Xi'an Pictures

High Speed Train

Fun at the apartment

Tang Paradise

Authentic Chinese buffet Restaurant

Terracotta Army Museum

Market Sights
(Cricket store along the bottom row)

Food Tour

*Words here.

Pictures, As Promised*

Moscow Waterpark

All Aboard!
(The sign pictured on the bottom left says "Peking" in Cyrillic, if you're curious.)

Russian Scenery

Russian Stations

Russian snacks purchased on the platforms

Mongolia showed us yurts and lots of livestock including cattle, sheep, horses,
saiga antelope, and camels (from top to bottom in the pictures).
Clay also got his photo snapped with a statue of the only Mongolian cosmonaut,
and we ate a nice meal in the beautiful Mongolian dining car.

Changing of the bogies.
(I love the instructions for how to put the train back together displayed in the shed!)

China

*If you missed all the words that go along with the pictures, you can find them here. You can also click on each collage to see the pictures enlarged.

Mandi's Highly Nerdy Virtual Bookshelf

Here are some of the things sitting on my virtual bookshelf right now, in various stages of completion. I'll be the first to admit that it is a bizarre, overly academic combination and probably not one Oprah will be recommending any time soon.

• The Arabian Nights by Andrew Lang--I just started reading this with the boys in our History class. I picked this version because it was free and because it was a bit more kid-friendly in language and content than some others.
• A handful of BOB books by Bobby Lynn Maslen--I'm going through some of these with my youngest reading student.
• The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan--This is for my own edification and education--my "fun" reading, if you will. It is very eye-opening and thought-provoking. It's definitely making me rethink some of my family's food choices. (As an aside, I am curious to hear from any of you whole food advocates about how to make whole food eating work for a relatively large family of big eaters, that is not wealthy and does not have the desire or propensity to farm or garden. I'm interested in finding out more about co-ops, farmers' markets, and small, local whole foods type stores, as well as options for making this type of eating affordable. So if you have any info or advice about these things, please pass it along.) 
• The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean--The boys and I just finished this easy-to-read, kid-friendly version of these classic stories, and we really enjoyed them.
• Grammar-Land by M.L. Nesbitt--Max and I just finished going through this in his Grammar class, but all my kids love this story and barely even realize that they are learning important English Grammar lessons along the way. Weston even wondered aloud why someone didn't make it into a movie.
• Search for the Pirate's Treasure by Gerry Gaston--This modern day choose-your-own-adventure story for young readers is Clay's current favorite. 
• The Republic by Plato--I just finished this in preparation for Ruth's literature class. I found it very interesting, especially in the beginning, though I felt that it got a little tedious and convoluted towards the end. 
• Openstax College Biology--This is prep work for next year's high school biology class (but is also secretly fun for me). 
• National Geographic--I certainly don't read every article on the National Geographic site, but at any given time, I usually have a least a couple of tabs open with articles to peruse. Of course, I also enjoy skimming through the photos and uploading my own. 

My new addiction

Earlier this week, I decided to enter one of my photos in a National Geographic photo contest. I honestly have no chance of winning, but that wasn't really my goal when I entered. I have been in love with National Geographic my whole life, and I have been particularly enamored with the photography. I can't see one of their photographs without my heart beating a little faster and my breath catching just a little. I just wanted to be a part of that community. I wanted to see a photo I had taken represented, even in some small way, by that logo. Now, I'm sort of obsessed with adding pictures to my account and perusing the images of the rest of the NG community. Somehow, the photos just look better displayed on that site. Plus, it's really fun to have other photographers (real photographers!) looking at, liking, and commenting on my photos. I may not ever get another productive thing done, but I'm very happy! If you'd like to check out any of my photos or those of the rest of the community, click here. That link will take you to my page, but you can look at other photos by clicking on the "Photos" tab at the top of the page. Just make sure you have plenty of free time if you decide to go poking around, because it's hard to pull yourself away!

