Moving and Moving and Moving

I think we are becoming pros at moving. What is the old adage... the only thing constant is change.? THAT pretty much sums it up. Of course, we knew those changes were coming, but I'm not sure I'll ever get used to change:) I wish I could easily sum up the past six months or so, but instead, I am going to make an effort to post at least some significant pictures from those times... Unfortunately, not only has my blog been inaccessible for several months, but our iphoto has decided to become possessed:/ Until then, I wanted to journal a few things and add pics later, for my own purposes, mostly:)
      We are finally settling into a new life in Oklahoma. We spent a terrific, and terrifically chaotic, summer first awaiting licensing for Ben to begin work and then with Ben living away from us for 7 weeks working. I think a couple significant things happened over the summertime...
1. We left Arizona. Oh, what a difficult time. My heart still hurts for our beloved little home away from home. At least once a week Zach asks me why daddy had to get a job in "Okahoma" and if we can move back to Arizona when we move again so that we don't have to make any new friends:) I love his little thought processes and feel like that is something I had not foreseen. I was aware that Ben and I would have a difficult time leaving our old life, but usually think of my sweet kiddos as our little sidekicks. I had not thought much about how significant this life change would be to their little minds. That has been difficult. They miss their friends and old surroundings too (although they don't seem to miss TJ Maxx or Target being right down the street like I do:)
2. Zachary turned 4! Right in the midst of our move, our little man turned 4. I want to post about him individually, but feel I would be remiss in not mentioning this. About a month ago, I realized how much more pleasant he is becoming:) He has become one of my best friends (in a healthy way). He is so happy and so much more reasonable than say his terrible 3 ages. He has always just been a little more opinionated and less willing to compromise, but lately, we have been able to reason much better and come to some great understandings. I love this little man and am so proud of all of his accomplishments, but especially that he is with us and such a good best friend to all of us.
3. Daddy graduated. This probably deserved it's own post too and I will try my best:) But, I can't forget what a significant event this has been for all of us. Ben worked so hard and finished school strong. We had lots of dramatic times finally choosing a job, but feel grateful for so wonderful options. We really feel like we have been led here with Ben's good skills at this time for specific purpose and are grateful for that confirmation.
4. Ben's grandpa passed away. We were so sad to see Grandpa go. He was such a fine man and a stalwart example of love, service and sacrifice. We were however, grateful for the opportunity we had to spend with our family celebrating his life in Wyoming.
5. Spent 3 weeks in Idaho. Because of the funeral, we were able to spend some extra special time in Idaho awaiting Ben's licensure in Oklahoma. We feel so fortunate that we had this special time with Grandma and Grandpa Pieper and some of the greatest Aunts and Uncles and friends and cousins! I think we saw almost everyone this summer, which was a huge blessing and balm to our souls:). I think this time gave us a chance to build some special relationships and help our kiddos build those relationships too. They absolutely LOVE going to grandma and grandpa's! Almost everyday Grandpa had the boys out in his garden teaching them what he had planted and letting them taste some things that were ready. They helped him move things while he tilled, and pulled lots of weeds. One day they (clearly having paid attention for several days prior), came in and announced that they "wouldn't be needing lunch today because they were living off the fat of the land!" I went outside to see their gatherings, all carefully spread and labeled on the picnic tables. They had mustard greens, several lettuces, green tomatoes, unripened currants and gooseberries, and sugar peas. They really did eat their fill over and over during our visit. It was a delight to have them on the "farm" and teach Reese to appreciate nature:) She learned to pick up garter snakes and scream at them in delight, in fact:) I think it's safe to say we enjoyed every minute of our hard work in Idaho and the great company. It just might get us through until the holidays when we can be reunited again:)
6. Ben started working! What a glorious day to finally begin working at the job you've been preparing to have for 10 years! Ben is loving being a dentist, though he is working his tail off. He is learning a lot and spent the first 7 weeks working in Tulsa before his office opened. It is still weird to think of him as Dr. Pieper.
7. We got paid:) We got paid! After a couple months and several years of no significant income, we finally received a real paycheck:) Whew! I don't know that we have felt more relief in our entire lives than to know that our hard work is coming to fruition and we'll be able to *someday* conquer the heap!
8. The kids and I spent 7 weeks in Kansas. We traveled around to my grandmas' houses, spent a week with Joni and her sweet girls and spent some time in Tulsa vacationing while the good Dr. worked, but otherwise, we spent a few weeks at my parents' house. Their little town holds a very special place in my heart now. We became involved in swimming, water aerobics, running, library, summer reading, kids college, to name a few! Isaac even made their little newspaper! We loved it and feel a sense of belonging now even when we visit:)
9. I ran my longest run. 16.7 miles! I was fortunate to go on lots of long runs with some ladies in my parents' little town. What a treat. I love finding good running mates. I feel like each running mate I've had has given me such insight and perspective. I love each of them, is that weird?! I do. They have taught me more than they could probably ever know.
10. We finally moved to our home. We are renting, but moving next month (again) as we try to come up with a more permanent home:) Our current home was for sale and has now sold, so here we are again, preparing to pack boxes:) We have been fortunate to find a wonderful little elementary school for Ike and the best first grade teacher EVER:) Zach and I are doing "home pre-k" and it is perfect and wonderful in every way. I delight in our time together at home and out and about. Truly, these are wonderful times. I think we have been led to this good home for a reason and now our next one will have it's own purposes too. We have been somewhat in transition during these past couple of months, so my mind has felt a little chaotic, but overall we are settling in to this great town. Oklahoma is such an interesting, fun place to be.

