Oklahoma State team for a game next month, and he may not sleep before then! LOL!  He is also doing the mud run this weekend; he is on a team of first grade boys and he can’t wait.  I am sure there will be LOTS of pictures from this event!



Jake #13 - schedule card

Pirate Baseball Family March 2014

And sweet Baby Finn…  When do I have to stop calling him that? LOL!  He is just amazing us!  3 word sentences!  Noun, verb, object.  WHAT????  I know, right?!?  So proud of him.  He is still super stubborn and remarkable finicky, but such a fighter.  And winning!  Since we started the appetite meds 7 weeks ago, things have REALLY changed for him!  So much has changed!  His pre-school teachers can’t get over how much more outgoing he is.  He eats.  AND EATS!  And eats some more.  At school and at home.  He talks so much more. He imteracts with others.  He SLEEPS!  He sleeps well and consistently.  We saw the Occupational Therapist 1 weeks after we started the meds.  He basically didn’t qualify for services.  If we had gone in a week earlier, he would have.  I promise.  THAT’S how much he has progressed!  We saw the ENT a coupole weeks ago.  His ears are still great (one tube in, one tube out), and he looked at his tonsils.  We were curious if they were enlarged – perhaps contributing to the eating issues.  He is also a mouth breather and snores a bit.  The ENT wants to watch him and see.  They were a bit large last month, but it was the peak of allergy season around here, too.  I am supposed to check for apnea while he’s sleeping, but I’m scared to go in there and watch him sleep – I don’t want to wake the beast! LOL!  And this week we saw the endocrinologist.  And stumped him.  Literally.  It was fun.  And priceless.  We told him all of Finn’s medical history, then went into the story of our last 2 months.  In 7 weeks, Finn has gained 2 pounds (that’s 10% when you’re that little!  I haven’t even LOST 10% yet!), and has grown 1.5 inches.  IN 7 WEEKS!  He is now on the chart for height – still below it for weight.  He talked to us about height genetics and probabilities, and said Finn should be around 6’4” as a fully grown adult – barring any complications.  (We told him we did a height predictor for Jake and got 6’8” – 6’11” and he was shocked again.)  We told him we weren’t worried about him being 6’4” we just wanted him to not have complications.  He agreed that we just want to make sure Finn is healthy.  We continued to talk about our options and concerns, and as we told the Doctor about the developmental improvements Finn had experienced, he was truly surprised.  Had never heard of the meds making those kinds of changes.  He was really stumped.  And he’s the EXPERT!  The Doctor was completely prepared to do blood tests and get Mr. Finn qualified for growth hormones.  But, after spending time with is, thoroughly examining our boy, and listening to our story, he decided to hold off.  He told us to come back in 6 months (around Finn’s 3^rd birthday – when we will see ALL of his specialists again) and we’ll see how he’s grown.  I am ready for Finn to blow his mind again in 6 months.  Will you pray for that with us?

Finn - March 2014 (under 22 lbs)

Finn April 2014 - 24 pounds!

That’s where we are today.  While typing this post, I have had text conversations with 5 people about various topics, shared ***** with 2 customers, made plans for the 7 year old who is out of school next Friday, talked to my husband on the phone, and corralled my 4 kids as well as some neighbors & friends that have been in and out of the house 100 times in an hour.  WHEW!  #momlife never ends!  And I wouldn’t change it for the world!

Back to School – 2013

(If the blog looks different, that's because it has taken on a bit of a March of Dimes Make-Over for Team Finn's Fans until the Stillwater march for Babies!)

Well, the first week of school is under our belts.  All of the kids had “new” in some form or shape as they went back to school.  And they all had GREAT weeks.  I am so proud of ALL of them.  They each have their own struggles to overcome and their own way of dealing with the changes.  We had some bumpy moments, as expected, but overall, the Little Dream Weavers each had a positive experience this week, and were ready to go back for more this morning!

