Category Archives: Holiday Life

Everyday Life, Holiday Life

Arrows In My Quiver…

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Brothers | Noah and Ethan

As Mother’s Day 2024 approaches, I am blessed to be mom to my handsome guys, Ethan and Noah.

The weather app yesterday showed high of 79 degrees. I thought to myself “79…Ethan’s 14-year hockey player number”... Today, I hear Noah practicing a song he will sing for recital called “Build a Boat”… both are reminders of the fact that the thread of my sons is weaved intricately into the tapestry of my life. As I think about how I can be thankful in this day, there is the realization that I experience both of them everywhere…

Noah’s high school days are filled with:

  • Math and Engineering challenges and a robust desire to learn
  • Art shows highlighting his creative spark and digital art projects
  • Minecraft and Lego engineering marvels around every turn in our home (he is so gifted as a builder in unique ways)
  • Stories from Chemistry Class in the kitchen (hey mom… baking soda and vinegar lab experiments explained)
  • Serious military vehicle discussions and trips to Cantigny to hang out with the Tanks
  • Learning to Drive… a standard transmission vehicle nonetheless!
  • Volleyball antics and musings on the progress towards healing his left humorous
  • Non-stop youth group and school club activities (developing the next speech team script in his head), and plenty of time with friends

Always Remembering Ethan’s life:

  • Hockey happenings (wait… Patrick Kane plays for the Red Wings now?! I am not sure what Ethan would say!)
  • Lego in the news (still on the hunt for sustainability by 2032)
  • Rollerblading pedestrians on the bike path and heading back home to watch hockey video replays (I am seriously missing Ethan’s mastery of skating on and off the ice these days)
  • Purdue Materials Science Department efforts to lead in the local community
  • Embarking upon plans for the upcoming 2024 Jolt-On! Memorial Game Days…
  • His 24th birthday approaching…

I never grow tired of the learning about Gods plan for their place in this world. This learning takes place under our roof and around our table… I truly see the work cut out for me as their mom, to be on mission and equip my sons to be warriors for Christ.

Grateful this day and every day for the blessing of sons!

3Sons are a heritage from the Lord,
    children a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
    are sons born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.

Psalms 127:3-5
Always Remember, Holiday Life

May Fourteenth: Mom’s Day With & Without

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These are my guys… Ethan (forever 22) and Noah (14 at the time). I am so glad to have been given sons. They are the joys of my life at all times. I find there are not many pictures of me with them, for I am usually the one taking the picture! In the highs and lows of motherhood, I will always be in awe of the impact they both have on my life.

“Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.”

Psalm 127:3-4

I tuned in to listen to a favorite podcast this morning hoping to frame this Mother’s Day. While We’re Waiting Ministry has been a lifeline for me walking through this year. I had saved Episode 43 “The Highest Form of Love” for today. Just over 5 minutes long, but just the right message I needed to face the day. I am grateful to you, Jill! You have given me courage to keep going by focusing on God’s sacrifice for us all by giving up his son Jesus so that we are able to receive His grace. Powerful!

SBR 2022
Last Beautiful Day
June 8, 2022
CHI Ferris Wheel 2017
Hockey Game TX 2015
Tyler TX 2017
Waco TX 2016
SBR 2014
Williamsburg VA 2021
Senior Year Hockey 2018
Chicago Shoreline 2018
Batavia IL 2018
Handsome HS Grad 2018
Planetarium Adventures 2010
Mother’s Day 2022
Holiday Life

May Fifth… Remembering Revenge of the Sith!

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“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

Proverbs 17:17

As I mentioned yesterday, Star Wars Days in our home have always had a certain amount of creative energy. Besides saber battles in full costume, we have many fun memories of our guys replaying scenes and using movie lines to frame life in celebration. Check out how our guys figured out who was master of the Vader Force Choke way back in May 2013…

Ethan “Learning to Force Choke”… not quite there yet…
Noah laughing too much… he’s ready to show Ethan how it’s done!
Noah takes his revenge!… Do or Do not, there is no try!

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Holiday Life

May (the) Fourth… Be With You.

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Star Wars Day. Our family has always enjoyed geeking out to everything about this beloved story. Who would have thought the 1977 original movie by George Lucas would have permeated our lives and culture to such a level as this. I recall sitting in a packed theater to watch the original movie when I was a young 7 year old girl… mesmerized by the new effects and sounds. It was exciting and loud back then.

Today is quiet though, with thoughts about how we can turn the longing to be together with Ethan into a day we can celebrate. The sentiment of “be with you” feels lost without him here to get the fun started.

Ethan as Kylo Ren – Halloween 2017 (Senior Year)

While Ethan and Noah never got to see Star Wars: A New Hope on the big screen, they have enjoyed watching it on DVD at home A LOT! It is really living out scenes in their own way that proved the most fun. To see their creativity in using the story to impact others has been really amazing.