Ok, I suppose that's our top 10:) We are alive. We are all well. All really IS well, and we are so grateful.

Taking a Deep Breath

We could see the new temple from this view off of Deems Hill

relaxing and enjoying the view

eating yummy lunch!

Zachary had the best "Seat" in the house!

One thing is for sure... "winter" in Arizona is AMAZING! We are taking advantage of this beautiful weather to be outside as much as possible... So, once again we have the hiking bug! The funniest part too, is that our boys have even more of a hiking bug than us! They're pretty into it. We find little mountains all over the valley (mostly close by), take a little sack lunch and have at it. Zachary is actually becoming a good little hiker and Ike keeps us at a quick pace. Reese LOVES riding in the Kelty Backpack (particularly pulling our hair!). She also makes lots of love squeals as we pass giant cactus like above. It is such a great way to get out, have good quality time with our little kiddos and talk uninterrupted. It is amazing what peace we can feel just being out in nature together. It seems to make all our stress disappear:)

2012 Pieper Year In Review

2012 Pieper Year in Review

2012 Has been a year to never forget. This little Pieper family has seen so many amazing things come to fruition and have felt the guiding hand of the Lord as we have opened a new chapter and started to close another.

On March 5th, our little family added little Reese Caroline. Ben and I have always left the surprise of our babies’ gender to the birth, and oh, how we were surprised this time around! Both of us had sort of resorted to having a house full of boys. Don’t mistake us, our boys are the most wonderful little boys. BUT, this sweet little girl has added a measure of sweetness and frill, giggles and love, shoes and accessories, we never quite imagined. The boys are perfectly smitten by “Reesie Gril” (as Zach calls her). She never has to want for much and she always has two little playmates to chase her and tickle her and give her anything she wants (yikes!). “Reeses Pieces” also has two little boys that are very sure of what she should be wearing at all times (only things befitting of a princess- no regular duds for this one!). Ike and Zach often pick out her clothes and dote on her continuously. My, how it has made them into two amazing big brothers! Each night they wish her a goodnight, kiss her, tell her how much they love her and then tell her, “dream about princesses and milk!!” I can just imagine the years we have to come and the goodness this bunch will be to each other. Look out world! Reese’s favorite things right now are crawling/cruising (walking is just around the corner, I’m afraid!), laughing and giggling, ANIMALS of all kinds, and chatting (her favorite phrase right now is “Ohhh WOW!”) This little girl is a ray of sunshine all day long. I just can’t imagine life without her.

