July 28th, 2010
Tomorrow morning Michaela and I will head out with my parents on our long anticipated trip to CA. We will spend a week in Yosemite backpacking and seeing His incredible handiwork. We’ll also get to spend some time with my brother, Jeremy, and see some aunt, uncles, and maybe cousins. We have been planning, preparing, and training for about 3 months now so we’re quite excited that the time has finally come. I can’t wait to introduce Michaela to backpacking, especially in our much beloved Yosemite.
Please pray for our safety, for physical strength, and especially for spiritual refreshment and growth. Chris will be staying home with the other four kids, so I would also ask you to pray that their time here goes smoothly and that they’ll make some fun memories as well. I can’t say how blessed I am to have a husband like Chris who allows me to get away on special trips such as this. Not only will we be gone for several days, but he’ll be cooking meals, doing laundry, chauffeuring kids around and so much more. I love you more, Chris!
I’ll have plenty of pictures to post once we get home. Maybe I’ll even get Chris to post updates a couple of times. We will have a satellite phone with us while we’re in the back country and we’ll call in at a regularly scheduled time once a day for just a couple of minutes to check in (it’s expensive!).
P.S. Tomorrow evening’s dinner has long been planned….In-N-Out!! 
Posted in Chris, Family, Jocelyn, Michaela | 2 Comments »
July 28th, 2010
Yes, it’s another birthday. Chris’ birthday is today, just two days after Michaela’s. In July we eat lots of cake.
The kids were up early to give Daddy treats and to enjoy donuts (his chosen breakfast) with him before he headed off to work. We have company coming in tonight and will enjoy dinner together along with our chocolate cake.
I know I just bragged on my last post about Michaela, but today is Chris’ turn. Our family is blessed beyond measure to have Chris as our spiritual family leader. He is hardworking, not just at his job away from home, but here at home as well. He takes the kids individually on regular “Daddy Dates” (weekly dates for Mama, too!), plays games with them, fixes countless broken toys, helps the kids with projects (mainly the boys’ inventions), and loves and pampers his wife. We take Chris way too much for granted and are glad that we can stop today and celebrate him as our super Dad and Husband. We love you!
(This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but I can’t get pictures to upload. Wanted to make sure my birthday post gets out for Chris anyway, though.)
Posted in Ami, Benjamin, Chris, Family, Johanna, Michaela | No Comments »
July 25th, 2010
Today we have been celebrating Michaela’s 14th birthday. It still seems a bit surreal to me to have a teenager in the house. Michaela is not just any teenager though. I do have to brag a bit. She is so very, very helpful around the house and with her siblings. When she is asked to help she does so very willingly, but the best part is that I rarely have to ask for help. She is often already there taking care of things or asking how she can help. My job as a mom has been made so much easier. Michaela is also an organizer, a self-starter, super responsible, respectful, and thoughtful. She relates maturely with adults and children alike and is well liked by all who cross paths with her. We are blessed beyond measure and thank God for the gift of our first born. She is a treasure indeed!
Later this week Michaela and I will head out to CA with my parents. This is sort of an 8th grade graduation/14th birthday gift to her. We will be visiting some relatives and then backpacking in Yosemite for a week. I am very excited about spending more quality time with Michaela on this special trip. We’ve been training for almost three months now and I’m looking forward to seeing her experience her first High Sierra backpacking expedition.
We love you, Michaela and are very proud of the young woman you are becoming!
Posted in Family, Jocelyn, Michaela | 7 Comments »
July 24th, 2010
Just some pictures for fun and so that I don’t get behind in blogging again…..
We’ve been having a great month with GG Clark here. We enjoyed a special evening with them on Thursday night by taking everyone out to see a great production of Fiddler on the Roof. When I was in Jr. High I played the youngest daughter in a local college production. Fiddler has always been a favorite of my family and it was neat to pass on that love to my own kids. Now the kids are all walking around singing “Tradition, tradition!!!” and saying “Mozel tov!”, along with many other lines. I love making memories with the family.
My mom had another successful cataract surgery on Wednesday. After 60 years of glasses and contacts she no longer needs any visual assistance, not even reading glasses. Isn’t that incredible?! She says it’s weird not to take out her contacts at night. I am so happy for her.
Ami shimmied more than halfway up the frame of her doorway!
Not to be outdone......another one of Benjamin's interesting talents
Posted in Ami, Benjamin, Elijah, Family, Johanna, Michaela | 2 Comments »
July 22nd, 2010
Last Saturday we all got up early to head to KC for the day. We were excited to see GG Wolfe, as they had just arrived in from Russia. We also attended a baby shower for our newest nephew/cousin, little Titus. He is still waiting in Taiwan for his Daddy and Mommy to come get him. His court date was today (our time last night) and we are anxiously awaiting news of when they can travel to be joined as family. Here are some shots from the day.
Our Aunt AA, mommy-to-be
Aunt AA's friends had such cute decor for the shower
Ami was SO excited about spending the day with Elle. As soon as we got in the van to head home at the end of the day she said, "I miss Elle." Awwww.