Noah Halloween 2015
  • Sharing Wookie Cookies with friends (think crazy looking oatmeal raisin cookie whoopie pies!)
  • “Light” Saber battles… you know, the plastic collapsible ones from Target. Or better yet, empty wrapping paper tubes!
  • Clone Costumes. Noah has enjoyed being behind the mask of a clone more times than I can remember… I know he can recall them all!
    • Not to forget… Anakin and Luke costumes, cardboard box droid creations, and others! Star Wars provided our guys endless cosplay during those halloween years!
    • Ethan made his own Kylo Ren costume after he was named an “Adam Driver look alike” by his high school peers for the 2016 Halloween scene. Seriously he really looked like him and we joked that maybe he should sign up to be a stunt double!
  • Scene Drama, such as Vader’s “Force Choke”… yes, the two of them really did figure out how to pull this off! Noah as “young” Vader with Ethan playing Admiral Motti
  • Meme’s and movie lines… favorites of all time constantly on repeat.
  • Stop motion productions. Check out this fun one over on Noah‘s page!
  • Cartoons (okay, really called Graphic Novels Mom!) – Star Wars The Clone Wars have become a cult following with its own story line since Ethan brought the first volume home from the library in 2008. It is a classic to pull out and read any time of year!
  • Lego… Lego… Lego… We have way too much STAR WARS Lego! I believe my favorite set has to be the Sand Crawler. But good ‘ole Speeder Bike Troopers and their imaginative hovering bikes makes for awesome scene replay!
  • Spare Parts Droids. Ethan and I really enjoyed making (and naming) our own Tatooine Droids out of spare Lego parts. I still have several of them hanging out on my desk to help me remember those simple days. His fav was a “vacuum-cleaner droid”.
  • We cannot forget… Star Wars Trivial Pursuit! Ethan is still the all time winner (well, he had committed an entire Star Wars Encyclopedia to memory!). One such game, Ethan was the only player that answered any questions… he knew them all and won the game within just a few minutes! After that we had to start giving him “Handicaps”!
Noah with Lego Clone Trooper 2017 – Chicago, IL

As Noah and I reflect on Star Wars Days of the past, we dream of days ahead to “be with” Ethan again… it is just not the same day as it was when he was here to bring the lore to life “with us”.

Ethan – Halloween 2007

Feel free to add any of your own Star Wars Day memories.
May the 4th be with you…

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Holiday Life

Merry Christmas! (2015)

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W4 @ Dallas Stars v Ottawa Senators on 11/24/15
W4 @ Dallas Stars v Ottawa Senators on 11/24/15

Warm Christmas wishes to all of our family and friends…  Many of you are greatly missed this Christmas season and others we are so glad to have recently met!  Our move to Texas was… HOT!  Middle of August.  One week before school started.  Ethan – 15 – a Sophomore.  Noah – 8 – a 2nd grader.  Temperatures have finally fallen to a moderate “winter” for us.  We are so very grateful for a break from the humid 110 degree days… yes you Northerners, you did read that right!  And… we are watching for glimpses of the snow everyone up North already experienced!  Jealous. Boxes are unpacked. License plates have been exchanged. Watching Dallas Stars just to catch a glimpse of Sharp, Oduya, and Niemi.

We have so much to tell you.  Where to begin…

Joel… the one who started it all. He has had a fast start in his new position at JPG Dallas.  It is exciting to hear of all the projects and plans for his new venture!  Always exciting things happening in the office and it is great to see his energy for it all!  Not to mention he works just 10 minutes from home and the commute has been really great.  Joel often walks the boys to school with me (well, Noah to school and Ethan to the bus stop!).  More time with Dad.  Blessing!

Ethan.  Tallest member of the family.  Resident hockey player (TX has hockey!).  Aspiring engineer.  Handsome guy.  Almost of driving age (YIKES!).  40K expert.  Resilient. We are so proud of his transition to our new place/city/life.  It has been the hardest thing for our teen to leave the comforts of St. Charles and all the friends he has grown up with.  In the midst of it all, he has shown us a compassion and trust for God’s plans in his life.  He greatly misses everything Illinois!  Check out all that Ethan is into now in High School here in TX:  Solar Car Team, JV and Varsity Coppell Cowboys High School Hockey, drumming for the Middle School band at IBC, dreaming of gaming 40K again some day!  Favorite thing in Texas has been the abundance of asian restaurants!  Favorite thing in HS in Texas has been Solar Car.  You will catch a glimpse of him in the team photos at the Coppell Solar Car website.  He has really been working hard with the team to learn the software, raise funds for building a new car, and is looking forward to possibly racing the car all the way to Minneapolis MN next summer 2016!

Noah!!!!!  Most lively one.  Noah brings so much light and life to us every – single – day.  Energetic boy.  He has settled into a good learning pattern now as a 2nd grader.  Tough stuff here in TX to be in 2nd grade!  Turned 8 just this November.  Enjoyed watching The Peanuts Movie with new friends, Snoopy (The Red Baron) was awesome and exclaimed Charlie Brown taught him to “just be yourself”!  Already knows everything there is to know about StarWars 7 before it actually is in theaters!  Dismayed he is still not old enough to watch StarWars 7… a PG-13 movie.  Lost several teeth and is getting taller every day.  Does not enjoy the heat but “dealing” with it.  Noah took another Hockey skate class as we moved here just to be in the cool ice rink as often as possible.  He is looking forward to getting back to some Lacrosse this winter/spring.  Favorite thing in Texas has been the barbecue!  He loves IBC… not the root beer, our church!  Irving Bible Church has a ton of great things for this growing boy.  Loves IBC Midweek and stage presence!  Will be the narrator for a school play… The Grinch!

Last, is me… Nicole.  With this transition to the south, I have seen the plans God has for us and watch front and center every day.  Some days are  hard.  Others not so much.  Truly an adventure!  Wanted to create a space to share our family with all of you.  Many of you were so gracious to us, connecting in priceless ways before our departure.  Those moments are forever etched in our hearts and we hold on to them daily.  It has been a whirlwind and we have not stopped since we landed in Texas.  Constant experiences to grasp onto.  Thank you to the girls in my life who keep reaching out.  I love you so much.  You keep me going as a girl/wife/mom/friend.  My goal is to begin to reach out and share our experiences with those of you whom wish to keep in touch this new year.  This site – wfour – about the Wang family of 4.  Please check back often to see pics of the guys (and I!).  Check back as I will update our site with pics as the weeks pass.  Hoping the guys will fill their own pages as well.  We truly, deeply miss you all.  And… yes, everything is bigger in Texas… it is true!