Peru or Bust!

Well, here we go!!!!!

In just a few minutes we are headed to the airport. This morning as we were eating breakfast I told Jairus that we were going to ride in a big airplane today. He nonchalantly said "That sounds fun." I about choked on my bite of food as I laughed. :)

As we double check our 5 bags and 4 carry-ons, I wanted to ask for your prayer. We could use a mighty prayer covering as we go!

In general each day you can pray for our team in this way:

-- unity.
-- protection.
-- all of our modes of transportation (planes, buses, walking).
-- health.
-- for God to move in our times of devotion as a group.
-- for God to open doors of ministry.
-- for our obedience to the call of God.
-- for the missionaries and the local pastors.
-- for divine appointments.
-- for the leaders Joe and Lynelle Wolfe, and Anna Ross
--for the kids:
Seniors-- Hannah Milstein, Tyler Gregg, Travis Lewis
Juniors – Sydney Hargrove, Ray’Lee Purscell, Katie Williams
Sophomore – Nicole Dornak
Freshmen – Krysta Admire, Nicole Mauck, A’lia Thomas, Nicole Whitehead, Sayer Carney, Colton Purscell, Austin Redford, Connor Schmid

Specifically TODAY we need prayer for

--Safe Arrival
--No lost luggage
--No hassle or hindrance with equipment from Customs
--Green light at exit of the airport
--Minimal jet lag and quick adaptation
--Good night sleep to feel refreshed and rested
--Unity of the team

Just FYI, we have 4 missions groups from LCCS. One group will be doing ministry here in the Fort Worth area Thursday and Friday. One group is on route to Thailand as I type and the Spain team is at the airport now. If you want to follow all the teams, you can check out the blog
http://lccsmissions.blogspot.com

I hope to update again tomorrow...we will see.

Pray, Pray, PRAY! :) THANKS!!!

Life by the numb3rs

1,000,000,000 -- things I need to do. But, I promised a blog and this one has been in my head. so here we go....

1,000 -- the number of cute things Jairus says almost daily. I am making a list of cute stories for anther blog. His vocabulary and usage amaze us. He is a funny boy!

798 -- the days between movies that Joe and I saw in the theater. Yes, we went to a movie Nov 29, 2006 and didn't go to another one until Feb 5, 2009. Let me tell you that the prices have really gone up in the last 26 months! :) Now please, don't think we are totally culturally illiterate. We do rent movies every blue moon or so. That should rank us as just partially illiterate. Regardless, we enjoyed a real date night this month and hope to make a habit of it!

58 -- number of 7th and 8th graders we took (and returned) on our school trip to Austin and San Antonio. For 3 days we traipsed over Texas having a grand time! Highlights include an impromptu picture with the governor, seeing bald eagles on our boat cruise, calling in a half dozen screech owls that hung out right above our heads, and being blessed with the best weather possible for February. Of all the trips I have taken as a teacher (and the list is long!), this was our best yet. I was so proud of my kids; they did great. And we honestly had a fun time.

28 -- days I have been without Dr. Pepper. As part of the preparation for our mission trip to Peru, we were challenged to fast one food/drink and one activity for 40 days. Well, God and I discussed (infer : argued about) the Dr. Pepper fast for a day or two and He won. As you all know, I love Dr Pepper. But, I love God more! :)

14 -- the number of points the University of Wyoming Cowgirls needed to beat TCU last Saturday. Dad came down to visit us last week so that he could attend the college game. (FYI -- my parents have become big college basketball fans in the last couple years. Not a bad hobby for Wyoming winters.) We tried to help the Cowgirls, but our cheers just weren't enough. While dad was here, he put in a screen door for us so Jairus can play in our backyard with easier supervision and access. Jairus really warmed up to Grandpa this time -- he talked his ear off from the beginning. "Look Grandpa...walking backwards. Look Grandpa!"