Ireland

In all the hullaballoo of the wreck yesterday, I neglected to give a proper update about our whereabouts. We left Northern Ireland yesterday morning and passed into Ireland (a whole other country), without the least bit of fanfare. No passport control. No border patrol. No drama whatsoever, until the wreck, which occurred three miles from our destination, which happens to be in the loveliest bit of the middle of nowhere you can imagine. The owner of the place we are staying discovered a month or two ago that they had overbooked, so they offered us their larger property, which was available for the dates we requested, at no extra charge. This place is amazing! First of all, it's a huge four bedroom, two bath house, with a full-size kitchen, two eating areas, and a washer and dryer. And, second, IT LOOKS OUT ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN! And not just a sliver of it, but practically the whole ocean. The couch is super-comfy and offers stunning panoramic views, so we immediately declared we wouldn't move from there, except to eat in the all-glass dining area off the kitchen, the whole time we are here. This has been pretty close to true, though we did take a little walk through the "neighborhood" this afternoon. I wish we were staying longer than just the two nights, but I'm so thankful for this gorgeous and restful stop!
(You can click on the collages to enlarge the images.)

We drove through Connemara National Park yesterday on our way here.
(The last picture shows the place where our wreck occurred.)

Our lovely Irish cottage

The panorama view from our eating area and living room

A lovely walk through the neighborhood
(You can just see the roof of our house in the larger photo, in the top right)

It's a blessed life!

The Birks at Aberfeldy and Dinner at The Croft

There is no way I can do justice to this day with a few pictures, which themselves don't do justice to our experience, but I feel like I need to commemorate our outing nonetheless. We chose to go to The Birks of Aberfeldy as an afterthought, really. We had previously explored much of the area, and we already had a dinner reservation in Aberfeldy, so we thought, "Why not?" But, Oh! what a treat awaited us! It was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever taken, with a multitude of waterfalls, an abundance of fall color, and some amazing vistas. I'm pretty sure this is what happiness looks like!

After hiking for a couple hours in the cold, we were glad to settle in at The Croft restaurant, to warm up with a delicious meal, a fantastic wine, and several fabulous desserts. It was a truly wonderful day!

One of many splendid waterfalls

Big tree and a little boy

There's a fungus among us

The bark of this beech tree was absolutely stunning!

There were so many wonderful photo ops

Beautiful vista near the top of the trail

Another lovely waterfall

Nana and the kiddos

I love every part of this!

Looking down on a recently traversed bridge

A feast for the eyes, a balm for the soul

Ruth imitating Robert Burns, as he writes "The Birks of Aberfeldy"

A Max Statue

Dinner at The Croft

To-die-for sticky toffee pudding

Around the World in a Carry-On Bag: Electronics

Today, as I continue my packing series, I'm featuring electronics.This isn't a terribly exciting thing to write about, but this techy gear is certainly necessary for the kind of trip we're taking. Again, I'm only showcasing what I'm carrying in my bag, but each person's bag has its equivalents. The kids each have a device (iPad, Kindle or phone), which contains all of their school books, pleasure reading and video games. The older kids also all have a camera. If you're just getting in on the series, you can see the other contents of my bag here, here, here, here, here and here. 

MacBook Air + charger--I have been using the Air for many years now, and I just love how compact, lightweight and functional it is. This little device is such a part of my daily life, I couldn't think of leaving home without it.

Canon Powershot SX280 HS Camera + charger--I love my Canon Powershot, because it is compact enough to put in my pocket, but it takes some of the best pictures of any camera I've ever owned. And, with a 20x optical zoom, I don't have to worry too much about missing an awesome shot just because the subject is a long ways off.

OnePlus One Phone + charger--I have only had this phone a few months, but, so far, I am enjoying it very much. I will not be using it much as a phone when we're traveling, but it will function as my reader, my journal, my alarm clock, my entertainment and so much more.

Road Warrior Ultra Thin Universal Power Strip--A universal power adapter with three outlets seems like a pretty useful travel companion to me.

Anker 5 port USB Charger--With all our devices, we needed a compact way to be able to charge lots of things at once. This is the perfect solution.

