Trip to San Antonio, Part 2

Saturday morning we all enjoyed sleeping in and having a leisurely breakfast at the hotel. Then we packed up all our things to check out.

We headed over to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Despite the drizzling rain and cold, we decided to brave the outdoors.

We started off at Mission San Jose, and decided to go on the Ranger tour. He did a really good job, and we learned a lot!

The beautiful cathedral at the mission.

There are actually 5 missions, but after spending a couple of hours at the first one, we knew we couldn’t see them all in one day. We were also really hungry because it was just about lunch time! Thankfully, there was a Pizza Hut right across the street. J

The second mission we went to was Mission Concepcion. It was much smaller than Mission San Jose, but the cathedral was really beautiful!

Then we piled into the car and drove downtown to our next hotel. We unloaded our things and started walking downtown to continue our sightseeing.

We stopped at a mall on the Riverwalk to get drinks at Starbucks.

Then it was on to the Alamo! We had been warned that it was smaller than you’d expect. What we didn’t expect was the long lines to get in! We were a little bummed that we couldn’t take any pictures inside. L But it was still neat to see such a famed historical site!

We continued walking over to Hemisfair Park. The historical houses were beautiful!

Then we went over to the Tower of the Americas!

We rode the elevator up to the top observation deck! The view was pretty incredible. We also saw a 4D movie there about the state of Texas.

We were pretty well starved at that point, and getting weary of walking. The temperature continued to drop and the rain poured harder. We walked along the Riverwalk looking for a good restaurant. We ended up at a nice Italian place. I had chicken with lemon butter sauce, steamed vegetables, and a house potato. It was *so* delicious, especially considering how hungry I was. J

For dessert I enjoyed Crème Brulee. It was divine!

Then we started walking back to the hotel. That was an adventure! Walking several city blocks in a thunderstorm isn’t our favorite thing to do. We were so grateful to be back in our warm hotel rooms and to enjoy hot showers! Then it was straight to bed for us because of the time change.

To be continued . . .

Homeschool Blessings Part II: History

~ posted by Rubia

A couple of months ago, I decided it would be fun to share some of my favorite studies and courses within each subject of school. I had also previously shared about my gratitude for my parents’ decision to homeschool, and how I believe that in many ways it is a better alternative to public schooling.

In some ways, sometimes it is hard to pick up on school again after the holidays. But so far for me, it has felt good to get a fresh start! And of course here at home, we do have breaks sometimes, but your teacher and your resources are always there, so there’s not often much of an excuse to take a day off! J Maybe for those of us trying to keep up well though (like myself) this is a good thing.

Last time, I shared about many of the things I’m doing in the “Bible” category. Now I’d like to talk about history!

History was never my favorite subject growing up. I was never sure why. I feel now that it was just because I had a hard time remembering all the information and the dates. Neither did I really understand why studying the past was important. There were other subjects that I enjoyed more and was good at.

But this year History has turned into a subject I enjoy much more. I believe that it’s not about just learning from a certain time period and comparing it to how things look different today. Rather, by studying the lives of specific people, we can learn how to look at our own lives today, and hopefully even be prepared for the future. It’s a lot like the “glasses” we look through when reading the history in the Bible. We learn of, and from, people written in that time, based on situations they’d been through, sins they’d committed, and what they learned and wrote about to teach future generations about holy living. Sometimes there are even “bad” people we learn about, and we can learn the consequences of poor choices they made in their lives. At the same time, we can learn from the wisest people who ever lived, based on observations they made. I think that such history is used by God to teach us.

This year, I get a lot of history credit from different things, but my 2 main history subjects are: a book I’m going through with some of my siblings called “For You they Signed” by Marilyn Boyer, and a course from Milliken about American History. I’ve chosen to share some of my thoughts about the former.

In “For You they Signed” Boyer gives the spiritual heritage of each and every one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence! Not all of them were equally written of, as there were some I had never even heard of, along with those I knew quite a lot about. But what was amazing was that a spiritual heritage is written of each one of them.

Each chapter starts with an introduction about the signer’s name, where he was born and where he grew up, who his spouse and children were, how old he was when he signed and when he died, and so on. But along with that, there is a written character trait that best described them, along with a Bible verse which purposes to remind you of that person and his lifestyle. (An example below.)

I have learned that each signer was at great risk simply by putting his name down on that paper. Signing for the independence of their country was like signing their death sentence. But they were all willing, and boldly signed. Reading about them week after week has made me realize exactly the sacrifice that they gave for people in future generations like me. Many of their specific sacrifices are described in the book. I remember one which, for one of the men meant allowing his son to remain imprisoned and ultimately be killed by the British. Surely he wanted to save his son, and never even dreamed of allowing his decision to be what it was. However, his son was a bargaining chip for the British, and for the freedom of his country, he had to say what he did at the time.

