three sisters in a pod

Special Delivery!!! Explained...

2011-02-20T13:09:00.000-08:00

This package was actually received about three days after my folks left:-). I just ahppen to be very slow at posting!

Special Delivery!!!

2011-02-20T13:07:00.000-08:00

What a blessing this package was for us!

We were all kind of bummed after my folks left but along came these packages FILLED with all kinds of goodies! The contents and the thought behind them perked us up immensely... thank you sweet friends!!!!!

the visit cont...

2011-01-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

Our stay at Los Lagos was awesome!!! What a special treat for our family:-)... having grandparents here for Christmas and going on an awesome vacation, unforgettable!

the visit

2011-01-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

What a joy it was to have my parents here! We had the opportunity to go to Los Lagos, it is a resort at the base of the Volcano Arenal. While we were there went swimming in their hot springs and enjoyed the cloud forest... from a zip line!! My mom even went zip lining with us... it was so much fun:-).

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

2011-01-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve in Costa Rica is INSANE... and I loved every minute of it!!! It was a really excited, fun night... we hung out with friends, ordered pizza, and watched a movie ON OUR WALL:-)! Yes, one of our friends has a projector so we were able to hook it up and have a fun movie night! After that, we watched what was probably the most incredible fireworks that I have ever seen...right above my house...for nearly 3 hours:-). Really, the entire city was setting them off so it was spectacular all around us, but our neighbors bought about 6 large bags full of them and set them off in the park next to our house... it was crazy, loud, and beautiful. And get this... Judah slept through the whole thing! It sounded as though someone was shooting off cannons above our house and yet, he slept:-).

On another note, I am going to try to keep folks updated more regularly on here. We had a fantastic (super busy) first trimester and are hoping that it will only get better. Please pray for the health of our kids. The boys spent the last month and a half of school, at home sick. Everyone is well now and we hope it stays that way!

I pray that each of you has a wonderful new year, that God does something radical in your life, and that you follow Him closely! Be recklessly abandoned to the will of God…

I was here...

2010-08-21T18:10:00.000-07:00

... only two days ago:-).

...

2010-05-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

This is a post that I wrote not long after we moved to the farm...

It is truly amazing to me just how the Lord provides for our EVERY need. As we were preparing to come to Va. I began feeling very anxious about leaving the kids, them going to school ALL day, and how well they would adjust, make friends, etc… I tried to give it over to the Lord every time it came to mind but ,man, it came to mind a lot! Our Lord cares about the details! Our children have made many friends, have loved going to school, have completely enjoyed living “with” their friends, having church in our house, and are thriving! God is good!!!! The only part they have complained about is getting out of bed too earlyJ. I can live with that! We feel the same as they do, everything has been great here, we are really enjoying our time so far. It has been slam packed with things to do, assignments to fulfill, meetings to go to, but the Lord is using this time to work on us and we are extremely grateful. Other than that what can I say… it is beautiful here, we love the people we are with, we love the food that they prepare for us (no grocery shopping or meal planning, yahoo!!).

Judah, I think, has had the hardest time adjusting. We really didn’t expect it to be that rough for him so we have been a little shocked at his behavior, but not totally. He likes school, but doesn’t like to be dropped off… umm yeah, that creates a problem. Please pray for him to begin enjoying it and getting use to it, this will be his life for the next year! He likes his class, his friends, his teacher… he just doesn’t like to be left! So, just keep him in mind please.

Here is a Psalm we looked at this morning… I hope it blesses you!

Make a joyful noise to the Lord,

all the earth!

Serve the Lord with gladness!

Come into His presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, He is God!

It is He who made us, and we are His;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter Hi gates with thanksgiving

And His courts with praise!

Give thanks to Him;bless his name!

For the Lord is good;

His steadfast love endures forever,

And His faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100

*Judah has, since I wrote this post about 6 weeks ago, grown to LOVE school:-). The Lord is good...

Family Photos

2010-04-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

Our sweet friends the Marshmans, whom you may remember from the Peter Pan photoshoot, have done a fabulous job with our family photos! Here are a few … aren’t they wonderful?!?! They did this before we left L'ville... Thanks Marshman familyJ!

Well, we are off to Va. on Monday to begin our training... please continue to pray for us!We are very excited!!This has been a wonderful couple of weeks spent with friends and family, we are so happy the the Lord has enabled us to have this time with them! What a blessing it has been:-)

Rollin'

2010-04-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

We’ve been travelling so much lately that we’ve been inspired with an idea for a new game. It’s called “Where in the World are the Tiemans?”.

We think it will be a big success;-).

Seriously, we have been making the rounds… Saying the “see ya laters”… and definitely seeing new sites. We have been blessed to be able to go see sweet friends as well as family. What a blessed, joyful, sad time! It is such a transitional time in our lives, we love it and are saddened by it all at once.

As for the sites we’ve seen… whoa! We went to Chicago from Ky and there are not too many things to see on that trek, but when we started heading even farther north… we were pleasantly surprised. Beautiful countryside! We can now boast that we’ve been as far north as Minnesota, though James still didn’t get to see a moose! What a trip… we have loved every momentJ. We are currently heading down south, Texas to be precise! We are excited to see more friends and family, get a little fishing in, visit a few more churches, and hang out at the beach for a week! Woohoo!!! Bring it on!

Update:

Due to the lack of internet access I am just now getting to post this! Here are a few photos from our travels, hope you enjoy!!

Windthings in Illinois

Friends in Chicago

Friends in Minnesota

Texas,Oh Texas

More to come...

Rub a Dub

2010-03-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

little man

in a

sink?

Yep. This is what we do for cheap entertainment folks:-).

Whew!

2010-03-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

I have had a long couple of weeks! They have been good though...

We are now "official"! We were appointed as missionaries to Ecuador on March 3rd!

We came home and began to pack, because our stuff is being crated on the 19th:-).

In the midst of it all (packing/sorting, that is) the kids have had some sort of really nasty stomach bug, YUCK!

So, we have also been trying to disinfect everything as we go... it keeps things interesting to be sure:-).

Here is a photo of our family members that were able to make it to the service, you'll notice that the kids were not there. They were sick at that time too! Pray for no one else in our family to become sick!

Anyway, the service (and actually, the whole appt. week) was very good and it was a blessing to be there.

I will post our proposed schedule a little later, right now it is always changing:-).

Favorite Quote of the Week

2010-02-25T04:23:00.000-08:00

As we were sitting down for dinner...

Piper~ " I don't know why people think six (children) is too much. It doesn't seems like that many to me... Sometimes it doesn't feel like enough!"

I love that girl, she cracks me up!

Why Big Families Are Easier

2010-02-24T04:54:00.000-08:00

* This was taken from another site(MckMamma) who took it from another site(not sure:-). But when I read it I LOVED it and thought it was completely true and wanted to share.Hope you enjoy it!

Why big families are easier:

Patience. I never have to teach patience. My children know that I can’t drop everything for them if I have a baby in my arms.

Work Ethic. My children have learned to work because there are always chores to do in a small house packed with little messy lunatics. And they all learn quickly that sometimes they have to clean up a mess even though they didn’t make it.

Humility. My children have learned it’s not always their turn. They’ve accepted they can’t always get their way because other people have to get their way sometimes. They’ve learned that some children are better at certain things than they are.

Foreign language skills. You can learn a lot of Spanish by watching ten years of Dora the Explorer that you just can’t pick up in two. And now with the Diego spin off I’m practically fluent.

Laughter. The children have learned to laugh at the insane non sequiturs of younger siblings. They’ve learned that laughing just feels better when seven people are doing it along with you.

Competition. Do I really need to go into this? Everything is a competition in big families. The children compete over who reads faster, who drinks their milk faster, who gets to the bathroom first…etc. Everything is a competition and they’re all keeping score.

Balance. The floor of the front room of my home is a minefield of toys and childhood paraphernalia. Just walking through the room requires great skill and balance. I’m absolutely convinced my two year old will be a favorite for Gold on the balance beam in the 2016 Olympics. (She might have to lay off the cookies a little but I’ll deal with that later.)

Life isn’t fair. Sometimes you just give it to the baby because you want a little quiet. Not all the time. But sometimes.

Just say “No.” Being able to say “no” may be the most undervalued skill in this world. The need to be liked is pervasive. The need to be cool even more so. Having brothers and sisters teaches children to say “no” about 143 times a day. It’s a good skill.

Praying. They learn that nothing beats praying together as a family.

Nature/Nurture. Having many children has taught me that nature has a lot more to do with who my kids are than nurture. This is helpful, especially when your children misbehave you don’t have to feel bad about it. Just say “Stupid nature!!!” and blame your spouse’s genes.

Namecalling. You can occasionally call your child by the wrong name and still not be considered a terrible parent. They know who you mean just from your tone. Sometimes if you need something done you can call the wrong name and someone will still show up. That helps.

Spying. My children have learned that they can’t get away with anything. I have spies who look a lot like them who are willing to drop the dime on them for anything. Even at school I’ve got a child in just about every grade. If they do something I’ll hear. That keeps them nervous. And I like keeping my kids a little nervous.

Friendship. The children have many friends. They’ve got girly friends, crying friends, fun loving friends, consoling friends, and crazy friends. And they all have the same last name. And they’ll be there forever for each other. No matter what.

Love. I think my children have learned to love because there are others around them to love and who love them. I honestly can think of no better way to teach children to love than siblings.

