Despite our increasingly busy family schedules, we were able to squirrel away some time to go on a trip as a family this Spring Break. If you are acquainted with my family at all, you will know that we do road trips. And museums. So what better thing to do over spring break than to go on a road trip and see a bunch of museums?
By the hand of fate (also known as my mother) we elected to go to Kansas City for an overnight trip. We left the house first thing Wednesday morning, stopping by a McDonalds at the half-way point for breakfasty food items (Note: Stopping at McDonalds on the first day of the road trip is a family tradition. A road trip would not be a true road trip without McDonalds). By the time we got to KC it was almost lunch time. Our first stop of the day was the Union Station. Not only was this location a tourist attraction in its own right, but it also contained a traveling exhibit on Pompeii.
The exhibit featured artifacts taken from the city. First, it detailed the lives and culture of the people living in the city before discussing the actual disaster. After viewing the exhibit we explored the Station, and then ate lunch in our car. Afterwards we headed to the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum.
The Nelson-Atkins was large - almost overwhelmingly so. Mom thought that it would be a good place to visit numerous times over an extended period and take in a bit at a time.
After the art museum we arrived at our hotel around 4:30. We took half and hour to settle in before heading to an esteemed dinner location - Cracker-barrel - where we were rewarded with excellent food, excellent service, and excellent value.
The next morning we got up and got ready at our own leisure. The hotel we were staying at did not offer a complimentary breakfast, so we brought some of our own to eat in the privacy of our room. After loading up the car and checking out of the hotel we headed to the main attraction of the morning; Harry S. Truman's Presidential Library in Independence, MO. It was valuable to learn in depth about one of our presidents and the issues of his time. Mom was impressed most by the air drops President Truman coordinated for East Berlin during the Cold War.
By the time we had finished with the library it was time for lunch, so we ate again in the car before hitting the road. As we were leaving Independence we drove past Truman's home, a few blocks away from the Library. On the way home we stopped at a Braums to get ice cream.
All in all, was a jam-packed two days, but a worthy occasion to get out of the house and spend time together as a family.
3/25/17
Knitting Escapades
Here is an update on my knitting life and two of my most recent projects:
#1 - Laptop Case
Way back in September or so of last year I had the brilliant idea (at least I thought) to create a case for my laptop. Originally my plan was to sew up a pouch with cotton fabric and a fleece lining for protection and cushion. However, going that route meant that I would have to visit a local fabric store, pick out my fabric and purchase it. I decided that I could knit a suitable case with yarn I already had on hand in less time than it would take me to sew it. How hard could it be? I thought.
To be fair, the case wasn't really that hard to make. It was pretty simple technique-wise. The only problem with it was that it took way longer than I expected to make (I just now finished it this month). Part of the problem stemmed from the fact that I did not work on the project regularly. Every once in a while I would chip away at it, but I didn't commit myself to making an effort. Also, I misplaced the project for about a month before I found it again, so that certainly didn't help.
Finally I was able to overcome my various difficulties and finish my case! It is a bit lopsided in my opinion, but considering I had no pattern to work off of and pretty much made it up as I went along, I think I did pretty well.
#2 - Beanie
If you have read my blog before you might recall that back in October I made a quick loom-knitted hat for my minion costume. Spurred on by that experience and a cute beanie one of my friends owned, I decided I could modify my method enough to create my own beanie.
This project wasn't especially difficult either, I just knitted the same hat that I did for my minion, but with a thicker yarn. Also, I made it a bit longer so that the beanie would have some slouch in it. After knitting the minion hat I was a little burned out on the knitting loom, so that slowed my progress. Still I managed to finish it!
#1 - Laptop Case
Way back in September or so of last year I had the brilliant idea (at least I thought) to create a case for my laptop. Originally my plan was to sew up a pouch with cotton fabric and a fleece lining for protection and cushion. However, going that route meant that I would have to visit a local fabric store, pick out my fabric and purchase it. I decided that I could knit a suitable case with yarn I already had on hand in less time than it would take me to sew it. How hard could it be? I thought.
To be fair, the case wasn't really that hard to make. It was pretty simple technique-wise. The only problem with it was that it took way longer than I expected to make (I just now finished it this month). Part of the problem stemmed from the fact that I did not work on the project regularly. Every once in a while I would chip away at it, but I didn't commit myself to making an effort. Also, I misplaced the project for about a month before I found it again, so that certainly didn't help.
