Holiday Letter 2016

2016 was the year of travel and change.

We had the opportunity to see the world through our daughters’ eyes and we got to experience life as empty nesters, albeit briefly. We worked a lot.   

Last December (2015) we started our travels by meeting Miye’s host family, the Benedettis, in Fano, Italy. We were also able to visit Rome, where Michael and I met 28 years ago.  We went on to Germany to meet our host daughter Hannah's family, the Schmids, who showed us around Bavaria.

The Benedetti-Aoki-Kramer family

The Schmid-Aoki-Kramer family (minus Lucas and Jacob)

At the end of January we took Chiyo to Los Angeles where we delivered her to the AFS volunteers who saw her off on her study abroad to New Zealand. We were happy for her because this is what she wanted, but were nervous about her living with a large family in a small town in New Zealand we had never heard of - Opotiki (Ohpoh-tohkee).

The last family picture for 11 months

We made our annual excursion to Winthrop in February, with Sarah and Sophie- thank goodness the girls finally appreciate cross-country skiing.

Cross-country skiing on Carol's birthday 

In March while Miye was off playing at a soccer tournament in Dallas, we went to New Mexico to visit some old friends.

Visiting with Trudy and Tom (who was the photographer)

In April we made it to Hawaii, thankfully without the flight drama of our last trip! The observatory on Mauna Kea was amazing and the number of stars you could see was astounding. Hawaii is such a beautiful place - we wish we could visit more often.

A stands for warm Aloha, L is for laughter and smiles, O is for out in the Pacific where the angels build these tropic isles, H is for beautiful Hawaii far across the ocean blue, A just means Aloha and Aloha means I love you (lyrics from a song Miye and Sophie learned in elementary school)

We stayed home in May and watched on with misty eyes as Miye got dressed up and left for prom. She missed having her sister there and Chiyo missed being there so much she sent video messages of herself crying. Back in New Zealand Chiyo was in the play "Jack and the Bean Stalk" in a nearby community theater in the town of Whakatane  (pronounced “Fah-kah-ta-nee”). She had a blast continuing her acting career.

The necessary prom picture with the parents 

Our less professional shot of Chiyo

Miye graduated from Garfield High School in June with a Seal of Biliteracy in Japanese and Italian. We finally got to use the flight vouchers from our Europe trip last year and we went to visit Carol’s cousins in Tokyo and Osaka and Michael’s cousin in Fukuoka. Miye and Michael climbed Mt Fuji and were able to summit! Chiyo decided to play soccer for her high school in Opotiki and enjoyed being able to continue to play goalkeeper. She had lots of fun and sent us lots of mud-covered pictures.

The three high school graduates Miye & cousins Rovell and Emily

Miye with Grandma and Grandpa on graduation day!

Chiyo covered in mud after a soccer game

Visiting the Shinmi family in Tokyo before Miye and Michael left for Mt. Fuji

Visiting with Yuko and her beautiful family 

Breakfast with Michael's cousin Craig and his wife

And of course the Takeuchi family

Universal Studios Japan with the Takeuchi girls

Saying goodbye at the airport in Osaka

In July we went to Park City Utah for our cousin Kato’s wedding. Miye's friend Viola from Fano came to stay with us for a couple of weeks. Chiyo helped plan a ball at Opotiki College (her high school there) and went with one of her exchange student friends.

Before Kato and Houston's wedding

We took Viola to lunch on the Space Needle

Chiyo and her date with Chiyo's host mother Jodine

August brought the Great Glass Bowl Incident. Carol’s sleeve got hooked on the door handle and spun her into the wall, whereupon the glass bowl she was carrying shattered in her hands and left her with 27 stitches on her hand and leg. The next day we left to take Miye to Ripon College. We got her settled into her dorm and met her wonderful roommate, Abbie.

Carol being loaded into the ambulance

All of the stitches!

Leaving Seattle for Ripon! We got seated early because Carol had to use a walker

Miye standing in the parking lot outside of Tri Dorms

Miye and her roommate Abbie

We went to visit Miye in September with Michi and see her hard work pay off as she earned the starting goalkeeper position. Chiyo was off on an adventure to New Zealand South Island and partaking in a Kiwi-originated sport: bungee jumping from a 34-meter high bridge. (Do the math - I like to keep the number in metric - it is smaller).

Brunch at Mr. and Mrs. P's, a favorite breakfast/lunch/brunch spot in Ripon

Chiyo and her Little Mermaid leggings jumping off the bridge!

An action shot of Miye punching the ball away from goal - a win for Ripon!

In October we surprised Miye in Illinois at her soccer games and got to visit with the Kramer families from Illinois and St Louis. After the best season Ripon College women’s soccer team has ever seen, it ended too soon and was unfortunately decided by a pair of controversial penalty kicks.

The Kramer crew came out to the game at Illinois College

Auntie Jill came to support Miye at Knox College

In November Chiyo experienced her first graduation as she finished school at Opotiki College. We (the parents) decided to take a trip down to New Zealand to help bring her home. We met Chiyo's family, the Whare (pronounced "Fuh-ree") family, who welcomed her in just like one of their 7 other children. We fell in love with New Zealand and the Whare Whanau (pronounced like Miye's Italian home town, Fano; whanau) and hope to go back soon! Miye spent Thanksgiving in Chicago with Grandma and Grandpa Kramer and Michael’s siblings Jill and Lisa’s families. We are so thankful for having family no matter where we go!

Chiyo graduated!

Seeing Chiyo in Wellington

Whare-Aoki-Kramer picture

Leelyn (14), Chiyo, Grandpa and Michael

Michael, Tahuu (19) and Chiyo

Tamati (4), Leon, Chiyo, Triniti (4), Caanan (5), Jodine and Sienna (20)

Thankfully we made it back to December with a full house. Chiyo came home and a couple weeks later Miye followed. It has been so wonderful having the whole family home again but unfortunately (or fortunately – you pick) Miye had to go back to school January 15th so Chiyo is the only kid in the house.  

We enjoyed participating in the women's march in Seattle with 130K + others.