Leaving the Country Update

2010-02-08T18:39:00.000-08:00

Whew, THAT was a long title! I really didn't know what else to call it though and as I stated in my previous post, I am tired:-). Some of you have been following along every step of the way and some have given up long ago. Well, who could blame them! We have been trying to get overseas permanently for about 7 years now:-).
Things are looking up though:-). We are scheduled to be appointed as missionaries in March. Two weeks later James will pack his stuff and say goodbye to his co-workers... then we get to the fun stuff. Crating. Oh, crating. I have spent hours thinking of what we should take and what we should leave. Have made many lists. Have lost much sleep. Okay, maybe not missed much sleep but it really feels like I could:-). I think I have it worked out and have made the "final draft" of the list. Now, we have a section of the living room marked off in order to see if the things we want to take will actually fit into the space we are allotted. Oh the joy! Really, though, this is a joy I could do without! Though I am thankful they let us take some things, I wish they would just decide and pack it for me:-). Wouldn't that be nice!
Back to the schedule. IF everything goes according to plan(how often does that really happen?) then we will leave KY in the middle of March to visit friends and family! Then, at the end of April we will be going to orientation/training for 8 weeks in Va. After that, we head out to Costa Rica for a year in language school. Then, we will finally be ready to go to Ecuador! Yes, you saw correctly... I said Ecuador. See what I mean about "plans". They have changed our job and actually we couldn't be more thrilled about it. The area we will be going to is one that we visited while we where in Ecuador almost two years ago. When we were there we both thought how we'd love to go to that area, but there was no work going on there at that time. But isn't God's timing amazing! There are so many incredible things that have fallen into place in the last few weeks that I don't have time to list them all, but perhaps one day...
Until then... be encouraged,God knows every detail of every situation you may find yourself in. He knows your worries even before you do... He also knows how things can best be worked out so that in the end He will receive the glory for it. May it be so in your life, through exciting times... and not so exciting times. May you continually give Him praise, and honor, and glory!!

~Heather

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High. Psalm 7.17

NB

2010-02-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

Why must I be so behind in the updates? I really do think about updating more than once a month but then my head hits the pillow and I am OUT! I have NO good excuse... I sleep all night(most nights), not pregnant, not nursing, just tired:(. If there is anything that i don't like it's being tired. It's not fun, it drags me down. I think it is the lack of sunshine here... really, isn't that strange? I feel totally unmotivated when I don't see the sun. It's a terrible way to be... especially when you live in an area of the world where the sun does not seem to show itself often. Oh well, enough of that! Here are a few more photos from our TX trip...

It is tradition to hike the canyon down to the park and feed the ducks:-). So we did this about three times while we were in NB. Loved every minute!

That lovely tree with all of the big birds on it is part of what they call " Vulture Island"... there also happen to be a large colony of water rats living there at the park(nasty vermin). My father-in-law feeds them... they eat right out of his HAND!!! Just can't bring myself to try that!

Look at that sun shining on the water... oh, that I could see it now...:-).

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. Proverbs 4.18

Fun Photos

2010-01-28T12:13:00.000-08:00

I didn't really get as many photos in TX as I would've like to. Unfortunately, the weather was cold and raining much of the time we were there! But we did happen to have a few decent days and were able to play and explore...

These are from our time in Brenham. You know Blue Bell Ice Cream ,right?

At the park...

We had a lot of fun hanging out and acting silly. And in case you are wondering where Zoe' girl was, wonder no more, she was at a retreat! She had a fabulous time! It was her first time away from all of us and we missed her but were so happy that she was able to participate in it!

Sorry the posts have been a bit on the uninteresting side lately! I think I am still trying to get our lives back together after having such a long, wonderful vacation! It has been a rough week and a half back! The kids are finally beginning to mellow a bit, but I think it won't last very long! We only have 6 weeks left in KY and then we head out for South America! Woohoo!! It has been a long time comin':-). I am tired from the most recent trip though, and so thinking of ALL that needs to be done before we leave makes my head spin! The Lord is good though and I can see a small amount of progress each day... thanks to you guys who have been and are still praying for us!
That will have to be all for now, I think Judah will wake up soon and man has he been needy!

Late Posts

2010-01-25T09:32:00.000-08:00

I know these are late but... well, you know what they say:-). Here are a few more Christmas photos...

making bookmarks...

2010 Already!?!?

2010-01-20T07:04:00.000-08:00

Wow, I really can't believe how quickly the time passes! We have been in TX, with limited access to fast internet... and at some places, any internet! We were there for almost 4 weeks! Hard to believe it is over and we are now having to re-adjust to the relatively normal life again! Because my time is limited right now, I am going to do a mostly photo post to show you what we've been up to... beginning with the pre Christmas preparations:
such as playing at the park...

I love this hat... and this sweet face:-).

Drawing for Christmas gifts...

there is more to come...

#8 WON :-)

2009-12-15T18:40:00.000-08:00

And we are happy with that! It was one of our top picks!! Thanks to everyone who left a comment or said something in church! I really loved to hear your opinions! I hope you are all having a very Merry week before Christmas:-).

Christmas Photos

2009-12-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

I took a few Christmas photos of the kids this past week. Well, actually I took a LOT but only a few turned out to be anything I would consider. I love certain elements of each of these but can not decide on one in particular to use for our Christmas cards. I need help... so, I am asking you guys to make the decision... if you read this blog you are entitled ,no, obligated to give an opinion! So, let me know which one you like best:-)...
#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

By the way, it was about 27 degrees outside this particular day! They did fabulously, though we did have to take a few breaks to thaw out:-).

Popcorn Strings

2009-12-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

Our kids LOVE to do crafty things... I believe they must have acquired this gift from their Mimi or their father since I have not a crafty bone in my entire being:-). Perhaps I am exaggerating a bit :-). Still, I find it amazing that they love to make things the way that they do... they LOVE it!

So, to decorate the tree they way they like to (with homemade crafty things, remember?) we make popcorn strings. It is a TON of fun... and usually a bit messy as well:-). These two things tend to make the perfect combination for a really nice craft!

FUN TIMES!! ... Next time we'll need to remember to put them a little higher on the tree so that Judah doesn't eat them when he wakes up from his nap :-).

~Next up are the photos of the snow flakes they cut out of paper and hung in the windows... I know, crafty right? See I told you:-).

Trick or Treat

2009-11-13T11:05:00.000-08:00

We never use to take our kids out for Halloween, we always went to a fall festival at church. But since moved into to this neighborhood we have taken them out every year. This neighborhood is filled with elderly folks who love to see little kids dressed up, begging for candy. What a great time to chat with our neighbors! This year we had friends that went along with us, it was freezing but we had a blast!

Judah's Fall: Part 2!

2009-11-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

Oh dear, I never ever thought I would have to write a part two to THIS story! Yet here I am:-).

Well, I noticed that the wound on his face was not closing, nor did it ever stop leaking... I won't go into details. It was STILL hard!Oh yes, and there was also a piece of STICK emerging from his cheek:-(. That is not ever a good sign.

So, I took him in to see the surgeon that took out the last bit and he was not happy. I mean he was happy to see us, just not under those circumstances. He looked Judah over and agreed that his cheek appeared to have some form of debris still in it... then we started talking a second surgery. I was prepared that day. The Lord had prepared me that morning and prompted me to pack a few things "just in case". He had let me in on it this time:-).
James was still at work and amazingly this was the first day in the in the whole pay week that he had received ANY sort of work(he works on commission, so when the work comes he had better be there to do it or no check:-). So, I told James to stay at work... we need to eat:-). The Lord provided that day, in more ways than one!

Once again, He showed Himself faithful to provide for our EVERY need. We are so thankful!

When the doctor came in to talk to me after the surgery, he brought with him this lovely stick! I could not believe that it had been in Judah's poor chubby cheek this whole time! And now he will have a permanent dimple to remind us of this incident and of God's provision through it :-). I love dimples...

This stick is MUCH bigger than it looks here! Come over and I will show you:-).

*These photos are unedited! So, sorry if they are blurry and dark... I have had NO time!!

Huber Photos...

2009-11-04T13:36:00.000-08:00

Judah's Fall

2009-11-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

After many requests for pictures I am finally posting a few... yes, of course I took pictures.

This will be a fun memory one day... at least, that's what they tell me:-).

Most folks know what happened but for those that do not I will share.

We went for a hike out at Bernhiem Forest, Tuesday before last, and not even ten minutes after we GOT THERE he fell onto a clump of sticks. Not just a pile of sticks, but a clump of sticks that looked like they used to be a bush and someone sawed the bush part off, leaving the sticks there, poking out of the ground, just waiting for little boys to fall on:-). And so, that is what Judah did. He fell on them.

James picked him up by the back of his shirt and lifted him OFF of the pile of sticks. He had a puncture wound on the cheek and a few scratches... didn't look to bad. So, we cleaned him up, brushed him off, and told him to walk it out... no, not really.

We didn't tell him to walk it out, but we did not treat it like it was a big deal because we did not think it was a big deal. That is, we did not think it was a big deal until the next day, when it turned red and started swelling.

We called the dr. and she was not in that day. No biggy, we called the minor emergency, 3 hour wait with swine flu people and most of them were saying that we really needed to go to a children's hospital if we were going to see someone that night. This would make our 3 hour wait into a 5 hour wait. YIKES! We decided to wait till the next day when we could see our own pediatrician. I brought him in around 12:30 on Thursday, by this time I could not even talk about taking off his shirt or put on his jacket. He screamed at the mention of it. He would not let anyone even go near his face, or his mouth. As soon as the ped. walked in she gasped and said I would have to take him to the hospital and that we were looking at surgery. I/we had no idea it was THAT bad... we did not even think an infection could get so bad that fast! She could not believe it either and sent us straight to the children's hospital downtown. She said to expect to be there a few days, don't take time to go home... this did not sound good to me:-(.

All the way down there I was trying to think of everything that needed to be done and wondering if they would need to cut my two year olds face open. If so, would they mind going through the inside of his mouth so as NOT to leave a huge scar on his cute two year old cheek:-)? Where would the other kids stay? How would James get home?(We had sold his car only a few days before)Could we work it out so that Jonah could still go to his friends birthday? Would I be able to find a parking spot relatively close to the hospital? Parking a 12 passenger van downtown is no picnic! How could I get the things I needed from home in order to make it for a few days? I NEED my toothbrush!! I really felt overwhelmed and helpless to do all that "needed" to be done to make this happen and felt like it was a lot to ask James to jump in and do everything. And my phone was dying:-(.

It was fine though, I did not need to ask James to jump in and take over. God had already arranged everything:-).

So, I called James and told him what was going on and to pray for this situation. We discussed the details and he told me not to worry, that he would handle it. When I hung up I really prayed for God to show His faithfulness in this. And He did. I called a few friends to ask for their prayer for Judah, I knew it would be a long night for him, they offered their homes for our children as well! James called back a few minutes later saying he was on his way home to get the other kids and take care of them. Someone at work loaned him their car! He was able to take Jonah and all the other kids to the birthday party, pack Judah and me a small bag(with things I did not even think he would think of, but that I would love to have!) he even took the kids to our friend's house to stay the night... he had packed them up too!! Meanwhile, I drove downtown and began looking for a parking spot. I cannot fit into a garage, the van is too tall! The Lord provided a parking space right across the street from the hospital! Amazing!!