According to what was written of these brave signers, they each possessed several godly character traits. And of many of them, it is said and gathered from information about their lives (or life-styles) that they were good fathers and husbands, godly examples, obviously courageous, loving and sensitive toward others, and many other things. And of course they all had weaknesses as well, but for many of them, it is taught that they learned good from their tough situations, and that they were turned around and used for good. (Or their weaknesses were even turned into their greatest strength.)

There is a lot to learn from these men of the past. “For You they Signed” is definitely a book I would recommend! I am going through it with Ben and Roma, and it includes questions to discuss that we use. It has been a very educational read for all of us!

September 11

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.”

-President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

“Remember the former things, those of long ago;

I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like Me.”

Isaiah 46:9

Fourth of July

Freedom’s natal day is here.

Fire the guns and shout for freedom,

See the flag above unfurled!

Hail the stars and stripes forever,

Dearest flag in all the world.

~ Florence A. Jones

Today we remember that great day when the United States of America became a nation. A nation where all could have freedom. May we never forget the price that purchased our freedom, and may we continue to wage war to protect it!

Ben's Birthday Trip

Earlier this month, we celebrated Ben’s birthday! In keeping with tradition, we went on a surprise birthday trip. In keeping with our newer tradition, we took it on a Saturday a few days before his birthday so that Daddy could be with us.

We found ourselves at the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza! This museum was created in the same building—on the same floor—where Lee Harvey Oswald shot at and assassinated President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Ben has always had a love for history, and went through a long phase where he was borderline obsessed with American Presidents. He was particularly interested in the Kennedy assassination after we saw the car he was riding in at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan. Needless to say, this birthday trip was right up his alley! J

Photo Credit: Betsy.

Unfortunately no photos were allowed in the museum. But it actually helped me concentrate more on learning! They give you a small handheld audio device that basically gives you a tour through the museum. There are some signs, but the audio tells a lot more. It was the first time our family had done an audio tour, but we really enjoyed it!

The museum seemed small in size, but it actually took us a couple of solid hours to get all the way through it. We learned about every aspect of the Kennedy assassination, and also a lot about his presidency.

When we were through inside, we walked outside to the grassy knoll around the corner, which overlooked the route Kennedy was driving on at the time of his assassination.

The two spots where the shots hit are marked with an X. It was kind of strange being so close to such a significant piece of American history!

On the grassy knoll. Imagine how scary it would have been to have been standing here 50 years ago when the shots rang out, and the President of the United States of American slumped over in his vehicle.

Photo Credit: Betsy.

After that, we went out to dinner at Buca di Beppos! We came here for the first time to celebrate the twins birthday. It’s actually kind of funny that we ate here. The first time we came, Ben was very confused by the family-style meals and was rather frustrated. After all, when you’re a teenage boy, making sure you have enough food to eat is a big deal. J But once he figured it out, he *loved* it and had hardly stopped talking about it. He was quite excited to return!

What really surprised us was when Dad told the hostess that there would be 8 of us. It didn’t take Ben and me long to figure out who was coming. One of our best friends from Michigan is a pilot based out of Dallas. We’ve talked many times about getting together during one of his layovers, but nothing had worked out yet. This friend “just so happened” to call Dad earlier in the day, so we were rather suspicious. J Sure enough, he arrived to eat dinner with us! It was *so good* to see a face from Michigan (he’s the first one to come visit us so far!)

We had a delicious appetizer of fried cheese and salad. For our main entrée, we ate prosciutto stuffed chicken and penne pasta with sundried tomatoes, artichokes, peas, and white sauce. It was so delicious!

Dessert was crazy! This Italian crème cake is on a full size dinner plate! It’s a good thing we were sharing. J

The waiters and waitresses came out to sing the Birthday song to Ben. J

After dinner with Mr. M. It was so good to see him!

We made our way home after a long, but very fun-filled day. I’m so grateful for the many years we’ve been blessed by Ben, and the opportunity we had to celebrate this milestone with him!

Art Museum

Following the Adoption Conference, we drove across town to an art museum. A trip to an art museum and a paper summing up my experience was the last requirement for my Art Appreciation credit for school. To be honest, at the beginning of the year, I was not AT ALL excited about the art requirement. My preferred art medium is photography, but aside from that, I have no artistic inclinations. I suppose that means I NEEDED the art appreciation course more than most students. J

As I continued in the course, I did find my appreciation for good art growing. I still wasn’t super excited about the idea of spending a beautiful afternoon cooped up in a museum, but again, I enjoyed it more than I expected!



One exercise we did that made the trip more fun was this: we looked at the piece of art first, discussed what was depicted, speculated on where it was from and what it was made of, and how we interpreted it. Then we read the description. It was a fun exercise!

Photo Credit: Betsy.

 

We started off by looking at some Asian, African, and Pacific art pieces. There were lots of beautiful pottery pieces and carved wooden figurines. Most of the pieces reflected pagan folklore.

Upstairs we saw more of the classic European and American art. This beautiful German Madonna and Child figurine was made of silver, and the crown was set with beautiful gemstones.
Photo Credit: Betsy.

