The Meity Road Trip

Meity Road Trip Favorites

2008-12-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

Meity Road Trip Favorites

The question we are most frequently asked is, “What have you liked best?” We all had a hard time keeping our “favorites” list small. The places we listed are not in any particular order. Here goes…

CG: Mt. Rushmore, Disney World, Kansas-family, Wisconsin-family, Washington, D.C., Maine coast, Statue of Liberty, Kennedy Space Center, seeing friends along the way, St. Louis Arch, flying with Mr. T., Niagara Falls, Focus on the Family, going back home.

RR: Disney World, Wisconsin-visiting family, Kansas-visiting family, St. Louis Arch, seeing friends, Mississippi River, Niagara Falls, Mt. Rushmore, St. Louis Arch, NASA Air Show especially the Blue Angels, Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., Pikes Peak, going back to CA.

K: Washington, D.C., Mt. Rushmore on the 4th of July, NASA Air Show at Kennedy Space Center, flying with Mr. T., Air force Academy, Statue of Liberty, seeing friends and family.

RJ: Carlsbad Caverns, Niagara Falls, Mt. Rushmore, Disney World, Seeing friends and family along the way, Washington, D.C., the NASA Air Show at Kennedy Space Center, Philadelphia, Focus on the Family Radio Show, going up in the St. Louis Arch, Statue of Liberty, seeing Regis and Kelly live in NYC (neat to see how they film and they were funny).

P: Carlsbad Caverns, Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Teton NP, Civil War Museum, Maine Coast, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Disney World, Amish Country – Lancaster County, Colonial Williamsburg, visiting family and friends.

C (me): Carlsbad Caverns, Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Teton NP, various historic sites along the way (Native Americans, Pioneers, Civil Rights, Civil and Rev. War sites, historic homes, Presidential Museums, etc.), Mt. Rushmore on the 4th of July, visiting family and friends along the way, New Hampshire, Niagara Falls, Philadelphia, Amish Country in PA, Plymouth Plantation where the Pilgrims settled, Washington, D.C., Williamsburg and the Historic Triangle, Disney World (enjoying it with my kids).

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-20T20:18:00.000-08:00

The Meity Road Trip is over and Christmas is here. We are temporarily living in our motor home and going back and forth between my parent’s home and our home community. I thought this would be a very strange and perhaps disappointing Christmas. And while it is strange, it is much to my surprise the best Christmas I’ve had in a long time. We don’t have a tree, or Christmas lights, we haven’t hosted any parties, or even bought many gifts. Our kids have almost nothing on their wish lists and we wouldn’t have room for it if they did. It’s awesome. P reminded me that it’s the first Christmas in a long time that I haven’t said, “I hate Christmas.” (Forgive the harsh words – I’ve never been one to hide my feelings. And mind you, I don’t hate the holiday itself, in fact I love it, I just hate all the unnecessary stress and busyness that comes with it in our culture). We’ve had time to spend with people, time to help my elderly parents, time to volunteer at the Rescue Mission and time to really enjoy and appreciate the true meaning of Christmas. Who knew that such a weird living situation would be the means of helping us have a truly enjoyable Christmas season?! Happy birthday Jesus!
In honor of the celebration of Christ's birth, I've attached a video of RJ singing at our church "Away in a Manger" - hope you enjoy!

Welcome Home

2008-12-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

After being with my folks for a day we headed back to our community for a couple days where the kids would attend their academic classes, we all would take care of various doctor appointments, and most importantly to us, see friends. Our first moments back in our community were so wonderfully welcoming, complete with cheers, signs and even jumping up and down!! You know, we don’t have a house yet but with wonderful friends who love us, we have a home. We are blessed beyond words!

Back to real life...

2008-12-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

I drove up to our first stop in CA, my parents’ home, the home I grew up in, and it was like no time had passed. It’s all over and all just a memory…or was it really a dream? Perhaps my pictures will convince me it was real. Life is like that. Kinda weird, huh?

The best thing by far for our first evening back home was seeing my parents. We could hardly contain the girls; they were so excited as we got closer. I know my folks were just as delighted.

Shortly after our arrival at my parents’ home, we prepared to go out to eat with them. The following conversation ensued. “P, we need to get our car out [from their back yard area].” “It’s already out.” “No, that’s not ours; that’s my dad’s.” “That’s ours.” “But ours is silver, not tan.” “No, ours is tan…look...the inside light doesn’t work just like ours.” “Oh, [sigh], you’re right, that is ours.” …..O.K., what is with that? I can’t even remember what my car looks like. It’s not been THAT long! Pretty scary!

Once we figured out which one was our car, we drove it. Oh, wow, did you ever realize how fast a car can stop, how sharp it can turn, how squished it is? It’s been a long time since we drove a car. It felt so low to the ground, like our back side was dragging along the street! And, guess what? The driving lanes don’t seem so narrow, nor the road so uneven, and we don’t even have to think about whether we’ll fit in the parking lot or not! There are so many things we take for granted. :-)

“There’s no place like home!”

2008-12-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

After traveling around the US with our 4 girls for nearly 7 months, I just want to shout our thanks and praise to God for a safe trip, good health and for giving us the opportunity for this trip in the first place!! I could never have planned or even imagined this trip in this way or timing, but God brought it together and worked out all the little details. It is good to be back and we look forward to seeing you all again!

I am reminded of the song that says, “How can I say thanks for all the things you have done for me?” This trip is so minuscule in comparison to the free gift of salvation through Christ, but it is no less a gift for which we feel overwhelmingly thankful. “Every good and perfect gift is from above.”

The last chapter of the book

2008-12-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like you loved a book so much you didn’t want to finish it? And, when you get to the last chapter you have a sort of sinking feeling knowing that it's almost over? That’s how I’ve felt the last couple weeks of our trip. It’s been so good I don’t want to finish it. But, today when I saw the sign, “441 Miles to Los Angeles” excitement began to flood my heart. I haven’t seen anything about California in so long. We all started singing, “California, here I come, right back where we started from, where bowers of flowers bloom in the sun…” As we sang my excitement grew even more. Then we crossed the State line. Hoorah! Many shouts of joy could be heard in our motor home. Our tires were on California asphalt at last. As I write this, it won’t be long now until we see my parents. California, here we are!