The Twisters.  Emma and Lara started 6^th grade at the middle school this year.  They are on the same “team” (set of core course teachers), but have selected different electives.  Their lockers are both bottom lockers, and are next to each other in the hall, and they have 7^th period math together.  But, for the rest of the day, they are going totally opposite directions – don’t even have lunch together!  They are bus riders, and the first few mornings were rough with late arrivals, missing breakfast, and some general confusion.  The first day, the bus was an hour late picking them up AFTER school!  But, they thought it was fun to just hang out with their friends after school waiting!

EMMA. Emma is loving the independence and the social aspects of 6^th grade.  She has already made several new friends at the bus stop and in her classes.  She is my true fashionista, trying out a new “style” of clothing almost every day.  She carries her purse everywhere (this is new for us), has been wearing make-up to school (just a little) every day, and almost ALWAYS has her phone up to her ear.  She is a true tween girl in every way.  Outgoing, outspoken, up for adventure at any moment!  And she NEVER STOPS TALKING!  She loves her classes, and has stayed very organized so far this year.  We hope the trend continues!

LARA. Lara likes the middle school.  She is really enjoying her PE class because of all the variety it offers.  She has her lunch “split” by 2 shorter periods of PE, so I think she is fascinated by that as well.  Plus, she gets a PE locker AND her regular hall locker, so she has plenty of space to store her stuff (Or lose it, she’s still pretty good at misplacing things.  We’re working on it!)  She carries her purse as well, but only because she has her inhaler in there!  Lara is a quiet force.  She has enjoying reconnecting with old friends, and is slowly getting into the middle school grove. 

JAKE. Jake is in somewhat of a “new” situation as well.  He started 1^st grade back at the elementary school he went to Pre-K in, but he barely remembers anyone from 2 years ago.  Plus, this is the first time he has been at a school without his older sisters!  He is walking to school most days with some neighborhood kids, and walks home in the afternoons ALL BY HIMSELF!  Nana the Wondersitter is at home waiting for him, and I hear she stands at the window watching anxiously for him.  And she texts me the minute he gets there!  Eases my heart for sure!  He loves his 1^st grade teacher and her student teacher as well.  He has several old friends in his class, and a new friend who lives in the neighborhood is in the class next door, so they play together at lunch and recess.  It’s also fun for him to have a playmate so close – they both enjoy video games and spend some afternoons together defending the universe!  He is exciting about taking snack for his class the first time this week!  He says his favorite part of the day is recess.  The first day they went outside 4 times.  He was pretty disappointed when he learned they really only have 2 recesses each day – that was just to make Day 1 more fun…

FINN. Finn started his first experience outside the home (and the protective arms of his Nana) last week.  He is enrolled in a pre-school  20-30 month old class at the Early Childhood Center at the Methodist church close to our house.  We went to orientation on Monday, and he started class on Tuesday.  He goes Tuesday and Thursday for most of the day – includes lunch and a nap.  We are hoping this helps with his speech delay and (lack of) social skills and some manners as well.  He is a textbook spoiled preemie who doesn’t do much for himself, so this setting should stretch and grow him!  He did great the first day, and while Thursday drop off was a little rough, he is getting a lot out of the experience and I can’t wait to look back at the end of the semester and see how it has changed him!  He loves all the new books to look at and the puzzles.  And of course, recess.  Who DOESN’T love recess?

4 kids.  3 schools.  It makes for a hectic schedule, but we love it.  We are gearing up for Fall activities as well.  Jake thinks he wants to play flag football – I need to check into that.  Dance starts next week for Lara, and fall volleyball is right around the corner for Emma.  I’m checking on a “Mommy and Me” gymnastics class in the evenings for Finn and I, too.  Of course, we couldn’t do all of this without the family support we get.   Grandpa is on dance drop-off duty this year!  I bet he’s thrilled… LOL!  Let the games begin!