This painting by Guercino of Jesus and the Woman of Samaria was my favorite of the day. The deep vivid colors and the lighting are quite attractive, and the expressions speak so much!

 

This one by Paul Cezanne reminds me of the homes on the mountain in Haiti, where we served last summer.



“Weeping Willow” by Monet was a spectacular display of color!

We also saw paintings by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Picasso, and others. There were lots of beautiful marble sculptures and some terra cotta pieces as well.



Outside the museum.
Photo Credit: Betsy.

All in all, I enjoyed our afternoon! I can definitely say I appreciate art a lot more after seeing the details up close.

 

Ok, so this photo is completely out of place, but not entirely! We came home that night to a delicious dinner cooked by Daddy. A friend from work gave him a few pounds of catfish caught from the lake near our house. Daddy fried it up, and boy was it good! I don’t know if I’ll be able to live apart from southern food ever again! J I love Texas!
Photo Credit: Betsy.

 

Roma and Rubia's Birthday

Earlier this month, we celebrated Roma and Rubia’s birthday! We actually celebrated it a bit early. We’ve been celebrating birthdays on the weekends so that Dad can be with us (he doesn’t have as much vacation time as he used to, so he can’t always take the day off during the week.)

We started off our morning with cinnamon rolls, fruit, and cheese (not pictured.) Thankfully, unlike the last birthday, we did NOT melt anything in the oven. J

Keeping with tradition, the twins got to open one gift at breakfast. They were quite excited to get new ear buds for their MP3 players!

Shortly after breakfast, we dropped the dog off at the kennel and headed towards. . . well. . . we kids didn’t know! J (Our birthday trip destinations are always a surprise.) We later found ourselves at the Dallas Heritage Village! This historical village is filled with buildings from the Dallas area that were built between 1840-1910.

Thankfully the weather was good for being outside, but I have to say that it was just a little warm for these still-thick-blooded-Northerners. J The temperature hovered at 90 all day with pretty high humidity levels and not much wind. But thankfully all the buildings were air-conditioned (so they’re not *completely* historically accurate, but here in Texas, you need climate-control!)

Our first stop was the De Leon House. This little house would have been home to railroad workers, who were mostly Mexican. Some of us tried grinding corn into cornmeal. It was NOT easy!

Next we toured a Shotgun House which came from an African-American neighborhood from the north side of Dallas. I don’t know how well I would adapt to living in a home of this style! But I thought of my friend, Sarah, when I saw this trunk because of her project to restore a trunk of her own. J

I wish this picture came from a woodworking shop or something like that, but unfortunately it comes from the Doctors office. My limbs begin to ache and quiver when I think of them being sawed off!

Mom and Dad in the carriage house.

Roma and Rubia with Nip and Tuck, two Mammoth Jack Donkeys. These guys are as big as horses!

My favorite house of the day was the Gano Farmstead, after Richard Gano. The layout of this home is known as “Dog Trot” because of the open breezeway down the middle of the house. I absolutely *love* how open it is, but with all the violent storms we’ve had lately, I’m beginning to rethink whether or not I would actually like living in a house like this all the time. During good weather it’s great! :-)

We then took a guided tour of Millermore, a huge home built in the Greek Revival style.

One of the most fascinating things about Millermore was the hair art. Back during the late 1800’s, creating embroidery-like art with human hair was a common way to memorialize people, particularly after they died. The intricacy is amazing!

We also toured a hotel, a school, a church building, the train depot, a dentist office, an apothecary (in the back of the doctor’s office), another large home, a bank, and the general store. By the time we saw everything, it was around 3:30 in the afternoon. I was starting to feel a little fatigued after walking around in the heat without water (I was a bit dumb and left it in the car.) We were quite grateful to get in the car and head towards dinner at Buca di Beppo!

As shown by all the empty glasses, cold drinks never tasted so good. :-)

Photo Credit: Mark

We started off with a delicious antipasto-like salad. We also had some of their Italian bread with oil and vinegar.

Next came delicious cheese bread!

We ordered two different main dishes, Veal Marsala, and Prosciutto-and-Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken with pesto sauce (pictured above.) I had the chicken, and it was some of the most delicious chicken I have ever eaten! We also had yummy rosemary roasted potatoes on the side.

Photo Credit: Roma.

Even though we were having birthday cake, several people desperately wanted to try the chocolate-chip canolis. So we purchased one order of them and everyone got a bite (they were also really good!)

But we didn’t go home right after dinner. We went boot shopping! Roma and Rubia were so excited to finally get their own cowgirl boots. Roma ordered a pair of pink, brown, and green Justin boots, while Rubia purchased kangaroo Ferrini boots.

When we got home, they opened the rest of their gifts. They got several nice nature-related gifts, as well as other things.

Then it was time for cake! Mom baked a delicious Chocolate-Coconut Confection birthday cake (recipe coming soon!) We had it with vanilla bean ice cream.

While their birthday was long (and we were quite ready for bed!) we had such a good time celebrating as a family! These two bring a lot of joy into our lives, and they are truly a double blessing to us!