A Train Ride to Daddy's Office

Today was the last day of the kids' winter break . . .

. . . and I decided to be adventurous and take them on an outing.

Where to, you might ask?  Well, let me give you some background.  A few years ago, while we were living in California, I took Anna and Todd on a train ride to meet Daddy for lunch at his school.  Anna still speaks in rapturous tones about the time she got to go meet Daddy for pizza, and the older kids are still bitter that they missed it.

Since Phillip's current job is a stone's throw from a train station and a pizza place, I decided to take everyone on a train ride to meet Daddy for pizza (again). :)

It was a very chilly morning, and we were grateful when the (heated) train finally rolled into the station.

After a ten-minute ride over a river and through the woods . . .

. . . we arrived at the train station near Daddy's office . . .

. . . then took a short walk to a pizza place.  The pizza was OK, but I think the younger kids' favorite part was having chocolate milk with their lunch.

Daddy needed to head back to work as soon as lunch was over, but the rest of us still had a bunch of time to kill before the train arrived to take us back to Littleton, so we walked to a nearby bakery and got cake pops.  It wasn't the most nutritious outing ever, but on special occasions, I think memories matter more than calories.

May the Quartz Be with You

I love most things about our new home . . .

. . . but the funky tile, dated counter top, and leaky double-sump sink in our kitchen have always really bugged me.  After buying our home, we had a little money left for renovations, and we decided to use part of it to give our kitchen a makeover.

A plumber came yesterday to remove the pipes from the old sink.  He warned us not to dump anything down the drain, because it would drip right into the cupboard below.  Nothing says "No Dumping Allowed" like a pair of cookie sheets over the sink, right?

Today, it was out with the old . . . 

. . . and in with the new!  We went with manufactured quartz because it's more durable than granite, and I liked the color better than the granite options.

Ah . . . that's better.

Now we just need to get rid of the blue tile . . .

. . . and some super old-school wall paper that was hiding behind the backsplash. :)

Turning Our Hearts

The Temple and Family History Committee at church planned a Valentine-themed activity tonight called . . .

. . . "Turn Your Heart."  They invited people to "bring a relative to dinner" by researching an ancestor, then bringing a photo, representative item, or short bio of the person to share.

We showed up a little early to help decorate the tables.

If you want candy hearts scattered all over your table, now you know who to call.

It was fun to learn about our friends' ancestors, like Jim's uncle, who was a professional clown.  

I researched General James Cudworth, my Puritan ancestor who was an early settler of our new home state of Massachusetts.  He was a notable military and political leader who was stripped of both positions when he refused to show intolerance to Quakers.  His town reelected him as their militia leader anyway, and the soldiers almost rioted when the court nullified their town's decision.  James calmed the group down, and served his community in whatever way he could until his rights were restored a few years later.  At the time of his death, he was Deputy Governor of the colony.  I hope I can carry on his legacy of valuing human decency, and standing for my principles in the face of opposition. 

A Day of Love for Family and Friends

Happy Valentine's Day!

Todd and Anna have been busy making handmade valentines for their classmates.  I'm impressed by the work and thought they've put into them.

Yesterday, I joined some friends for our monthly lunch date.  This month's hostess went all out and made our Valentine's Eve lunch a truly lovely affair.  I tend to keep entertaining simple, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that, but there is something joyful about a meal where someone has taken the time to make things beautiful.

In other valentiney news, Red Grandma sent the kids a Valentine's Day package this week.

I'm pretty sure gift giving is her love language. :)

And speaking of gifts, for my Valentine's Day gift to Phillip, I finally got our favorite family portrait printed and framed.  I also put up paper hearts telling things I love about him.  And I gave him candy, because he has a real sweet tooth. :)

Layup, Streak, and Zen

Our family went to Daniel and Anna's school this evening for the annual student-teacher basketball game.  I'm not typically a big basketball fan, but we enjoyed watching this live game, partly because we knew some of the people playing.

Kids from every class in the school joined up with teachers and other staff members for a friendly basketball game.  It was fun to watch, and by the end I found myself giving the kids mental nicknames.  "Layup" was a tall girl who led her team to victory by consistently making shots close to the basket.  "Streak" was a fast kid with highlights in his hair.  "Zen" was an Asian boy who was content to jog around without ever handling the ball.

Even the principal (in the middle, with the blue shirt) joined the game for a few rotations, which I thought was pretty cool.

Daniel's teacher was on the blue team . . .

. . . and Anna's teacher was the scorekeeper.  She gave all the girls in her class French braids this morning, just for the occasion. :)

The Game Master Turns 11

Hey, everybody!

Guess whose birthday it is!

That's right--Daniel turns 11 this week!

He requested Daddy's famous Tollhouse Cookie Bars for his birthday dessert . . .

. . . and he finally beat Pikmin 1 today, just in time to receive Pikmin 2 as a gift this evening.

Thanks for being part of our family, Daniel I love your thoughtful prayers, and the fun games you make up to play with your siblings.  Can you believe you'll receive the priesthood next year?!?

A Brief Flash of Vanity

OK now, be honest.

Does this outfit make me look old?  I mean, it's not like I was ever hip or fashionable before my forties, and I DO have grey hair, after all.  Still, for some reason, when I put on this outfit to go to a Relief Society president training meeting this evening, I just felt . . . old and stodgy.

Oh well, I'm wearin' it anyway!

At least my boots are fabulous.

Touring Lowell

This morning, I drove up to Lowell with a friend so I could be her "patient" for her nursing exam.  She is training to work in a nursing home, so I got to lie in a bed while she pretended to clean my dentures.  Then she was assigned to roll me onto my side and surround me with comfy pillows so I could take a nice nap.  By the end of exam, I was so comfortable that I really did want to take a nap, but alas, the next student was waiting to take her test, so I had to say goodbye to the pillows.

Earlier, while we were still waiting our turn for the exam, I decided to take a little tour of the city.  Lowell is the fourth largest city in Massachusetts (by population), and as the spindles on the sign imply, it owes its early growth to . . .

. . . lots of textile factories . . .

. . . powered by canals that channeled part of the Merrimack river through the city.  Now ducks are the only ones using the canals . . .

. . . but the city is still a thriving metropolis that is home to a university, a thriving art scene, and some stunning architecture.

I ended up hanging out at the library for a while before walking back to the exam site.  I like to think that the Civil War cavalryman carved onto the outside of the tower is Colonel Charles Lowell III, a Massachusetts soldier who my dad really admired.  While Charles wasn't directly related to Francis Cabot Lowell (the businessman for whom this city was named), a man of Charles' character would be right at home on the wall of a library, where future generations could continue looking up to him, in every sense.