Ike had his own set of “firsts” this year too. Isaac graduated from Preschool in May after a couple of years of school at home with Mommy. It has been so bittersweet. I have so enjoyed my time with Isaac. He is such a little helper and friend and so willing and smart and trusting and just a little sponge. We have learned so much together, it was hard to let him start that first day of Kindergarten. Luckily, we live in a district that has half day Kindergarten, so I have been able to ease into the process. Ike goes to school in the morning after a nice, warm “smart power breakfast.” We live exactly one block from school, so I walk him to school everyday with the other two kiddos in the stroller. After bidding him farewell on the playground, he lines up with his class and does his “kindergarten thing” for 2 hours and 45 minutes. We pick him up at 10:45. This is just enough time to go for a jog, put Reese down for a nap, take a shower, help Zachary with his journal and then pick up! Whew! In this seemingly short time, Ike has made some great little friends, 3 he knew before school, and is now reading at a second grade level. Ike is always the first to pitch in and a great little helper to me. He keeps a close eye on his little sister and, though not in love with the idea, is very good at completing his chores and keeping a clean room. He remains super inquisitive and we can never seem to fill his mind with enough. Right now his favorite things to learn about are dinosaurs and states and traveling (he LOVES hotels). And, as of today, he still wants to be a Paleontologist when he grows up AND a dentist, he says! He comes home just in time to drum up a new game with Zachary where they are paleontologists, chefs, mountain climbers, firefighters, doctors etc. He and Z are still the best of friends and that warms my heart.  Isaac’s other firsts this year included his first year of playing competitive soccer (he was an excellent defensive player AND scored his FIRST GOAL in a game!!) He also lost his FIRST TOOTH, well daddy pulled it with pliers after 4 secondsJ (and is still beaming about it!). Yes, this little six year old has lots of firsts and we’re so glad to share them with him!

Zachary had his own set of firsts this yearJ This little boy went from being the baby to being a big brother and he did it so well. I was a little worried, I must admit, as he made a pretty good baby! He has taken it like a champ and not for one second has he ever shown jealousy or displeasure with sweet little Reese. He also keeps a close eye on little sister and keeps her out of trouble. He has his own special ways of enticing her to spit out the little toy/lint/any number of little things she shouldn’t have in her mouth. We are so glad for this talentJ Zachary has also played his first year of soccer, though not competitive, he loved it! He is pretty coordinated and it is fun to see him out there succeeding on his own. His little beaming smile is hard to beat. Zachary also started his first year of Joy School this year and goes to someone’s house every Tuesday and Thursday for school. He loves it most at our house, which I am glad for, but don’t tell him! He also loves learning and is a little sponge for information. He too is very interested in dinosaurs and knows almost all the states too! He is very quick and understands much more than I give him creditJ He is quick to be nervous for situations he hasn’t liked in the past (mostly dealing with dogs), but is becoming more reasonable everyday. Zach is very strong willed and is certain that he knows everything. Which, I have a question about… If you know everything when you are three, where do you go from there?! He is hilarious and loves telling jokes and making us laugh. He has a smile that is hard to beat and just like his brother, he can melt your heart with his sweet words and easy kisses (hopefully they stick to their mommy with those)! This year Zachary also graduated from a crib to a big boy bed. He and his brother are the proud owners of a new bunk bed. We put off this purchase as long as we could, but in the end, it has probably been one of the best purchases we have made. The kids are thrilled, though they never really use the top bunk! Both boys sleep on the bottom bunk, which is a double. I’m sure they’ll grow out of that eventually, but for now, it is pretty darn cuteJ

