Just Singing a Song

Here is a video of Moses singing in the car on the way to church. So cute :)

 "Autumn Leaves are Falling Down", a made up song to the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down".. so cute (especially the gulp for air in the middle :D)

Cool pics

Here's a few pictures I edited with Picnik (an application on Facebook :D). Its so fun! :)

At camp during the summer :)

Me and my friend at about 8 (we met at 3, and we're still friends now :D)

Jesca, my sponsor girl's sister.. in Uganda.

Me and some friends on the ferry back from Vancouver Island

haha love this one.. Me and my friends on a dressup day at school (the clothes are real, the hair's not :P)

haha my little Moses :D

Me and my friend.. we have the same birthday, and when we were younger everyone thought we were twins, so we've always called each other Twin 1 and Twin 2 :P

Dressing up for an awesome youth event.. go team black!! :D

Me and my sibs on the ferry to camp

GORGEOUS little twins that my friend and I babysit for a weekend in Whistler (along with 3 other kids)

The Gorgeous Ones <3

Here's a few pictures taken during a little model shoot with Ayana and Moses.. I appoligize for the huuuge amount of photos (and this is after deleting a bunch!)..we were bored :P

And as Moses was being unusually cooperative, I thought I'd seize the opportunity and get some good shots of him! :)

I love these next ones of Ayana, because she was totally just being a goofball, but it captured so many parts of her personality perfectly! :)

Aren't they just the cutest, most beautiful little things you've ever seen?!? They're even cuter in person ;)

Coming up next.... pics of all my siblings, and some wonderful photoshop/picnik edited pictures by moi! :)

Aldor Acres.. The Pumpkin Patch!

Yesterday we went to Aldor Acres, which is an adorable farm where you can go and just hang out, and look at/hold the animals. There's also a pumpkin patch where you can go and get pumpkins there, and at Christmas they have a Christmas tree farm. There's not much to describe, so I'll just put the pictures up... so pretty!

The batteries were almost dead on my camera, so we bought a disposable camera too... so the pictures on here are the only ones from my camera, and the other ones still have to be developed :)

Tiniest, cutest little 3 week old bunnies ever... I wanted to take them all home!!

Ayana and Moses checking out the bunnies

Me holding a baby piglet! It was actually screaming the whole time I held it!! Haha.. I was born to live on a farm! :P Actually, no joke, I would love it!

The cutie pies

Loving the goats

Going for a hay ride! :P

Moses looved the tractor ride the best!!

With our baby pumpkins

Moses being a goof

Just Some Exciting, Fantastic, Incredible, Amazing, Wonderful, Sweeter than Sweet News!!!!

Ok, so for those of you who don't remember/know, my school sends out teams of 10-14 students plus leaders to different countries around the world each year to do various outreach projects. Last year I went to India, and had a fantastic time, and loved the girls at the orphanage we were working at. This year, there are 12 teams (more than ever-last year was the most so far, and there were 10), going to:

- South Africa

- Tanzania

- Nimibia (new team!)

- India (new last year)

- Slovakia (new last year)

- Ukraine (new last year)

- Trinidad

- Kibaale, Uganda (the school we sponsor in Uganda, where my two gorgeous sponsor children are)

- Cuba

- Israel

- Guatemala

- Thailand

You apply in May, and put down your choices of continent or Israel(ie: I put 1. Africa, 2 Africa, 3. Israel(Africa).... haha, think I got my point across?? :P) but then you don't find out where you go until the first Friday of the new school year.

So they got us all into the auditorium and gave a loooong speech about outreach, and the different locations, and stretched it out SO long, and then finally we all went running up to the lobby to find out what teams we were on.

Ok, to set this up properly, I should mention that not only did I write Africa on my list, I wrote Kibaale as well, AND wrote a 1 1/2 page letter on why I should go to Kibaale AND prayed about it non-stop alllll summer. Basically, I wanted to go to Kibaale so bad I could die. Plus, I knew that the leaders were really good friends of ours, so that would be even more exciting! However, since I went in the summer after grade 8 with my family, I was almost 100% sure that I wouldnt' be going.. but I prayed and hoped all the same.

