Always Remember, JOLTeON!

JOLT-ON! 2024: Droid Builds

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Vacuum Cleaner Droid

Created: 2006

Builder: Ethan

Building Droids is something we loved to do on a hot summer day. After outdoor activities proved too hot, Ethan and I would head to the cool of our basement, spread out a large bin of LEGO’s and start free-building. It was one of his favorite activities! He created this Vacuum Cleaner Droid in the summer of 2006. Part of the fun was the story we would create with our builds. Star Wars and Droids were always a popular story line.

In remembering Ethan this week, I pulled out our LEGO Sandcrawler and all the Droids for some stop-motion capers… check it out!

We would love to see your free-build creations! Comment below and send your pics to jolton@wfour.net and we would be glad to post them for you in the spirit of remembering Ethan.

Always Remember, JOLTeON!

JOLT-ON! 2024 LEGO Replay: Campus House Kids

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An update came in from Campus House today! It is great to share how they are putting to use the LEGO’s and DUPLO’s within the kids ministry. Here is the update from Tiernan McDivit, Sunday School Coordinator:

“I used some of the DUPLO’s to teach in the nursery the other day and wanted to share with you 🙂 

I’ve been teaching lessons about the characteristics of Jesus this summer, and this past Sunday’s lesson was Jesus loves God’s House (the story about young Jesus in the temple). I had a temple out of LEGO’s in front of us. Then I gave each of the kids an alphabet DUPLO with their initial on it, and talked about how when we have Jesus in our hearts, we are also being built into God’s house (1 Peter 2:5). They each got to add their block to our temple. 

The kids really enjoyed using the DUPLO’s and played with them for awhile after the lesson! And I enjoyed using them to teach. 
Thank you again for this gift! It has been a blessing!” 

Tiernan 
Campus House Kids!

If you are a Purdue University student attending in West Lafayette next Fall, check out Campus House and serving opportunities! Hope to see you there and to share the love of Christ with the kids of Campus House!

Always Remember, JOLTeON!

JOLT-ON! 2024: Happy Camper by Chappell Cinema

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Enjoy this Stop Motion Caper and original story featuring the Volkswagen T2 Camper Van by Chappell Cinema!

It is no simple feat to create a short video in stop-motion style! Our friend from Texas, Elizabeth Chappell, took our challenge and created her first ever masterpiece showcased above. Elizabeth received the LEGO Volkswagen T2 Camper Set last Christmas from her sons and has been working towards finishing the set. Our challenge brought it back to mind and she very creatively captured the fun that our boys brought to our lives through countless LEGO adventures. Elizabeth mentioned, “In remembering Ethan and planning the video, bringing out the LEGO set also helped me remember a lot of great memories of raising my boys through LEGO”. Her guys, Jacob and Drew, were cheering their mom on and anxious to find out how her “camper caper” would end!

Thank you, Elizabeth, for your awesome submission in memory of the creative spirit Ethan had through LEGO. He loved utilizing LEGO’s to tell stories in stop-motion fashion and encourage others with humor just as you have!

Always Remember, JOLTeON!, Purdue Life

JOLT-ON! 2024: Campus House Kids

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In this last year, we have been back to Campus House Church at Purdue several times to serve or attend in one way or another. Time within the walls of this amazing church is one way we stay connected to the people and places where Ethan was on mission. He was so eager to continue life with Pastors, staff and this community at the time of his passing. We are grateful to each and everyone whom impacted Ethan’s life in the four years he lived at Purdue.

On our trips in 2023, we noticed a Kids ministry building and growing each time we visited Campus House. During Sunday worship times, volunteers and staff provide classroom space for children to come and hear Bible stories and engage in age appropriate activities while their parents attend church service. It is evident to us that Campus House is a multi-generational church right in the heart of this Big Ten University, seeking to serve students and families alike.

In our son’s early childhood years, we admire how our local church’s kids ministry creatively used LEGO’s in the classroom and summer camp programs. Ethan and Noah have experienced learning the love of Jesus Christ all throughout their growing up years simply by creative activities with LEGO. We see LEGO’s helping kids:

  • develop motor skills
  • learn cooperative play
  • giving kids a sense of accomplishment
  • learn persistence
  • encouraging kids to explore
  • teaching kids to be creative

As the month of May 2024 set in, we purposed to remember Ethan and honor his Legacy in a way that would remind us of his engineering and building spirit. Our son was an avid Lego fan. So much so that he became a Materials Science Engineer at Purdue and his focus was polymer science… the study of plastics! He enjoyed creating and teaching with LEGO’s, as well as stories and games even into his adult life. He was active in community at Campus House for his years of undergraduate study and he had intended to continue to be active after college. Therefore, in the week leading up to Ethan’s would be 24th birthday, we delivered several key LEGO Duplo and LEGO Classic sets to the Campus House Kids leader, Tiernan McDivitt and Pastor Erin Good. We pray that continuing to honor Ethan’s legacy will impact the kingdom of God as more children hear the message of Jesus Christ.

We look forward to seeing how the staff and volunteers at Campus House put to use these LEGO sets in the Kids ministry to share the love of Jesus Christ right in the heart of Purdue University’s campus! Do you have a passion to share the love of God? We encourage you to grab a LEGO set and create space to share LEGO activities and tell the Big God Story with children in your life! Come back and tell us how you share in the comments below.

Always Remember, JOLTeON!