Moving in a way I've never moved before

Jeff and I have moved a number of times during our marriage, but our next move is pretty different from all the rest. In the past, if I wasn't ready to commit to getting rid of something or if I wasn't sure if I should keep it, I simply boxed it up with everything else, to deal with "later." It was easy to become "sentimental" about things I just didn't want to think about. But, this time, with a vision for minimalism fully in place and not the slightest clue about where we might eventually land, I am eying everything with a critical eye. I'm not completely disregarding sentimentality, but I'm adjusting and fortifying my definition of the word and giving myself permission to let go of so much more than I ever have. I don't have to keep every item I received for a wedding gift, even if I got it from someone I adore. It is wonderfully freeing, and I shall continue to purge in the next couple of months.

However, there is one area that is still giving me some trouble, and in which sentimentality continues to rein: old print pictures. My children will never face this dilemma, having been born in the age of digital photography, but for me, it is truly agonizing. The intellectual side of me says, "Digitize your photos, get rid of the originals and enjoy all the extra cabinet/bookshelf/closet space." But my heart cries, "But digital pictures, in a folder on my computer, just aren't the same!" Now, mind you, I never really pull out the old photos to peruse, and I don't have long family history lessons with my kids about the (de)merits of 80s hair and clothes (though I probably should). But, still, the paper photos just seem better somehow, and I seriously struggle with the thought of not having them sitting there collecting dust or sticking (not artistically) to the pages of old photo albums that have seen better days. Most of the photos are not the least bit organized, so I'm a little worried that I'm just being sentimental because I don't want to think about it, and because I don't have the time to organize them enough to get them digitized.

So, I turn to you, dear readers. What should I do? What have you done? How do you minimize the clutter/stuff but keep the memories? Have any of you gone completely digital? Did you have to go into therapy afterward? Help me out. I'm running out of time, and I need to make some serious decisions about this soon.

House never cleaner, hubby never happier

Today, my daughter said to me, "I love when we are trying to sell a house, because it is always so clean!" And, my husband fairly squealed with delight when he saw that I had removed all the appliances from the counters in the kitchen and toiletries from the counters in the bathroom. (This reaction is, of course, an exaggeration, but not all of you know my husband personally, so I thought I should clarify. He does not, under any circumstances, "squeal with delight.")  Technically, we have not put our house up for sale yet. We are simply trying to get some pictures taken that look like we don't really live here. Which is super hard. Because, we do, in fact live, here. And, work here. And, school here. We are here all the time, except when we are running kids around to various activities. Southern Living, it's not, folks. I do truly wish I could produce this level of joy in my family members all the time. (The ones that care, I mean. Because there are those, it seems, that actually prefer the mess. Or, at least, they work extra hard to ensure that the messiness is a constant.) But, as there are still only 24 hours in a day, and as I can only do so much, I guess we can simply be thankful that we move as often as we do, so that there are a fair number of days that the house is truly clean and clutter-free.

That time of year

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

BLUEBONNET TIME!!

The cutest bluebonnet posers of all time!

Look out, ladies!

Beautiful Ruth

Saturday in the big city

We went in to Austin this morning for a crazy, hilarious, and slightly frustrating family photo shoot, a birthday/half-birthday feeding frenzy at one of the Brazilian steak houses, and some interesting, but unproductive furniture shopping. Now, having had all the fun we can stand for one day, we're all exhausted and headed for bed.

The price of a good photo shoot

I have recently been using nap time as photography time, in an effort to learn how to use my new camera and to snap some pics for my photo blog. I LOVE this time!! It is so peaceful and happy. There is only one problem: I live in Houston! That means humidity with a capital H and plenty of mosquitoes to go along with it! There is always a price to pay for doing something you love. I pay in sweat and blood.

This is an icky picture, but can you see all the red welts?! Click to enlarge, if you aren't easily frightened!

Fortunately, the welts go away quickly and the itching doesn't last more than a few minutes, so I haven't been deterred in my daily photography outings.