FIELD TRIP AT LAST!!!!!

We attempted a field trip on Monday. After driving 30 minutes to get there, they said I had to have a coupon to get the discount. Even though, our name was written down to attend the 12:30 demonstration. So, we went home. Bummer!

Reservations have to be made two weeks in advance. The next time we would be able to go would be December. Unless, we could get in today (with one day notice). WE COULD! So, we went!

Thirty minutes of driving and we arrived at Legoland Discovery Center in Schaumburg. Upon entering the center, I thought I would get a "hug" from a friend.


These pictures aren't in any order, just enjoy them. Everything was made out of Legos. The first thing we saw was the Chicago Skyline. It was AMAZING!!!!!


Since Halloween is just around the corner, there were spiders, bats and skeletons on all the displays. Here are five friends doing the can-can.


Buckingham Fountain...


Elyse "loved" the spiders:


Always making faces...


When you stuck your head in the back of this lion, he roared. Scared the puddin' out of Elyse.


We got to meet Indiana Jones in person...


Free with our ticket, was a "Tall Tower Workshop." We learned to make a sure foundation or your tower wouldn't stand up to wind, storms or earthquakes.


Here is our tower on a machine that shakes like an earthquake. Do you think ours stood the test? Yep, we made it!


Salute!


We made cars and ran them on a track. Reminded me of AWANA Grand Prix...


There were two rides. Elyse & I rode on this one, while Zachary took pictures.


A little blurry - but proof Elyse rode the ride...


A famous friend:


A more scary friend:


We saw three 4D movies with such cute glasses...


The other ride was a smooth ride through tunnels with different lego displays. King & Queen...


Bats...


A cute bathroom sign. While taking this picture, an employee said, "I never saw anyone taking a picture of the bathroom doors. We just laughed and moved on...


Poor Geoffrey from Toys R Us got his head stuck...


When we got back home, we had an hour before the kids had to be at Youth Group. After dropping them off at church, I drove to Zion to meet up with Jane Shutske, her daughter, Christie, and Christie's two children.

Here is Nazaria Renee (1 1/2 yrs old).


And Xenniyah Michelle (3 months)...aren't they beauties?


I am exhausted, but it was a very good day! Hope yours was special too!

WHEATON!!!!!

Today we went to Wheaton College to see the Billy Graham Museum and other cool things. Our friend from church, Evy, was our "tour guide." We started our morning with a HUGE traffic jam (not unusual for this part of the country). We were 40 minutes late getting to Evy's house. We arrived at the Billy Graham Museum and started our tour.

The four of us at the beginning of the tour (except that this picture was actually taken AFTER we finished our tour).

This is a replica of a painting that was 40 ft x 195 ft. This copy is about 30 ft x 20 ft. It was awesome with the light shining behind the painting. If you look closely, you can see the glow around Jesus' body.


Yes, we let Elyse have the camera at one point. She always likes the jewelry, pottery and outfits of the time.


We have so many pictures of Elyse preaching:


Elyse tried to get Zachary to preach, but he was more interested in the clocks, sermon notes, and other gadgets in the pulpit:


At the end of the tour, the walls were cut out to make it look like a cross. You walked through the cross to a cross hanging on the wall.


Our friend Evy staring at the cross:


At the end of the cross, was a room called "heaven." It was a wall of clouds with mirrors on the ceiling and floor. It made you think YOU were flying up into heaven.

In this room, the music that was playing was the "Hallelujah Chorus." It was awesome!


Elyse being goofy in a very serious room:


After the museum, we ate lunch in the cafeteria. It is rated the best in the country. It was really good and we ate far too much. The kids had fun making ice cream cones out of a machine. Zachary had it on his hands and Elyse had a pretty good one-inch ice cream cone. When we took our trays up to the dishwasher, we all piled our glasses on Zachary's tray. It looked like he drank 12 glasses. Aren't we nice?

Next was the Wade (something) building. It held information about seven different authors. One of them was C.S. Lewis. They even had C.S. Lewis' original wardrobe. The kids thought about seeing if they could enter Narnia from it:


Many of the things in his books were on display and some from the movie. Here is the helmet from the Miraz's army. Do you recognize it?


Evy decided to take us to a popcorn store in downtown Wheaton. The whole store is only as wide as a door. It is about 30 feet long and only a door's width. They had candy on one wall (it used to be penny candy, but now it was a dime, quarter or a dollar candy). After the row of candy, a man was making fresh popcorn. We got a medium bag for $1.25. Such a deal. Elyse enjoyed it very much.

I happen to mention that I lived in Carol Stream, Illinois, before Dad & I got married. Evy decided that we had to find it and get a picture of it. I was amazed that I could remember the address. Nostalgia:


Evy took a few pictures too. If she sends them to me, I'll post them later. It was a very good day.

A NEW RECIPE!!!!!

Since I have to bring treats to SS once in awhile, I thought I would try out a new egg recipe. It worked out pretty well, except a small crack. It was pretty easy!

Here is the finished product:


What it looks like sliced:


It wasn't hard to make at all. It tasted just like scrambled eggs. After all the work I did on it, I think scrambled eggs would be much better. But, at least I tried!

FINISHED PROJECT!!!!!

Studying websites to get ideas for Elyse's shelf:


The unfinished project that we got out of someone's trash:


The pretty purple:


Oops:


Two beauties - the artists:


The artist at work:


Pretty ladies, pretty purple, pretty stripes, pretty finished:


Emily - how'd they do?

MYSTERY TRIP!!!!!

Another post that goes along with the "eyes" post from yesterday. Dad & I decided to take a "colors" tour in Wisconsin. As we were heading north, we realized that the trees were still green. So much for a "colors tour." Then I remembered a neat park on the shores of Lake Michigan. It is gorgeous there. Some day, we will have a picnic there.

Kids excited about a "mystery trip."


One handsome boy with gorgeous scenery behind him:


The rest of us (including Sammy Davis, Jr.):


Lots of cool statues:


Running with style:


Trying to imitate him:


Beautiful flowers:


We needed to eat - so we stopped at:


The weather was amazing! The scenery worth the drive. The restaurant - don't EVER eat there. I was getting sick in the car on the way home. I made it home before I lost it. Thankfully! I was sick all night and part of this morning. Don't EVER eat there! We didn't know what "El Lago" meant, so we called Betsey. She said it means "The Lake." Figures since it was close to Lake Michigan. Zachary renamed it "The Canned." He meant that everything we ate came out of a can. It was the worst Mexican food we ever ate. We will NOT be going there again.

Next post will have pictures of a project going on while I type! You won't be disappointed! Stay tuned.