We took a quick trip to Austin for MLK day. We drove up Sunday night and came back Monday. Ashlie Martin came along and helped make the drive to and from Austin a lot of fun. The main purpose of the trip was to take the girls to Sophie Robinson's sweet 16. As a bonus we were able to spend the night at Melissa's apartment. Her roommate was gone for the weekend so we took over the place. She made us a great Lasagna dinner and was a wonderful hostess.
Monday morning we went to Kirby Lane for breakfast and enjoyed some excellent pancakes. We then headed to the Robinson's. The girls hung out, chatted and partied. The guys went to a local gun range and shot skeet.
It was great to be able to spend some time with our Texas family. Houston just isn't the same without them!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Party with the Robinsons
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Remembering Gordon B Hinckley
This morning I have spent some time thinking about our Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley. He was a great man and a wonderful example to us all. I will miss his smile and sense of humor, as well as the counsel he gave us. I am grateful for his teachings and will continue to try to follow them for I know he was a Prophet of God and that "though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." D&C 1: 38
Links:
The Living Christ
The Family Proclamation
Great Quotes:
"Life is just like an old time rail journey ... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."
“Our lives are the only meaningful expression of what we believe and in Whom we believe. And the only real wealth, for any of us, lies in our faith.”
"We must not give up. We must not become discouraged. We must never surrender to the forces of evil."
"The way will be lighter, the worries will be fewer, the confrontations will be less difficult if we cultivate a spirit of happiness."
"Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great purpose in heart."
"the only way to get anything done is to get on your knees and plead for help and then get on your feet and go to work."
"Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds."
The family is a creation of the Almighty. It represents the most sacred of all relationships. It represents the most serious of all undertakings. It is the fundamental organization of society."
"We must work at our responsibility as parents as if everything in life counted on it, because in fact everything in life does count on it."
"It is the home which produces the nursery stock of new generations. I hope that you mothers will realize that when all is said and done, you have no more compelling responsibility, nor any laden with greater rewards, than the nurture you give your children in an environment of security, peace, companionship, love and motivation to grow and do well. "
"Teach your children when they are young and small, and never quit. As long as they are in your home, let them be your primary interest."
"Let your children be exposed to great minds, great ideas, everlasting truth, and those things which will build and motivate for good."
"Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth."
"Of all the things for which I feel grateful, one stands [above all the others]. That is a living testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Almighty God, the Prince of Peace, the Holy One. . . . "Jesus is my friend. He is my exemplar. He is my teacher. He is my healer. He is my leader. He is my Savior and my Redeemer. He is my God and my King. "Gratefully, and with love, I bear witness of these things."
Monday, January 28, 2008
Warmth and Art at the National Gallery
While on our trip to London, I got an extra treat. Those who know me well, know that I love art. My family is usually quite understanding when I drag them into art museums where ever we go. Since we were only going to be in London for 2 days, I decided not push for an art museum on this trip. However, the weather was my friend on this trip and it was quite cold while we were visiting Trafalgar Square. At the edge of the square, The National Gallery stood calling and eventually drew us in as a place to warm up before we continued our site seeing.
Once inside, we picked up a map to decide what we wanted to see. I really wanted to find Van Gogh's Sunflowers, so we wandered around trying to find the correct gallery. They were adjusting a display in one of the galleries that day--and had it roped off so you couldn't enter it. Unfortunately, several of the routes we tried to take to the Van Goghs went through that room, so we had to keep turning around and trying again another way. We eventually worked our way back to the front of the museum and made our way into the right spot.
Until I visited the Musee d'Orsay, I didn't really like Van Gogh's work. But there is something amazing about seeing the texture of his paintings up close. Although I quite enjoyed Sunflowers, my favorite Van Gogh that day was "A Wheatfield, with Cypresses". The texture and the colors of this painting are wonderful. It was so much fun being able to stand in front of these painting with my daughters and talk about their details. Thank heavens for cold days and warm museums!
The Lynton Hotel
Our favorite way to travel in Europe is to stay at Bed & Breakfasts. Since we planned this trip at the last moment, our favorite London B&B was full. After researching places online, and trying to find the most economical option to help us survive the poor exchange rate between dollars and pounds, I booked us two triple rooms at the Lynton Hotel. This was a quirky little place and our rooms had the bathrooms down the hall. But the beds were very comfortable and the breakfast was good. And since we spent most of our time out in the city--it was just the kind of place were were looking for.
What a way to start the new year!
Since Joe will be leaving for the MTC before spring break, we decided to take the kids on one last quick trip as a family. We used my vacation passes and flew first class to London. What a treat that was! Everyone thought we were crazy to fly so far for such a short time, but we had a wonderful time.
We spent the first day seeing the sites by hopping on and off a double decker bus and walking around London. We stopped at Buckingham Palace, Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar square for photos and went into the National Gallery to warm up and see some art. We also hopped on the tube and visited Platform 9 3/4--a must do for all the Harry Potter fans in our family. That day we enjoyed lunch at an English pub and dinner at an Indian restaurant. Erin, our most picky eater, decided Indian food was not for her. So she watched us eat and then I walked her across the street for a happy meal while the rest of the family waited to pay the bill. What a silly girl!