(Signs are available through Dream Weaver Prints Etsy Shop) 

Mother's Day 2013

This is a day to honor mothers.  ALL mothers!  We come in so many shapes and sizes. Mother's of babies, toddlers, tweens, teens and adults.  Mothers of fur babies.  Mothers who are moms in their hearts but have empty arms - due to infertility, loss (at any age or stage), or a family situation beyond their control.  There was a time in my life where I never wanted kids.  A dark time where I couldn't have kids.  A time when the 2 I was blessed with at once would be the only ones I ever held.  And now, a time when I know babies will no longer be a part of my future - until I get to be a Nana in a long, LONG time from now.  This is the hardest job I have ever loved.  Happy Mother's day to ALL the moms out there.  The world turns because of YOU!



This video is so powerful.  I am so grateful for all the mothers and motherly infliuences in my life, and in my families' lives.  Blessed beyond measure.  And thankful that these crazy munchkins call me Mom and bring me breakfast in bed once a year!

What’s in a Name?

Finn and family update first!  Finn did AWESOME after his ear tubes!  We can really tell a difference in what he can hear, and he is trying SO HARD to walk!  He has gotten 2 new teeth this week - brings us up to 8.  But there is no rhyme or reason to the ones coming in now.  They are not symmetric nor in order, so I bet he gets more in the next few weeks.  He had his first evaluation at Hearts for Hearing in Oklahoma City yesterday, and scored in the range for normal for the tests they performed.  We go back in six weeks to do it again once the tubes are “settled” in more.  After a pretty calm weekend of typical activities, we had a bit of a crazy Monday and Tuesday!  OSU campus closed at 12:30 Monday and all day Tuesday due to a “blizzard” – that turned out to be nothing more than a cold rain and about 2 inches of wet snow!  Free time off!  The kids got Tuesday out of school, too, but we had the appointment in OKC, so it was basically a wash.  They went to Nana’s and played in the snow water and mud at her house while we went with Finn.  Tuesday afternoon I put them to work tagging clothes and items for the Adorable Affordables consignment sale!

Earlier today, I was chatting online with a new friend (who made this AMAZING shirt for me!) and I asked her about how she chose her son’s name.  She, in turn, asked me about Finn’s name.  I’m not sure I have ever really told the “long” (I’ll try to keep it short) version of how we came to decide on his AWESOME name, so I thought I should write about it.  And if I am doing his, I can’t leave the BIG Dream Weaver kids out!  It’s kind of heady to think that I am (at least partially) responsible for saddling 4 humans with the monikers they will use for the rest of their lives.  I hope I served them well in this task…

Finn Ricker Weaver: (en utero name: Shocker.  Because we were SHOCKED!) Fourth child.  LAST child.  The story of how we came to decide on his name is not really all that glamorous or exciting.  We had decided along the way early in the pregnancy that we were pretty sure we wanted a 4 letter name for this (genderless at this point) baby.  Emma and Lara were 4 letters, we called Jacob by his 4 letter nickname of Jake, so it stood to reason – 4^th kid, 4 letters.  So, we printed lists off the internet.  Off name databases. Grabbed baby name books off store shelves.  Pulled names from our own minds.  And at MANY lunch dates, we read our lists to each other and marked off HUNDREDS of names as no-go’s.  The girl names that finally remained were Holley (with the “ey” like my name; courtesy of the 4 year old who has just seen Cars 2 and loved Holley Shiftwell), Stella (ending in “a” like Emma and Lara), and Kate (family name on my husband’s side – 4 letters).  Needless to say, we didn’t even need these!  The boy names were Nathan (Nate), Barrett (Rett) and Finn.  All from name books or websites.  The afore mentioned 4 year old was particularly attached to the name Finn.  Again, Cars 2 – Finn McMissle.  Plus, Britt and I are fans of the FOX TV show Glee, and Finn Hudson was a main character, so the name was “known” a bit and not completely off the wall.  (You can see the names in a game from our Gender Reveal Party post!)  The other kids’ names were so traditional; we didn’t want to veer too far off that path.  As for his middle name, we wanted to honor my older brother Brian who had passed in April of 2011.  We didn’t feel comfortable using the name Brian, so we chose to use our last name, Ricker, as Finn’s middle name.  I am so glad we decided to do this.  Makes his name truly unique, and it completely suits him!  Finn Ricker Weaver – Smiley and serious, tough and tenacious!

