Heritage Festival

An event that we try to get to each year is our local Heritage Festival.  The kids have great memories from over the years and always have favorite stations at the festival that they look forward to revisiting.  We had great fallish weather today and took in some of the favorites, as well as got to see some of our friends perform with their clogging group.

Panning for gold

The blacksmithie

Old fashioned games

The spinny thingy (what is it called?!)

Our friends in Hometown Cloggers

(They keep trying to get us to join, but even after living here 19 years, this CA girl just can't get into country!)

Elijah won a quiz, but thought it best to give up his pink prize to his youngest sister.  :)

1st Grade

Warning:  Brief bragging post by a proud mama. 

Ami is enjoying first grade this year.  She is so petite and tiny that others have a hard time imagining her in first grade, but when you hear her speak it's very clear that she is more than fit for first grade.  She is a super reader, having read many chapter books this summer.  Her handwriting is becoming neater and neater each day.  She is a very quick learner and enjoys her science experiments (lately, collecting seeds).  She is loving gymnastics....although she is the tiniest and youngest in her class it is quite evident that she is far and above the most coordinated and naturally athletic.  I am so proud of my China doll.  What a gift she is to our family!

YoSemite Videos

I have a handful of videos from my backpacking trip.  It's easier to just give the links to youtube rather than to upload them directly to the blog.  I wish I had taken more.  These are just tiny pieces of an amazing experience that I had.  Oh, how I long to go back.  "The mountains are calling and I must go."  (John Muir)

"Little" Sadler Lake Camp (8-12-12)

Isberg Pass (8-12-12)

Mount Ansel Adams - Rainbow (8-13-12)

Thunder - Mt. Ansel Adams (8-14-12)

Merced River (8-16-12)

Douglas Squirrel (8-18-12)

Nevada Falls (8-18-12)

Silver Apron Vernal Falls (8-18-12)

Dudettes

 It's always interesting to see the kids go in cycles of who they play with and what activities they get involved in together.  Lately I've seen Johanna and Ami pairing up a lot.  Yesterday they were off to the tree house together, dressed to match, up to who knows what!

Moving Day

After eight years of missionary service in Russia, Chris's parents have returned to the USA, and yesterday was move in day for them.  We went to KC for the day to help out and spend time with the rest of the Wolfe Pack. 

Michaela was a great help in Grandma's new kitchen, washing lots and lots of dishes.

How many Wolfe men does it take to put a table together?

Of course there was a lot of wrestling for Benjamin and Zane.  That little guy can sure hold his own.  Benjamin loves playing with his younger cousins and is slowly pulling Titus into the wrestling game.  For now, Titus prefers airplane rides.  :) 

Elle and Ami love playing and being together so much.  To think that they have been together in their orphanage since they were newborn, even before they knew they were cousins, such joy!

A Wolfe get together wouldn't be complete without a game or two.

This little guy is getting more and more comfortable with us each time we are around.  He's pretty good at knocking over blocks and he's awful cute to boot!

My beautiful SIL's....we make the trio of "out-laws".  :)

Thanks for a fun day, Wolfe family.  We look forward to the next and the next.

Gymnastics

Johanna and Ami have been asking for a long time to do gymnastics.  After trying to cut back on activities for a couple of years, we finally relented and are excited for them to try something new.  They've been counting down the days, and ended up having to wait a week longer as the gym is going through some remodeling. 

Today was the first day and it did not disappoint.  They are in a group of home schoolers, get to meet in the middle of the day (doesn't take up an evening), and it's only 5 minutes from home.  The girls loved it and I think their teacher is great, so encouraging with appropriate tips and instruction. 

I couldn't get very good pictures as they mostly had their backs to me, or would be behind another student, but I'll keep trying.  They were fun to watch and beamed with smiles the whole time. 

We seem to be getting into the full swing of fall here with regular activities going now.  If only the weather would give us some fall temps, that would be great.  I'm getting back into the groove more, too....still working on the no crying thing every day, but it's getting better. 

Family Night

Last night we got out for a much needed family night.  It's been a long week and a half since I arrived home, and honestly I've been more absent than present with life here.  I still don't care to be out much and would rather be at home sheltered away from more busyness and crowds.  But I am trying to make efforts and be in the here and now.  So last night we had a meal out and let the kids enjoy climbing and playing arcade games at Going Bonkers.  It's not a parent's favorite place (talk about crowds and noise!), but we knew the kids would have fun.

 Michaela not so much into the climbing :)

We came home for dessert.  Please tell me you at least recognize the effort made here to create some continents!  This year our core curriculum centers around geography and this is the world cake that the kids created.  :)

Thoughtful

A couple of people up the hill are very special to me.  They know I've had a hard time dealing with things since my trip and brought a beautiful bouquet.

 

I'm still working through things, but it's getting better.  Today is the first day since arriving home that I haven't sobbed.  I haven't even shed a tear.  This is huge.  (Of course there are still a few hours left in the day.)  My best friend has diagnosed me with PTSD.  I think there is a lot of truth to that.  I'm starting to be able to look back through pictures with more smiles than tears.  God has been faithful, my amazing husband has been....amazing.

More Visitors

Not the human kind....just our forest friends.

We've had five regulars coming around.  They eat the seed from my bird feeder and drink from the bird bath.  The cats tolerate them.

Getting things cleaned up and put away from my trip, I found a treasure in my backpack.  My little papoose, I would gladly carry her all the way to the moon and back.  She brings me joy and comfort with her hugs.  I love her so.

Benjamin's Birthday

Unfortunately while I was gone I missed Benjamin's 14th birthday.  It was on our last day out and into the Valley, so I was able to phone home and share some love.  We celebrated his birthday over several different days.  Before I left Benjamin got to go on a lunch date with Chris and me and open a couple of gifts.  On his actual birthday he got to go out to breakfast with Chris, and have pizza, a movie, and a friend over in the evening, and open a couple more gifts.

After I got home we celebrated with Benjamin's chosen meal (Sloppy Joes, fruit salad, jello, and chocolate cake) and opened more gifts.  He was a great sport about spreading out his birthday.  We have had some tough trials with Benjamin and his cancer over this last year, but it has been wonderful to watch his growth and maturity and how he has handled it all.  We love you, Benjamin!

The book, an inside joke.....or if you are a fan of Tim Hawkins you will understand.  :)