13 -- days until we leave for Peru!!! Anna Ross (a HS English teacher), Joe and I are leading a team of 15 LCCS high school students to Peru for Spring Break. We will be ministering with missionary Tim Mitchell, who is on the team reaching the Japanese Peruvians. Primarily we will be providing special English classes in schools. I will blog our agenda and prayer requests in 11 or 12 days. :) This means I have 13 days to get everything ready for our trip -- not only all the many details and preparations for the team but also for my family. (Yes, we are taking Jairus.) I also need to prepare for a substitute for 3 days (all fellow teachers sigh with me). And I have to prepare for my return -- lesson plans and Jairus plans. Joe is staying another week in Peru with a team from our church, so Jairus and I will be on our own. Gosh, I get tired every time I think about all of this. My check list just keeps getting longer! Oh, BTW -- 13 is also the number of days until I can have a Dr Pepper again! :)

5 -- the hours of sleep we have been averaging around here these last few weeks and with no end in sight. So, with that I need to end this blog!

Do you need a Jairus fix?

Where does the time go?? My list of topics to blog is still long, but my time is short. So, I am going to cheat on this one. My awesome friend Ashley posted a blog that has pictures and a video of Jairus and her son "Baby Holt". It is pretty cute, if I do say so myself! So, I am going to send you to her site if you need a quick smile and Jairus fix.


Click HERE and enjoy!


Check back again sometime. I do plan on writing a real blog soon! :)

Cool Experience Squared

I am smack dab in the middle of my 11th year of teaching. Typing that is a bit of a strange reality check. It sure doesn't feel like I have a decade of experience under my belt! Teaching this long means that I now have former kids (as I call my students) who are married and having babies. I have kids who have successfully navigated college and many more who are on that journey now. Funny, they grow up so fast, but I don't think I have gotten much older! :) It is kinda fun to see where they go after they leave those middle school years. And I actually look forward to seeing all their destinies play out! Writing of destiny...

A couple of weeks ago I had the cool opportunity to watch one of my girls play college basketball. Not just any basketball -- but Big 12 Conference ball. And not just play, but start (as a freshman) for #2 Oklahoma Sooners. A couple of fellow educators rode with me to Waco to see #4 Baylor host the Sooners. Now, remember, I attended SBU which is a small college, so just attending a big NCAA event was pretty cool. But then to actually know one of the kids playing was even cooler! :) We were there not necessarily as Sooner fans, but as Whitney Hand fans. It doesn't seem that long ago that Whitney sat in my Texas History and US history classes, yet there she is -- a college freshman living a dream. God has blessed with her an amazing athletic ability. Just to brag a bit -- this week she was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week for the 4th time this season. I am telling you, this girl can play ball! She makes it seem so easy and natural -- just like breathing. But what is even cooler is that she is authentic about living out her Christian walk. Several times this year she has been thrust into the national spotlight (and if things continue as they have been, she will be there more and more in the weeks to follow), but she continues to be gracious and humble. She plays with class and poise that is a testament to her faith. I am proud to say that I had the honor of being one of her teachers.

(Cute Jairus story inserted here just because we have to have one! The other night I was watching Whitney play on ESPN via my computer. I tend to be a vocal fan and sitting alone in my computer room was no exception. Well, eventually Jairus became fascinated by the basketball game. Of course, he thought the Eagles were playing because in his mind EVERY team is the LCCS Eagles. At one point after one of Whitney's baskets (she only missed one shot the whole night), I cheered "That's my girl!" But Jairus turned to me and firmly said "No, that's my girl!" Ok Jairus. I think we just might have to share on this one!)


Now onto the second cool experience (remember, the post is titled cool experiences squared!). In the couple of minutes before the game started, my comrades and I were getting settled up in the nose bleed section when the crowd irrupted in a great roar. We looked down to see what the commotion was about. The cameras were back peddling in front of a lady in a nice sparkly jacket and I heard someone around us say something about the coach. I thought to myself "geez, these Baylor fans LOVE their coach!." About that time I looked up to the video monitor to see Former President George and Laura Bush at court side! Now we joined the crowd in the applause! It was one of the fist public appearances Bush made after leaving office. I had to laugh because I have been to DC 3 times during his presidency and been in the White House even when he was in the residency, but I have never seen the man. But when I attend some random basketball game in the middle of the week, I am in a crowd of 8000 who get to watch a game with him. :) It was like the icing on the cake of a great night!