Here’s a video of 4 year old Jake the night before the gender reveal party – praying for a boy named Finn McMissle, or if it had to be a girl, at least name it Holley Shiftwell!

Jacob Alan Weaver:  (en utero name: Bullet.  Because we are die hard OSU Cowboy fans and that’s our football game day mascot’s name! And a fetus is small. Like a bullet…) I dug deep into the archives to find a post about Jake’s name.  I’ve been in the blogging/journaling business a long time…  Sadly, the post I found wasn’t very exciting!  But, I do know how we chose his name!  We knew from very early on – before we had time to really discuss names, even – that our baby was a boy.  This was Britt’s first child, and as such I gladly left the major part of the naming decision up to him.  He wanted to leave his legacy with a good, strong name.  We talked and decided we wanted to name him Jacob after Britt’s dad.  Since he wasn’t a “junior” we decided to go with a different middle name from his grandfather.  So, we chose Alan, which is Britt’s middle name.  I remember we bought a frame for the ultrasound picture that definitely showed our baby’s gender to give to Britt’s parents, and we wrote “Jacob Alan” on the frame.  His parents – especially his Dad – were elated!  Such a neat memory we get to share with our Jake some day! Jacob Alan Weaver: mischievous and silly, class clown and big tease!

Emma Marie and Lara Elizabeth Horinek:  (en utero names: Jenna and Barbara.  Because I was in Texas, the Senior George Bush was president, and those were the “First” twins!) I had to dig WAAAAAAAAAAAAY back to find any documentation on these names!  I typed my journal on a computer, but it was not online anywhere.  I had printed the entries as I went along, and they are in a binder.  And yes, I knew where the binder was!  Once we knew the babies were both girls, the girls’ father and I decided we would each name one baby.  Seems fair, right?  But, we each had veto power if we thought the chosen name was hideous.  Luckily, that was never an issue.  We had also decided we didn’t want to do the matchy-matchy thing (like Haylee  and Kaylee) or even the same first sound thing (like Madison and Mackenzie).  We did decide to do 4 letters, and end in the same sound.  They were twins after all!  We couldn’t disappoint the people who wanted  ”twin-y” names!  He chose the name Emma Marie.  Emma after a distant grandmother, and Marie was the middle name of his paternal grandmother (who actually died in a tragic car crash on Thanksgiving Day the November I was pregnant!).  I chose Lara Elizabeth.  That was the name my mother had originally chosen for me.  But my brother insisted upon calling me Betsey.  But I always knew I wanted to name my daughter that!  Lara is after my Dad (Larry) and his favorite song from Dr. Zhivago “Lara’s Theme”  and then I stuck with Elizabeth since Betsey is a derivative of Elizabeth. Plus, that way they both girls ended up with "traditional" names.  I also liked the fact that there were no “obvious” nicknames for either name.  I wanted them to be called what we named them.  Their “Twister” nickname came about when they were about 6 months old and a sorority sister of mine told me a story about her brother being in Kindergarten and coming home and telling the family about the “Twisters” in his class.  They later deciphered that he mean “twin sisters!”  And we still call my girls the Twisters 10 years later! Emma Marie: strong and determined, creative and passionate.  Lara Elizabeth: goofy and fun, smart and loving.

So, what’s in a name?  How did you choose the names for your children, or how did your parents choose your name?  Good feelings or bad feelings about it? I think these stories can be fascinating!