Our second day was spent touring the Tower of London and visiting the British Museum. This was a great day. Melissa and I went to London back in 2000, and after visiting the British Museum we found a Greek restaurant nearby where we had dinner. Our goal was to try and find this restaurant again, but we really couldn't remember which way to go looking for it. So after we left the museum, we walked down the street to buys some souvenirs. As we were making our final purchase, Greg spotted a little Greek restaurant down the road. It wasn't the same place, but the food was excellent so we won't complain. This time we took a business card just in case we are in London again and craving Greek food.
We were supposed to fly home on the noon flight the following day, but after checking the flights at bedtime we discovered that flight was nearly sold out. So we got up early to head to the airport to catch the 9:30 flt. This mean missing our B&B breakfast, which made us sad, but also guaranteed us first class on the flight home so it was probably worth the sacrifice. At the airport we discovered that the British are much more strict on carry on luggage than we are here in the US. Bags we carried on the same type of plane in the US, had to be checked on our return flight. This made for a more hurried experience at the airport which left me kind of frazzled. But in the end we got all the bags checked and were still able to make it to our gate with time to spare. All in all, this was a wonderful trip and a great way to spend some quality family time together before Joe leaves for Colorado.
On the Gatwick Express heading into London
Jet lag catches up to half the family on the double decker bus tour.
Waiting for the tube
Hanging out with the Lions in Trafalgar square
Erin
Erin is a crazy 8th grader that is constantly making us laugh. She is playing the Bass Clarinet this year and currently trying out for the track team. Erin is a cuddly girl who always likes to be close to those she loves. She got braces this year and loves her new and improve smile in spite of all the metal. She is looking forward to attending girls camp again this year and also going to EFY for the first time.
Erin also loves going new places and is constantly changing her mind about where she wants to live when she grows up. Currently she wants to live in London and go to Oxford. She loves animals and wants to work with elephants someday (not sure how that will fit in with an Oxford education). Over Christmas she got to touch and feed some sting rays and now she hopes to travel somewhere exotic this summer where she can swim with them.
Rachel
Rachel has a vibrant personality and a blast to be around. She is our social butterfly who seems to be gone more than she is at home. She is still playing the tuba in her high school marching band. She has two leadership positions in the band and is involved in several clubs at school. Rachel is also super smart. She has a pretty tough schedule at school and works hard to stay on top of Physics, Pre-Cal and her AP classes. This past fall she was inducted into the National Honor Society.
Last summer she worked at Sonic Drive In and loved having lots of spending money. She has been too busy with school and all her extra curricular activities to work during the school year, and is starting to worry about what will happen when all her money is gone. She is hoping to find a job she can work a couple of hrs a week in order to keep her social life funded.
Joseph
Joe decided not to go to college this fall, and instead focus on getting his mission papers completed in hopes of getting out in the mission field close to his birthday. We soon discovered that everything took twice as long as we expected to complete. But he persisted, and finished all the requirements, including having all 4 of his wisdom teeth removed. This was one of the funniest experiences we have had with Joe. After he came out of surgery, he was singing to the radio and waiving to people out of the car window. He entertained us for about half an hour before he went to sleep. It was only after he woke up and the anesthesia had worn off that we realized we should have video taped him. Probably could have made a lot of money on America's Funniest Home videos. Oh well, at least we have a good story for parties.
Right after Christmas, Joe finally received his mission call. He will be serving in the Colorado Denver South mission and will report to the MTC on March 5. He is very excited to start his mission, and is actively preparing for his new routine. His morning schedule includes a lengthy study period followed by exercise. Then he even helps me around the house. He has a strong testimony and we know he will be a great missionary!
Melissa
Melissa is an amazing woman. After a challenging year as coxswain on the woman's varsity rowing team, she decided she needed to leave the team and focus on Dance, which is her major at UT. Training with the team took a toll on her knees and prevented her from participating in some dance programs she would have liked to be in. She spent last summer working as a nanny and also returning as a counselor at the American Ballet Theatre's summer intensive at UT. She is now looking past graduation and making plans for life after UT. She has some amazing goals--we'll keep you posted as she reaches them.
Our kids
It is really hard to believe our kids are so grown up. Melissa is 21 and finishing up her Jr. year in college. Joe is 19 and waiting to leave on his mission (more on that to come). Rachel is a Jr. in high school. And Erin is in 8th grade. Where did the time go? They are all wonderful kids. We have truly been blessed to be their parents!
Greg and Cindy
Greg and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary in December. It is amazing that time has gone by so fast! We have been in Houston now for 16 1/2 yrs. Although we hate being so far from family, Houston is a great place to live and we have had a wonderful life here. Greg is still working for HP, and I believe he enjoys it most days. I got a new job in May as a reservations agent with Continental Airlines. It is a great job which gives me a lot of flexibility, allows me to work from home and comes with great perks! So Greg works to pay the bills and I work so we can travel. It is a system that is really working out well!
In December Greg and I were made the nursery leaders for our ward. It is a lot of fun to be with the little ones on Sunday. We definitely have some of the cutest kids in our ward. Greg is also serving as the Scout Committee Chairman and the Emergency Preparedness Specialist for our ward.
A family Christmas
This year we were blessed to have all of my family come to Houston for Christmas. It was the first time we have all been together for a couple of years. It was wonderful to be with extended family during the holiday season. Although it wasn't a white Christmas, it is hard to complain when you get to wear shorts in December.
Welcome to my blog
After reading a couple of friends' blogs, I have decided to try blogging out. My goal is to find a way to be better at journaling and keeping in touch with friends and family. Hopefully I can be better at this than scrapbooking. ;-)
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