Party with the Robinsons

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!

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

http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,163-1-10-1,FF.html

The Family Proclamation

http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,161-1-11-1,00.html

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."

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!

Platform 9 3/4

We tried to go to Hogwarts, but the portal closed and our trolley got stuck!

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.