Ben spent the year studying and juggling. Seriously. His ability to (figuratively) juggle has never ceased to amaze me and this year really took the cake. As you can imagine, having two small boys and a pregnant wife and then going to three little ones is a handful on its own. Add dental school, board exams, and church responsibilities, and planning for post graduation to the mix and you could have a real mess. Somehow, Ben has made it happen with relative ease, if but a few less hairsJ I chose to give birth in a hospital in close proximity to dental school and it’s a good thing. After being up all night having little Reese, Ben took off first thing in the morning to attend school. He eventually took a nap, but I think that pretty much sums up this year for him. We continue to be blessed beyond measure and beyond our own capabilities to be sure. Ben has finished MOST of his boards now and MOST of dental school. In a few short months, we will be adults with a real job and real financial obligations. BUT, for now, we are working really hard to be inspired in the decisions we are making. It is a tremendous matter of prayer and we know we will be guided as we have been all along. Ben and his dental school buddy spent last weekend on a “trip of a lifetime,” as they described it to their wivesJ They spent 4 days hiking the Grand Canyon from rim to rim to rim. 52 miles, gallons of water, pounds of granola bars, and 3 sleepless nights later, they made itJ It truly was an amazing time in nature, to be sure. Ben has never done something like this for himself before and I think it was an excellent time to be in nature, to push himself physically, and to feel some calm before the stormJ He was missed terribly and welcomed home more intensely than ever before!

And as for me, I am no longer pregnant! I loved expecting Reese, but am so happy to have her in my arms and in our lives. Every once in awhile someone asks me what I “do.” For any young mother, contemplating this question can seem ridiculous. There is not a lot I don’t “do,” and yet, to quantify it is so subpar. I keep the children alive and the family running. I am the first teacher, pediatrician, cheerleader, reading specialist, budget director, cleaning crew, nightmare chaser, security guard, park-taker, every-random-fact knower (or finder-outer), hairdresser, stylist, seamstress, art director, chef-extraordinaire, craft manager, sports coordinator, chauffer, to name a few. BUT, when I’m not doing that, which is *almost* never, I am in a presidency at church that works with the girls ages 12-18. I also love running, planning parties/get-togethers for no reason (or any old reason), and I especially love doing/tasting/seeing everything around me. If you know me at all, you know that I am almost always up for any old adventure. I drag my kids to some of the most random things and Ben and I have had some of the most random dates, but hey, we have really experienced our lives in PhoenixJ I have to say, though, that this year, as never before, I have thoroughly LOVED being a mother. It is the best kept secret! I love being on the front line with my kiddos. I love knowing their ins and outs, ups and downs. I love knowing everything that happened in kindergarten and nursery. I love cuddling with Reese and reading books about cute little bears and monsters. I love studying up on dinosaurs and 100 other thingsJ I really do love it and though I didn’t really see it coming when I was younger, I am so grateful to be a stay at home mom. This year, for myself, I ran another half marathon, which I loved, but I also ran almost every day, even right before I had Reese, not because I am tough or talented, but because I love it and it makes me a better person. I also talked Ben into running a Mud Run with me. It was an obstacle course of crazy things I NEVER thought I would be strong enough to do. Each time we would come to a 20 ft wall or a huge ropes course or a 100 ft slide, I would say, “I don’t think I can do that.” To which my fearless, amazing husband would reply, “just give it a try babe, I think you can.” AND guess what!? I DID IT! WE DID IT! As Ben put it, “This was the best time I’ve had in a long time. Let’s do it again!” And we will.

If you were brave or bored enough to read this, you can see 2012 truly was a year worth remembering for us. I cannot say that it was without turmoil or tears, but I do feel blessed that all along the way, we have felt the loving hand of the Savior. That is why I wanted to write this letter, though it is a little later than normal. I never want to forget all that we have felt and all that He has done for us. We know that He lives. We have felt Him lift us when we were down and couldn’t go anymore, and embrace us when we didn’t know what else to do. Life, especially ours, is not perfect. We are nowhere near perfection, but through Him, we feel peace and perfect love. We thank Him for the year 2012 and for each of you, our friends and family who have been there for us all along the way.