Finally I was able to overcome my various difficulties and finish my case! It is a bit lopsided in my opinion, but considering I had no pattern to work off of and pretty much made it up as I went along, I think I did pretty well.
#2 - Beanie
If you have read my blog before you might recall that back in October I made a quick loom-knitted hat for my minion costume. Spurred on by that experience and a cute beanie one of my friends owned, I decided I could modify my method enough to create my own beanie.
This project wasn't especially difficult either, I just knitted the same hat that I did for my minion, but with a thicker yarn. Also, I made it a bit longer so that the beanie would have some slouch in it. After knitting the minion hat I was a little burned out on the knitting loom, so that slowed my progress. Still I managed to finish it!
3/11/17
DIY Sharpie Mug
Recently a friend's birthday came up and I had NO idea what to get her. So, instead of floundering around in the dark I decided to ask her what she wanted. One of the ideas she suggested to me was a mug because she really likes tea. Now, mugs are pretty easy to find, but I wanted to do something a bit more special. So I decided to make her a personalized mug myself.
My adventure started at Dollar Tree store to get my mug. Ideally, I was looking to get a plain white mug, but all they had in solid colors were mustard yellow and black. The yellow wasn't a good match for the color scheme I was going for, so I went with the black mug. Plus, it was only $1!
Next, I went to a local craft store to get the sharpies. Instead of using regular sharpies for this project I splurged and bought some paint sharpies. They were a little more expensive than regular sharpies, but they would be more durable and wouldn't wash off as easily. The colors I chose were blue, green, and pink.
I decorated the handle of the mug, as well as adding a tea bag as an accent. When the design we done I let it dry for a couple days before firing it in the oven. I let the mug sit in the oven while it preheated for 450 degrees. Then I baked it for half an hour, before letting it cool with the oven.
3/2/17
Spring Choir Concert
Okay, technically this wasn't JUST at choir concert. If we are being official it was an A Cappella Choir and Women's Glee Club Concert with a guest performance by a high school Madrigal group. Also, this was a concert that I dragged my Dad along to (because who likes to go to social events alone?).
So, as I was saying, this past Monday I went to a "choir concert" with my dad. It was an experience we both enjoyed. Out of the three groups performing, my favorite was the A Cappella Choir (ironically they had an accompaniment for one of their numbers). They had a great sound that resounded through out the auditorium. They also sang a wide variety of songs, from a pep-rally cheer for rutabagas (don't ask me, I don't know either) to a re-imagined African-American spiritual.
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| Isn't he great? :) |
Also, one of my favorite pieces performed that night was a rendition of Ubi Caritas by the high school Madrigal group.
As a whole, the night was enjoyable. It was fun to get out of the house and hear some MUSIC!
2/8/17
Semester #2
Along with it being a new year I am entering into a new semester of college. Life has been pretty quiet, so there hasn't been a whole lot to post about, but I figured I could at least list the classes I will be taking this semester and tell you all a bit about what I am learning.
Drawing 1
This is a class designed to teach us to draw what we see, not what we want to see. The goal is for our drawings to be as realistic as possible. In order to do this we take advantage of two different drawing techniques to help our hands accurately respond to what our eyes are seeing.
1. Gesture drawing
- Quick sketch used to capture movement or the basic proportions of an object.
2. Contour drawing
- Sketching the outline and basic details of an object without adding value or shading.
- Blind contour is a technique where you draw and object while solely looking at it and not your paper. And yes, it is as hard as it seems.
Art History
The focus for this Art History class is bodies (I will have to take another class with a different focus to meet my requirement). Right now we just finished studying ancient Egyptian art and are moving on to Greece.
English 102
I took English 101 last semester. It was more focused on grammar and just getting us to write. English 102 is concerned with teaching us how to write academically. As a class we have discussed topics such as critical thinking and what a good thesis statement looks like. The class will culminate in a research paper at the end of the semester.
Spanish 111
I took a 'Spanish' course in high school (Rosetta Stone) but was unable to test out of Spanish 111. I am enjoying the class so far and think it will be beneficial for me to start over a the basic level and pick up on some concepts that I missed. So far we have learned about greetings, the alphabet, pronunciation, various nouns, the verb 'to be', and some common -ar verbs.
