You're probably thinking the same thing I think when looking at this picture of Michelle: "How did he get her to marry him?" The answer is I just don't know. Wife, mother, realtor, home-school teacher, home-maker, interior designer, electrician, house painter, artist, genealogist, and all-around hero are only some of her roles in the Smith family. I just thank my lucky stars and try not to screw it up.
Michelle and the kids as they explore tidal pools at Asilomar in June of this year. Because we moved a month before school let out, and travelled all over the place, Michelle began a homeschool curriculum for the kids based on consultations with their teachers in Ohio. After seeing how inadequate this would be, she expanded the program and also decided to do it the entire Summer. This trip to Asilomar was the culmination of a unit on the coastal maritime environment. The kids got to observe first-hand what they had learned in the books.
Exploring the tidal pools at Asilomar, May 2005
Teaching Steven to fish, Utah August 2004
This picture was taken the same day as the worm picture on Sabrina's page. Michelle is helping Steven pick the perfect spot to drop in the line. Nobody caught anything after the first three hours of fishing and so most everyone went home to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Steven wouldn't give up though, so Michelle and I agreed to stay with him and keep trying. Sure enough, after another three hours, we went home with nine fish.
We loved hiking through Clifton Gorge--no matter what the weather. On this day, Michelle warned it was going to rain and made sure she and the kids were dressed appropriately. I looked at the sky and thought I'd just risk it and wore nothing more than a sweatshirt. It poured the whole time. Instance 1,423,674 of Michelle being right and me being wrong, but I'm not bitter...
Hiking in the rain at Clifton Gorge, Ohio March 2005
With the Smith men under the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C., April 2004
On our legacy walking day in D.C. last year. We had two days to see the sites. Sabrina was pooped after the first day and stayed with her Magnusson cousins in Stafford for this second day. Michelle, Steven and I walked probably eight or nine miles trying to see as much as we could. In this picture, we were making our way around the tidal pool from the Lincoln Memorial to the Jefferson Memorial. Whether it's hiking nine miles to go sight-seeing, moving every two years or living in China and having to learn a new language, Michelle always handles anything that comes our way with strength and style.
Michelle and the movers had just finished packing up the last box of stuff in the dining room, when suddenly they heard a massive crack and the house shuddered as if hit by a sonic boom. The mover in the dining room scampered out of there as if he were fleeing for his life. He later said he thought a bomb went off somewhere nearby. A massive Eucalptus tree branch had collapsed onto the roof right above the dining room where Michelle and the mover had been working. Fortunately nobody was injured, but the roof was badly damaged and the house was rendered uninhabitable.
The fire and police departments, along with the base housing and public works departments all responded and taped off the area. This happened coincidentally on the first day we had reservations at the Navy Lodge. We had to delay our moving for a day while the branch was cleared off. We hate to imagine what would have happened if it fell two weeks earlier, or if we had hung the kids' rope swing on it like we discussed....
Giant Eucalyptus tree branch falls on our Monterey home, December 2005
Roof damage caused by the branch, December 2005
Michelle and kids on the Maglev, Shanghai Feb 2006
Whenever we ride on planes or, in this case, ultra-fast trains, the kids always fight over who gets to sit next to mom. Dad ends up by himself either across the aisle or the row behind or in front. On this day, sitting next to Mom was again the preferred spot. While Michelle is flattered by this, she occasionally wishes it was the other way around.
We took a fun Huangpu River cruise the third weekend after our arrival in Shangai. The river cuts its way through the middle of the city dividing it into two halves--Puxi in the West and Pudong in the East. We live in Pudong right on the banks of the river and look across at Puxi from our apartment. We see the tourist cruise boats passing by all the time and the kids begged us to take one--it was a lot of fun and a great way to see some of the famous urban architectural sites in Shanghai. At six bucks a ride, the price is right, too...
Taking in Pudong scenery during a Huangpu River cruise, January 2006
Michelle and Steve at Yu Gardens, Shanghai February 2006
Steven was dying to take a picture of Michelle and I when we were at Yu Gardens. I reluctantly agreed and handed over my digital camera. Lo and Behold, he took a great picture--one of my favorites. Apparently, Michelle was the star attraction so she patiently posed for more of Steven's photos during the next hour of sight-seeing in the gardens. This is the one I liked best.
