The Hand Clan: Spring Break

Brian was on Spring Break this week. And, this year I got smart . . . I remembered Brian's spring break last year, and how I longed to have a day or so off with him. Well, this year I decided to simulate my own Spring Break. I took Monday and Tuesday off work . . . and, the four day weekend was just what I needed.

Over the weekend, my mom and I headed down to Virginia to visit my brother and his family. It was so great to just drive down and back in the sunshine, have good conversation with mom in the car, see my brother and his family and be in their world, get to be "Aunt Mar" all weekend, and get to sleep in my niece's bedroom. I must admit that I missed Brian who stayed home, . . . but it was a fun visit with family.

Then, Tuesday Brian and I went to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. It's such a great museum. Brian actually had to go for one of his classes, and complete a packet as we went. Honestly, that packet helped guide our tour and teach us new things. We toured these exhibits: Upper Egypt, Mummies, Lower Egypt, Amarna, and Canaan & Israel. There were so many artifacts and cool things there. It's worth the visit. Then, we headed a few blocks away to a cool restaurant: The Bubble House. Anyone had bubble tea? It's quite funky, but worth the experience. (It has large black tapioca balls in the bottom of the cup). We got great food there too: spicy tuna roll, tilapia wrap, and marinated burger. It was fun to walk around that part of Philly with all the college students bustling around . . . college sometimes seems so long ago . . . but, not so much for Brian.

Anyway, I highly recommend creating a little Spring Break in your schedule. Personally, I have to devote "days off" to really goof off and chill, otherwise the day inevitably gets filled with all the things I've been hoping to do in my "spare time".

Oh, and here are some pics:

Mom and Ansley

I love kids socks!

Once the music starts, out come the moroccas

And, acrobatics

And, basically a full-fledged circus

Oh, let's not forget dinner in all the excitement. John inspecting the salmon

Robin making the special bean sauce

Bath time. Caleb laughed hilariously every time my mom said that Larry the Cucumber was a Pickle. She obviously wasn't up on Veggie Tales. Caleb kept saying, "Pickle" and laughing.

The fam - all ready for church.

This is a winner. You can tell my mom and I think our eager smiles will help the kids smile. Mind you, John is taking the picture while Robin is waving a horse on a pole. What we go through!