JOLT-ON! 2024: RAILs with Road Runner and Wylie E Coyote!

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Random Acts in LEGO… sharing the antics of Road Runner and Wylie E. Coyote with Elise and Sophie!

What is “RAILs” you ask? It is our take on sharing “Random Acts of Kindness”… LEGO style! Watch out for them along our ten day journey between Ethan’s birthday and his leap into eternity day this year.

We sent our friends, Elise and Sophie Chamberlin, the Looney Tunes set of Road Runner and Wylie E. Coyote. Last night, they set aside time to complete the set and remember their long time friendship with Ethan on his birthday. Our family met the Chamberlin family back in 2005 through Bible Study fellowship at our church. At the time, Ethan was 5 years old, Elise age 3, Sophie just a baby and Noah was not born yet! Our families have been doing life all these years together.

Even Ellie their dog joined in (however it is obvious she is not so trusting of that Road Runner!).

Thank you for joining us in remembering Ethan!

Do you have a story of sharing “Random Acts in LEGO” with others? Please share your story in honor of Ethan’s legacy with us! We cannot wait to read it and be encouraged by your creativity.

Be on the look out for our next RAILs moment!

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Always Remember

24 Today…

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On this day, your would be 24th birthday, I can only look back and see how unbelievable it is that you are walking with Jesus for two years now. Certainly is an uprooting like no other…

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Remembering the last birthday we had with you. Fixing my eyes on Jesus and the eternity that awaits. Missing you every moment son…

Always Remember, JOLTeON!

JOLT-ON! 2024 Memorial Game Days: In Pursuit of the Brick

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If you knew Ethan, you know his capacity for Lego! It has been two years since Ethan took his last giant LEAP into Heaven … In this second year, we have been carefully investing our time and resources into the friends and communities that Ethan cared so much about.

In honor of the engineer and builder that Ethan was and will be forever, we have chosen to theme this years Memorial Game Days on one of the favorite activities both our sons enjoy, building with Lego’s. To those who choose to remember Ethan with us, we invite you to have some creative fun with these iconic bricks.

If you do not have any Lego’s, feel free to participate with any other fun activity that builds fellowship with those you care about. Please also consider sharing a photo or short story with us. When you do, we will send you a JOLT-ON! commemorative sticker or magnet as our thanks.

WHAT: JOLT-ON 2024 Memorial Game Days remembering Ethan through the world of Lego

Ethan had earned a Material Science Engineering degree (Polymer focused) with the dream of working for Lego. He often enjoyed building, creating and teaching with LEGO’s throughout his 22 years.

WHEN: May 30th through June 9th, 2024

This time period starts on Ethan’s Birthday and ends with his Heaven day. You are welcome to extend out into the year ahead if your timeline of remembering is further along in the calendar.

SCHEDULE: Wang Family Events to Remember

Our Family will remember Ethan with the following activities and will share them here during the Memorial Game Days:
-Support Campus House Kids with Lego Learning sets
–RAILs: Random Acts In Lego… sharing bricks with others!
–Droid Builds, a free build activity originally created by Ethan
-Create a 25-30 second Lego Stop-Motion Video
-Record a time-lapse video of our Memorial Lego Build on June 8th-9th

HOW: Set aside time to remember Ethan and engage in a Lego themed activity

Here are some creative ideas to encourage you to join us…

  • grab a bin of your own Lego’s and build free (Ethan) style…
  • check out Lego Insiders and download Lego coloring pages to share with little one’s in your life
  • donate a Lego set or two to a local charity or children’s center in memory of Ethan
  • play a Lego board game (Heroica, Lego Chess, Creationary, Lego Creator) with friends
  • play a Lego video game (the many Lego Star Wars comes to mind)
  • host a watch party showing Lego Batman or The Lego Movie… there is probably one showing on a streaming service right now!
  • into video making? Use your Lego’s to create a Lego themed 30 second or less stop-motion video like Elizabeth’s or inspired by the one Ethan and Noah made together back in 2016!
  • need some laughter? Watch the recent Lego Star Wars 25-Second Film Festival created by all the fans for the 25th Anniversary of Lego Star Wars.

We are looking forward to all the ways you are remembering Ethan as this second year comes to a close! Please share in the comments below. If you have a file or image to include, please email it to jolton@wfour.net and we will add it to your comment post.

NOTE: Comments are moderated and posted within 24 hours.

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
Everyday Life

Star Wars Day: A Lego Anniversary on 5/4/2024

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Head over to Lego’s official YouTube site for stop motion shorts in celebration of these 25 years of LEGO® Star Wars™!

Hands down, we have celebrated more events in life with Star Wars than any other movie series! Seriously sure that we have more LEGO® Star Wars™ sets than any other.

Our boys are amazing at re-creating Star Wars™ scenes with LEGO® bricks! Check out our very own LEGO® Star Wars™ stop motion “Episode Q” from our vault…

Episode Q

My favorite posted on the Lego.com site is the “Don’t Forget the Droids” compilation. .. especially the Mouse Droid and Tatooine/Jawa vids. Always a fan of the early trilogy as that is what I grew up with. In addition, we all found the creator of “Gluten Free Bread” to be hilariously creative! Congrats to everyone who won honorable mentions! Thanks to Lego for a really fun way to celebrate the day!

To be sure, we will be enjoying ALL the videos on the LEGO® YouTube site today to celebrate another milestone on this Star Wars™ Day…