Life in an RV

2008-12-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

The girls did a video spoof we call, RV life: Four Girls and One Small Bathroom. Press "play" to view...

Rules for successful RV living

2008-12-05T19:22:00.000-08:00

To give you all a better idea of some RV life survival techniques we’ve had, we have posted some of the “rules” we came up with over time…

No running in the motor home (where would you run to, anyway?)
We have a bathroom fan, use it if necessary (you know what I mean if you’ve ever lived in an RV!)
No singing in the MH unless we are all singing together
One person in the bathroom at a time, 2 if it’s an emergency
No changing clothes in the bathroom, we are all girls except Dad
While driving, only 2 people make their meals at a time (too squishy w/o the slide out)
If you wake up first, read a book quietly, and don’t start tickling your sister!
If someone is in a bad mood, they are outside alone (unless we are driving, of course)
If someone is in a bad mood and we are driving, it’s either the bathroom or the back bedroom for them!
Rotating “seating chart” for the “best seat” in the RV
Kid engineered rotating “sleeping chart” for the better beds
Mandatory outside time for kids as deemed appropriate by parents
Date nights (occasionally known as sanity breaks) for parents – absolutely required!
Oh, and most importantly, make sure the sewer hose is thoroughly attached when dumping the black tank!

A colorful sky

2008-12-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

As we near the end of our trip, God gave us a lovely bonus. We just happened to stop at a State Park in NM to camp overnight. Turns out they were having a hot air balloon rally the next morning. We were able to watch them set up the balloons, inflate, and take off. One kind pilot even invited Rebecca help get the balloon upright and showed all the girls how the balloon works. He invited us to take a look inside too. It was very interesting to learn more about it, and a nice blessing as we near the end of our wonderful trip.

The unthinkable happened to the unsinkable

2008-12-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

In Branson, MO we saw the Titanic Museum. The museum building is ½ the Titanic and ½ scale. Even at that, it’s huge. Inside they had full scale, exact replicas of the beautiful stair case, passenger rooms and a life boat along with many artifacts from both those who died and survived. We even heard live interviews from the last 2 living survivors. Hearing their stories and many others throughout the museum was heart wrenching! One passenger told her husband how uneasy she was about the trip. She said that only God could make something unsinkable, and if humankind was to boast such an accomplishment, it was a bad sign. Her husband responded, “It IS unsinkable!”

Snow!

2008-11-30T16:14:00.000-08:00

We got into the campground late at night and planned on leaving first thing the next morning. It flurried during the day but stopped and wasn’t supposed to snow anymore for a couple days. We were surprised when we woke up to more snow! We had to alter our plans as the roads were sheets of ice. But the girls didn’t mind this one bit since they got to play in the snow!

“Meet Me in St. Louie”

2008-11-29T18:45:00.000-08:00

…We felt that since we met our friends in St. Louis that was an appropriate song to sing, although we could barely remember any more than the 5 words of the title! And, there is no bigger icon of St. Louis than the Arch, which I HAD to see. I guess it’s like one would feel about seeing the Space Needle in Seattle or the Empire State Building in New York. Though, I will say this was more unique than going to the top of a tall building. Since the shape is after all an arch, going up the elevator was an experience to be remembered. It was definitely cool. We didn’t have a lot of time after that, but they gave us a tour of some St. Louis sites. One was the ever so famous frozen custard stand, Ted Drewe’s. We unanimously voted frozen custard superior to ice cream. Even though it was cold out, we enjoyed getting colder in order to eat our delicious frozen custard. :-)

Our time with our friends just flew by. Seemed like we blinked and it was over. We said our sad goodbyes. We quote the Apostle Paul when we say of our friends, we “have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” (Eph 1:16)

Up, up and away!!

2008-11-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

In the past several months, K has expressed a growing interest in aviation. Because of the kindness of our mission aviator friend, K and her sisters got to fly high in sky above St. Louis. This was a big event and took a lot of Mr. T’s time for which we are so grateful. He was so good to explain all the flight check list procedures and even let K fly solo (momentarily!)! They all agreed it was the thrill of their lives and K proclaimed that she definitely thought being a pilot was a good career option for her!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

2008-11-27T18:25:00.000-08:00

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father. (James 1:17) Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. (2 Cor. 9:15)

God gave us a special gift of being with dear friends this Thanksgiving. They just moved from CA to St. Louis in September to attend flight school in preparation for Mission aviation. When their training is complete they plan to join Mission Aviation Fellowship. For more about their exciting journey of faith, click here . This was their first Thanksgiving since moving, and we were far from our family so it was a special blessing for us to be together. Seeing them was another of many things we are thankful for this Thanksgiving.

“Now he belongs to the ages.”

2008-11-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

We went to the Land of Lincoln visiting its capital, Springfield, the location of several Lincoln sites. We saw his home, the only home he ever owned, law office, Old State Capitol where he worked, his tomb, and his recently built (2005) presidential library and museum. The museum was top notch. I loved learning more about him and his family, his personality, his trials and triumphs. We think of him as a great success coming from a tiny one room log cabin to the White House. Yet, it was amazing to see just how many failures he had along the way. But he didn’t let that stop him. It was also striking to learn and experience just how much criticism he faced continuously, both on the road to the White House and in it. He was criticized by Northerners and Southerners, Republican and Democrat. Many blamed him for the war and all the lives lost on both sides. When I saw his tomb and its monument it struck me that he surely would be shocked to see how loved, admired and honored he has been in his death.

Am I dreaming or did we travel back in time?

2008-11-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

Well, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Therefore, I just had to take a picture just to prove it. In a motor home, one is well aware of gas prices so pardon me if I’ve gotten carried away with excitement. Has it been 10 years since gas was so cheap or does it just feel that way?!

The Mighty Mississippi

2008-11-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

During the first couple months of our trip, it seemed forever until we traveled East of the Mississippi (a celebrated milestone with loud cheers in the motorhome). It’s been a little over 4 months since then, and we are now back – this time headed west. It’s hard to believe how fast time flies. When we first saw the Mississippi we were far north of here. Now we are much further south in Memphis and camped right along the mighty river. I guess being back here has made me nostalgic and reflective.