Ok, so we all go running up, and checking the list to find our names and locations, and as I'm scanning the list for my name, I see.... I could not believe it, I started hyperventilating. There is my name; Wiebe, Erin.. and right beside it, it says...

UGANDA!!!!!!!!!!!

I started screaming, when all of a sudden I hear one of my best friends, Carissa, screaming too. So we run over to each other, and scream (at the same time) "I'm going to Uganda!!!" (let me just mention here that I'm not the kind of girl who goes around screaming.. I'm actually quite quiet at school-except for with my friends-, so I'm pretty sure I gave like half my grade a heart attack when I started freaking out like that!) Yes, me and one of my best friends since grade 6, are both going to one of the best places ever!!!!!

My other really good friends are going to South Africa, Trinidad, Tanzania, and Israel, so I'm soo excited for them, those should be awesome trips. However, I have to say, I'm am SOOOOOOOOO pumped about my trip! I am going to KIBAALE UGANDA!!!!!!

This is pretty much (along with Israel) the most popular place, and the hardest to get into because everyone wants to go. So needless to say, I am sooo excited, I can hardly stop smiling. Even now, I'll be sitting there (usually looking at pictures of my sponsor kids.. WHO I WILL BE MEETING IN A FEW MONTHS!!!!!!) and just randomly start smiling, because I just can't stop thinking about how unbelievably happy I am.

And to make it even better, our leaders are good friends of ours, one of my best friends is going, and all the grade 11s on our team are the really mature ones that I'm already friends with!! So pretty much its my dream team.

I am so excited I could puke. And its only been 2 days since I found out! I don't know how I'll make it through the next few months until we go!!!

Here are some pictures of the incredible place that I will be visiting in only a few short months!!!

First of all, my lovely little Jackie (9 1/2):

And my beautiful Reagan (almost 7):

Jackie's adorable little sister Jesca


At church

My brother reading a book to the grade 2s

LOVE this picture.. mine and Gloria's hands

Little Dorcus (Gloria's twin)

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!! :D :D :D

I Want to be a Pilot

I found this incredibly moving video on Youtube, and just had to share. (Hopefully it actually works for me this time!!) Its about a little boy called Omondi who lives in Kibera (Nairobi, Kenya) and longs to become a pilot, so that he can fly away from his life in the slums. It just makes me want to go and bring him back to Canada, and give him his dream.... the sad thing is, just how many Omondi's are there in the world who will never ever get a chance at a better life, or even a chance of recognition or love?

I'm not entirely sure whether the video is actually true (as in, that is actually that little boy's story), since the credits are slightly confusing, but the story is true enough in a sense that that is what is happening to children all over Africa, all over the world. It represents those children, gives them a voice, even if the story isn't strictly true.

This is why I know that God is calling me to help.. this is why I can't wait to get to Africa and start to actually do something! I hate it when someone says something along the lines of "But what can you do to actually make change happen? Helping one person isn't going to make a big difference." The thing is, even if you only help one child, it makes a difference to them.


***I know the movie is kind of long but please try to watch the whole thing, at least up to the quote by Nelson Mandella (the rest is pretty much just the credits). Trust me, its worth it!***

Pictures

Here are some recent pictures of Ayana and Moses... so cute!

These were taken at Capernwray (I wrote about it last year, but I'll hopefully get a post about it up this year too), and they are just adorable pictures.

