Our 2016 So Far - November

 Lisa Stille and I took Rebekah, Summer, Lydia, and Lauren to see Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

 It was peculiar, but I think the kids liked it. (It wasn't my favorite...Bekah said it wasn't like the book.)

I've been on a fitness plan since September and I'm feeling great.  I've hit my goal weight (down 30 pounds!) and bought some new clothes.

 

This Facebook Funny gives a little peek into my life.  

 

While is a bookstore in London (because, why wouldn't we go in a bookstore in London), I found this calendar and seriously considered buying it for Rebekah.

While in the British Museum gift shop, Bekah begged me to buy these for her friend, Summer.  They were museum gift shop prices, though.  =/  But they're super cute.

Outside the British Library, we found a place to recycle your gum.  Now, a place to throw away gum?  Yes, I get that.  But what in the world could you make from recycled gum?  Hopefully, not more gum.  Gross. 

And this happened in London...ha ha!

England Days 8 and 10 - Heading Home

 On day eight of our England adventure, we laid low with the Tarbuttons and celebrated Thanksgiving dinner.  A good time was had by all!

And then finally, day ten meant it was time to head home. 

 We grabbed a few quick photos of the Tarbutton crew and were on our way back to London to catch our flight. 

 (Above) Evan ready for middle school.  (Below), Ava, Caden, and Myah (with Oreo) ready for elementary school.

We definitely had a full (and fulfilling visit). Looking forward to next year!(?)

England Day 9 - Cambridge

On this day (11/26/2016), we went with the Tarbutton crew to Cambridge and saw the sights there.  Now that Bekah wants to go to university here, we are looking at the town a little more closely.  =)

 

Our selfie in front of Our Lady and The English Martyr's Church

 

Gatehouse to Christ's College

 

We visited the Fitzwilliam Museum.

 

This was another gorgeous museum.  The architecture was astounding. 

 

Inside were more works of art.  It seemed like a continuation of the National Gallery from a couple of days before.  Tis is a Renoir.

 

This statue that Lydia and Myah were looking at is also a Renoir.

 

Monet

 

Bekah and me in our VanGogh selfie.  =)

 

This is by Rodin, who did the Thinker.

 

A wall of Monets

 

Just look at that.  I can't believe I'm close enough to these to see the signature so clearly!

 

These drawings are by Rembrandt.  The first one was protected from the lights above by a tapestry laid over it.  You had to lift it up to view it, but then lay the tapestry back down over it to protect it. 

 

 

This one is an engraving after the Rubens that we saw in the National Gallery of Isabella. 

 

 After the art, we started getting into the artifacts. 

 They had tons of old armor and weapons on display.

 

This is a press for making coins. 

 

And this is a portrait of Philip the Good from Ghent.  I just found it interesting since we visited there earlier this year.

 

This is a theatrical mask from AD 1- AD 200.  Yes...this is possibly from AD1.  As in year 1!  I can't believe how well preserved it is. 

 

This is an inscription from the City of Troy.

 

An Egyptian mummy

 

 

And this coffin has a painting of the deceased on it.  The artwork is AMAZING! 

 

 

After leaving the museum and heading to the restaurant, we came across this interesting sight. 

 This busker was playing his guitar and singing FROM A TRASH CAN!

 It was the most incredible thing!!  It was obviously his own special made trash can, but how incredible is that?

 Afterward, we finished up the evening in The Eagle, a pub where Watson and Crick announced they had discovered 'the secret of life' - DNA!  There is an Eagle and DNA strands on the menu.   

If you go back further into the pub, there's an older room where graffiti covers the ceiling.  Only it's not just any graffiti...its the signatures of members of the Royal Airforce, burned onto the ceiling with candles, dating back to World War II.  Seriously! Everything in this place has history!

England Day 7 - National Gallery

On day seven of our great London adventure, we were heading up to Letchworth to stay with Joel and Beth.  But before we left London, we took a trip to the National Gallery.

 This beautiful view greeted us from the front of the gallery, and on the walkway out front, artists were hard at work earning a living. 

 The man above did chalk art of numerous countries, asking you to put coins on your flag. 

 

This one below of a woman was so phenomenal!

 

And then there were several performing artists.  This Yoda appeared to be floating above the ground.  He was a big hit!

This place is so huge with so many works of art.  It's an art-lover's dream.  We tried to make it through the whole thing, but eventually had to hit the highlights so we could make it to the Tarbuttons' at a decent time. 

 

This.  Wow.  This painting was called The Ugly Duchess.  She truly was very ugly.

 But the art work was so detailed.  We were enthralled for quite a bit. 

 These pieces are unfinished works by Michelangelo, with the one above being from 1497 and the one below from around 1560.  It was really cool to see the layering and get some idea of how he worked on his paintings. 

 

 

This one is a Raphael of Pope Julius II, completed in 1511.

 

 

 

Here's our Leonardo DaVinci selfie (art from 1500).

 

Rembrandt 1630

 

This is a Rubens of Isabella, daughter of Phillip of Spain. Rubens did numerous pieces for royalty.  the detail in his paintings is phenomenal.  The thing I like about his paintings is that not everyone is made to look the same.  It makes me feel like you're actually seeing the person he was making a portrait of. 

 

This is Rembrandt self portrait at age 34.

 

And this Rembrandt self portrait is at age 63.

 

Claude Monet

 

 Our Renoir selfie

 

Vincent VanGogh

 

Our VanGogh Sunflowers selfie

 

One more VanGogh selfie for good measure.  I'm so glad we could take photos in this gallery!!

 

 

Monet

 

Matisse

 

Not only was the artwork phenomenal, but so was the architecture and décor of the building.  I feel like we didn't pay it enough attention because we were so busy looking at the art!