Our last day in the Twin Cities we drove over to the Mill City Museum. Wow - we learned so much!

I had never heard of Saint Anthony Falls, and I had no idea that Minneapolis used to churn out so much flour.

 



 

We got to sift flour through progressively finer mesh screens,



 

 
 
 


 

and we checked out the test kitchen.

 



 

Lots of great hands on activities kept kids and adults fascinated and learning for hours.  (The museum really didn't pay me to write a review, we just had a great time!)

 

 

 

 

We finished a great day by adventure eating delicious Ethiopian food at the Blue Nile Restaurant.  Yum!

 



One of the unexpected treats of our trip was reconnecting with a friend from high school.  We hadn't seen him in over twenty years, and he even brought along his beautiful wife for us to meet.  My sister graciously opened up her home, and we all stayed up late Monday night getting reacquainted.




 
 

 


 

 

 Tuesday, we enjoyed the amusement rides inside the Mall of America.  My sister and I are both fans of roller coasters, and Sarah is quickly learning to enjoy them alongside us.

 

 Aunt Melissa is also training Olivia to appreciate roller coasters, but Olivia prefers to stay right side up.

 

 

Aaron is a fabulous uncle and took my nephew on several rides.

 

 

 



Life isn't all fun and games, though.  Food still has to be prepared, and the Choate kitchen crew all pitched in to help.

 



 

Everyone in my sister's family is a bibliophile, too.  So we read lots of books (and got lots of snuggles) together.

 



Road Trip with SNOW

The main reason we planned this trip in February was because we wanted to enjoy snow and cold temperatures.  My sister took us to the beautiful Minnehaha Falls and the icy Mississippi River.

 



One of my favorite cookbooks, "The Great Scandinavian Baking Book", references Ingrebretsen's, and I finally got to go see all of the beautiful books, dishes, foods, and needlework inside.  I even grabbed a new cookbook as a souvenir, "The Great Holiday Baking Book" by the same author.

 

After lunch, we bundled up and hit the slopes for sledding.  My tropical kids have never experienced anything like this, and we couldn't have asked for better weather or a more perfect park with gentle hills.

 

Aaron and I even loaded up on the sled together a couple of times!

Road Trip

Our February 2013 Road Trip began last Saturday with a drive up from Dallas to Kansas City where we met one of my sisters for a quick bit of supper at Arthur Bryant's Barbeque.

 



Our visit was short but sweet.  Being only a day's drive from family still feels a little bit funny.

 



 

We don't take all of these hugs and smiles for granted!

 

 

Next stop, Minnesota's Twin Cities...

Chinese New Year

Since we'll be out of town when the Chinese New Year actually begins, and to give the kids a distraction from missing their daddy, we pulled out the construction paper and scissors last night to make "Chinese lanterns".  I read a fun book aloud while we worked.  "The Runaway Wok: A Chinese New Year Tale" by Ying Chang Compestine is a new discovery for our family.  The whining and fussing dissolved (both mine & the kids') as we spent some time keeping our minds occupied and focused on the good things God has given us.

Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center

 

 

With highs in the 70s and a gorgeous blue sky overhead, we were glad that the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center's Free First Thursday was today. 

We took a picnic lunch and stopped at a shady spot overlooking Joe Pool Lake where we could hear birds singing and catch a breeze.

 



I love watching my kids unfold and bloom and make good choices.  While we were walking, Sarah accidently stepped on the end of Katherine's walking stick and broke it.  Katherine, in tears but with no malice toward her big sister, wailed, "But it was just right for me!"  After looking for a replacement, Katherine dried up, tossed the stick and decided to find a stick for her baby doll, Anna.  In no time, she discovered the perfect choice and resumed the hike.  Her actions mirrored the growth happening in her heart, and I'm so thankful for those glimpses into a little life that praises the Lord.

 



"Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.  Let all that I am praise the Lord."  Psalm 103:22

 

Earthquake in the Solomon Islands

Our colleagues who visited us in the village last March posted an update on the recent earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands.  Thanks for your prayers!

 

I love having a range of kids learning math, from algebra all the way down...