I Have a Dream

2008-11-22T15:35:00.000-08:00

In Atlanta we saw the home, and even bedroom, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. came into the world, and in Memphis we saw the hotel balcony where he departed this world. And, in Birmingham we saw one of the hot seats of the Movement in Alabama. We were so fortunate to meet and talk with an African American who worked closely with Dr. King, participated in peaceful marches and protests, witnessed brutal beatings and bombings, was unjustly imprisoned for peaceably marching, and who’s children were among the first to attend “all white” schools. It was amazing to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement and the many long, hard fought battles as well as the unthinkable sufferings of any, black and white, who supported civil rights for African Americans. The movement strategies were based largely on those taught by Ghandi. Though the Civil Rights activists participated in non-violent protests, the opposition was anything but non-violent. It was heart breaking to hear of all the atrocities suffered – and all this 100 years after the Civil War. Change is indeed slow.

Long Time, No See

2008-11-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

Again, one of my favorite things about our trip is being able to see friends and family along the way. While in Atlanta, we were able to visit longtime Wycliffe missionary friends of ours. Our friendship goes all the way back to our college years (and that’s a long way back, now). They even got engaged in our home (an honor for us)! We also got to see friends of ours that go back to our pre-marriage years. We shared lots of fun memories from those young married years before kids. It was so much fun to see them both and their wonderful families again.

11/14/08 Space Shuttle Endeavor

2008-11-14T15:35:00.000-08:00

From a distance, we witnessed the last ever night launch of a space shuttle. In 2010 NASA will begin a new space program and the shuttles will be no more. This was the last scheduled night launch and we were able to watch it from Orlando. Even from about 50 miles away, before we could even see the shuttle, the sky lit up so brightly, it looked like the sun was rising. Since the picture is a bit blurry, I will point out the key feature…the bright orange ball of fire in the lower right is the shuttle before the rockets were dropped. :-) It was so cool to see it after being at Kennedy Space Center, seeing the shuttle on the launch pad and experiencing a shuttle launch simulator. We could almost feel the thrill the astronauts must have been feeling.

Disney, the Final Chapter

2008-11-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

I have a number of what I call “crazy dreams.” (Perhaps that is no surprise to some of you)! Two of them are traveling to Europe with my children and going on an African Safari. Where else but the “happiest place on earth” could I do both of these without even leaving the country? Well, the Safari ride in Disney’s Animal Kingdom I’m sure doesn’t even come close to the real thing – but it’s the closest I’ll ever get to it and it’s a good second choice. Same goes for the wide array of foreign countries we were able to visit at Epcot. We all enjoyed this and the many other delights of Walt Disney World Florida.

Early in our trip we made a deal with the kids that we’d stop at Disney World as both a reward for the 3 oldest memorizing the whole book of James and in lieu of birthday parties for all 4 of them. They loved that deal when we agreed to it and even more so now that they’ve been here!

We never thought we’d be here with all the kids and probably never will again, so we will definitely cherish the memories we have of the fun family times we’ve had here together.

A Waterfull Time!

2008-11-10T17:54:00.001-08:00

This is one of few places in the country we could find ourselves hot and muggy this time of year. We are so thankful for the fun pool and splash park where we are staying. It’s given the kids a “waterfull” time and helped us keep cool when it’s been in the 80’s with high humidity.

11/9/08 Blue Angels and more

2008-11-09T05:57:00.000-08:00

We were fortunate in our timing. Today we were able to attend the Kennedy Space Center annual air show. It was astounding. We marveled at the skill it takes to fly like that. The highlight of the show was the Blue Angels. We’ve never seen them perform in person. I can’t even imagine how hard it must be to fly as they do. And, obviously one mistake could cost lives. If you ever have an opportunity to see them perform, I highly recommend it. In fact, we’d see them again in a heart beat.

NEW: Easy to post comments

2008-11-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

Now it's easy to post comments. You don't need a g-mail account; you can even post anonymously if you prefer. However, it may take up to 24 hours for your post to show.

11/7/08 The “Happiest Place on Earth”

2008-11-07T17:22:00.000-08:00

Disney claims it’s the happiest place on earth. Even though I say that being in the center of God’s will is the happiest place on earth, I will concur that Disney World is certainly loads of fun!!! This will shock many of my Disney-loving fellow Southern Californians, but the last time my kids were at Disneyland, RR was 1 year old and she’s 6 now!! Well, some would claim that we are seriously overdue for some Disney adventures. I can now say that we’ve officially made up for lost time. We’ve just about killed ourselves with fun. :-) We’ve spent as much as 13 hours a day in each of the 4 major Disney Theme Parks here. It has been a lot of fun and I feel exceedingly thankful for the opportunity we have to enjoy this with our kiddies, but we are taking a little Disney break before we head back for some more. While some people claim you can never have too much fun, I’d beg to differ. :-)

11/4/08 The Right Stuff

2008-11-04T17:15:00.000-08:00

The Kennedy Space Center is amazing. I highly recommend it if you are ever in the area. My two favorite highlights were riding the Space Shuttle Launch Simulator and meeting an astronaut. Apparently, many Space Shuttle astronauts have tested the simulator and say it’s like the real thing. It’s certainly the closest I’ll ever get to feeling the thrill of a shuttle launch. It was definitely cool. We also heard astronaut John Blaha share his personal stories, got to meet him and ask questions. It was fascinating. He was in space for 4 ½ months. After landing back on earth he had to be in a wheel chair (as they all do). Being in space that long has many strange effects on the body once they are back to earth. It takes 6-12 months for the body to get back to normal again! Hmmm…sounds a lot like having a baby. :-)

Manatees in the wild!

2008-11-03T17:20:00.000-08:00

I can’t believe we could watch Manatees in the wild like you’d watch ducks in a pond. No Sea World needed here. They winter in an area called Blue Springs where the springs create warmer water for the Manatees. We loved watching these gentle giants, including many babies, in their natural setting.

Friends from CA

2008-11-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

We were blessed to see some friends of ours who moved to FL about 2 years ago. They even happened to live in the same city as New Tribes Mission where we had plans to meet with the CEO there. They are a wonderful family and it was such a great delight to spend time with them. We all had a blast. And, my how their boys have grown since I last saw them. Upon seeing the attached pic, my girls commented on how short they look! Why is that those of us with "short" genes seem to have so many tall friends? What's up with that? I guess it's our lot in life to be ever reminded of how short we are! :-)

It’s like flour!