An Update on Ayana

I just realised when I posted the Moses Update that I haven't written about Ayana for a while. Well, that doesn't seem very fair, so even though she's not being a little monster like Moses, and there's probably not many rebellious stories I can think of about her, I will do my best to catch you up on the youngest Wiebe girl.
Ayana is about to turn 4 (in November), so she is becoming quite independant- and stubborn! If she makes up her mind that she is going to do something, no one can stop, or help her, until she does. Or gives up, which can take quite a while.
She also sometimes still talks in baby talk, which can make it seem as it she's not very smart, but we know how well she really can speak.. the other day she said to my dad, "Ababa, if I'm allowed, can I colour my Dora picture please? I just can't reach the markers." She really is quite smart, but for some reason she often decides to play dumb (as in, "Ayana, which one is the square?" "Ummm... that one" [points to a triangle], even though two seconds ago she had shown us exactly what all the different shapes are.) We're not quite sure why she does this (maybe trying to be more of a baby like Moses??), but we're trying to encourage her to act her age, and to show how smart she really is. My mom just bought her a pre-preschool learning book, and she LOVES it! She can point out all the shapes, colours, decide which one is different in a row of images, and is having fun learning her numbers and letters.. we're hoping that by doing this, and having fun while doing it, she'll realise that she doesn't have to act like Moses to get attention, but is smart and funny just by being herself.
Of course, I'm not saying that she just tries to be like Moses, and acts like a baby the whole time, or doesn't like herself, or anything like that.
She is really quite the little cutie. She's such a sweetheart, and is very caring and loving towards others.. and she loves playing with friends! We recently visited some friends in Seattle (the two youngest girls -of 6!- are 4 and 2, and Ayana ADORES them, but unfortunately can't see them very often) and she had an awesome time with them, playing on their trampoline, and riding bikes together. When we left, she was absolutely heartbroken; She was sobbing for ages, and it was the saddest I've seen her in ages. :( But she had a great time, and keeps on asking when we can go and see them again.
I'm not sure what else to talk about, but I'll put some recent pictures of her (and Moses too) when I get home. They are both getting cuter by the minute!! :)
Oh, and just as an aside... we went shopping at the Seattle Outlet malls (and Target.. best store ever! We definitely need to get some in Canada!!), and I got quite a lot of new clothes, and saved over $100!! I was quite proud of myself :D

A Moses Update

Last time I posted about Moses, I was sure that he was in the Terrible Two's. Now I'm pretty sure he was just warming up.
Moses is one of the naughtiest (and most hilarious!) kids I know... and unfortunately everyone thinks it adorable, which just makes him do it more. Oh of course my parents punish him, but it doesn't really seem to phase him. I don't have any pictures at the moment (I'm working- I've been part-time nannying these kids all summer, and they are currently in the middle of a movie. I thought I'd take the opportunity to quickly write a post!) but I'll try to describe it the best I can.
For example.... Moses was in the backyard screaming about something (he was having fun, just being too loud), so my mom looked out the window and said "Moses, be quiet. No screaming please." So does Moses stop screaming... well yes. But then he turns around, looks at my mom and says (with a little smirk on his face). "Hmph. Stop screaming MAMA."
Of course, he was sent off for a timeout, but when my mom tried to talk to him he started growling at her. Yes, actually growling in her face. So she came over and sat beside him, and pulled his face towards her (not roughly.. he was just refusing to look at her) and told him to stop being rude. So he goes "Grrr.... BURP. BURP BURP MAMA."
Well by this time my mom was trying so hard not to laugh (I didn't help much either.. I was hiding round the corner laughing :D) that he could tell she thought it was funny; he started laughing and doing it more.
So that is just one example of naughty little Moses. Another one happened just the other day. My mom and her friend were sitting outside talking, and Moses did something (not sure what, probably threw sand or something small) so my mom told him to stop. He looked at her, pouted- he has the best pouty face ever!- and marched inside and slammed the door. He was probably on his way to give himself a timeout, which he does quite regularly. Apparently though, before he could get there, he changed his mind and came back outside. He walked over to my mom, started growling, and put up his fists in a little fighters stance. And he just stood there, growling at her, with his fists up!
Yep, my little brother is quite the little moster! But we all love him so much its hard to be mad. Even when he looks at me, pulls his best "mean boy" face, and says "Hmph... not friends with you! Yucky Rara. Hmph!" :D