Drawing 1
This is a class designed to teach us to draw what we see, not what we want to see. The goal is for our drawings to be as realistic as possible. In order to do this we take advantage of two different drawing techniques to help our hands accurately respond to what our eyes are seeing.
1. Gesture drawing
- Quick sketch used to capture movement or the basic proportions of an object.
2. Contour drawing
- Sketching the outline and basic details of an object without adding value or shading.
- Blind contour is a technique where you draw and object while solely looking at it and not your paper. And yes, it is as hard as it seems.
Art History
The focus for this Art History class is bodies (I will have to take another class with a different focus to meet my requirement). Right now we just finished studying ancient Egyptian art and are moving on to Greece.
English 102
I took English 101 last semester. It was more focused on grammar and just getting us to write. English 102 is concerned with teaching us how to write academically. As a class we have discussed topics such as critical thinking and what a good thesis statement looks like. The class will culminate in a research paper at the end of the semester.
Spanish 111
I took a 'Spanish' course in high school (Rosetta Stone) but was unable to test out of Spanish 111. I am enjoying the class so far and think it will be beneficial for me to start over a the basic level and pick up on some concepts that I missed. So far we have learned about greetings, the alphabet, pronunciation, various nouns, the verb 'to be', and some common -ar verbs.
1/14/17
Top 12 of 2016
This is something that I've been doing to look back at the year behind me and sum up what happened in a list. I've been doing it for a long time (okay, like four years at least). By going through my calendar I pick out on event from each month. When I'm done I have 12 things that I did in the past year that I enjoyed. So, without further ado, here is my list for 2016:
1. J & T's Wedding
One of my cousins got married last year on New Years Day! It was really cool to get to see them joined in marriage and to see family members that I haven't seen in a long time.
2. FOCUS
This was my last year of going to the FOCUS retreat with my church youth group, since I am no longer in high school. It was a weekend full of good memories, like not having adults in our cabin (even though we love our adult leaders, it's good to know that they trust us to not light the building on fire) and showing everyone our lovely acting/dancing talents at our last Talent Show.
3. Day trip with Mom and Grandma during Spring Break
We took the day and drove to a town 45 minutes away for a relative's wedding shower. We also stopped by a nearby zoo that housed local species of animals, some of which I was not aware existed.
4. Day trip with one of my best friends/Jr.Sr. Banquet
I dragged my friend to the same town I had visited the previous month for a 'cultural fair' of sorts. If you want more details I'll let you read about it on her blog (Lama-Leah). We would have stopped by the zoo again, but it was too cold.
Jr. Sr. was a blast! It was really nice as a senior to not have to worry about making sure the whole thing came together. The juniors did a stupendous job! Overnight, they transformed the school gym into a high-class art gallery, complete with original paintings, a string quartet, and shrimp (for more see my post: An Artful Weekend).
5. Graduation
I graduated high school! I mean, that's pretty cool, right?
6. BAK/Neighborhood Garage Sale
What is the BAK you ask? Well, I am happy to tell you. At least me past self is. ;) For more check out a post I did about the BAK. As for the neighborhood garage sale, go here.
7. Czech Republic Trip
Anyone who has read my blog should know everything (almost) there is to know about this trip. For those of you newcomers, I will suffice to say that this summer I went on a mission trip to the Czech Republic with my mother and two other couples from our church. We partnered with a local church and put on an English summer camp.
For those of you curious to know more, check out the entire month of July 2016. ;)
8. Started College
Pretty big landmark, if I do say so myself.
9. Mini-vacation to Silver Dollar City/Branson
For a fairly detailed description of our excursion please see my post.
10. Pumpkin Patch Outing
Just messing around with some friends, pretending to be kids in a pumpkin patch. Guess what! I wrote a post about it!
11. Attending Various Art Performances
Because of scholarly requirements I went to more social events than I normally would have this semester. Included in this list are several plays, a concert, and touring a local house that was built by a famous architect. To hear about one of the plays go here,
12. CROSS conference 2016
The post detailing my winter adventure out of state at a missions conference is the one just previous to this one, but I'll give you the link anyway (Fun in Indy - not the post title).