2008-11-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

Little R picked up a handful of beautiful, white Florida beach sand and proclaimed, “It feels like flour!” She was right. The beaches are pristine. If only it had been a warm beach day we would have wanted to break out the body boards. But we all still had a great time playing in the sand and water, and walking along the beach. And really for as wet as the girls got in their clothes, we should have broken out the bathing suits. :-)

Family Delight

2008-10-31T15:45:00.000-07:00

We remembered that it was 12 years to the day that we flew to Florida with a 22 month old and a 3 month old to live for 4 months while P was on a work project. It was during that time that we had our most recent visit with my cousin. That was a long time ago now and we were so delighted to finally see him again. He and his wife are dear to our hearts and we all had a great visit with them. We were definitely the beneficiaries of that fine southern hospitality we hear so much of.

Aren’t children so sweet when they are sleeping?

2008-10-30T17:00:00.001-07:00

In case you were wondering what the weather is like…this was one cold night. And this is how I found my littlest gal sleeping. She really took it to heart when we said to bundle up for the cold night. :-) And of course, no night’s sleep would be complete without her beloved “Mimi.”

Very inspirational

2008-10-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

We visited the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC today. It definitely exceeded my expectations. The girls didn’t want to go but were parentally vetoed. But, after they went you would not believe the rave reviews they gave it. When somewhat museum-fatigued children love it, you know that’s a good sign. Most of all, I appreciated the inspiration we all felt. He and his wife were such amazing examples of humble, prayerful, surrender to following Christ. We counted it a privilege to learn more about them, their ministry over the years, and the many stories of lives changed as a result of their ministry.

John Adams

2008-10-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

P and I are watching the HBO series John Adams. Is it just me since I love history so much, or did y’all (I’m in the South now) love it as much as me? It gives such a picture of the birth pains of our nation. And, who in their right mind would want to be President of the U.S.? They could not pay me enough for that job!

10/26/08 He’d rather die a thousand deaths

2008-10-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

Those were the words of General Robert E. Lee when he determined he needed to meet with Grant to discuss surrender terms. We visited the surrender site where Lee and Grant met in the McLean home. McLean moved here just after the first major battle of the Civil War occurred in his town of Manassas. He wanted to be somewhere out of harms way during the Civil War. Who knew his new home would eventually be used to effectively end the Civil War.

Playing in a small space

2008-10-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

We are all living in about 270-ish square feet (plus the great outdoors for which we are thankful) and as you might imagine we cannot have much with us, including toys. I never cease to be amazed at what the kids can come up with to amuse themselves - if only I had that much creativity! I guess even after 5 1/2 months I am still amazed at how little we need to live with comfortably.

10/25/08 Our nickel up close and personal

2008-10-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

If you look at a nickel you will see our destination today. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. He was quite a remarkable man as you know - an avid reader, reading in 6 languages besides English, a scientist, an architect, and a politician. His home is beautiful. Unfortunately it had to be sold after his death due to the large debt he had. The great irony of his life (as with several Founding Fathers) is that though he penned the Declaration of Independence he did not apply those same freedoms to his slaves. Even Lafayette, a strong abolitionist, told him so. He wrote his own epitaph – the 3 things he most wanted to be remembered for – author of the Declaration of Independence, author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and founder of the University of Virginia. Of his many accomplishments, including President of the USA, these are what he was most proud of.

10/23/08 A real Fall

2008-10-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

Since we are colorful Fall deprived Californians, it has been absolutely lovely to see the hills alive with color. So glad Fall finally caught up to us in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We are definitely enjoying the colorful beauty because who knows when we will get to see another like this again.

10/22/08: Happy Reunion

2008-10-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

We saw them 4 ½ months ago in Colorado. Now we were blessed to see them again, this time for a way too short evening. But it was absolutely wonderful to see them again. They are heading north and we are south, but thankfully we could meet along the way. What pure delight. They’ve been traveling around the US longer than we have. They are having a grand adventure - you can see their blog at http://mysite.verizon.net/reso8yzq/

10/16 – 10/21/08 400 years of American History

2008-10-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

Other than Native American history, Jamestown artifacts are just about as old as we get in the USA. I’m still not sure why we tend to think of Plymouth Plantation as the first permanent settlement in the US when in fact Jamestown was settled in 1607, a full 13 years before Plymouth. However, the Pilgrims were motivated by religious freedom, whereas the Jamestown colony was a venture for profit. The kids especially enjoyed the re-created settlement with costumed interpreters and hands on activities. We even got to see replicas of the 3 ships the first settlers came in. I (lately dubbed “history geek” by one of my children - nice, huh?) especially loved the current archaeological dig at the original Jamestown site. Oh, the stories those artifacts told, and yet there are so many more stories untold.

The more I learn about the American Revolutionary War, the more I’m amazed at how clear it is to me (as it was to George Washington) that God caused the successes. For example, at the famous Delaware Crossing, the key to Washington’s plan was the element of surprise. Unfortunately, the night crossing took longer than expected and the men were not able to get to Trenton by first daylight. Had it not been for a sleet storm which kept the Americans well hidden even though it was daylight, the Hessians would have been out and seen them, thus eliminating the key to success – surprise.

The battle at Yorktown should have been a British success, but because of several unusual mistakes by Cornwallis, and several amazing provisions by God, the Americans won. The odds were not good, for example that the French fleet would get there in time. It actually arrived only 2 hours before the British. Also, had the siege, battle, or surrender negotiations taken only 5 days more, all would have been lost for the Americans when an overwhelming British fleet arrived. Had not a most unusual and irregular storm come at just the right moment, the British would have been able to escape to safety and there would have been no surrender at Yorktown.

Hands down, Williamsburg was our favorite. The actors and various portrayals of Colonial life gave us a good feel for what it would have been like. The artisans were magnificent. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were our favorite characters. I felt like we really traveled back in time to hear them. All the actors and interpreters were exceptionally well researched in their characters. This was definitely our favorite living history site - talk about making history fun (even if you aren't a "history geek").

James Madison was referred to as "the father of our Constitution" by his peers. With a visit to his lifelong home we learned more about this remarkable man. In order to come up with a totally new form of Government for this fledgling nation, he spent the better part of a year studying and reading books from all over the world in any of the 7 languages he spoke and read, including the ancient governments of Greece and Rome, as well as Biblical forms of government. He learned what forms of government worked and didn’t. For example, he learned that democracies always fail and therefore steered toward the republic government we have. We owe so much to the Great Little Madison, the father of our Constitution.

