History Toys with Us

My favorite Twin Cities museum is the History Museum in St.Paul. It is well-built, well-planned, SO kid-friendly, free for kids under 7, reasonable for the rest of us, and has on-site parking for only $5. I love it. During our Christmas school break, we went to see the new display -- Toys of the 50's, 60's, and 70's.

I watched this one with my mom on NIckolodean?

They loved these phones with cords.

Speak and Spell -- My cousins had one...We thought it was so neat.

But we did have one of these...

And one of these...

I loved this crazy picture.

And the textiles in the display were incredible. I want this chair.

I loved Holly Hobbie.

Gold crushed velveteen. Yes.

Our church nursery had one of these guys.

My brother had most of these...

...Including this Millennium Falcon.

The kid can hoola.

Right next to this tank was an exhibit where you sat inside a Korean War Fighter plane that had been shot down over the Atlantic ocean. A sound, image, and movement repeating display made it feel like you were part of the attack. The only survivor of that particular shoot-down lives in Minneapolis and was manning the exhibit to tell his own story of the experience. He had just left for lunch break when we arrived. Bummer. But neat!

The mine exhibit is one of the kids' favorites. They can try out sledge hammers and try detonating a tunnel with pretend dynamite and try tamping a roof with simulated rock fall-ins. I think the historical part of the mining industry is lost on the kids so far, but the interactive experience is tantalizing for them.

This grain elevator has a three-story maze running through it. We usually end at this part because they will play in it as long as I let them. (There are benches around the wall, so I usually bring a book.)

December Ballet!

December St.Paul Ballet Lunch! This month was excerpts from Clara's Dream -- a shortened version of the Nutcracker Ballet. We came with our preschool friends Britta and her mom Suzanne. The Landmark building in downtown St. Paul is just lovely. And the St.Paul Ballet Company is friendly and "accessible". I love this monthly luncheon idea.

Children's Christmas Singing

This year our kids (sadly Atticus was too old )-:) sang four Christmas songs at the beginning of last week's service. The themes were: Jesus is the Promise. Jesus is the Saviour. Jesus is the King. Jesus is the Light.

 

   

Clara's Dream

Outside the Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul after a lunchtime preview of Clara's Dream -- a shortened version of the Nutcracker Ballet. Once a month, the St.Paul Ballet Troupe does a lunchtime show (with costumes and music and narration) of their current full ballet. Lots of preschool kids. After the show, the ballet dancers stayed and interacted with the kids handing out candy canes and answering questions. And the building was just beautiful outside and in. Hooray!

We went with our friends the Gollihers and Suzanne and Britta Anderson, our friends from preschool. Thea Belle and Britta are such good friends. (-:

Our Friends are Married...

This summer our friends Shannon and Mark were married. It has been so long...and this post still sits here so...I just will post it without any more ado. I love these two people. So thankful for their brains, their hearts, their spirits, their friendship with each other and with us. There is so much more to the story of how they got to the altar and so much more to their story yet to come. I am so happy for them.(all photos are Eric and Liz Berget's work except this first one -- a Shannon-Mark selfie on their honeymoon in New Zealand)

One of the most beautiful little churches I have ever seen.

(This photo was something one of their friends posted on facebook -- sorry for not knowing their name -- great capture!)

Next seven photos are mine -- just such a beautiful jewel-box chapel. Lovely.

 

Thea Belle was a flower girl with two or her favorite friends, Ali and Keira Rowley.

I was honored to be a bridesmaid.

Brad reading in the service

This is the most beloved bakery where Vicki (on the left) and Shannon and I grew so very close -- our once a month 4-hour talk-athon about what we were reading, studying, thinking, feeling. So completely satisfying and wonderful. The week before the wedding was our last session here with Shannon unmarried and the week before Vicki moved with her family to England. We had totally planned to take a photo together in the front. But we confoundedly forgot )-: Then, the day of the wedding, we took a trolley-bus from the chapel to the reception. The trolley driver decided to take us on a meandering, convoluted path and -- what!? we were passing the Patisserie and I jumped up and asked Shannon if we could stop stuper quick. She was totally excited about it so the guys stops and the four of us jump out and get a picture. Hooray and more hooray!

Vicki and me right before the ceremony (selfie, so obvs. not Berget work)

Such a pretty photo of Shannon and her older sister right before the ceremony...(my photo)

Thea Belle's Winter Ballet Recital

Thank you Eric Berget! for all of these photos (but the very last two in this post)...we love that you and Liz and the kids came to the recital and even brought your camera! Yay!

Thea Belle's group were sugar plum fairies. They did a short piece with music from the Sugar Plum Fairy dance in the Nutcracker.