When In Rome

So we dressed in our Texans shirts and had a great time at the game. Texans vs. Bucs. Funny, MH decided she wanted "the team from Florida" to win. 

Nashville - The Frist

Avery and Rose on their way into the museum.

On our recent trip to Tennessee, we stayed in Nashville with some great friends. They took us to a fantastic museum, The Frist Center. The two exhibitions were fabulously interesting. Chihuly's glass art was bod, colorful, and playful. It was most definitely a chore to keep the kids in line ... breaking a Chihuly sculpture would've spent our vacation budget, and then some!

To reward their great behavior, and to give them an artistic outlet, we took our kids to the top floor kids club. There they had hands on activities including printmaking, stop motion movies, human figure sketches, texture drawings, blocks, and a whole bunch more. We all enjoyed the opportunity to create after seeing such beautiful art on display!

Everyone was creating the stencil for the printmaking.


The kids got to add the ink

Run it through the press.

Revealing Avery's final product

Maybe an artist like Grandma? She loved sketching.

Avery was learning how to draw a self-portrait

The final exhibit was tailor made for the mamas! Chris and Mike took the kids outside so Rachel and I could enjoy an audio tour of The Golden Age of Couture Paris and London 1947 - 1957. It was glamorous, stylish, and so very different from gowns today.

This was one of my favorites. It shows the gown with intricate embroidery and a complicated undergarment

Playing with the Lamms

(playing on the trampoline in the sprinklers)

The Lamms moved to Texas just about the same time we did last year. Our mutual friend, Rachel, introduced us to each other and we have been Facebook friends ever since. It took us almost one year to meet up ... and we are so glad we did. The kids (and moms) had a fun-filled day. We left home just after breakfast and came home at bedtime. The kids were exhausted, and I was energized to talk with a new friend.
Here are some pictures from our day:

MH, Georgia, Jude, and Avery eating lunch at a HUGE church in town. They have the largest indoor playground ever, and a a cafe that serves Chick-fil-a and Starbucks. That is play date heaven!

Georgia and Mary Hannah became fast friends!

Mary Hannah wanted to hold her hand the whole time!

Monkey jumping!

Ring around the Rosie

The Best Jokes Begin Like This...

The best jokes always begin like this...

... A Catholic, A Baptist, and a Jew...

The best jokes always start with Angela, Emily, and Michele! We have had some fantastic laughs this year teaching together at school. When one of us was missing, the day just didn't seem right. From our early morning gatherings to our after school meetings, we have been there to encourage each other ... and laugh. Lots of laughter!

I am so blessed to have friends of different faiths. We love each other despite our differences, and encourage each other to a more committed life. We respect each other, and accept each other.

I am going to miss my girls when I am away from "The Hill" next year. Will you come visit me?