So, they set Judah up with an iv and started antibiotics. He did not actually get into surgery until about 7:30 and that is the exact moment that James walked in! A bit too late to see Judah but that was okay. It was the first time that one of our kids has gone into surgery and James wasn't there to pray with them before. It was sad, and a little scary for me, but it was okay. God is good. Judah was fine. And they did not have to make a large incision after all.

The doctor came out after the surgery and said that the stick had not merely punctured the skin, as we initially thought, but it had gone all the way up to the temple and left debris there. This was why it became so infected so quickly. He thoroughly cleaned out EVERYTHING in that side of Judah's face and put him on some really strong antibiotics. He was doing well the next day and so, they decided to let him go home that afternoon! Praise the Lord!He has done fine this week and continues to heal. His face is still sore and the wound leaks a little now and then, but he is doing a lot better!

God is good, He provides, He is a God of DETAILS, and He is in control... I don't have to be! What a sweet relief!! I loved this little lesson because of what it means to me as we are about to leave the country. I am always trying to think ahead especially when it comes to the kids. I want to be prepared for things like this and this one totally blew me out of the water. NOT PREPARED AT ALL! But God showed me through this that I don't have to rely on myself for even the little things, and even in a country where everything is readily available, that doesn't mean that things will be predictable. He cares for my kids/husband/self/situation when I am helpless to do anything about any of it.

May He be glorified!!

BTW, my phone did not die until we got home from the hospital:-).

7 & 13

2009-10-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

Those are the ages of my oldest boy and oldest girl (aka. the oldest child).

We always have such a great time on birthdays. We usually start the day by giving the birthday kid balloons and reading Psalm 139:13-18,23-24 to them. We let the birthday kid pick the place that they would like to spend their day, then we go there. They also get to pick the design of their cake and what they would like to eat for dinner. When dinner is finished and right before the cake, we sit around the table and each person has to tell something that they love about the birthday person. It is a lovely way to end the day:-).

Zoe' and Josiah have their birthdays only a day apart, the 10th and 11th, so theirs is always a bit tricky and I never, ever feel like I have it all together:-). I am usually last minute in making their cake(one year, I made two... notice I only said ONE year:-) and they generally tell me what they would like for dinner and where they would like to go, the day of. So, I always feel like it is not quite fancy enough. Yet, they still enjoy everything.

BTW, we do not request that they do their birthdays together... they want to, they say they like it better that way:-). I guess it makes it more special to them...

So, this birthday they chose to go to Huber Farm. Oh man, was it fun!!

Plenty of pumpkins, apples, tractor rides, apple cider smells, walking, and MUD... now if that doesn't make for a great day, I don't know what will!!!

Will post more photos of the trip to Huber's... later.

Skateboards

2009-10-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

My boy is OBSESSED with skateboards... even more so now that he has his own collection of tiny skateboards:-).

He even has a homemade skateboard, courtesy of Dad.

He even has skateboard MOVIES.

X games, of course.

He is obsessed and we are pretty okay with that because right now he is oh so cute trying to skateboard on anything with wheels:-).

Butterflies

2009-10-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

The kids caught a caterpillar a few weeks ago. They put it in a cage and called it Merry:-).

I thought it would die. but it persevered.

I am so glad they got to see the whole process.

Zoe' read that when it is changing from a caterpillar to a butterfly it is basically a gooey blob.

Isn't God's handiwork amazing. That He can make something this magnificent out of a blob that use to be a worm. Shape me and mold me Lord, make me to be a person that glorifies You!

But now, O Lord, you are our Father ;
we are the clay, and you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
~Isaiah 64:8~

Sisters and Missing Teeth

2009-10-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

You may look at that title and wonder what those two things have in common... well, allow me to enlighten you:-).

In our house, usually, there is only one person that will pull loose teeth... that person is not me. I am not sure why but loose teeth make me queasy:(. Crazy, huh? I can handle everything else BUT NOT the teeth. So, James does it. He actually really enjoys it, I think. This particular day, though, James was not home and would not be home until way, way later. Piper, who does not like to pull teeth either and is actually quite happy to let them hang there until they fall out on their own, even if that means we all have to look at this poor (disgusting ) grey tooth dangle WHILE SHE IS SPEAKING TO US, had a loose tooth! Seriously, I could not take it anymore and so I did the logical thing and asked the kids to take matters into their own hands. They were happy... no, overjoyed at the prospect of pulling their beloved sister's tooth for her and began scheming right away:-). So, having that little matter resolved I go about my business, confident that the others can handle this situation. There was much commotion and I think there may have even been screaming and evil laughter (which is not promoted in this house, uh-uh, no-sir, not us:). Anyway, a few minutes later everyone comes running into the room talking all at once... again, this is a lot of loud commotion:-).

So, this is the scoop. ZOE' SAT ON PIPER! Then she held Piper's nose! Then when Piper was FORCED to open her mouth in order to BREATHE, Zoe' reached in and yanked that tooth right out!!! I was so shocked that I was practically rolling on the floor laughing uncontrollably. Really, it was from shock... and not at all from the image that was going through my mind as they were explaining this to me:-). Once I regained my composure, I congratulated them both on a job well done and did what any other mom would do... I took Piper outside to get a few shots of her "toothless". Everyone was happy... I was happy that I did not have to look at that disgusting tooth wagging around when she talked... Zoe' was happy with her accomplishment for the day... Gabi was happy to assist(she held the towel for the blood)... the boys were happy because they got to watch the whole thing(they have a new respect for Zoe')... and Piper was happy it was all over:-). Life is good like that.

Not happy, Precious...

2009-09-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

Nope, not happy at all...

With blogger, that is. I have noticed my photos coming in slightly lopped on one side.

I guess I'll have to seek advice. Could it be the way it is uploading the photos from flickr?

A little help please, precious?

Birthdays, Treasure Hunts, and Missing Teeth

2009-09-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

I have a moment to my self!!! This is huge!!!!

Okay, I've got to calm down and focus...

on birthdays. Yes, we've had TWO so far this fall:-).

You see, this is our birthday season... or it was, until we had Jonah and Judah.

They kind of threw off our groove:-). We decided to keep them anyway... they are adorable after all.

BACK to the birthdays! ... Must focus!

Gabi had a birthday...

This was Gabi's cake...she wanted dirt cake, so we took the liberty of making it "authentic"! It was a grand success, wonderfully delicious! I don't think it lasted more than two days...

Love this last one, but I am pretty sure that she would flip if she knew i posted it! So... hush, hush please!

A lot of folks have asked us what we do for birthdays 'round here and I fully intend to write a post on that very thing... soon. Really, I will.

The next birthday in our fall line up is James! Yes, he IS getting old:-).

And he doesn't read this, so I can feel free to post those kinds of things... hehehe:-).

He wanted cheese cake. I don't like cheese cake... no, that is not a typo.

I really don't like it. I don't know why... that's just the way it is.

The kids all make something for him on his birthday. The brown construction paper around his neck is a necklace, made by Josiah. All of the kids that can write , write him a letter telling him how much they love and appreciate him. Then they put on a show for him.

This year's theme was the circus. Yes, this is why my boys are painted red:-).

It was hilarious and I got NO pictures. I was too busy laughing uncontrollably.

My mom got pictures. She was here. She got the whole thing and maybe I'll be able to share it with you later.

But for now you'll have to be content with this and knowing that it was awesome.

Now, for James birthday he got a GPS. Please don't ask me about that thing for I am not a gadget person and would very likely steer you in the WRONG direction!

So, he has been wanting one of these for about a year. And we felt like it is something he can use in Peru. Because, you know, we are approved to go and all:-).

Okay... so now we have this GPS thing and we are taking the kids geocaching! It has been one of the funnest things we have done in a long time and the kids totally DIG it (that was for you Pappy:-).

It's like a treasure hunt.

There is NO telling what you'll find...

It promotes bonding among family members...

AND it is seriously ALWAYS an adventure, you never know where you will be going...

Or where you will find the cache...

I love adventures... :-). Adventures, with my family, outside... does it get any better?

I am now out of time... and no, I did not get to finish this post all in one sitting. Or even in one day. Perhaps next time:-).

I will also have to do a separate post on missing teeth and other things... next time.

Cherokee Park

2009-09-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

We have been to this park several times and never thought to stop at this small creek.

This day was different.

We so desperately miss the rivers we use to swim in, in Texas.

This one looked so cool and refreshing on that hot day. (I use the word "hot" loosely here in KY because really it doesn't get "HOT" here. And I'm okay with that... mostly.)

We stopped to put our feet in and before I knew it, people were slipping, falling, LAUGHING, and doing it over again... just for kicks:-).

It was fun!

Really, you should try it...

Since Then...

2009-09-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe it has been so long since I've posted ANYTHING at all!!

I think it is because school has taken up almost EVERY waking moment in my life for the past four weeks.

I love teaching our children.

I wish we had more time in the day.

I also wish there were a small fairy-type person that would do all of the cleaning while I am teaching:-).

That would make my... well, more than my day, let's just say that.

Patton Museum Trip

2009-08-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to the General Patton Museum a few weeks ago and it was good:-). The kids LOVED the tanks... yes, they were even able to touch them.

They loved the guy that turned up now an then to tell them various tales of the history of certain tanks (they also loved watching him be QUITE STERN with a couple of older boys that were being a bit too rowdy... AND THEN they loved watching him kick those boys right out the front door!) That is what they talked about for the rest of the day, I kid you not!!! The lesson was well learned by them- DO NOT mess with a retired officer, the man is serious and will not hesitate to carry out his threats! You can see him in a photo explaining Army things to the P... he really did just pop up everywhere. They were VERY well behaved for the ENTIRE tour!! I wanted to take him home with us, but I was sure he would be missed by his family:-(.

My favorite things were the car General Patton rode in,

the cool da Vinci model of a tank,

the recruiting posters,

and they had a piece of the Berlin wall!

