Dallas Museum of Art




Sissy's Torch




Abigail's Art







Nativity Painting

If you follow the blog at all you know we have been members of the Dallas Museum of Art for several years.  It is one of my favorite place in all of Dallas, I could get lost there for hours. 

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Growing up my family traveled all over the world from Venice, Rome, Switzerland, Austria etc. and I was blessed to see Michelangelo and DiVinci’s work up close in their home countries.

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Theseus and the Minotaur

Abigail is still a little young for those type family vacations, so the local museums are a great way to begin an appreciation for art.  The DMA is four floors and has a variety of wonderful collections, in addition there are generally three to four traveling exhibits displayed.  On our visit today the kids decided we would check out some of our old favorites. 

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Caleb loves the DMA’s collection of Mediterranean history, from 3000 BC to the fall of the Roman Empire.  Included in the collection are many depictions of Greek mythology. 

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Abigail and Frankie lean toward a preference of the works of impressionist and post impressionist.  Me, well I like all the pretty pictures, not a big fan of the modern painting.  I do enjoy the paintings by Winston Churchill in the Emery and Wendy Reves collection. 

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Today the DMA was hosting their Bancroft Family Concert series featuring the Dallas Symphony Brass Quintet.  Members of the Brass Quintet include Dallas Symphony Orchestra principal players Ryan Anthony (trumpet), Kevin Finamore (trumpet), Gregory Hustis (horn), John Kitzman (trombone), and Matthew Good (tuba).



A little Duke Ellington

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The music presented included compositions written during the past 400 years starting with the Renaissance composer William Byrd and continuing with Bach, Holst, Wagner, and the 21^st century music of Kevin McKee. The program concluded with brass quintet arrangements of Duke Ellington’s music.

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If you have younger children I would suggest checking out the DMA’s FREE first Tuesday of the month.  Don’t try to see the whole thing at once.  When we started attending Caleb was in 2^nd grad and Abigail was Pre-K.  We would go on the free Tuesday, check out one exhibit, hopefully something that coincided with school and then go home.  But we sent back each month, working on our museum ‘inside voices’ practicing not touching, running etc.  As they got older we could discuss various artists, they can recognize and distinguish between many of the masters. 

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I also love that with these visit we can put together the pieces like when Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the door to the Catholic Church, which is the primary catalyst for the Protestant Reformation, that it was only five years after Michelangelo had completed the Sistine Chapel. 

For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Romans 11:36

Dallas Opera's Doctor Miracle

Frankie, Abigail & Caleb walking the red carpet at the DCT!

Doctor Miracle is a hilarious one-act opera by Georges Bizet, about a young man’s quest to marry his true love, the mayor’s daughter. He must disguise himself as a servant who makes a “poison” omelet, and as a doctor who saves the family — all for the sake of true love.

Compared to the usual three hour operas, this 45 minute opera flew by.  It is a wonderful comedic opera performed in English by alternating casts from Southern Methodist University’s vocal department and the University of North Texas’ opera program.

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Tonight was the premier performance for the Southern Methodist University’s opera performance at the Dallas Children’s Theater.  These dual casts will be traveling to area schools performing and enticing a younger audience to the opera. 

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The kids love the opera; they are simply plays with singing.   It was nice to see one performed in English and not having to read subtitles!  With the performance being at the Dallas Children’s Theater there was no orchestra only piano accompaniment but it was sufficient.

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If you have young children who haven’t been exposed to the opera, or a short attention spam, this would be a great place to start.  My favorite for older children or even adults is Barber of Seville!  Both are comedic operas and you leave feeling light hearted and happy.

Gladness and joy will overtake them, 

and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Isaiah 51:11

The Texas State Fair



Great music!

Texas Beekeepers

In the ferris wheel

Fried Bacon!

the Bird Show

with Big Tex

the Kildares - more bagpipe!

the girls in the paddle boat

Frankie, Abigail & Caleb walking the Midway

Today it was time to say hello to Big Tex!  We hit the Midway early in the morning; there are so many things to do at the fair.  This was the first time for Caleb and Abigail to ride the giant Ferris wheel.  Abigail and Frankie also had a great time doing the paddle boats/swans.  We joined the Gungans and the Teagues for a walk thru some of the buildings and to check out auto show.  There was great music all around and the bird show is a must!  We tried some of the fair food including fried bacon! 

Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights above.
Psalm 148:1

Random Acts of Randomness

Brother Ron Warpole, baptizing Martin and Ragne at
Balchyoca (Baltic-Christian-Youth-Camp)

Sometime four or five years ago Caleb became enamored with our missionary to Estonia, Ron Warpole. Caleb also knew first hand the struggles of missionaries from my Dad, my Uncle David and my brother Michael's mission work.  During that time, Caleb began doing odd jobs to raise extra money for our church's mission efforts. His brain child was recycling aluminum cans! Since that all began we have neighbors, church friends, home school friends etc., who all bring bags of aluminum cans to us. Caleb rinses all the cans and smashes them and we take them to the recycle site in Lewisville. Caleb places 100% of the money received in the collection plate on Sunday mornings. Today he delivered nine garbage bags of smashed cans or twenty-six pounds of aluminum and at $0.45 per pound that is a whooping $11.70!

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One of the really attractive things about the Church of Christ on McDermott Road is the elders desire to have 50% of our budget go towards missions! Caleb has his goal to see the congreation in Tartu one day.