Love,

The Piepers

Daddy and Ike on a FiELd TrIP

Ben and Ike had the opportunity to go to the World Wildlife Zoo in the fall on Ike's first Field Trip in Kindergarten! I am not sure daddy was prepared for all the fun and excitement of the day, but he did pretty well:) I don't know what was more exciting... the zoo or the trip on the bus! This zoo is pretty special (and huge) and has fun things like a spot to feed the giraffes, and a chance to get really close to some awesome animals AND plenty of space to RUN around:) Ike's group consisted of two other little boys... Dominic and Sam. They were a busy crew, barely stopping for a picture, but boy did they experience the zoo and come home tired! I think all three little boys came close to sleeping on the trip home:) AND they all had a great time going with Ben and eating DELICIOUS delicacies, like seaweed:)

Bowling with the Homies

I have to document all these fun times... Ben is so lucky to be working in a suite with two very talented, amazing doctors. Dr. Dougherty and Dr. Jensen. For Dr. Jensen's birthday the whole suite and their families went bowling. It was such a fun night of wrestling little kiddos and throwing heavy balls:) We had a great time. Truly, we feel like we have been in the perfect place for our little family and for Ben to learn as much as possible. We will miss it:) Well, parts of it:)

Crazy Mamas and San Diego

Isaiah, Jared, Isaac, Kinlee, Zach, Reese, Me, Rach, and Brookie-

welcome to the SD Zoo!

Isaiah, Ike and Kinlee outside the zoo

Reesie girl in the hotel room- pretty excited to be in San Diego!

Isaiah and the Bears!

Zach pointing out the bears to Molly

Isaiah and Jared with the bear (popular spot for us!)

Cute Kinlee and the leopard

A common occurrence on our trip:) best buds!

I think he should've been a LITTLE more impressed by the pandas:)

directions? I told you Rach was the savior of the trip:)

Cool tar pit talking about California- boys were in HEAVEN:)

3 Cousins in a little stroller:)

Lots of fun structures to climb on: Jared and Ike

Hahaha! McKenna really did fall asleep like this! We had some TIRED kiddos!!

Kinlee's favorite spot:)

Fun kiddos at the beach

Ohhhh the beach!!

McKenna's a little unimpressed...

wave running...

Crazy mammas...

Almost all the kiddos... crazy mammas:)

Brookie a little unimpressed...

At least Jared loved the beach!

And Zaya too!

Run Zachy, run!!

Beauty.

Best friends:)

Best. Pic. Ever.

I'm backtracking a little, but I found some un-journaled photos:) What do you do when your husbands are in school, your kids are on fall break, you have free passes to the Zoo, a full tank of gas and San Diego is only a few hours away... You pack up the seven kids, two strollers, a gillion bags, lots of sunscreen, trail mix, and some my little pony and hit the road:) Well, at least that is what my equally-as-crazy dear friend and I did:) Our super supportive, slightly insane husbands booked hotel rooms for us in San Diego and off we went:) We stayed a couple nights and jam packed our days beyond what you would imagine is humanly possible with two mammas and seven children (plus my dear, sweet SIL, Rachel and her two kiddos= 3 mammas and 9 KIDDOS!) Wow.
     We had a blast. We spent a day at the zoo, we LOVE that amazing zoo. We went to the beach (note to self: I CAN ALWAYS JUST GO TO THE BEACH!) I really don't need to "waste time" at any other amusement, the beach is always the favorite spot! The beach has everything! Sun, water, sand, ambient background noise, food, plenty of people watching, parks, digging, shops, crazy fishermen, surfers, everything. I could sit and watch waves or run and chase waves forever with the kiddos:)
      We also chilled at the hotel. The kids LOVED playing together, watching TV (a huge rarity)- chopped is our FAVE, and swimming in the hotel pool. Not to mention all our delicious hotel food:)
I also must mention our sweet gem... We really enjoyed Rachel and her kiddos, as I mentioned earlier. We really need to make our trips to San Diego much closer together. Rach is such an amazing mommy and has two of the sweetest, funnest kiddos. Oh how we LOVE little Isaiah and Brooklynn. Rach was a real trooper guiding us to our San Diego adventure:) She carted us all over the place and helped us with absolutely everything two psychotic mamas could ask for:) I love that woman and her sweet family:) Someday I hope we can live closer because I know our families would be best of friends:)
And finally to my sweet partner in crime... this girl is willing to take any adventure I accept:) She is my Louise:) I just love her and her sweet family to pieces. Our kids act more like cousins than friends and I love that. I'm so grateful to have this family nearby, what a treasure to us:)