My absolute favorite thing there , though, was the Sicilian donkey cart. Random? Maybe. But it was amazing, beautiful, and I wanted to wrap it up and take it home with me:-). It made me want to have a donkey just so I could have a cart like this... seriously.

gallimaufry.

2009-07-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

Moved.Unpacked.Settled.

2009-07-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

We have successfully completed another move!! Could not have done it without our little (and big) helpers!! We are here, we are unpacked... well, as much as we will get anyway, and we are settled!

A little note about the last picture...the morning of our move the kids woke up and saw that the folks across the street were having their tree cut down(it died because of the ice storm). This is why you see them sitting outside having a donut/chocolate milk breakfast on a blanket while enjoying the show:-). Who knew that tree cutters (is that what they're called?) could be so entertaining?!

We have been told that our appointment date has been set back. We will not be appointed until March, this means that we will be going to the April orientation. We have been told that this is the LAST time we will be set back:-). We are happy with all of this and feel like it is just extra preparation time, which we sorely needed!

God is good and His timing is PERFECT!!!!!

Friends.

2009-07-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Schwarz's, came for a visit the week after we got home from Va. It was a wonderful visit, we have missed them very much since they moved south. It was also a very short visit as they were called away sooner than expected.

NOW they are in Zambia!! They stopped in to say goodbye and hang out for a while before they were off to serve as missionaries in Zambia... we are SO excited for them!!! They have arrived safely and are settling in nicely. If you would like to check out what they're up to then just click on their names on the side of this blog...

Moving. Scatterbrained. Please bear with me.

2009-07-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, it's moving time at the Tieman house:-). This is good, right?

Let me start from the beginning. While we were at the conference we received an offer on our house... it was a busy week between meetings, the continuous flow of coffee, and offers/counteroffers. Did I mention that the day we left, Jonah was found to have pneumonia? We didn't know until AFTER we arrived in VA., of course! It really was an eventful week:-).

Anyway, as I said before it was a busy week and I will just spare you the TWO WEEK long correspondence! In the end they made an offer we could accept... though barely:-). And I guess it worked out for them as well. We passed the inspection and the appraisal but everything has been hit or miss with this house selling thing and that is why I have been hesitant to post anything about it. Needless to say we are moving forward and are said to be closing on Monday. We have been provided a rent house that is pretty much the same layout as our current house and does not require a lease... (God is so gracious:-). Friends are renting it to us as they go off to begin their ministry... pray for them. We will hopefully be able to tell more about their very neat ministry later on.

So that brings us to now. We are packing, though we really don't have very much because we have been downsizing for a few months, and trying to get ready for school.Yes, it is THAT time again:-). We move on Saturday... anybody want to help... anyone... anyone?

Please continue to pray for us concerning EVERYTHING and that prayer request that I did not go into detail over:-). We appreciate every one of you who continues to think about and pray for us more than we will ever be able to express!!

May He be Glorified in EVERY situation!

4th of July

2009-07-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

This is such a whacked out presentation of photos, but I hope you enjoy them anyway:-).

Conference

2009-07-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

Yes. I am posting this on the same day, but I have ALOT of catching up to do:-).

We went to the conference and had many interviews and many meetings and much too much coffee...way too much. It all turned out fine though.

It was so busy that it felt like we were home in no time! And I thought it would be sort of like a vacation....NOT SO! It was very good, ALL (and it was a lot) of the information that we received from them was great. It was also very good to see how they actually run things, we feel like we have a much better idea of why they do certain things the way they do them. We were approved to move on to the next stage. We hope to be appointed in Nov. but that depends on the financial situation of the mission board at that time. Please pray for that situation and for His people to step up.

We would also like to share that we have a prayer request that we will not go into detail over. Just know that we are asking you, our brothers and sisters in Christ, to pray for us right now. May He be glorified.

Judah's 2nd Birthday

2009-07-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

Yep, you read it right... Judah is now 2!!! And he is taking FULL advantage of it!! He has gotten into MORE trouble in the past two weeks of being 2 than in his whole life before that point!

And have I mentioned his OBSESSION with Diego??? It's true...he's hooked. Don't judge me because I let him watch tv... if you had a 2 year old that put coffee creamer in the coffee grinds and cinnamon in the lemonade, and your CELL PHONE in the steaming hot cup of COFFEE, you would find something to keep that child distracted too!!!!! I won't even mention what he put in the tiolette, it just wasn't NATURAL folks :-).

He is very fast... and sneaky...but we love him oh, so much. It is a very good thing he is so cute, soft, and squishy:-). And have I mentioned his smile, oh man, he has us WRAPPED!!!

Myriad.

2009-06-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

We have been crazy busy!! We did finish school, but it feels like we have not stopped long enough to enjoy summer yet! Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration... we have had a few days of sitting around, visiting, and enjoying the sun. I mean, that is, when it decides to shine :-).

James and I head out to conference next Monday... please pray for us as the Lords leads you to. We are excited but a little nervous, as some of you know the IMB has been experiencing a bit of a financial shortage and are limiting the amount of people they send out. You can read about it on their website www.imb.org .

Here are a few random photos of the kids from the past two months... I will post more later with descriptions :-).

On Our Way?

2009-05-19T10:27:00.001-07:00

We have been notified that we will be going to conference in June...YIPEE!! We are excited about this and can't wait to tell you ALL about it!

We still don't have any bites on the house and haven't really had that many showings since it went back on the market :0(. We will wait and see what happens with it... not like we have any other choice!

The kids will be out of school by Friday and I am so excited! I LOVE summer!!!! Can't wait to take them swimming, hiking, and playing... oh, and then there are those fabulous days that include doing NOTHING, but hanging out at the house (those are my faves)! They have already gotten a jumpstart on it... the boys made an animal trap with James on Sunday. On Monday, they decided to don face paint and make bows and arrows, for they are hunters. I LOVE summer... have I already said that? Well, it's true and bears repeating... BTW, the sun is shining :0).

Here we go...

2009-05-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we got the contract on the house... and then we lost it. They got spooked by the inspection(1st time buyers) and their dad talked them out of buying the house! So, we are back to waiting on the Lord to bring along the right folks to buy the house! And we are back to the stresses of showing a house with six kids!!!

As for the mission process, we have been told that we should receive an invitation to the conference any day now, and so we wait. We are praying that the house will sell before the end of May so that we can get going on the preparations for moving before we go to conference. God knows our need!

Bringin' You Up To Speed

2009-04-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Here it is almost May and I have failed to keep this blog up ... but this is how it rolls folks with six kids, a dog, a house to sell, and a missionary process to get through!

The kids are doing well and looking forward to the end of school, should be the first or second week of May:-). Mama is pretty excited about that too! They/we have been taking advantage of the few gloriously sunny days that we have here lately... I might love those days even more than they do, I'm not sure:-).

As for the house, we received an offer on it and have counter-offered... we shall see what comes next!

Now for the process , we believe we have met all of the requirements and should receive an invitation to the conference pretty soon. If that happens and we are approved as missionaries, then we will need to be appointed as missionaries. This could all happen this summer but before we are appointed we have to sell the house:-). Yikes!! I hope some of this is making sense... it is a complicated process! If we are appointed then we could very well be on our way by the end of this year... hopefully!!!

To where, you may ask? Well, we have put in for a job in Southern Peru. It is in a small town called Huancane working with the Aymara people. We are very excited about this!!! If we are appointed as missionaries to Peru, then we will ,first,have to go to Costa Rica for a year for language study and then we will move on to Peru from there. More on those details later... exciting stuff folks, so please be praying for us!! We'll post any new developments.

So there it is, the long and short of it :-). I hope you will pray for us and if you feel up to it drop us a line, we would love to hear from ya!!!

We had a wonderful Easter with a family from church and ate Mexican food!!!!

Barabbas

2009-03-26T04:53:00.000-07:00

You have to check this out...

...if you like this then check out their site:

http://www.calebandsol.com/

AWANA Grand Prix '09

2009-03-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

We had such a blast at the grand prix this year!!
James made all five of the kids a very cool car. He let them pick out the design and then he shaped it into what they had chosen...

Then they got to paint it:-). He helped a little...

They had so much fun and all of them took home trophies...well, all but one.

Piper did not win a trophy, but she did gain something very valuable that day! After all of her siblings got at least on trophy she was pretty distraught. That is actually quite an understatement but I'll not get into that:-). Piper and I rode home seperately from James and the other kids, which gave us a bit of a chance to talk. We talked about the different ways that she could handle her current situation... honor Christ (congratulate brothers and sisters on their victory... and really mean it )or gratify the flesh (cry and mope and feel miserable for the rest of the day and have the others feel sorry for her ). She admitted that she really felt like gratifying her flesh but she knew the satisfaction in that would be temporary... she chose to honor Christ and die to those desires!! I told her that honoring Christ brings out a lasting satisfaction that comes with knowing that you've done what He desires and she said,"Yep, that's what I want!". Then, we went home and made cookies...that always makes me feel better :-)!

Little did she know that the decision she made Saturday is setting a pattern for her life. She made a choice to live for Christ and not herself. God is working on her already... she only accepted His gift of forgiveness a little over a month ago and already He is molding her. What a joy to watch!

Another great part about that day was this. When her siblings saw that they all received at least one trophy and she won none, Jonah who had two offered his other trophy...so sweet:-)

But, Zoe' had a different plan. She had an AWANA grand prix trophy that she won a few years ago when she was in Sparks(Piper's group) and thought that she would like to give it to Piper when they got home.

So, I suggested they all present it to her in an award presentation fashion... they did and it worked beautifully!! They all came to her and told her that they would like to present her with and award for the " Best Overall" car in Sparks...

It was completely unexpected and totally appreciated by her!
What a glorious day!!

Judah found his pockets...

2009-03-12T19:42:00.001-07:00

Moving Along

2009-03-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

I really had hoped to get better at keeping up with the blog, but it just didn't happen.So, an update is in order... here goes!

After the making of the cute video you see below the kids and I had to get busy. We put our house on the market, so that means we have to keep it UNREALISTICLY clean! We have to make the house look and smell like no one lives here when, in fact, EIGHT people live here! IMPOSSIBLE!!

Can you tell I am feeling a little rebellious toward the realtor mentality?