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Caleb's can collection and mission donations is something I wouldn't normally add to the blog, but for other young mom's there are things our kids can do at a very young age to help in the Lord's work.  I also wanted to take a minute to say thank you to all our sweet friends that bag up cans and haul them to Caleb month after month. 
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On a side note, when I went to find a photo of Ron to add to this post, I found the one above.  It was like a special gift, notice Ragne is wearing an LTC 2011 t-shirt.  For the last two years, Jon and I have organized McDermott's Leadership Training for Christ and the LTC teams for Estonia.  Ragne has participated the last two years and Martin participated this past year.  They are names I have worked with and emailed and the first pictures I see of them is them being baptized by Ron! 

I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13   

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Abigail, Caleb & Alexander

Alexander

Book Cover

Trip to the Shoe Store

Gum in the Hair

This year the Dallas Childrens Theater did a totally awesome musical adaptation of the popular children’s book, Alexander an the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!  Poor Alexander's day includes gum in his hair, no snack in his lunch, a dentist appointment and just when it can’t get any worse, there are lima beans for supper and - yuck! It's enough to make anyone want to go to Australia!  It was a cute flash back to the cute board book by Judith Viorst.

But mark this:

There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 Timothy 3:1

Fort Worth Zoo



Eric & Frankie



The Fort Worth Zoo is the oldest zoo in Texas, it is ranked as one of the top five zoos in the nation.  The zoo houses nearly 7,000 native and exotic animals, it is truly one of the best field trips in the DFW area! 

During this year’s Homeschool Days we got to visit their newest exhibit is the Museum of Living Art (MOLA), home to the Komodo dragons, gharial crocodiles and more!

And God said,

“Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds:

the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground,

and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.
Genesis 1:24

Fort Inglish in Bonham, TX

Phillips, Gungans and Kirkwoods outside the stockade.

Headed into the pioneer house.

We actually toured with 70 homeschool
friends from PEACH.

The church/school room.

During the early years of the Republic of Texas Fannin County residents lived in constant danger of Indian attack, and Fort Inglish was a frequent refuge for settlers on the western edge of the Red River frontier. It was built in the summer of 1837 by Bailey Inglish in the form of a single blockhouse, sixteen feet square and topped by an overhanging story twenty-four feet square, probably surrounded by a log stockade. Although it was private, Fort Inglish played a role in several official campaigns against the Indians by the Army of the Republic of Texas.

Bonham, named after Alamo hero and messenger James Butler Bonham, was founded by pioneer Bailey Inglish in March of 1837. The settlement was first called Inglish’s Station or Fort Inglish after the blockhouse and stockade built for the protection of the early settlers. After the removal of the Indian threat to white settlement in Northeast Texas in the early 1840s, however, Fort Inglish fell into disrepair and was eventually dismantled. The stockade has since been rebuilt, surrounding the stockade are five restored 150-year-old log cabins that have been refurbished to represent a blacksmith shop, a frontier cabin, a schoolhouse and a general store. This replica was built in 1976, as a Fannin County Bicentennial project. A doctor’s buggy and military wagon have been restored and are on display in the stockade area.

Caleb removing corn from the husk

Abigail grinding corn

We got to see what life was like for the early settlers. Various pioneer activities were demonstrated including: lye soap making, broom making, candle making and various outdoor skills. Students may also participate in pioneer activities such as: shelling and grinding corn, frontier games, drawing water and washing clothes.

Abigail play the 300 year old piano

This is the point in the post where I offer witty comments about the kid’s activities, but alas in that "Mother of the Year Eludes me Once Again" category, I was goofing around with the kids before our tour and managed to lock my keys in the car. So while the kids took the tour I was outside waiting for the local sheriff to come by with a SlimJim and unlock my car! 

the LORD your God may bless you

in all the work of your hands.

Deuteronomy 24:19

Dallas Stars Hockey Game

Awww!

Tonight we took a night away from the kids to go out on a date.  Since we’ve been married we haven’t been out on very many dates.  Most activities are centered on the kids.  With our extended family out of state babysitters are few and Sissy usually doesn’t like being left behind.  Now, that is not to say that Jon and I don’t spend time alone together.  We stay up alone together usually or an hour to hour and a half alone each evening.  For twenty-one years that has worked for us.

Jon's Camarones Escondidos

Lisa's Tampico

We began our evening with dinner at Cantina Laredo.  It is a newer Mexican restaurant in our area that we have wanted to try.  Jon chose the Camarones Escondidos, which is grilled chicken breast stuffed with shrimp, topped with sauteed spinach and chipotle-wine sauce!  As for me, the Tampico caught my eye with Grilled chicken breast topped with sautéed artichoke hearts, mushrooms, spinach, red bell peppers with sour cream-poblano sauce and Monterey Jack cheese.  Sounds yummy, doesn’t it!

Following dinner we headed to the American Airlines Center for a Dallas Stars pre-season professional hockey game against the St. Louis Blues.  We had great seats in one of the suites that Jon’s company owns.  It was a fun evening, everything you would expect, the token fight, missing teeth etc.  And there were a few things I wouldn’t expect like cheerleaders in hockey, ice girls, and fans racing in giant gerbil balls. 

It was an enjoyable evening and the Stars won! 

Then all the people went away to eat and drink,
to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy,
because they now understood the words
that had been made known to them.

Nehemiah 8:12