Spring Break: Springfield Edition 2

In addition to New Salem & the Museum, we also toured the old State Building [really quickly] and took a tour thru the Lincoln home [really interesting]. It was fun imaging what life would have been like for this small family, how it changed when Abe was elected President and how it changed even more when Mary returned to this home after Lincoln's assassination.

I was especially inspired by a small writing nook in his home where our tour guide said Lincoln wrote most of his "now-famous" speeches. Like many things in our own lives, he probably [certainly] had no idea of the impact his words/actions/beliefs would have on generations to come. It challenges me to use my words, my time, my efforts wisely.

And yes, Alexander did get to choose one souvenir. He choose a Union hat [because those are the BEST kind of soldiers, he said]. He wore his new purchase diligently for the rest of the trip [and scared no few pedestrians as he re-enacted battles on the Springfield sidewalks!]

 

 

 

 

  

Spring Break 2014: Springfield Edition

X-man is HUGE fan of Abraham Lincoln. He thinks he's the best president ever. He loves that he has really long legs -- just like Abraham Lincoln. And that he loves to read books -- just like Abraham Lincoln. And he likes to roll up his pant legs so his legs stick out -- just like Abraham Lincoln. And that he goes to a school that is called Abraham Lincoln Elementary. You get the idea.

So, since we're aware that kids sometimes grow out of fun learning opportunities, we decided to take a family trip to New Salem/Springfield. The weather did not completely cooperate considering it was rainy & overcast most of the time, but we were still able to experience some of New Salem and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum was a huge hit! Especially the "Ghosts of the Library" presentation. And I agree, the Museum is really, really well done. I would say that Alexander was probably at the younger end of when you'd want to take your children. But considering his interest in the subject and the fact that we've read and/or listened to lots of stories that address the slavery issue and have had LOTS of conversations about some of the difficult/sensitive topics of Lincoln's life/administration, it was a really good fit for him.

 

Spring Break 2014

Yes. I am undoubtedly behind on posting pictures but here is a quick glimpse into our Spring Break 2014. It started with the transmission "giving up" in one of our cars so we got to chauffer Blake to/from work for a day or two. Alexander did not like the early morning wake-ups [and truth be told, neither did his mommy!] Anyway, because of that, our Spring Break started a day early so we could catch a ride downstate with Dad/Mom who were at a training seminar nearby.
 
First day of Spring Break was spent at the Dorset Sheep Show watching Eric, Gina, Ethan & Ty show their sheep [Kara was busy babysitting all the little siblings of other sheep families who were in attendance]. It was a good day for Quarter Mile Farms as they won first place in each of their classes and grand champion AND reserve champion, too! Here are some pictures of the show, the sheep & the people.

 

Book Review: 10 Great Dates

I recently received a copy of the book “10 Great Dates: Connecting Faith, Love & Marriage” to review. The gist of the book is an encouragement for couples to plan 10 dates, each centered on a spiritual theme, with the purpose of building deeper connections.

I struggled at first to embrace this premise. Why? Because frankly, I had “unofficially” tried this approach, especially early in our marriage, and our dates often crashed & burned because I did not completely appreciate that my husband went on a date to relax, NOT to discuss life goals and the State of our Marriage. So, if your husband is similar, I would suggest this is not the book for you. But, if you are looking for a very structured approach for discussing topics of faith, this book could be a good resource.

Additionally, I was taken aback by the seemingly basic contents of the discussions created for married couples. They seemed more like “getting to know you” type of activities. With great thankfulness, I acknowledge the blessing of my marriage in that my husband and I addressed almost all of the topics included in this book very early on in our relationship, for sure during our engagement. If both you & your spouse have been Christ-followers throughout the entirety of your marriage, you’d probably find the discussion topics not applicable for motivating new conversations but certainly, they are good reminders to keep communication open.

The book contains extensive personal examples from both of the author couples & Biblical truth and instruction. Its not a bad book, simply one which I personally found not to be useful tool.

I was given a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Review: The Dancing Master

Julie Klassen is a talented writer/author. Her extensive efforts in creating a realistic storyline filled with historical content and background in ‘The Dancing Master’ is evident, as in her previous contributions.

 

I like this book but found it interesting that I was more intrigued by the Valcourt family [Alec’s family] that with the main character Julia Midwinter’s family. Not sure if that was the author’s intent or not.

 

Characters were all well-developed. I especially liked the comic relief provided by Walter, the non-dancer in the group and the gentle, honorable spirit of John Desmond.

 

The storyline was intriguing, allowing the reader to figure out the details as the plot unfolded without being too complicated or too predictable.

 

Being an adoptive parent, I was especially interested in how the topic of adoption would be addressed in this book. Ms. Klassen did okay. [Spoiler Alert]: I especially liked the fact that Julia’s father missed the first scheduled meeting & that once Julia met him, they did not instantly connect and reconcile. Though we might hope for happy endings, they are seldom reality in an adoptive child’s life and I appreciated the representation of such.

 

All in all, a good read with just the right combination of intrigue, romance & faith.

 

I was given a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. 

Birthday Fun Time, Part 3

Thursday he was with his cousins. Friday he celebrated with daddy & mommy, complete with his selection of "the Burger Joint" for dinner after soccer class. Speaking of soccer, on Saturday we celebrated with g&gS. and grandma put together an amazing soccer cake for Mr. 6-Years-Old. He identified most with the one player on the cake that had fallen down since that's his usual position on the soccer field. I tell you, the kid CANNOT stay on his feet! Anyways, here are some pictures of the very fun cake which we had along with custom-made milkshakes. With all the options available, X-man choose...[insert drumroll]...vanilla!

 

Our musician wanna-be was super excited to get drumsticks from grandpa & grandma along with his very own harmonica.

 

Birthday Fun Times, Part 2

He got a fish! Lest you think he's super-stoked...yeah; he's not. He wanted a dog.

Really, really badly. Even though he's scared of most dogs. And whenever we visit the M.Family who have a very non-threatening dog, he hides behind me and sometimes even cries because he's so terrified. But alas, he wanted a dog but he got a fish.

He name his fish Po. Po now resides in his room and while they're not yet best of friends, he does think the snails who share Po's fish tank are quite entertaining. Our first pet-adventure. I am glad it's a fish...and not a dog!