1. J & T's Wedding
One of my cousins got married last year on New Years Day! It was really cool to get to see them joined in marriage and to see family members that I haven't seen in a long time.
2. FOCUS
This was my last year of going to the FOCUS retreat with my church youth group, since I am no longer in high school. It was a weekend full of good memories, like not having adults in our cabin (even though we love our adult leaders, it's good to know that they trust us to not light the building on fire) and showing everyone our lovely acting/dancing talents at our last Talent Show.
3. Day trip with Mom and Grandma during Spring Break
We took the day and drove to a town 45 minutes away for a relative's wedding shower. We also stopped by a nearby zoo that housed local species of animals, some of which I was not aware existed.
4. Day trip with one of my best friends/Jr.Sr. Banquet
I dragged my friend to the same town I had visited the previous month for a 'cultural fair' of sorts. If you want more details I'll let you read about it on her blog (Lama-Leah). We would have stopped by the zoo again, but it was too cold.
Jr. Sr. was a blast! It was really nice as a senior to not have to worry about making sure the whole thing came together. The juniors did a stupendous job! Overnight, they transformed the school gym into a high-class art gallery, complete with original paintings, a string quartet, and shrimp (for more see my post: An Artful Weekend).
5. Graduation
I graduated high school! I mean, that's pretty cool, right?
6. BAK/Neighborhood Garage Sale
What is the BAK you ask? Well, I am happy to tell you. At least me past self is. ;) For more check out a post I did about the BAK. As for the neighborhood garage sale, go here.
7. Czech Republic Trip
Anyone who has read my blog should know everything (almost) there is to know about this trip. For those of you newcomers, I will suffice to say that this summer I went on a mission trip to the Czech Republic with my mother and two other couples from our church. We partnered with a local church and put on an English summer camp.
For those of you curious to know more, check out the entire month of July 2016. ;)
8. Started College
Pretty big landmark, if I do say so myself.
9. Mini-vacation to Silver Dollar City/Branson
For a fairly detailed description of our excursion please see my post.
10. Pumpkin Patch Outing
Just messing around with some friends, pretending to be kids in a pumpkin patch. Guess what! I wrote a post about it!
11. Attending Various Art Performances
Because of scholarly requirements I went to more social events than I normally would have this semester. Included in this list are several plays, a concert, and touring a local house that was built by a famous architect. To hear about one of the plays go here,
12. CROSS conference 2016
The post detailing my winter adventure out of state at a missions conference is the one just previous to this one, but I'll give you the link anyway (Fun in Indy - not the post title).
1/9/17
CROSS conference 2016
Back in September I learned of an opportunity to go to a missions conference that would be held over Christmas Break. The goal of the conference is to equip and mobilize students for the missions field, similar to Urbana conferences. This conference is called CROSS and was held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Many of you know about my passion for missions and my question of whether I am a 'goer' (leaving the country as a missionary) or a 'sender' (staying to support other missionaries while living a mission-minded life), so it should not surprise you that I decided to take this opportunity.
In order to get to the conference in time for the kick-off concert we needed to leave at a very early time in the morning. After being on the road for a few hours we stopped in a major city to pick up two other passengers. That brought out party number up to six. Two more members would join our group once we arrived in Indianapolis.
The conference boasted several big-name speakers, David Platt and John Piper for example. In addition to attending several lectures and panel discussions through out the day (held in the auditorium pictured above) we also went to three smaller workshops on specific topics. In addition to gaining these resources for missions our group was able to build relationships - not only with each other, but with our host families. We were also able to do a little sight-seeing. This occured mostly on the culinary plane because the conference did not include meals.
All in all, I am glad that I went. I enjoyed the experience as a whole and I learned a lot. If anyone has the chance to go to this conference, I would recommend taking it!
In order to get to the conference in time for the kick-off concert we needed to leave at a very early time in the morning. After being on the road for a few hours we stopped in a major city to pick up two other passengers. That brought out party number up to six. Two more members would join our group once we arrived in Indianapolis.
All in all, I am glad that I went. I enjoyed the experience as a whole and I learned a lot. If anyone has the chance to go to this conference, I would recommend taking it!
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| I immediately recognized this statue as one by Tom Otterness. |
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| My first visit to a Hard Rock Cafe. |
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