It's okay, the rebellious feelings should pass in the next 24 hours:-). I think I always start feeling this way around the weekend when I know I will get "THE call". The kids feel it too...I can tell. We will be so glad when all of this house selling business is over and hopefully we'll have enough money in the therapy fund to cover everyone's trauma. :-)

Otherwise we've been moving along in much the same fashion as usual. School, work, clean, school, work, clean... and on it goes.

The kids all(well, all but one) got sick with the flu... that was fun. No sarcasm there, we sat around and watched movies for about a week. It was a good rest for me and them:-). But now we are trying to catch up on everything and mostly have it under control -I think.

We got to go to the zoo on a rare day that was sunny and warm, we soaked up EVERY moment... you know the sun doesn't shine that often in KY. And then, SURPRISE! , there was a second day of sunny bliss and we got to go to the park... oh happy day!!! Hopefully, soon there will be more of those days to come:-).

Texas on My Mind

2009-02-13T12:51:00.001-08:00

Okay... here's the deal... when my girls saw the wonderful video that my friend posted they immediately began to conjure a plan for a video of their own. So, they picked a song and we walked through the photos to decide what they wanted their theme to be,"Texas on My Mind"is the song that was chosen and the theme is Texas Sun:-). They decided it should contain only outside photos of our trip to TX, but I snuck in a really cute one of Judah lookin' very "risky"... see if you can find the one I'm referring to:-).

Also, a few weeks ago another friend tagged me and I haven't had the chance to post anything yet... so, here goes :-).

Tagged
The Rules:

1. Go to where you store your digital photos and open the 4th folder.
2. Post the 4th picture in that folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people.

My mom and I were messing around downtown and got a little crazy!! We stopped by this statue of a guy sitting on a bench (it looks very real) and took a few pics of each other pretending to interact with this statue man! I will spare you the other shots... we had a great time!!

I tag ... whoever decides to play along!! Have fun!!!

Mini Vacation continued ;-)

2009-02-05T18:28:00.001-08:00

Did I mention that they were very helpful...and also that I found that it only takes about 30 minutes to thoroughly clean the ENTIRE house when you have 16 children to help!!! Yet another reason to have a large family:-).

Ice Storm '09 "The Mini Vacation :-)"

2009-02-05T18:15:00.000-08:00

Well, what began as a lovely snowy day... or few days, actually turned into quite a storm! It was a whole new experience for James and I to lie awake that night listening to branches crash down around our house and neighborhood... and not a very pleasant experience at that! The next day while we were busy marveling at the very thick ice and snow that was continuing to fall, we received a call from a distressed friend whose power had gone off! It was about 10 degrees outside and probably somewhere around 40 in their house! So, we said come on over... stay as long as you like... tell others about the warm Tieman Abode!
And so, we ended up having about 23 or so people in the house for a few days! What a wonderful time :-). Seriously, it was really good. Everyone was well behaved and got along beautifully and I had a lot of fun having so many people around and a little break from the everydayness of our everyday life!! Kinda like a vacation!

Texas Trip

2009-01-10T14:32:00.000-08:00

TEXAS

2009-01-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

HOWDY!!
We had a smashing time in TX...and who wouldn't? I mean, after all it is TEXAS! Land that I love...alright enough of that. We really did have a grand time and though it was seemingly fast and furious we enjoyed every moment! We were able to see all of our family members (who happen to be spread out over the southern part of TX) and some of our friends...that's alot y'all! We were also able to share a bit about what God is doing in Ecuador with two churches and our previous S.S. class in NB. We went to many of the places that we love and hold dear, and a few of the places that are not so near to our hearts but we accept them because they are apart of the great state of Texas! We were surprised to learn that many of the places we visited had slow...or no internet connection ;-(. I guess we've been living in the city for too long! We must now be city slickers! Just kidding Dad, I would never do that to ya...hehehe. As James and I stood outside on various nights (because we can do that in TX in January) and gazed at the stars, we noticed that it is much more quiet there than where we are. We loved it!! I guess the ears and brain don't know that they are constantly hearing noise, of one kind or another, until it is completely silent! Crazy ;-). So, here are a few pictures from the trip...if you want to see more then you should mosey on over to flickr and check it out ;-)!

october & november 339

2008-12-17T11:57:00.001-08:00

october & november 339
Originally uploaded by MiminPappy

Me and part of my tribe ;-)

october & november 363

2008-12-17T11:56:00.001-08:00

october & november 363
Originally uploaded by MiminPappy

Judah and mom hangin' out

october & november 215

2008-12-17T11:55:00.003-08:00

october & november 215
Originally uploaded by MiminPappy

so sweet , too!

october & november 235

2008-12-17T11:55:00.001-08:00

october & november 235
Originally uploaded by MiminPappy

They must take after their mother, right? hehehe

october & november 210

2008-12-17T11:54:00.003-08:00

october & november 210
Originally uploaded by MiminPappy

Very beautiful ;-)

october & november 206

2008-12-17T11:54:00.001-08:00

october & november 206
Originally uploaded by MiminPappy

Aren't these some good lookin' girls??

Long time :-(

2008-11-29T16:23:00.001-08:00

Wow, it has been a while since my last post... but with good reason. We have been super busy this November!
Jonah had hernia surgery, Piper had her 8th birthday, and then there was Thanksgiving. All of this and we are still trying to get things together for the company that we hope to go overseas with! I feel like it is nonstop at the Tieman house here lately...did I mention that James has finals this week, whew! Judah has also been quite a handful lately, we have been trying to prepare the house to be listed in December. So, part of this preparation involves painting..uh huh, you guessed it, Judah found that he really liked painting(the wall, toilette, and floor) everything that he should not have painted ;-). He also discovered that it is a lot of fun to find the salt shaker all alone on top of the dining room table... with no one around to guard it ;-) hehe. He loved that day! And we all felt as if we would not make it through another!! I think Josiah's favorite new phrase is " Can't you do something with that baby!?" Yes, at times we all feel that way! He is cute though and they say that cuteness is what gets parents through quite a few turbulent times... I wonder if it will work on siblings?

Pics

2008-11-11T15:59:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I'm a little late in posting the pics that I promised, but you know what they say...."Better late than never!". This , I believe, should be my life motto! I am pretty sure that those who know me pretty well would agree;-). Anyway, here they are and if ever you get tired of waiting for me to post them on the blog then jog on over to flickr and see them!

It's breathtaking!

2008-11-06T07:05:00.001-08:00

It's breathtaking!
Originally uploaded by Michelle Brea

Carribean anyone??

More...

2008-11-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

Anyone reading this should also stop by our friends the Abraham's and the Willem's blogs to see what they said, sentiments that I also completely agree with;-).

The Day After

2008-11-05T04:26:00.000-08:00

As I sat here reading the comments and watching the videos of last night, I am not surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised. I struggle to even know what to write, but I think Dr. Mohler summed it all up quite nicely...please read on.

America Has Chosen a President

Posted: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 at 5:04 am ET

The election of Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States came as a bang, not a whimper. The tremors had been perceptible for days, maybe even weeks. On Tuesday, America experienced nothing less than a political and cultural earthquake.

The margin of victory for the Democratic ticket was clear. Americans voted in record numbers and with tangible enthusiasm. By the end of the day, it was clear that Barack Obama would be elected with a majority of the popular vote and a near landslide in the Electoral Colllege. When President-Elect Obama greeted the throngs of his supporters in Chicago's Grant Park, he basked in the glory of electoral energy.

For many of us, the end of the night brought disappointment. In this case, the disappointment is compounded by the sense that the issues that did not allow us to support Sen. Obama are matters of life and death -- not just political issues of heated debate. Furthermore, the margin of victory and sense of a shift in the political landscape point to greater disappointments ahead. We all knew that so much was at stake.

For others, the night was magical and momentous. Young and old cried tears of amazement and victory as America elected its first African-American President -- and elected him overwhelmingly. Just forty years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, an African-American stood to claim victory as President-Elect of the nation. As Sen. Obama assured the crowd in Chicago and the watching nation, "We will get there. We will get there." No one hearing those words could fail to hear the refrain of plaintive words spoken in Memphis four decades ago. President-Elect Obama would stand upon the mountaintop that Dr. King had forseen.

That victory is a hallmark moment in history for all Americans -- not just for those who voted for Sen. Obama. As a nation, we will never think of ourselves the same way again. Americans rich and poor, black and white, old and young, will look to an African-American man and know him as President of the United States. The President. The only President. The elected President. Our President.

Every American should be moved by the sight of young African-Americans who -- for the first time -- now believe that they have a purchase in American democracy. Old men and old women, grandsons and granddaughters of slaves and slaveholders, will look to an African-American as President.

Regardless of politics, could anyone remain unmoved by the sight of Jesse Jackson crying alone amidst the crowd in Chicago? This dimension of Election Day transcends politics and touches the heart of the American people.

Yet, the issues and the politics remain. Given the scale of the Democratic victory, the political landscape will be completely reshaped. The fight for the dignity and sanctity of unborn human beings has been set back by a great loss, and by the election of a President who has announced his intention to sign the Freedom of Choice Act into law. The struggle to protect marriage against its destruction by redefinition is now complicated by the election of a President who has declared his aim to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. On issue after issue, we face a longer, harder, and more protracted struggle than ever before.

Still, we must press on as advocates for the unborn, for the elderly, for the infirm, and for the vulnerable. We must redouble our efforts to defend marriage and the integrity of the family. We must be vigilant to protect religious liberty and the freedom of the pulpit. We face awesome battles ahead.

At the same time, we must be honest and recognize that the political maps are being redrawn before our eyes. Will the Republican Party decide that conservative Christians are just too troublesome for the party and see the pro-life movement as a liabililty? There is the real danger that the Republicans, stung by this defeat, will adopt a libertarian approach to divisive moral issues and show conservative Christians the door.

Others will declare these struggles over, arguing that the election of Sen. Obama means that Americans in general -- and many younger Evangelicals in particular -- are ready to "move on" to other issues. This is no time for surrender or the abandonment of our core principles. We face a much harder struggle ahead, but we have no right to abandon the struggle.