 

 

"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count;

 

 everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted." 

~Albert Einstein

 

Texas Woman's Daybook

Just for today...Monday, February 4

 

Outside my window...cloudy, dark, and sprinkling.  Yay for moisture!  This morning the weather anchor was commenting on the crunchy grass.

 

I am hearing...the click of the coffee pot burner, the heater cycling on and off, the quiet of the morning before the kids wake up

 

Praying for...my husband as he attends a leadership conference out of town this week.  Hoping he can be still and free from distractions and really focus on what the Lord is doing in his life.

One of my favorite things...these two smiles

 

 

Pausing to go wake up the kids...be back when I get a break in school.....



Okay, I'm back now :-)
 

A heart of thankfulness...for my four exercise buddies.  All four kids popped right outside onto the wet pavement with great attitudes this morning.  They rode bikes, ran alongside me, and encouraged each other.  I couldn't ask for more wonderful children.

 

I am creating...in the "life medium of the moment" based on Valerie Schultz's suggestion to "jump into the life-medium of the moment, whether it's oatmeal or beach sand or Dr. Seuss' rhymes or the soup you're making for dinner."

 

Pondering these words..."Without satisfying worship, there can be no successful warfare."  Warren Wiersbe

From the kitchen...easy English muffins this morning on some of our beautiful dishes I found in Canton for a great price

  

On my bookshelf...over the weekend, I pulled out some fun Groundhog's Day books to share with the kids.  "Geoffrey Groundhog Predicts the Weather" by Bruce Koscielniak (love the surprise ending!), the classic "Gregory's Shadow" by Don Freeman, "Gretchen Groundhog, It's Your Day!" by Abby Levine, and "Substitute Groundhog" by Pat Miller

 

From the learning rooms...treaty of Waitangi, England's Queen Victoria, composer Gioachino Rossini, Sarah is learning about polynomials, Benjamin is tackling decimals, Olivia is discovering ratios, Katherine is still practicing addition & subtraction up to 20; we also have slices of banana (one with yeast, one without) molding in plastic bags on the cabinet for observation

 

A few plans for the rest of the week...going to pick up some Pyrex and Corningware dishes from a friend that will go in our crate headed to the Solomon Islands soon, and we'll probably go to the Dogwood Canyon Audubon center for their free First Thursday, but generally I'm staying close to home and getting things ready for our big road trip next weekend

 

A peek into my corner of the world...last Friday, my kids really enjoyed the sunroof of my mother's new-to-her vehicle

"In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry....May he grant your heart's desires and make all your plans succeed.  May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.  May the Lord answer all your prayers."  Psalm 20:1, 4, 5

In the Fall of 2011, we were praying for this little guy from Marulaon Village as he fought for his life.  Because he was born prematurely and with an esophagus that didn't connect to his stomach, we joined the army of prayer warriors around the world on his behalf.



Yesterday, we got to experience the answer to all of those prayers as we played Tenzi and watched a vivacious little boy laugh and add joy to our gathering.  God knew that I would have a student in my orchestra seventeen years ago that would become a godly man, marry a Proverbs 31 woman, and lead his family to be a blessing to ours on a sunny aftermoon.

Laughter

"If I had a flower for every time you made me smile and laugh, I'd have a garden to walk in forever." ~Alfred Lord Tennyson

 



 

Thanks for my garden, Mama!

Market Warriors

Thursday morning, bright and early, we left to meet a sweet friend in Canton for some shopping and fellowship (mostly fellowship). 

 



We felt a little bit like Market Warriors as we walked through the antique booths full of "eye candy".

 



Benjamin found a very heavy sword and decided he liked it enough to spend his own money to bring it home.

 



 

The day was absolutely beautiful, and after finding a few treasures for the "Choate Bed and Breakfast", we enjoyed a picnic lunch.  On the way home, we enjoyed listening to "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens.  It's our newest read-aloud, and the length of the book means it will be keeping us company for a while as we hit the road for St. Paul next week.

Fun with Nanny

Wednesday morning, we took my mom for her first trip to the Dallas Zoo.  We're so thankful that we live close enough for our kids to hang out with their grandparents!