A few photos from our Dallas trip

I didn't lug the camera around much since I was already lugging around Calvin, but did manage to snap a few shots.



Entrance to the Dallas World Aquarium




Prince was as interested in the touch screen experience as the real animals




Momma carrying her baby




Queen loves ducks.  Notice Prince keeping his eye on them... just in case.




In front of the penguins




Lucie fell in love with this penguin, but I forced myself to envision her shelf at home overflowing with stuffed animals and managed to pry it out of her hands.  OK, so I bribed her with a $5 souvenir fan that broke the next day. 





Isn't that a strange creature?  And it's supposed to have evolved? 




Standing underneath the shark aquarium.




I actually forgot to pack a stroller so Big D bought this one for us at Target.




Flamingos




Big D sporting his stylish hat that he bought while at Target.




Looking at the flamingos.




That smile is because her American Girl doll now has a "swim soup".




And one more because I love her smile.




The girls with their treasures.  We brought the dolls from home, but they each got a new outfit.




The girls on their way to Delicious Desserts.




Twinkle Toes (10) was a little disappointed as they only decorated the desserts, but didn't actually make them. 
Measle (almost 8) had a blast.  While the girls were decorating pastries, Big D, Prince, Queen, Calvin, and I walked the Galleria.

 We packed a lot into 5 days.  The kids had fun at Hurricane Harbor one afternoon while Calvin and I sweated it out looking on.  That was for the kids.  Big D and I had fun at Half-Price Books.  We came home with a box full of treasures.  Remember that make-shift seat-among-the-suitcases in the back-back that I told you about?  Well, it didn't work out so well.  Twinkle Toes got car sick and puked all over the back-back.  Thankfully she missed our box of books.

Monk enjoyed swim camp at SMU (our reason for the trip).  And I got a little nostalgic driving around the old neighborhood.  Big D and I met, dated, and married in Dallas.  I was living in University Park when we met at church in downtown Dallas.  I was sorry to learn that Hagen Das moved out of Highland Park Village and I kept intending to stop by Celebrity Cafe and get a piece of strawberry cake, but it wasn't meant to be.  That was disappointing, but we did get to eat at Cheesecake Factory in Lincoln Park. 

Though we had some fun food adventures, our highlight by far was reconnecting with friends.  I wish I had thought to take the camera to our friends' houses.  We ate supper with Noelle and her family at Triplesmiles.  I got to hang out with my oldest friend (bff since age 5), Teresa.  We ate at Cafe Brazil and swam at the Allen Natatorium.  I've asked you to pray for Teresa's family before.  Her precious baby girl Molly went home to be with the Lord about a year ago.  I'm happy to report to you that Teresa is expecting a baby boy in about 7 weeks.  And finally, we got to visit with some friends of ours that have recently moved to about the half-way point for us between Dallas and home.  They are also a homeschooling family with 6 kids.  We so enjoyed our time with them and are looking forward to their passing through here on their way to vacation in Colorado next month.  

It was a fun trip!

Great Wolf Lodge- A fun family adventure story in pictures

You know the ignorant bliss that comes with the beginning of a vacation?



Somebody's getting brave.  Last time at GWL, Prince refused to slide.  Now he loves it!



She's pretty tough when on the offensive.



But not so sure likes being on the receiving end.



The MagiQuest gang.  This picture so perfectly summarizes their personalities: my dad studying the instruction manuel with Monk looking on and Twinkle Toes looking bored and way too cool to be interested in doing anything by the book.



Nana took good care of Queen and Prince while I mainly took care of Calvin.



Proudly wearing his wolf ears.



I don't believe I've ever seen a cuter wolf cub.



Calvin was not feeling well this trip, but such a little trooper.



The bug is so excited to be getting a manicure at Scoops spa.



Twinkle Toes declined the tiara.



Grandparents.  I'm pretty sure I never had anything even remotely resembling that lollipop when I was growing up and certainly not in my parents' car.  Let's just say this was a three packages of wipes trip.  Two days, three packages of wipes.



This was a very disturbing sight as we set off down the road on a 6 hr drive!



Calvin read my mind.



I assured him we would be home soon.  We had lots of fun, but as my dad always says, "Whoever said having fun is easy?" 



The Creation Museum

I've been wanting to take the kids to the Creation Museum so badly.  I was hoping we could go last year, but it didn't work out so Big D drove 3 hours each way from his brother's house in Terre Haute, Indiana so we could take in this wonderful attraction while in the vicinity (loosely speaking). 

Our first family pictures in almost two years.  Please note I'm 7 months pregnant.

I knew we'd see lots of creation science exhibits, but I was pleasantly surprised about the many exhibits dedicated to the Word of God.  Here's Monk posing in front of Luther nailing his 95 theses on the door in Wittenberg.  The hammer that sparked the protestant Reformation.

Louie in front of a replica of Guthenberg's printing press which made it possible to mass produce the Bible in Europe for the first time.

Noah's ark, of course.  The girls enjoyed the interactive computer quizzes stationed throughout the Noah's ark exhibit.  Twinkle Toes (9) got every answer correct.  Measle Bug (7) didn't fare so well.  Gotta work on our listening skills!

Ice cream break.

The motley crew.

The botanical gardens are beautiful!

AB was a little tentative, but did feed the donkey.

Measle fed all the animals.  Aren't alpaca's cute?

The petting zoo gang.  (Everyone else abandoned us and went back to the RV for some R & R while we braved the heat.)

Bye-bye Creation Museum.  We hope to visit you again someday!  We were all really impressed with the quality of the museum- Disney quality in my husband's words.  We were also impressed with the high view of Scripture here- the museum really is as much about the truth of God's Word and the gospel as it is about creation.  I loved the 7 C's of the showcase exhibit Walk Through Biblical History:  creation, curse, catastrophe, confusion, Christ, cross, consumation (or something like that.)  The kids got a kick out of the Men in White special effects show and Big D and I could have spent all day in the bookstore.