Do you see them on the 2nd row?

How about now?? :)

#1 Fan

I have a list of 4 or 5 things that I want to blog about. But, tonight I am too tired to even think straight. So instead of writing something cute or interesting or thought provoking or anything...I am just going to post this picture. It was given to me today by a parent at school. She took it last Saturday at a LCCS high school basketball game. The bleacher steps were a perfect place for Jairus to cheer his little heart out. He is so intense! The picture made me smile. It just might have the same effect on you.

Ice vs Snow

This is what we found when we woke up this morning.

Everything covered with a nice layer of ice. So, that makes 2, yes 2, days home from school because of icy conditions. Yesterday's day off was more of fluke, but today we had honest to goodness ice. I love it! :) What a nice gift -- time you didn't expect to have.

Now being from the north, I know that it seems silly to cancel school for something that looks so insignificant. After all, Wyoming will get feet of snow before anything is canceled. I remember having snow days as a kid, but it seems like it had to be super duper below freezing AND lots of snow blowing around (because the wind always blows in Wyoming) before school was canceled. But, having driven on both, I do think that the ice is worse. Plus, you have to admit that Fort Worth just doesn't have the same snow/ice removal priorities as Powell, Wyoming!

Anyway, lest I blah, blah, blah on about snow and ice. Lets have some pictures instead. I thought you might enjoy a few pictures from Jairus' Christmas snow experience in Wyoming.

He LOVED the snow. He chose to walk in the deeper drifts, not the packed down ruts.

He practically tried to swim in the snow bank. Unfortunately he got wet and cold pretty quickly, but it still was a fun time.

Using the sled Grandpa Bane used as a little boy!

With Grandpa and Grandma Bane (one of my favorite pictures)

White Christmas for the Wolfe family (note: real snow, not ice )

Yep

I have learned something new about myself. I say "yep" a lot.

How did I make this fascinating discovery? It was easy -- I just have been listening to Jairus. And Jairus says "yep" a lot. I now find myself smiling every time I catch a "yep" slip past my lips -- which is pretty often. So, we have been trying to correct Jairus several times each day to say "yes ma'am" or "yes sir" when appropriate. He will get it...eventually!

Jairus is in the fun parrot stage. For a long time now he has been parroting what we say. And we have been noticing him imitating us in actions more and more. One of the best examples was when we were traveling to Wyoming for Christmas. The very first thing Jairus did when we got to our hotel room was start "talking" on the phone. There was a pen and notepad on the end table too. So, Jairus started taking notes as he talked. His whole conversation (and I am not kidding) was "yes, yes, um hm, sure...yes..umhm...yes." He has been watching his daddy during many, many work conversations. Joe must be a yes man. :)

It is good to be reminded that Jairus is always watching us. (yes, a bit overwhelming if you dwell on it too much...so lets not!). I hope he is also learning how to love and how to pray and how to serve and ....the list could go on and on. This actually gave me a better of understanding of when Paul tells the Corinthian church to imitate him (I Corinthians 4:16). It wasn't that he was being arrogant or self-righteous. He was following Jesus and so by imitating Paul, they were following Christ. It is my prayer that we can say to Jairus "imitate us" and in doing so Jairus will walk with Jesus. It makes sense at least at this age and stage and in my little brain. :)

Ok, ok...enough deep thoughts. I think I need to post a couple recent pictures. Yep, I sure do! :)

Nice fashion :) Don't worry -- he wears moms and dad's shoes equally!

Yes, the letter organization obsession continues.

For some reason, Ducky had breakfast with Jairus this morning. What a great place to perch.