We should look for opportunities to work with the new President and his administration where we can. We must hope that he will lead and govern as the bridge-builder he claimed to be in his campaign. We must confront and oppose the Obama administration where conscience demands, but work together where conscience allows.

Evangelical Christians face another challenge with the election of Sen. Obama, and a failure to rise to this challenge will bring disrepute upon the Gospel, as well as upon ourselves. There must be absolutely no denial of the legitimacy of President-Elect Obama's election and no failure to accord this new President the respect and honor due to anyone elected to that high office. Failure in this responsibility is disobedience to a clear biblical command.

Beyond this, we must commit ourselves to pray for this new President, for his wife and family, for his administration, and for the nation. We are commanded to pray for rulers, and this new President faces challenges that are not only daunting but potentially disastrous. May God grant him wisdom. He and his family will face new challenges and the pressures of this office. May God protect them, give them joy in their family life, and hold them close together.

We must pray that God will protect this nation even as the new President settles into his role as Commander in Chief, and that God will grant peace as he leads the nation through times of trial and international conflict and tension.

We must pray that God would change President-Elect Obama's mind and heart on issues of our crucial concern. May God change his heart and open his eyes to see abortion as the murder of the innocent unborn, to see marriage as an institution to be defended, and to see a host of issues in a new light. We must pray this from this day until the day he leaves office. God is sovereign, after all.

Without doubt, we face hard days ahead. Realistically, we must expect to be frustrated and disappointed. We may find ourselves to be defeated and discouraged. We must keep ever in mind that it is God who raises up nations and pulls them down, and who judges both nations and rulers. We must not act or think as unbelievers, or as those who do not trust God.

America has chosen a President. President-Elect Barack Obama is that choice, and he faces a breathtaking array of challenges and choices in days ahead. This is the time for Christians to begin praying in earnest for our new President. There is no time to lose.

Maybe it's his...independence??

2008-10-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is what Piper said at dinner this afternoon when Jonah came to us complaining of a stomach ache;-). We all laughed hysterically, of course(including Piper)! She said this, meaning , maybe it is his appendix, because when Zoe' was 5 she had her's out and now every time there is a tummy ache this is the first conclusion Zoe' comes to! The joys of being the oldest...and with so much life experience ,too! Well, it is obviously not his appendix nor his independence, both were thoroughly excercised after dinner;-).

In other news, we went to Huber's farm a few weeks ago and picked apples and a few pumpkins.We went to the Balloon Glow(hot air balloons) that we've gone to every year since moving here and we also had two birthdays, Zoe' turned 12 and Josiah turned 6! Hard to believe everybody is growing up soooo fast! I'll post pictures of these things soon. I'll also include a few of the pup...he is actually beginning to look like a dog now! Very cute;-).

ooh lala! Italy

2008-10-03T12:03:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by mrlemonjelly

Mom, would you sail here??? You should hint so to Dad;-).

...

2008-09-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Well, Levi had to be put down today;-(. When we brought him home on Saturday he weighed around 4.8 ozs. and today he weighed in at 3.9...not good. We were still feeding him every two hours and he was still fighting to live but loosing significant amounts of weight, so we decided to let him go peacefully rather than watch him suffer to the end. It was a sad time;-(. So, I am not going to post a picture of Levi...I actually never had the heart to take one of him (he was very tiny, no joke, he was only about 1/4 of the size of Brody).
On the other hand, Brody is doing fine. He is a whopping 1lb?ozs. Lucy is still loving on him and spending almost her every waking moment doting on him! He is very cute;-). I am not going to hold back the picture of Brody though...isn't he cute!

Puppies!!

2008-09-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a week this has been.
Our Lucy had puppies;-). They are very cute, unfortunately though, one of them has a cleft palate;-(. He is currently at the vet being overseen and cared for by a wonderful lady who volunteered for this task! What a blessing! He has to be hand fed every two hours and then there are other things that have to be done to insure he is functioning correctly;-). He is very cute, though extremely tiny compared to his brother! If he makes it , I think he will be black and silver like Lucy. The kids have named him Levi.
I will update as things move along. And will post pics of the healthy one tomorrow;-). BTW, he has been dubbed Brody the Fat by the kids.
Will the excitement ever stop at the Tieman household?? I certainly hope not! I didn't have these six children to be able to sit around quietly all day! (Though I would take a bit of peace and quiet every now and then;-) Lucy having puppies was like a flashback to my childhood. We had a yellow lab that had 11 pups(the first time around)! I remember coming home from school and ,everyday,sitting IN the doghouse with her and the puppies! I am sure my mother wondered if I would ever let them go, but I did! After 6 or 8 weeks of sitting in that doghouse with those pups I was pretty attached and I probably did try to talk my folks into letting me keep a few! I have always been a dog lover..I guess I just can't help myself! Ah well, those days are over but not far from me...I did tend to hover around the whelping box even after Lucy had the pups... which is how I caught the small one trying to suck but not quite making it. So, I guess we'll wait and see what happens. Oh yes, and Lucy is doing fine. She is a terrific mother;-).

There's a rhinoceros in my refrigerator...

2008-08-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

Now doesn't that sound like a great name for a Dr. Suess book? I thought so,too! I have always really liked Dr. Suess books and now I think I must be able to identify with his way of thinking...the longer I am raising my boys the more I am convinced that Dr. Suess must have had at least 3;-). Really, it is the only way he could come up with such crazy stories! My boys do the most outrageous things, but this was probably one of the most comical. Truly, I was surprised to open my fridge to see a rhino guarding the garlic and the hershey's chocolate! I had to take a picture;-).
To all those parents of boys...

Birthday ending

2008-08-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, last post for the day...and maybe for a while;-). The girls got to come back to the house to have pizza,cake,and ice cream. We all had a great time!

The whirlwind...continued

2008-08-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

The baptism service was amazing , Mimi was able to come and all of the kids came in to see Zoe' be baptized. This , of course, produced many questions about why one is batized and whether or not they could do it;-). An excellent oppurtunity for James and I to share the Gospel with them again.
We also had quite a few friends over and we've been visiting others...yes, other people are actually brave/crazy enough to invite a family of 8 into their home;-). They actually have 6 children as well and we had a wonderful time with them!Unfortunately, we got no pics of the twelve kids running around...maybe next time!
We began school at the beginning of August and have been busy trying to get in the "groove" of things around here again.
Last night we were able to celebrate Gabi's 10th(I know, I can't believe it either!) birthday with her best friend. They have birthdays only 4 days apart, very handy when you are best friends! So, the moms got to take the girls out to Build A Bear...it was very cool! I think we had as much fun as they did. It was a bitter sweet time though, we found out yesterday that they will be moving;-(. We know that the Lord has something great for them though...they are such a wonderful family, we will miss them. Here are the pictures from the Build A Bear adventure. Enjoy!!!

August...the month of whirlwinds

2008-08-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

The entire month is almost passed and yet I feel as if I've hardly stepped foot in the first day of August!! Where has it gone? Well, here is a small clue ...

Swimming...of course!

...and soccer try outs;-)

...Zoe' was baptized...

Still...

2008-08-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm still not happy with the blog but it is getting better. It may have to stay this way for a while simply because I am tired of spending time on it!! An suggestions would be very much appreciated;-).

Uugh!

2008-08-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am rather put out...this thing is not turning out the way I want it;-(. Why can't blogger read my mind???

New Look ;-)

2008-08-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

I am working on a new look for our blog...let me know how it looks from your side. I will probably change it around a bit until I get it right. Please be patient with me!!

woohoo!!

2008-07-29T09:02:00.001-07:00

woohoo!!
Originally uploaded by Tieman Tribe

This was the favorite fountain to sit on,run through,through others into...etc.;-)

water is my friend

2008-07-29T08:55:00.001-07:00

water is my friend
Originally uploaded by Tieman Tribe

Judah could not stand water for at least 2 weeks after we returned from Ecuador...as you can see , he now loves it!

the fountain

2008-07-29T08:44:00.001-07:00

the fountain
Originally uploaded by Tieman Tribe

splasha,splasha

2008-07-29T07:39:00.001-07:00

splasha,splasha
Originally uploaded by Tieman Tribe

Summer Time

2008-07-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

It has been a long while since I last posted, but there is a very good reason for this! We have been busy and it is summer!! Praise the Lord...it's hot (okay,really it's just kinda warm to those of us from TX) and this means that we are outside pretty much ALL day,every day:-). I love it!! We are slowly working our way through paperwork and trying to figure out what classes are next on the list for James.
The kids are slowly starting school again...math,english,things like that but not all day. We are really just enjoying what is left of the summer and trying to take it easy. Well, as easy as one can take it with 7 others around;-).Until next time...

so cool

2008-07-08T10:31:00.001-07:00

so cool
Originally uploaded by Tieman Tribe

Here are the coolie converse...they are not suppose to have shoestrings ;-). And for those of you,like James, who think this is "just not right". Sorry, but I liked them, so this is what he got!

Kickin' it with Converse

2008-07-08T05:24:00.000-07:00

Judah got new shoes because he is now a big one year old!Off with the Robeez and bring on the Converse! He is so cute with them on. He really likes the hard bottom and has found that they can have quite a few uses...wearing, throwing(sometimes at a brother who may or may not deserve it;-) and amazingly, they can be used to produce drum like sounds when they are repeatedly beat on something. It is fun but I think the other kids enjoyed the soft Robeez more;-).
We have had a lovely couple of weeks since we've returned from Ecuador. It seems as though everyone in the house has gotten sick at least once, and a few more than once. I will spare you the lovely details...but we have managed to be a little productive in that time and almost have our application for the board finished. We have also been preparing the house for showing and all that. We have put it up for sale...so, if you know anyone who is looking;-)please send them our way!
Well, that is about it for now. I will try again to post pictures but the blogger is not accepting them...crazy. TTFN

Judah's 1st Birthday!!