What's wrong with this picture?

2008-10-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

Can you tell?

10/3/08-10/10/08 We’ve Arrived!!

2008-10-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

We arrived in the place I’ve most been looking forward to seeing. I have for so long hoped to visit Washington, D.C. I spent a summer here while in college doing a Congressional Internship and loved it. For years I’ve wanted to bring the girls. So after all these months of travel, we finally arrived here! Thank the Lord! We spent 6 very full days touring DC and I will just note a few of many highlights below.

As visitors, we can’t watch the Executive Branch doing their work. Since, both the Senate and House are not in session at the moment, we couldn’t watch the Legislative Branch doing their work. But, we did get to see the Judiciary Branch doing their work. We watched oral arguments presented before the Supreme Court Justices. Each side has 30 minutes to present their arguments – that’s it! Talk about pressure!

At Mt. Vernon I really loved learning about Washington’s life and personality. I was fascinated that he could be both a great visionary as well as a micro-manager. He had deep faith in God and always attributed his and the country’s success to Providence. I definitely grew in my admiration of him.

The Holocaust Museum was naturally heart wrenching. The museum itself was well done, and the more graphic images were placed down low behind a wall. I still can’t believe Hitler could even become a dictator as his views were clear from the beginning, but it really goes to show what people are willing to do in dire times.

We enjoyed the many national treasures in the National Archives. Besides the Declaration and Constitution, they had rooms full of amazing original documents, like the Emancipation Proclamation, Magna Carta, the original Watergate tape machine, etc

The Library of Congress was cool not only architecturally but also historically. We saw things like Washington’s diary, Jefferson’s handwritten rough draft of the Declaration with changes crossed out by Franklin and Adams (how did they ever get that?), letters to and from various founding Fathers. I couldn’t believe looking at such old documents. If we lived in the area I’d sure love to get a “reading card” and peruse the library’s many books. And, for a bit of trivia, did you know that the Library receives 30,000 copyright items a day and they keep about 7000 of them – a day!!

Museums, museums and more museums – suffice it to say, the many Smithsonian museums live up to their reputation. I wish we could have spent more time in them. Hands down the girls’ favorite was the National Air and Space Museum. Unfortunately the American History Museum was closed for renovations because I know they would have loved that one. It too was very kid friendly.

And, last but certainly not least, Happy 10th B-day C!! We love you!!

10/1/08 Gettysburg

2008-10-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Gettysburg, a 3 day battle, was the bloodiest of the Civil War. But it was a much needed victory and turning point for the Union Army. This, though, came at a cost of over 50,000 in this one battle alone. Looking over the site, I listened to the “war stories” on the edge of my seat as I saw where and how the Union battled and almost lost this decisive battle! The battles here seemed to be a giant chess game except that the instead of plastic pieces, these were real men with real families and loved ones with real hopes and fears. All showed extraordinary bravery; many gave their lives and many more gave their health to their cause.

9/28/08 The National Civil War Museum

2008-09-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

We loved this museum (in Harrisburg, PA) – it was well done, interactive, had video biographies throughout (helped to hold kids’ and my attention), and best of all gave us a great overview of the Civil War in one visit. The thing that struck us the most was the extremely high cost of war. Over ½ million war casualties and many more injured for life. Everyone was touched by this war in some way, and it was heart wrenching to hear their stories. We were moved to tears several times.

9/27/08 The Amazing Maize Maze

2008-09-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

They say this is the largest outdoor game in America. It covers 5 ½ acres of corn maize. It’s definitely the coolest maze I’ve been through. You start off with a game board and collect portions of the maze map to help you get out. You can buy clues for $0.25. There are both fun and educational stops along the way. It took us 2 hours to get through and that was with help! To see a picture of the maze go to ... http://www.cherrycrestfarm.com/cornmaze.asp

9/25/08 A culture, tradition and faith we admire

2008-09-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

As mentioned previously, we have found much that we admire about the Amish and as such desired to learn more about their faith and traditions. The Amish House and Farm was just the ticket. This is an Amish home and farm frozen in time from the 1950s when it was purchased along with most of the original furnishings to educate visitors about the Amish ways and faith. We were able to learn and ask the dozens of questions we had.

9/24/08 The Amish People

2008-09-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

The highlight of our touring was a meal in an old order Amish family home. Not only was it the best food, but even better we enjoyed getting to know a real Amish family. It is not something they advertise but if you ask at the Mennonite Visitor center they have connections (as do some of the B&Bs/hotels, we are told). They were lovely people who stole our hearts. Though we have many differences that are obvious, we have so much in common. They showed us much kindness, letting us pet puppies, ponies, showing us their buggy and how it works, not to mention the fabulous Thanksgiving-sized meal. The next day we went back to buy some amazing Amish peanut butter sauce from her and she had her grandkids next door hook up the miniature horse to the miniature buggy and take the girls on a ride. Her granddaughters also sang some beautiful hymns and songs for us. Singing is a great joy in their lives. We were blessed to have them share a little of that with us.

9/23/08 Friendship Delight

2008-09-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to be able to enjoy a good dose of “friendship delight” - the joy of seeing familiar and dear faces. The highlight of our visit here has been seeing our neighbors, fellow homeschoolers in the same group back home, and dear friends. We were all so happy to see them. We were blessed to have a whole 1 ½ days with them here before they had to move on. What a huge treat!

9/22/08 Amish Country

2008-09-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

Lancaster County has close to 30,000 old order Amish and the country side here is landscaped with beautiful farms scattered across the rolling hills. Imagine the clip clop of horses pulling buggies amidst the occasional semi truck or even our motor home. What a contrast. Our campsite is next to two different Amish farms. We’ve enjoyed watching them farm with horse teams and unusual equipment wishing we knew more about it. Our fist day here, we watched a father and son working the field just on the other side of the creek from our camp spot. The longer I watched, the more I thought the creek seemed to be a sort of chasm of time. I stood in the present, but across the creek I was transported back in time.

9/20/08 Some Philly highlights...

