Museum of Science and Industry

Last weekend we went with some friends to Chicago to see the Museum of Science and Industry.  It was pretty amazing.  We spent about 4-5 hours there and didn't even see 1/4 of the place.  Perhaps we'll go again even though it was quite a drive.

Chicago Skyline

This is probably the closest the kids will ever get to driving a massive tractor.

The space wing was pretty cool.  I think these are the cutest astronauts ever.

For this display butterflies would land on you if you stood still enough.

I can't wait until we can have chickens again.  It was fun watching Adi interact with the chicks.

This was, by far, the coolest thing we saw.  Two people sit opposite each other and each puts a sensor on their  head.  There is a ball that is in the middle.  Whoever is the most relaxed, the ball will move away from.  Sam won, hands down, every time.  He was even laughing and smiling as he was doing it.  Everyone kept asking him, "what were you thinking?" and he just kept saying, "Nothing."  He lives in his own world and it's awesome!

Great Quote

These last few weeks I keep hearing or seeing this quote which pretty much sums up my journey right now: 

"Imagine yourself as a living house.  God comes in to rebuild that house.  At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing.  He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.  But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense.  What on earth is He up to?  The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.  You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage:  but He is building a palace.  He intends to come and live in it Himself."

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

I was just listening to an Education Week talk that this was quoted in.  It was so awesome, I'm posting the link here.  If you have some time you should listen to it.

The Book of Mormon as a Type: Our Personal Journey

What we do when there's nothing to do. . .

Not much has been happening lately here - mainly because Spring has yet to arrive.  I've never been somewhere so COLD!!  It's the middle of April and the hottest it's been is in the 50's - and only twice.  Everyone keeps saying that this is not normal, I guess we'll see. . . Here are just a few pictures showing what we've been up to.

 Adi's always happy after she's eaten.

 Adi loves to hang out in her sister's bean bag.  She's pretty content as long as she's got something to play with.

The kids made their Easter baskets this year because I have no idea where I put our other ones (still packed somewhere) and I didn't want to buy new ones.  They really liked making them.  I may start doing this every year.

 I don't normally let Stina 'man' the stove, but she kept insisting that she wanted to help make dinner.  In just a few more years maybe we can start the real training.

 Alexis does an awesome job pampering her sister.  Stina loves getting her nails painted and being "made pretty."  Thank goodness her older sister is so good at it!

 Not to be outdone by his sisters, Dayne thinks that his new job is to feed the baby.  If the results didn't end in such a mess, I'd probably let him do it all the time.

Pinewood Derby

Sam (and maybe Ben, too) made another Pinewood Derby.  They did an awesome job and Sam came in 3rd place overall.  Both of them were very proud  - it was a pretty fast car!

 Dayne had so much fun at the race.  He can't wait until he gets to make a pinewood derby car!.