2008-06-25T04:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read correctly ,it was Judah's 1st birthday on June 20th. He had a good time eating cake and watch the other kids splash in his new pool...he has been terrified of water since we came back. He is now accepting the fact that in the states he will recieve a bath everyday;-). In Ecuador they did not have bath tubs,only showers, and so he would have to take a shower with dad and it was quite a torturous event ...for everyone within a mile or so! So now we have the nice warm bath,which he endures, but to ask that he actually sit in a pool of water for fun!Now that is just going too far,in his opinion! He still was able to have a good time though watching the others splash and get wet...it was fun. Zoe' and Gabi decorated the cake and did a fabulous job!
In other news...we got a call from the Mission Board on Monday. This is significant because we have been trying to go with them for the past 6 years and have been turned away for one reason or another(truly ,though, we feel it has been God's will not to go until now). So, for them to call us without us making the intitial contact is HUGE! Praise the Lord!! Even if we do not go with them we feel like this is confirmation that it is indeed time to move forward...Praise God! So, now we begin the ...or should I say continue with the process;-). We are currently in step 3 or phase 3 or whatever they call it and if everything goes well we will hopefully be out on the field by the end of next summer...we have waited so long for this it almost seems unreal.So, we are totally excited and overwhelmed.Please pray for us: That we would make it through the process in one peice...it is a long one. That our house would sell...we are planning to go even if we do not make it through the process with the board.And most of all pray that God's will would be done in our lives...all for His glory;-).

Home again,home again...

2008-06-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

We made it home...of course it had to be an adventure.

We left our home in Quito atabout 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, arrived at the airport at almost 3. By the time we checked in, went through customs, and paid to leave the country it was about 5 a.m. So, we proceeded to sit down and have a little nap(which was badly needed!). At 6 a.m. we boarded the plane...this is were it gets fun;-). We were suppose to land at 11 a.m. but because of the weather in Miami we did not land until almost 12:30 ,our next flight was at 3...so, we thought we had PLENTY of time. Boy, were we wrong! When we arrived they completely shut down the entire airport becasue of weather!! So, we had to go wait for our baggage and because the airport was locked down they could not go get the luggage: wait time for luggage 1&1/2 hours.Fun. By now it was 2 p.m. and we knew we had to hustle...we still had to go through customs and to the other end of the airport to catch our flight(of course;-).It was 3:05 when we finally made it to our gate...the nice lady proceeded to yell at us for being late. And after huffing and pitching a fit she let us on the plane that was "just about to take off". We went on board...the kids were crying because they'd not eaten since about 6:30(it was now after 3p.m.). And we waited to take off...for about an hour;-). We were thinking that for a plane on the virge of taking off we were going very slowly. We were suppose to be in the air for about 3 hrs and it turned out to be almost 6! We went to NY and then had to turn around and go to North Carolina because both of the airports in NY shut down for weather! So, we arrived in NC at about 10:30 and waited along with about 200 other people for a hotel room, we were almost last in line and the kids had only had a cookie and a few chips to eat since that morning...and very little sleep. It was not pleasant, but we finally made it to a hotel at almost midnight and ordered pizza. We all fell asleep while waiting for it to arrive, but amazingly woke up and ate greedily at around 12:30;-)...then, fell into a blissful sleep. We did actually make it home yesterday around 2p.m. and are currently trying to get back to normal...whatever that is.
I think we are all in "the zone" trying to readjust and just get used to life in the States again...for now anyway;-)

Hola!

2008-06-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are still here. I tried to read over everything that I´d previously written but this computer is soooooo slooow! And I had not the patience to keep trying to see it on here. One thing I did notice though, is that my spelling is crazy! I have a very good explanation for this, which is that I am typing on a keybourd that is mostly rubbed off and has many different Spanish symbols! Okay, that enough of that!On to the good stuff.
It has been a while since we´ve posted because the day after I last posted Judah got very sick ( 103 fever,stomach issues...I won´t go into details ;-) And after that Josiah became sick and then Jonah...we came to the conclusion that it was a virus. It only lasted about 3 days but really scared us. They would not do anything and barely even had the energy to cry...that is scary for 3 little , usually very active boys! But they are fine and just to be sure it was not some rare disease we took them to see Joselito´s pediatrician. They are currently back to their very active selves...it is good.So, that said, here´s what else happened. I got to stay at home for many days...I lost count:-). But James was still able to take the girls with him to church on Sunday where he had the oppurtunity to teach the kids Sunday school class and then was asked to preach!! From what I hear , he did very well.Prasie the Lord! On Monday we went to the Dr. and stopped by the Cathedral...they only call it the unfinished Cathedral, I don´t think it has any other name. It was beautiful, but unfortunately I did not get pictures. Fear not! We are going back and I will take many pictures. On Tuesday we went to a place called Chicauco...those of you at Ninth and O who have kids coming here on Friday...this is where they are going. It was an awesome experience...that´s all I can say. It was very good all the way around.The place is beautiful, the ministry is wonderful, we could really see God working in that ministry and through those people. We wished that we could´ve stayed longer but becuase we arrived a day late(due to the sickness) we had to leave yesterday as scheduled, we only got to stay one day. It was fine though, we still were able to talk to the missionaries that run that place. We recieved some very valuable advice and greatly enjoyed our talk with them. We headed out yesterday afternoon around 2 and went to the orphanage. We arrive there at about 4p.m. and stayed until almost 7, we got alot of pictures of the kids. Our kids(Tiemans and Orellanos) were able to help in everything! What a tremendous blessing it was!There are about 24 children , ages 0 months-4years, at this orphanage. They were in need of help with the babies and asked us to stay to help fees and get them settled for the evening. What a joy to see our children serving others. They loved it, we loved it,but we all left with very heavy hearts. It was a joyful experience but also a very heartbreaking one. The workers explained a few of the kids circumstances and what brought them there. I can only agree with Joselito when he said last night as we left that his heart was very heavy for these children, mine is too. So were all of our children´s hearts. Please pray for these orphans.I can´t even describe to you the look in some of the older children´s faces as we tried to interact with them. Most of them were very joyful but some were very withdrawn and it made me wonder what they´d been through already. Pray for them...may your heart be burdened as ours is. We know the Lord loves them and keeps them close to Him. We pray that they would know that. Well, we arrived home very late last night and slept in a little this morning(until 7, we were so tired we missed the rooster´s crow at 4a.m. , praise the Lord).Today, we are supposed to meet with some IMB folks that serve here in Quito and talk to them a little about their experience and what they are doing here(their ministry).
I cannot say enough what a blessing it has been to be here. We have loved seeing all of the different ministries going on here in Ecuador and talking to the people about what they think the greatest needs are here...there are many. We will share all of this with you when we get back. Until then, thank you very much for every comment, every prayer, every word of encouragement, and all of you support . It has meant so much to us.
Bendiciones,
Heather and The Tribe

Weird

2008-06-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

Well, when I came to log onto the blog this morning I did not see the previous post(from June 3rd. So, I dod not know if you all are seeing these or not. It is okay thought! I will write anyway, just in case:-).
Things continue to go well here. We are remaining very busy. We had the oppurtunity to see a wonderful ministry for youth on Tuesday. It was very far out in the mountians and oh, was it beautiful! It is called El Refugio and I will have to wait to tell you more about it when we get home. The folks that run it are missionarries with International Teams...perhaps you can look it up on the net. It is close to a little town called Calacali. A very small town of about half indegenous people and has a small Baptist church. They have about 17 members and are pursecuted by the other people in the town. On Wednesday, we were invited to eat dinner with the pastor of Candelaria Baptist here in Calderon.It was a wonderful blessing, those people are very sweet. That brings us to Thursday, we went to tour HCJB radio and the hospital that they are affiliated with...they began it, I think. It is an amazing ministry and we had the privilege of hearing the testimony of a woman from the jungle and how this ministry helped her to know Christ and then provided her with a bible and healthcare. After that, Anita and I went to a women´s study, they called it a conference...I don´t know. There were perhaps 20 women there and Anita asked that I share my testimony...it was an awesome experience. I was able to share a little more thatn my testimony so it was very good. Today, I think we are going to be at a graduation of some sort...I am not sure. Nest week though will be very adventurous, we are going to go into the mountians to visit a missionary family. And a few other things that I will save to tell you later.I hope all is well there. We are doing very well. The kids have taken the busy lifestyle that we seem to lead here very well. A few of them had had mild stomach aches but Anita has been very good about pointing out which fruits will help that. And she and Joselito have been very careful about what we eat.God is doing so much here but there are still very many needs.Pray for these people. The kids and James are getting antsy...kayagama(see you later-in Quichua)
Bendiciones-
Heather and The Tribe

Whew...

2008-06-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it!
I know I said that we would try to post everyday or at least every other day...I am so sorry that I haven´t been able to do that. We have limited access to the internet and have been very busy...it is good!So, I will now try to give a brief update :
The trip went very well, the 2 youngest boys got a bit fussy about 15 minutes before we landed in Quito...Praise the Lord!! The kids did wonderfully with everything thought they were very exhausted when we finally got to the casa. I wish I could post pictures of the house or apartment that they aquired for us...it is a wonderful blessing. Three bedrooms and 3 baths, fully furnished and owned by an indigenous family that lives below.
Friday was spent recupparating for the kids and I, but James went with Joselito to the Ecuadorian Baptist Seminary to watch Joselito trian indigenous pastors. It was a long day for him...8 hours at least. The kids and I spent the day with Anita and the kids(Joselito´s family). That evening when the guys got home we went grocery shopping... it is very interesting to try to shop in spanish...I mostly just guess and it usually turns out o.k.Then we went to eat and all of the kids were sitting very quietly...a man came up and asked if he could take their picture. He wanted to use it to show his grandson how to behave at the table! We all thought this was very funny and our two families got a good laugh about it!
I don´t know of I mentioned this before but Quito and the surrounding areas are beautiful. Quito is in a valley surrounded by mountians and volcanoes(yes, they are active:-). But the casa that we are staying in has a wonderful view of at least three volcanoes...the boys watch them every chance they get, just in case they have the chance to see lava or smoke! Not likely, but they keep watch anyway. The people here are so friendly. They love to talk and have been most fascinated with Judah. They ask to hold him and then walk off to show him to everyone that they know! The church we visited on Sunday was very funny about this...they passed him around and took turns taking pictures of him! He has taken it very well, though by the end of the day he is very tired and little cranky...it´s o.k.
Back to the events , Saturday we went to the center of the world. A very famous place for Ecuador called Mitad del Mundo, beautiful place. It is famous because it is 0 degrees Lattitude...look it up if you have the chance. Afterwards, we drove about 10 minutes to a dormant volcanoe crater that is about 5 miles wide and it is named Pulalagua(sp?). I cannot even describe it to you...and the pictures will not do it justice. But I will show them anyway when we are home. There are homes in this crater and ranches...amazing!
On Sunday we went to an indigenous church called Candelaria Baptist, it was a wonderful experience. The people were very nice and welcoming. We were able to see them sing a few songs in Quichua...very good.Sunday night was a bit different. We met with an IMB couple and went to a house church led by Haitians that have moved to Ecuador. It was an interesting experience. They were also very friendly though not quite as talkative as the native Ecuadorians. It was good though. Then we went to the M´s house to eat and discuss the work that the IMB is doing in this area.
Yeasterday was spent resting...it was much needed as we had been out everyday from about 10 in the morning until about 10 at night and we were very tired. The Orellano family(Joselito and Anita) came over last night to discuss the plans for the rest of the trip. The days are now filled for the next two weeks...it is good(a favorite saying here). We look forward to seeing what comes next.
We have been able to sing for the children in a bible study that Anita does on Fridays and we have sung for the children in the church, they love singing and loved to hear it in English. James and I will each have the oppurtunity to share our testimony in the next two weeks at two different events. James may have the chance to preach. We will be working in an orphanage. And visiting other M´s out in the countryside of Ecuador to see the work they are doing and help them with what ever they need. We will be doing quite a bit in the next few weeks...please pray for us and the kids.
If you are wondering how the kids like it...they love it here. They said the other night that they want to stay and not go home:-). As many of you know, this is sort of a confirmation for us concerning missions. They love being in another culture and have not had any difficulty adjusting...amazing. God is good.

