It's a New Year

Okay, it's already over a month into the new year and we've been busy.

Wes and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary on Monday, January 6th, which was also the kids first day of school. 

Sebastian is two-thirds of the way through his DSYHL (Dallas Stars Youth Hockey League) Squirt season.

While Sebastian is keeping busy with hockey 2-3 times a week, Katherine keeps busy with piano and ballet lessons each week. 

Both kids are actively involved in our church's kids programs as well.

2014 is off to a good start and we are looking forward to all God has in store for us this year!

Dr Pepper Museum

 In May we made a trip to the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco, Texas.  While there, we learned that Dr Pepper was created by Dr. Charles Alderton, a pharmacist, who worked in Morrison's Old Corner Drugstore in 1885. 

 In the Old Corner Drugstore Dr Pepper was originally called a "waco." Alderton's customers would ask him to shoot them a "waco."

The owner of the drugstore changes the name to "Dr. Pepper."  The period is dropped in the 1950's.

 Dr Pepper became so popular at the Old Corner Drugstore it became hard to keep up with demand.  In 1891, Artesian Manufacturing & Bottling Company was formed and later becomes Dr Pepper Company.

 Dr Pepper is introduced in 1904 at the World's Fair in St. Louis. 

 W.W. "Foots" Clements began as a delivery truck driver and worked his way up to became president, CEO, and chairman of the board. 

 During his delivery days he discovered that right handed customers opened coolers with their left hand and would grab a drink on the cooler's right side, so that's where he began placing the Dr Pepper. 

 The Dr Pepper Museum was founded in 1988.  It is housed in the 1906 Artesian Manufacturing & Bottling Company building.

 Wes, Katherine, Sebastian, and I enjoyed touring the museum, learning about the history of Dr Pepper and free enterprise, as well as other Waco history.

Oh, and getting a free sample of Dr Pepper wasn't bad either!

33 Days and Counting....

The kids have been back to school for 33 days now, and we are enjoying our year.  Katherine is in the 5th grade and Sebastian is in 2nd grade.  They are doing well, and Wes and I are very proud of them.

We've started our local park day with other homeschoolers and already been on a couple field trips with several SWBTS homeschoolers.   

Sebastian has finished his Saturday learn to skate hockey lessons and is now part of Dallas Stars Youth Hockey.  He has practices three times a week and will find out what team he is on next week.  He will get to play weekly games and one game will be played at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, where the Dallas Stars play,  sometime during the hockey season.  He loves being on the ice and is learning a great deal.

Katherine is taking ballet once a week and loving it.  She is learning something new each week and constantly dancing around.

Katherine is not taking piano lessons for the first time in four years, but she is still playing.  She needed a break, and Wes and I thought it best to allow her to do so.

Katherine is involved in Girls in Action at church on Sunday evenings as well as Bible Drill and Activate on Wednesday nights.

Sebastian is involved in Royal Ambassadors on Sunday evenings and Activate on Wednesday.  He will also take part in a new believers class called You're a Christian, Now What? on Sundays for the next 4 weeks.

Wes and I are constantly amazed at how Katherine and Sebastian are growing and changing daily.  They are such blessings, and we are extremely blessed to be their parents.  We love them so much and are proud of them.

A Day at the Fort Worth Zoo

Easter Art Project

Katherine and Sebastian are taking an art class at the Hurst Recreation Center on Wednesday mornings.  The first couple classes before Easter they each made a paper mache egg.   They called them ostrich eggs as they were rather large.

October Field Trips

 The month of October provided the opportunity for our family to take several fun field trips.  One day we visited the Fort Worth Zoo.

Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures. 

Katherine taking advantage of a hands-on exhibit.

One trip that we always look forward to during fall is the Great State Fair of Texas.  We eat lots of good (& really unhealthy) food, walk A LOT, see many different exhibits, ride fair amusement rides, spend money tickets, enjoy time together, and leave incredibly tired.

The kids enjoy the hands-on farm exhibit where they get to pretend to be farmers.  They planted a garden.

 Harvested the fruit & vegetables.

                                         They fed the animals and milked the cows.

 They sold their products.

 After selling the products they spent their earned  money at the local store.

I could be guessing, but I believe the reason the kids enjoy this exhibit so much is receiving the free snack they purchase receive at the end.

 The whole family enjoys the feeding & petting some of the animals.  There were a few of animals we didn't want to touch or feed!

 Another day we visited the Dallas World Aquarium with other local homeschoolers.

 Our last field trip of the month has probably been our favorite.  We participated in the Dallas Stars Education Day.

We enjoyed watching the teams (Dallas Stars & LA Kings) practice and a two hour tour of the American Airlines Center (AAC), where we learned many facts about the AAC, hockey, and even some basketball. 

When we arrived home we couldn't wait to share all the information we'd learned with Wes.  Katherine completed the work page she'd received, and we spent the rest of the afternoon preparing to attend the game that night.

We had a great time and even made it on the big screen once!  We've decided we'd love to attend another Stars game sometime in the future. 

The attendance was a lower than normal as many of the metroplex sports fans where at home watching the Texas Rangers battle the St.Louis Cardinals in game six of World Series.

Unfortunately neither the Stars or the Texas Rangers came away with a win that night.