We have truly enjoyed the snowy weather and each other these last couple of days. We thank God for the unexpected break in the routine and for a chance to spend time together as a family playing in His beautiful creation.
The boys took their four-wheelers out in the snow today and played for quite a while. They loved seeing what sort of tracks each tire made as it went through the snow. For now, this is the only four-wheelin' we'll be doin' :)
We went to bed with it snowing and woke up to sleet - about 5+ inches of snow and 5 hours of sleet to be exact :) This was probably the biggest snowstorm we've experienced as a family and, although it wasn't snowman-making snow, we had a ton of fun playing in it :) The boys made snow angels, threw snowballs, played on the playground, and just enjoyed the snow. It was SO cold that when we came in we had hot cocoa and homemade brownies to get warm. Can you think of a better reason to drink cocoa and eat brownies :) It was a great family fun day!
Sometimes I think we live in Lego Land with Legos in the closets, in the cabinets, under the beds, on the shelves, everywhere! But, there are 3 little boys who live in this house :) This particular creation was Nathan's latest invention - a flying jail. (Don't ask where he gets these ideas!) He LOVES to construct and create with Legos and we are usually surprised at the detail and creativity he brings to them. We are so thankful for him!
We visited Duke University's Nasher Museum of Art with a few other homeschool families today and it was wonderful fun for us and the children. We saw some Renaissance works, some Warhol pieces, and finally a face "mask" by Murek, which was fascinating. The children had the opportunity to make their own masks at the end of the program and they really enjoyed that. Ahhh, the joys of homeschooling :)
Despite the faces, the kids really do enjoy the Art class we have each Monday at our home :) Today they were studying Fra Angelico and his fresco paintings. They did 3 different works - one with chalk, one drawing, and one with gluing paper to a drawing. They enjoy learning the new techniques and also the fellowship. We are so thankful to be able to have this wonderful class in our home and give the boys these great experiences.
This past Sunday Nathan was selected as the Star of the Day in his Sunday School class. He had been waiting months for this day :) He got to select which children did certain tasks, got to be the line leader, and get a special treat at the end of class. He really enjoyed it. Although Anthony wasn't a "star" that day he certainly had celebrity style :) He told me he wanted to wear a tie that day and be a "big Daddy!"
We were able to celebrate Christmas with the boys twice this year. My mother came to visit and brought all their presents with her. Let's just say, the boys loved it! The gifts included helicopters, remote-controlled cars, trains, and a WII :) We're all enjoying that one! It was a time of tender fellowship and we thank God for it!
For the next 6 weeks we are hosting an Art class for some homeschool friends each Monday afternoon. Here are the paintings that Nathan (4 penguins) and Anthony (3 penguins) did last week. They really, really enjoyed the class - and did a great job I think - are SO looking forward to this week's class. Nathan asked me after the class why it couldn't last ALL DAY instead of just 1.5 hours :)
Here are some images of the architecture and design of the old city in Santo Domingo. We really enjoyed showing the boys how old the buildings are (500+ years) and how they look very different to ours today. The cobblestone streets, the statue of Columbus, the old cathedral and the people were all very interesting to them. Its a beautiful city!
