The Great Ice Storm of 2014

Southeast Texas was devastated this morning by a huge ice storm, forcing schools to close and businesses to shutter in the nations's fourth largest city.

I braved the treacherous conditions to document the peril. Be warned - these pictures may be unsettling.

That's all it takes. Impressive, huh?

Claire's Christmas Song

Claire and her classmates celebrated the beginning of the holiday season with this performance at her school's Christmas Concert.

Emma's Concert Series

A record-setting crowd was on hand to see Emma's final performance of 2013, a year that saw her in all the major European capitals, dazzling heads-of-state and other dignitaries with her keyboard prowess. Here she performs the classic Ding Dong Merrily on High.

Congratulations, Emma, on a wonderful year.

Find a high-definition version here.

A Child is Born

And so it was, that on the twentieth day of the ninth month in the first decade of the third millennium of the Common Era, during the reign of the last American President, in the largest city in the twentieth-eighth state admitted to the Union, a child was born.

A child destined to rule the Internets, the laser tags, and the boys at her elementary school;

A child who has demonstrated great skills as an author and an artist;

A child known throughout the land as the First Mistress of the Wii;

A child with a name above all other names (except for her sister's), a name that will be praised throughout all of history;

That child - our very own Claire.

Happy birthday, Claire.

There and Back Again

Our summer vacation found us on the road, from the greatest state in the union to the happiest place on earth, for a round trip of two thousand thirty six miles.

The keys to a successful roadie - lots of movies for the kids, a list of Chick-fil-A's, state welcome centers, and Coke Zero.

And a destination that is worth the effort.

Yes, it is a small world after all.

And we can't wait to go back.

The Concert for Uncle Matthew

All About Music and Arts

is proud to present

A Concert

Honoring the Birth of Uncle Matthew

starring

Emma Chestnut

Ms. Chestnut will be performing, in its entirety, Lunar Eclipse.

Please hold your applause until the end of the piece.

Claire at VBS

Claire attended Vacation Bible School this week at the church. The camp ended with performances of the songs they learned. Claire is front and center -

For the grand finale, all the kids performed. Here she's lost in a sea of kids.