I hope this was not so much that you got bored reading it! It is alot longer that I intended.I hope that we can post more often now that we have found an internet place that has something faster than dial up:-). Sorry if anything is mispelled but half of the keyletters are missing so I have to guess...it is good. Remember to leave comments , we love to hear from you!!

Bendiciones(blessings),
Heather and The Tribe

Luggage

2008-05-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

In case you guys are not impressed with the luggage picture I thought I would throw in the fact that those are just the kid's bags! James and mine are not yet added in the mix...

One More Day;-)

2008-05-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

Only one more day and oh, are we excited!! We are pretty much packed and ready to go. I am sure some of you are just dying to know how much luggage it takes to get a family of 8 to South America for 3 weeks. Well, it is quite a bit ,I can tell ya that! I took some pics for those of you that are interested;-). Otherwise, I guess I post again when we are on our way or after we finally get there. It depends on whether or not James lets me have a few free minutes! Pray for the kids to be...I dunno, quiet, patient, entertained, easy going...etc.throughout the trip.Pray for us also;-), you can only imagine how it will be.

Fun with our Friends...

2008-05-15T15:38:00.001-07:00

We had such a blast with our friends today! I caught a few moments on camera and had to share them! The kids played doctor and vet...they both practice in the same office and there are no boys allowed. It was fun!!Enjoy;-)...

2008-05-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

Only 2 Weeks!!

2008-05-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

Saludos~

As you can see from the lovely countdown thingy over there-->
we only have a little over two weeks before we leave...yeah;-)!
We are so excited...just trying to concentrate on wrapping up school and getting things together for the trip.We found out that James will actually gets credit for this trip...praise the Lord!!! That means we are a few steps closer to the end (of seminary). He does have to do the work for two classes but I think he is actually looking forward to it;-). I believe he was a bit sad on that last day...after the finals were taken, of course!
In other news, Judah took his first steps!!! Three to be exact, we were very excited! This was James' first time to be there when one of the kids took their first steps and was a huge deal to him. I was grateful that he could see that;-). Of course he has not taken a single step since that night but I am okay with that.
I hope everyone of you moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day. I did. We had a lovely baby dedication at church which really made me reflect on the years I have had with my older kids,how much I've learned (the good, the bad, and the ugly about myself and the kids;-)...don't ask , trust me you really don't want the details! And it made me think of how quickly it has all gone by , I know that with them(the older 2) I did not cherish the early years enough...I was in survival mode(you all know what I'm talking about;-). But I think that the more children we had the more I was determined to enjoy it from the beginning...oh, what joy! What a blessed turning point in my life as a mother that was and how I wish it had been sooner. All this to say...cherish your babies/kids/teenagers/young adults. Get up at night when your baby cries out...kiss their head, cheeks, hands as you rock them back to sleep and don't worry about that sleep you've lost it is something that in 10 years you won't miss but you will regret not taking advantage of those moments alone being your child's comfort. Laugh with them when they act silly, be there when they want to talk until late in the night...even if you've had a looooong day, look at the pictures, cards, and all of the other things.Wear the things they buy for you, even if they are not the most fashionable item around...it means more to them tha you know.(My mom had great experience with poorly chosen jewelry gifts and was always a very good sport about it, even if she didn't find out it was a joke until later! Remember the knife earrings , Mom? I love ya!) Cherish every moment you possibly can, when you look back or even when you lay down in bed at night you'll be happy you did. There is oh so much more that I have learned in the past 12 years and much more that I need to learn but these things have pressed heavily on my heart so I though I'd share them;-).
Another thing I'd like to share are some pictures that I taken of the kids, I'll add those in a seperate post. Hope you guys enjoy them...

spring

2008-04-29T10:57:00.001-07:00

spring
Originally uploaded by Tieman Tribe

We're Still Here!

2008-04-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

It's true ..we are still here,just busy;-). Piper and Josiah began baseball at Southeast Christian Church, we still have the kids fitness program at Southern Sem. and then there is the everyday stuff;-). A quick update is what I am posting...
Judah had tubes put in his ears because of repetative ear infections and is beginning to feel better now. James is ending his semester in the next few weeks and this means studying for finals , so I don't really know how much I'll be able to post. He'll probably have the computer most of the time...the kids and I are wrapping up another glorious homeschool year(only 4 weeks left!Yippeee). I think I am just as excited as they are to see summer coming...then there is the trip to Ecuador. The big news that some of you know , but not all, is that we have been fully funded! ;-)...Praise the Lord!!! What an awesome God we serve...one that knows what we need before we even know we will need it and then provides for that need.May it be for His glory...
Keep praying for us as we prepare for this trip. Pray for the kids, that God would give them a passion for missions as He has done for us. That they would love and have a desire to serve those around them. But mostly, that they would seek after the Lord with all that they are. We know that this trip will be an eye opener for our kids and we pray that they would not only see the material poverty of the people but that they would see the spiritual depravity. That the Lord would create in them a burden for the lost people of the world.
We'll keep posting, don't give up on us if you don't see anything new for a few days...weeks...I don't think it will be longer than that;-).Oh yeah, some of you have been asking about our travel dates so here they are:

Leave Louisville- May 29 @ 1:05
Arrive in Quito- May 29 @ 10:30ish
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leave Quito- June 18 @ 6:30ish a.m.(yes, that is in the morning)
Arrive in Louisville- June 18 @ 9:00 p.m. ( loooooong day...please pray for us!)

~~Thanks to everyone who is supporting us through prayer and encouragement and financially, it means more to us and the kids than you will ever know.~~

2008-04-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

Tieman Tribe and Busch Girls

2008-04-03T11:30:00.001-07:00

Tieman Tribe and Busch Girls
Originally uploaded by Tieman Tribe

Our friends stopped in this past weekend ... we had so much fun!! They have four precious girls. It was a welcomed break from the everydayness of life;-).

More snow fun...

2008-03-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures from Saturday morning. We woke up to quite a few inches of snow and as you can see it was still going strong!!! So, we took "Bob" the Hales' jeep out to play;-)...it's a 4wd and they left it with us for James to look at because it has been having problems. Worked great for us though, and the kids thought it was the coolest vehicle ever(especially since we were the only ones on the road NOT getting stuck!). We had soooo much fun!! I'll post a video of the kids sliding down the hill on tubes later...

Snow Fun

2008-03-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Ecuador Trip Update

2008-03-06T22:07:00.000-08:00

Things are moving right along in our attempts to prepare for our trip to Ecuador. I guess I should begin in the beginning for those interested...for those who are not or who may already know all of this, please fell free to skip to the next paragraph;-).
Well, as anyone who has traveled to another country for any length of time knows, there is alot of preparation that goes in to it. Imagine that multiplied by eight! I was beginning to rethink this whole thing when I saw that the suggested immunizations for travel to Ecuador included a Rabies vaccine! Yes folks, you saw that correctly...a rabies vaccine. Now, it could just be me but I don't think it sounds like a whole bunch of fun telling the six kids that they will have to get a shot for rabies...I can just see their panicked faces now(they have all seen Old Yeller and so, they know what rabies is,yikes!). Yeah, no thanks. So, I pulled the professor's wife to the side and asked about vaccinations and thankfully we don't have to get any at all!!!Yahooooo...that totally made my day!
And then I asked the next question that had been weighing on my mind and this may not sound all that important to most of you but to us it means ALOT!! Would there be a washing machine or would we be washing by hand??? I am completely o.k. with washing by hand but I would have to factor in the time needed to wash all of our clothes by hand on a stone;-). Thankfully, there are other alternatives...there may be a washing machine or the prof. said that the ladies around our street would do it for a certain amount...humm, sounds good but this puts a new spin on things. See, we do not want to go in there with the typical American attitude...we want to mingle with the people. Here is where I would love to hear your opinion in the comments section;-).
BTW, the girls were really excited about being able to wash the clothes by hand for 3 weeks!! Seriously, they think it will be like Little House On the Prairie! I told them they could get a good head start and wash the clothes in the bathtub if they liked...they gave me the "Mom, why do you have to be like that?" look. Oh well...maybe that was why God felt the need to interject that verse about parents not exasperating their children!
Alright, now for the good stuff. We recieved an e-mail from the good professor saying that the guy we are being hooked up with in Ecuador found us a house to rent for the 3 weeks that we will be there!! What a huge blessing...can you imagine being in one room with six kids for three weeks?!? I can't either and they are my kids!!But it gets even better...for that one room we would have paid about $15/day/person. For this whole house we will pay $20/day!! God is so good!! He is laying it all out before us, perfectly planned by Him...keep praying for us and how He is going to use our family.
~For His Glory~