2008-09-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

In addition to the yummy Philly Cheese Steaks and delicious Continental Cuisine at the City Tavern, we LOVED all the history here. They say it’s the most historic square mile in the US. I believe it. My favorite stop was Independence Hall and 2nd favorite was The National Constitution Center. But of course, I enjoyed all the historic sites, as well as the Mint and Fed Reserve, Washington’s Delaware Crossing and Valley Forge.

9/19/08 A new candidate for president and a class on the Constitution

2008-09-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

We loved The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. We learned so much and it was so well done - not only from an adult perspective but the kids loved it too – very interactive. I highly recommend it if you are in the area. While we were there, the kids went on the campaign trail; here’s a few pics to highlight R’s campaign and election to president (the first two pics were actually videos, but due to technical difficulties I couldn't post the video, so you'll have to use your imaginations)…

9/18/08 The Liberty Medal

2008-09-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

While in Philly, we discovered the Liberty Medal Ceremony was to be held with Mikhail Gorbachev as the recipient this year for his part in putting an end to the cold war and bringing increased liberties to the people. Former President Bush (senior) was to speak and present this honored medal. Not only did I want to see the ceremony, but I really wanted to take the kids as well. I was armed and ready with telephoto lens and binoculars! We found a good viewing spot and the kids all agreed they were glad they got to see it. But, God gave me an extra special gift. My dear hubby, was quick and loud when someone offered the watching crowd a free ticket they weren’t using. P was awarded this free ticket and very happily presented it to me. I was delighted to be able to get in so close. I’m sure no one took more pics and video than I (what can I say; I have been “camera happy” all my life).

9/17/08

2008-09-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

I was so floored to stand in THE very room where our country was born. In Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the Declaration of Independence was finalized, approved and signed. In addition, eleven years later, over the course of several months, delegates met in this very room, argued, discussed, debated, and finally wrote and signed the US Consitution, then a new and experimental government which has now stood the test of time. I can’t believe I got to see the very room where it all happened – wow! And double wow! (Yes, I do love history).
(By the way, the 2nd picture I've posted is of the very chair George Washington sat in as president of the 2nd Continental Congress, who met wrote the Constitution here. It's hard to see in the pic, but at the top center on the back of the chair is carved a half sun. I've included Ben Franklin's comment about it.)

9/16/08 A day off…

2008-09-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

I felt like I could finally breathe – space that wasn’t filled with concrete or extremely aggressive drivers. Can you hear me sighing? We have left the crowds of NYC to a retreat in the country. As an added bonus, we were able to meet with the director of a small mission organization that we like. That was a nice opportunity since we were in the area.

9/15/08 Hob-knobbing with Celebs…

2008-09-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

Well, we aren’t exactly best friends with Regis and Kelly, but we sure had fun being part of the live audience today. By the way, Mom, did I make my National Television debut? Or…anyone else, did you see the girls and I on TV? This was a VERY early adventure for us. I had to wake the girls up at 4:40 am to travel on the subways to get there, get in line and WAIT for a long time for the chance to get standby tickets. The really amazing thing is that I told the girls there was a good chance we wouldn’t get to see it after all that, and I gave them the choice. They chose to go for it! You can imagine the praying we all did, hoping the Lord would work it out so we’d get the standby tickets! They let 20 standbys in and we were 19! I was so thankful that after all that the girls were able to get in – a gift from the Lord. But, later that day, C had bags under her eyes and sat or lay down every chance she had – poor honey. She said it was worth it, though. Thankfully the little R stayed with Paul or she would never have made it.

9/14/08 The Big Apple

2008-09-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

Big is for sure! I didn’t have to feel bad about not “exercising” as I got plenty of that in the 3 days walking around the BIG Apple. Walking around Time Square last night with our friend, Betsy, I wondered how so many people could be in one place! And, I feel pretty sure they have more brightly lit outdoor screens per square inch than anywhere in the world. It was fun getting a tour from a New Yorker. We also saw many of the cities highlights like Empire State Building, Macy’s – the largest dept. store in the world – 10 floors, 5th Ave. shopping, Toys R Us with an indoor ferris wheel, FAO Schwartz – even I had a lot of fun in that one, Eloise’s home – the Plaza Hotel (but we were a bit out of place inside there – and that’s an understatement), Central Park, Ground Zero, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Paul’s Chapel, Grand Central Station, and the UN tour (mind you, this is all over the course of 3 days including our visit to Ellis Island, and yes, I was tired after all this!)

9/13/08 Lovely Liberty!

2008-09-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

In the peak years of immigration through Ellis Island, 12 million passed through here. Research shows that 45% of all Americans can trace an ancestor to Ellis Island. That’s pretty amazing. We were able to follow the footsteps of these millions. All I have to say is what a terrifying experience! And, I stand in awe as I consider the unthinkable lives most had in their home countries that caused them to work for years to save enough money to risk this new world. Many couldn’t even believe a policeman was there to help and protect rather than someone looking to find any excuse to kill you. Oh how beautiful Lady Liberty must have looked to them. We have so much to be thankful for and too much we take for granted!!

What do you get when you cross a PB&J with a red light?

2008-09-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

C was at the table preparing a PB&J sanwich while we were driving. There was a sudden traffic light change, then hard breaking of the motor home, and unusual loud sounds from behind our heads, and then C says, “Oh no, I’ve been shot.” (...Hmmm...Could it be that we've been to too many war sites?) This picture is what I saw when I turned around. Thankfully she couldn’t say it without giggling (or I might have had to kill her for the scare she would have given me). So, really this pic is what you get when you cross a PB&J in process with a sudden motor home stop!

9/10/08 An Amazing Leader

2008-09-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the life long home of FDR and his Presidential Library & Museum. All of it was frozen in time at his death. Even his clothes were hanging in the closet as they were that sad day in 1945!! He had already planned that upon his death the home would be turned over the National Parks. It has given the rest of us an opportunity to see it all EXACTLY as it was. This is the president that had many firsts – 1st to be elected 4 terms, 1st and only to enact that much legislation, 1st and only disabled, and the list goes on. Even though I am a Republican, I admire his leadership, creativity, dedication, and love of the people – qualities which clearly transcend political party. I feel like I received a good education not only about his life, family and presidency, but also about the Great Depression and WW2. And even better, so did the girls! And, yep, another written assignment – but what a classroom!

