Chihuly exhibit at the Arboretum

I finally got a chance to take the kids to the Arboretum for the Chihuly exhibit. If you are even remotely able to go to the Dallas Arboretum, you should....if nothing else, just for this exhibit. The glass works of art are amazing! And they are set in such a beautiful setting.

Payton and Ian really enjoyed it. It was, of course, hot, even though we got there early. We've been to the arboretum many times, so we just skipped around to all the glass pieces.

The scale and colors of the pieces enhanced the gardens, surprisingly.

One of my favorites was the big glass balls.

Out if all the beautifully crafted pieces, Ian liked the blues rocks in the creek, the best. Don't get me wrong, the blue rocks were cool. But when you compare them to some of the other pieces, they seem very humble.

Payton liked the big, chaotic, curly structures.

I'm looking forward to cooler temperatures, so I can spend more time wandering around. The exhibit is there till November :)

 

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Wilderness Park

Our last day in Arkansas, we met Raymond at a wilderness Park in Gentry. There was a large petting zoo area and the animals were very tame.

 

The kids loved the kangaroos. I'd never been that close to kangaroos. Their fur is super soft.

 

 

I've never seen a baby in a pouch before either.

 

Raymond brought corn for the animals. Most of the animals enjoyed being fed as much as the kids enjoyed feeding them.

 

Then we drove thru the park. It took us an hour and a half. Ian was getting pretty tired of the tour, but Payton sat up in the front seat with Raymond where she fed the animals through the window.

 

 

 

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Pea Ridge and War Eagle Cavern

We decided to do a little site seeing while in Arkansas. The kids were actually very excited to see a Civil War Battleground. In 1st grade Payton had learned a little about the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Abraham Lincoln. Ian just wanted to see cannons, the uniforms, and the guns used...he's very much a boy.

 

...mission accomplished.

 

Pea Ridge National Military Park was very well done. The museum was very informative and somewhat interactive to where the kids, I think, got something out of it. The tour of the battlefield (by car) was beautiful.

Elk Horn Tavern - which served as a makeshift hospital.

 

 

In the afternoon, we went to War Eagle Cavern.

 

We had lunch...with yummy sarsaparilla....

took a tour of the cavern....

 

Entrance

chimney formation

and then went thru their maze. It was HOT!, but the kids didn't seem to mind.

 

 

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Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Grandpa Grote turned 93, June 27. The kids and I were able to be there for the celebration.

Payton and Ian got enjoyed playing with cousins they don't get to see very often.

 

Uncle Raymond is a master balloon animal maker which thrilled my kids.

 

Raymond also made the cake - German chocolate AND a chocolate bundt cake filled with chocolate chips,coconut, and nuts - yummy! There were 93 candles on his huge cake. All the great-grand kids blew out the candles. It was a good thing there wasn't a smoke alarm in the dining room ;)

 

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The Box

The box is finished.

 

It has been delivered into the hands of the new owners.

 

The project is complete.

 

We can now have our Dad and husband back....until the next woodworking project begins.