Good-Bye Summer--A Bittersweet Day

I have always loved summer vacation time for our boys. Today seemed bittersweet as school begins tomorrow. Tom, our youngest, starts his freshman year in high school. Tad, our junior in high school, starts the following day. (Tad parted with his beard tonight after football practice.) Tim begins college at WSU on Thurs. but has been on campus a lot for activities already.
The boys have had productive summers working and doing sports and conditioning. We've had great family times together. A few weeks ago we took a family trip to Estes Park/Rocky Mtn. National Park. I was thankful that we could all still go together. The photos are taken during our trip. So "thank you, Lord for such a wonderful summer". Good-bye summer but the memories are for keeps!

CONGRATULATINS GRADUATES!

I am always so slow with my blogs so this one is 2 months late! May was a special month for our family with graduations. Niece, Marci, graduated from seminary and a week later son, Tim, graduated from high school. Two weeks later son, Tom, graduated from the 8th grade. This photo shows Tim and Marci. Will follow in another blog with Tom. Since graduation Tim celebrated birthday #19 so (sometime) will get these pictures posted as well. The years go so fast!

A TRIP TO TREASURE AND REMEMBER!

Last fall, my dear friend, Gayle, invited me to join her and 3 others (plus a guide) in a hike of the Grand Canyon. Her husband was paying for all of us as a birthday present to Gayle. We began this adventure on Friday April 3 and completed it on Sunday April 5! This was a life changing event for me--spiritually, physically, and emotionally. We hiked down one trail to the bottom that was 7.5 miles down--camping there the first night. The descent was the hardest--with the back pack and 50 m.p.h. gusts of wind, I don't know how many times I fell over! We hiked out a different trail in 2 stints doing about 4.5 miles each day and camping night 2 about half way up. I was definitely (by far) the slow one in the group. (I thought that my jogging and climbing the WSU stadium steps had me ready for this, but surprise!) Others were so gracious to carry part of my load to help me. I thought of the Bible verse, "Bear one another's burdens." They certainly did this for me. Hiking out of the canyon, Mindy, said it reminded her of the hymn "Higher Ground"! I may share some of the words of this hymn with some more pictures for a later blog, but today wanted to remember the great accomplishment and the Lord's help in completing this hike 6 weeks ago today. Thank you Gayle and David for this wonderful trip and fellow hikers, Diane, Mindy, Kathy, and guide, Jill, for your kindess and help to me. This pictues show the 4 other team members and our guide. You really have to see this canyon to grasp the magnitude and beauty!

OUR YOUNGEST TURNS 15!

I am way behind on blogging, but am working toward catching up. Tom, our youngest son, turned 15 on March 24. How fast the years have gone. He has had a great middle school experience at Stucky Middle School. This past year he made their basketball team! His dad and I had so much fun going to the games and watching him play. He is looking forward to the end of school, starting to drive, working some this summer mowing yards, and getting ready for high school. He is always so great to help us with whatever needs to be done. He is very organized and always keeps his room neat. We love you, Tom!

Who Says That Pigs Can't Fly?!

When scrolling through some of our spring break San Francisco photos, I came across these of our boys at the San Francisco airport. We were waiting to board to head home. Tim and I gave them some money to get food as they were all hungry--what else is new! You see our "three little porkers" as happy and content as can be, chowing down. As Tim and I watched them inhaling the food, Tim made the comment, "Who says that pigs can't fly?"

THE WIESNER'S ESCAPE!

Escapes from Alcatraz were not supposed to happen. But this photo shows our family with Alcatraz in the background--we escaped! Last March, when the boys were on spring break, we spent a few days in San Francisco. The boys like Alcatraz, so we visited it again this year. We had a special trip. Tim and I especially love the cable cars and he and I were up early every morning to ride them before meeting the boys. These are happy memories.

Good-bye to Our Tree House

About 9 years ago when we still had "Little Boys" we got a Tree House for them to play in and enjoy. It was such an exciting day when the company we purchased it from came to set it up! The boys did a lot of "detective work" and this served as their headquarters! Tim, Tad, and Tom and their friend, Gabe, called themselves "The Four Cops". But the "Four Cops" have grown and now have other interests--plus they are too big to get in the tree house. Last week we said good-bye to this "treasured fixture". We are having some excavating done in our back yard and it was in the way of the needed work. I will always remember the "Little Boys" and the way they inhabitated this wooden structure.

TAD--Our February Birthday!

Tad turned 17 several weeks ago! His slow mother is quite behind on blogging--but possibly "better late than never"! These photos show Tad with his ice cream birthday cake which he and his brothers like. Tad is happy to be back to be back at Trinity Academy this semester. He is in a sophomore Bible Study which he helps to lead. He enjoys working out with weights and is anticipating getting ready for football season. He is starting to line up mowing jobs for this summer. He has a quiet manner (usually) and a very kind, sensitive heart. Our family has been blessed by him. We love you so much, Tad! Have a great year!

Christmas 2008

Now that we are 4 days into 2009, I am finally getting a couple of December photos and Christmas memories recorded. As always, the weeks before Christmas seemed to go so very fast--especially this year with Thanksgiving being late. The first part of December, I hosted a Christmas luncheon for my niece, Marci. It was so fun and inspiring to be with her. The following week each of our boys had a special event--Tom was happy to make his middle school basketball team; Tad made the decision to transfer back to Trinity for the upcoming semester; and Tim learned he had been awarded a college scholarship. The following week they were busy with finals and finishing the semester and then the anticipated Christmas break began! Now school resumes tomorrow but we've had such a nice time. I always feel sad when a special time ends, but my sister, Donneta, says, "Don't be sad that something is over, be thankful that it happened!" We had Christmas Day here in Wichita and after opening our gifts went to each of our mother's assisted living homes and celebrated with them. The Sunday after Christmas we had the McBoyle celebration at Donneta and Monte's. The cousins have their traditional football game and I enjoy sitting in the van, clapping, and honking the horn when a touchdown is made. Now the decorations are down and more of a regular schedule begins tomorrow a.m. but the memories are carried in my heart.