We topped it off with an absolutely delectable visit to the nearby Culinary Institute of America, one of the premier culinary schools in the world, complete with 5 restaurants to taste the fruit of their labor. It was a delicious end to a pleasant day.

Mommy, I Shrunk My Sisters!

2008-09-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

We just had to…. But, no worries, we figured out how to zap them back to their normal sizes after we took the picture.

9/9/08 The Life of the Rich and Famous

2008-09-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

This Newport, RI, summer “cottage” built in 1895 belonged to the Vanderbilts. Compared to their NY City home of 150 rooms, this 70 room home was a step down with its mere 138,000 sq. ft. But, no matter, it was only used to get away from the summer heat for 6-8 weeks each summer. As much as I admired the stunning and brilliant craftsmanship of the artisans who built this home, it was impossible for me to understand a life that would require 40 servants in an early 1900’s summer “cottage.” I usually have a pretty good imagination, but I just can’t put my arms around that one. As Providence would have it, Cornelius, who had it built, only got to enjoy it for about a year before he suffered a stroke. His wife, children and some grandchildren were, however, able to enjoy it until 1937. But, if you figure that they were only in it 6-8 weeks a year, when you add that all together it amounts to a little over 5 ½ years. The daughter who inherited the property turned it into a museum after 1937. So, basically Cornelius Vanderbilt spent $11 million in 1895 to build a museum that his family was able to use off an on for a total of 5 ½ years before the rest of us got to see it!! Wasn’t that nice of him?

9/7/08 Stepping Back in Time to 1620

2008-09-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

Visiting the Mayflower 2 and the Plimoth Plantation was truly like traveling back in time. Scattered throughout the Mayflower and the re-created first village they built when they landed at Plymouth were various Pilgrims. In actuality they were costumed role players who have taken on the names, viewpoints, and life histories of the Pilgrims who actually traveled on the ship and lived in the colony. Each one had a unique story to tell and I loved being able to “get to know” them and hear their fascinating stories as they answered my many questions, as well as the many questions of my kids who were forced to complete a written school assignment by their mean teacher. J I especially loved hearing their comments about their amazing faith – it was very inspiring. The actors stay completely in character (and cannot be tricked!) and are so well trained - even right down to the accurate vocabulary of the day. This was actually the 3rd time in my life I’ve been here and I could do it again. It is definitely on my Top 10 list of all time favorite historic sites to visit! How could you not like getting to hang out with the Pilgrims?!

9/6/08 Something Old, Something New

2008-09-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today we toured the Adams National Historic Site and saw all the homes that Adams lived in (except the White House) as well as the homes that his son John Quincy Adams lived in. One of the homes was about 300 years old! The home he purchased as vice president stayed in the family for 4 generations and is completely full of all their original items, even including original wallpaper – that’s wallpaper over 200 years old! It was so interesting to learn about their lives. I’m going to HAVE to watch the recent HBO series in the near future. Then we toured the JFK Presidential Library and Museum. It was fabulous, well done and fascinating. The girls enjoyed the day, as did I.

9/5/08 Walking the Freedom Trail

2008-09-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

It’s amazing how much history there is in this brief two mile stretch! It made for a long, but very interesting day. Some of the many historic sites here include: the burial ground with more famous dead people than any other in the world (Revere, Hancock, etc.), the Old South Meeting House from where the Boston Tea Party was launched as well as the meeting place for many heated Revolutionary discussions, Old State House which served as the seat of Government and the site of the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere’s home and the Old North Church where the famous two lanterns hung that fateful night long ago. We also saw and toured the oldest Navy ship afloat anywhere in the world. It is still a commissioned navy ship. You may know it as “Old Ironsides.” It was awesome to see and tour. I learned so much, but the most interesting bit of trivia was that navy sailors on this ship were as young as 8!!! I can’t imagine sending an 8 year old to war!! They actually had a navy rank called “boy.”

9/4/08 The Shot Heard Round the World and Two Revolutions

2008-09-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

Though no one knew it at the time, the shot heard round the world on April 19, 1775 became the fateful day that marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War. And in Lexington and Concord, we had a full day learning all about it. It was moving to be in the very spot where heroes stood …where brave acts paved the way for a new country …where Paul Revere traveled on his famous midnight ride …where minutemen spent a sleepless night preparing for the days events …where the best trained soldiers in the world, the British Regulars, spent all night marching and all day retreating and fighting …and where parents and siblings watched their loved ones die bravely.

In that same location, about one hundred years later a “Literary Revolution” began. We toured the homes of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, saw Thoreau’s Walden Pond and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s home. They were all contemporaries and friends and lived near each other. It was fascinating to learn their personal stories.

9/3/08 Literary Endeavors and the Industrial Revolution

2008-09-03T17:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we arrived in Salem, MA. For all you history buffs, this is where Nathaniel Bowditch lived and sailed from (Remember, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch?). This is where Nathaniel Hawthorne, the famed author, lived most of his adult life. And, most infamously, the Salem Witch Trials were held here. We enjoyed a harbor-side home last night by camping on Winter Island in Salem Harbor (it will be one of the rare and all too brief times we can say we lived on the harbor – ha, ha). And, today we went to the House of Seven Gables (learned its history as well as that of Hawthorne – too bad I haven’t read the book yet, but my interest has been peaked), the Maritime National Historic Park (learned a bit about Salem’s rich maritime history) and then over to Lowell, MA. Lowell is the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. It’s interesting that the founders of the first cotton mill factory set out to have factories that would not be like the ones in Europe with horrible working conditions and the many horrors we have heard about. But, as greed would have its way, in a relatively short time, these factories became just that. First, women, then immigrants, then children were exploited in the name of the almighty dollar. It was sad to learn of their stories.

9/1/08 Lobster, Lighthouses, and Blueberries

2008-09-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

We couldn’t be in Maine without eating the lobster (but say it “lobstah”) they are so famous for. We also discovered that they are the largest producer of blueberries in the USA. Blueberries were everywhere. When we were in Acadia we picked 7 ziplock bag fulls of them – for free! So yummy!! For another bit of trivia, Maine has more lighthouses than any other State, making for many picturesque moments.