One of Benjamin's amazingly odd talents. Where in the world does he come up with this stuff?! (Elijah's face cracks me up, too!)
The Wolfes always have fun with games, a must for get-togethers. The guys (young and old) are known for making up their own inventive rules
Love you, Kate!
For part of the day I had some terrible head spinning/dizziness going on. I crashed on Elle's bed for a while and after trying to get me off, she gave up and snuggled up to me holding my hand. She is such an affectionate and loving little lady. I love you Elle-belle! Thanks for giving Aunt JJ some TLC.
GG Wolfe with the Wolfe cubs (minus Titus)
Our family with the grandparents
Eric, Kate, Elle, and Zane
Posted in Ami, Benjamin, Chris, Elijah, Family, Jocelyn, Johanna, Michaela | 3 Comments »
July 22nd, 2010
With having Grandpa and Grandma here I’ve hardly kept up on my blogging. I’ll just post a bunch of pictures (both from my Dad and my own) to recap some of what we’ve been up to the last several days.
We've been training for our backpacking trip by walking with our packs 2 miles each morning
Out to eat at one our favorites - MS Fish Shack
We've had lots of rain and severe storms, but they create some gorgeous sunsets to view from our new deck
Chris has been befuddled by our moles for a long time. Dad finally showed him up by catching not just one....
....but two in one day!
The pay off was $10 a mole. Well worth it!
One of my treasures
And another one
Benjamin dressed up as his daddy, complete with shirt, sunglasses and ear piece made from Legos (This shot SO looks like his Uncle Jonathan!)
Posted in Ami, Benjamin, Chris, Elijah, Family, Jocelyn, Johanna, Michaela | 1 Comment »
July 10th, 2010
My dad is never without his camera. He takes pictures everywhere from Sam’s Club to the creek. He’s just a sampling.
Our July 4th/birthday lunch
Fireworks
Storm rolling in
At the Food Bank
Bass Pro
Bass Pro
Snapping turtle at the creek
Ami's Amish pal, same age by only a week apart
Wolfe Creek
Posted in Ami, Benjamin, Elijah, Family, Johanna, Michaela | 1 Comment »
July 10th, 2010
G/G went with us to volunteer at the Food Bank. Grandpa came out with a couple of souvenirs!
One of those days when siblings are loving playing together
Celebrating 49 years of marriage
Amish Country
Picnic in Amish area
Our photographer
We’ve done a bit of this and that this week. Grandma had a follow up to her surgery on Thursday and the doctor was so pleased with the progress that he said she didn’t have to wait until next summer to have the other eye taken care of. So she is scheduled for cataract surgery on the other eye next week! We are all excited for her and jealous that she’ll have 20/20 vision with her lens implants.
We celebrated Dad and Mom’s 49th anniversary on Friday with dinner out at our favorite BBQ place.
Today we took G/G up to the Amish area. We enjoyed a beautiful day with way less humidity than normal. We came home with lots of yummy fresh produce and some other goodies as well.
Posted in Ami, Benjamin, Elijah, Family, Jocelyn, Johanna, Michaela | 3 Comments »
July 7th, 2010
The main reason for my parents being here for a month with us is so that Mom could have cataract surgery. Things went very well this morning and they were home before lunch. She’s been up and about and doing just fine. She now has 20/20 vision in the one eye. Next summer they’ll do the other one. Amazing!
Post surgery shades
Due to the right eye being dilated it took a "red eye" hit with the flash!
Posted in Ami, Benjamin, Elijah, Family, Johanna, Michaela | 5 Comments »
July 5th, 2010
Well, it was a big one this year for me. My age now starts with the same number as this post title, but I’m happy to say I don’t feel a day older and it hasn’t psychologically messed me up yet. We attended church in the morning, then ate out at Mongolian BBQ for lunch. Yummy, but I ate way too much. I opened some very nice gifts at home, then the kids were itching to shoot off some of their fireworks. We had American BBQ (just hotdogs) as a light supper before shooting off some more fireworks and then heading out to watch the city show. Then after the city show we came home for more of our own fireworks since it was now dark. The kids didn’t get to bed until 11:30, which is unheard of at our house.
We had a great day and I felt very loved. It is very special to be surrounded by family. I always especially miss my “twin” on my birthday when we’re not together. Jennifer is two years older, but we have the same special birthday. Japan is so very far away, but Skype and the phone helped bring us together for a bit. Hopefully we’ll be together next year to celebrate here. I love and miss you, Jennifer!
The kids had anticipated shopping at the fireworks tent for days.
Benjamin's special craft for my birthday
Opening gifts
Ami adored Uncle Jeremy
One of my pyromaniacs
Enjoying the "show"
They loved shooting the fireworks
She said this was a "Chinese pose"
More "Chinese posing" with sparklers
Another pyromaniac
And one more pyromaniac
On the way home from the city show
Mom, Dad and I saw Jeremy off at 5am this morning then we all went back to bed. Thanks again for coming, Jeremy! Love you!
Posted in Ami, Benjamin, Chris, Elijah, Family, Jocelyn, Johanna, Michaela | 1 Comment »