8/31/08 A pleasant surprise

2008-08-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

The sites we visit are generally the result of pouring over tour books and internet sites. This one is completely a function of being in the right place at the right time – we call these treats “gfts from God.” Today we were able to take a tour on a currently in service, regularly deployed Navy landing and docking ship. We saw it all on a tour led by a Naval crewman. We even went to the Combat Information Center where they monitor potential enemy activity and control weapons. In this post 9-11 era we were surprised they let us in there. We all loved this tour!
Later, I prayed for a nice spot to quietly enjoy the sea…and God helped us find this campground with a lovely and quiet ocean front. It was very peaceful and refreshing.

8/30/08: A Cadillac and J.D. Rockefeller

2008-08-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

Well, really…Cadillac Mountain, which is the tallest mountain on the East coast at a whopping 1530 feet. Even though most Westerners would not likely call that a mountain (no offence to Cadillac Mountain), when you consider we started at sea level, it made for a good climb. Even I would deem it worth of mountain status.

As for J.D. Rockefeller, the more I travel, the more I like the guy, may he rest in peace. He used his great wealth to purchase land in special places and then donate it to the Govt. We have been blessed by his philanthropic efforts several times on this trip. Here in Acadia, he not only donated land but also had 45 miles of carriage paths put in with the stipulation that no motor cars ever be allowed. We enjoyed our bikes on some of these roads – thank you, Mr. Rockefeller.

8/29/08: Hiking up a beehive and walking to an Island without a bridge!

2008-08-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

Well, really The Beehive was a rocky mountain so called because of its resemblance to its namesake. It wasn’t a long hike, but it was more like mountain climbing in parts than hiking. Since I love rock climbing (in a beginner sort of way) I really liked this hike!!

If you think climbing a beehive is strange, try walking to an Island without a bridge – really. You may have guessed – sometimes it’s an Island and sometimes it isn’t. It just depends on the tide. Here’s where you need to be careful. Don’t stay on the Island too long or you won’t be able to get off it until the next low tide!

8/28/08: The Opposite Corner

2008-08-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

Today our tires hit the Maine pavement. Loud shouts were heard in the Meity motor home, “Three cheers for Maine!!” We are at long last in the opposite corner of the US. We are truly thankful to the Lord for getting us here safely and pray for continued health and safety (and thank you to those who have prayed for us along the way!!). We were just too close to the 2nd most popular national park in the US, and an especially fond memory from our New England vacation of 15 years ago, to resist this very out of the way drive, but it was worth it. We spent 3 days at Acadia National Park. We enjoyed biking, hiking, and the rugged, quiet beauty of the Maine coastline.

8/27/08: She has her dad in the palm of her hand…

2008-08-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

While she may not have him wrapped around her little pinky, she does have him in the palm of her hand…literally.

8/27/08: Scenic White Mountains

2008-08-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

Our scenic drive through the heart of the White Mountains has made us want to come back already. We saw endless opportunities for challenging hikes and beautiful vistas. The mountains here in NH are quite significant. They seem to be about the size of the Santa Monica Mtns in California only they are dense with green (& soon to be reds and golds). Perhaps it’s because we love mountains so much, but I’d have to say that so far our favorite State east of the Mississippi is...you guessed it… NH – good hiking and biking, plenty of lakes and rivers, charming towns with plenty of white steeples and covered bridges, beautiful mountains, pastoral farms, who could ask for more?

8/26/08: Happy Hiking Again

2008-08-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

It’s been a while since we’ve been in mountains that offered good hiking opportunities. The White Mountains of New Hampshire were just the ticket. We hiked up Mt. Pemigewasset in Franconia Notch State Park. After climbing the 1000 ft. elevation gain we were rewarded with lovely vistas of NH. We also went on the Flume Trail with a beautiful and unusually long, narrow gorge.

8/25/08: The Famous Old Man of New Hampshire

2008-08-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

The Old Man on the Mountain was a celebrated landmark for nearly two centuries (even had a US Postage stamp of his profile). He was made famous in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale, “The Great Stone Face.” For many years efforts have been made to prevent the famous profile from falling to ruin. In 2003 it succumbed to the inevitable and today we see it no more – may the Old Man rest in pieces. Long ago, Daniel Webster saw this natural wonder and said, “Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades: shoemakers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch; and a dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there he makes men.” After reading that famous quote, I couldn’t help but wonder what he’d say today. If Daniel Webster could see our culture today noting the complete denial of God as creator, would he be quoted saying that the crumbling of God’s “sign” showing His marvelous creation “business” is a fitting symbol of man’s denial of Him as their creator?

8/24/08: Whispers of fall

2008-08-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

There are a few trees dazzling us with their brilliant fall color. Actually, we feel like they are teasing us. We keep telling those trees to hurry up, but they do as they please. Paul and I were here about 15 years ago during the peak fall foliage and our memories of that beauty make it harder to be content with fall whispering in our ears!! We can only hope that we will see it before we leave the New England area. In the mean time, we must content ourselves with the few trees that tease us.

8/23/08 Gorgeous Green Mountains and Vermont Beauty

2008-08-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

We’ve loved the charming beauty of Vermont. We drove through many quaint towns, pastoral farms, and lush green mountains (but, I thought they seemed more like big hills myself). We hit a couple historic sites – Calvin Coolage Presidential home (his birth and childhood home which was also his summer White House), and Bennington Battle Monument which is slightly taller than the Statue of Liberty and gave us beautiful vistas of Vermont, New York and Massachusetts. We stopped at a couple farms and sampled cheeses, and maple products. We saw lots of covered bridges, white steepled churches, and undeniably charming towns. Oh, and very likely the favorite of my kids, we had too much ice cream along the way.

8/22/08: Blueberries and Covered Bridges

2008-08-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

On our way into Vermont, we spontaneously stopped at a charming road side farm where we picked our own blueberries – 12 pounds of them!! They were so cheap, how could we resist? And, of course we HAD to buy some Dreyer’s Hand Churned Vanilla Bean ice cream to go with the blueberries. Before we knew it, with in just a few hours, four pounds of them disappeared! I can’t imagine how 6 of us could have eaten all that in so short a time! We were wondering if our skin would start to turn blue.

Besides blueberries, we loved the charming farms, old homes, and covered bridges, not to mention all the yummy stops one can make along the way (cheeses, chocolate, maple and related products, homemade bakeries, ice cream, and more)

At Robert Todd Lincoln’s (the only surviving child of Abraham Lincoln) summer cottage (notice the size of the 8000 square foot cottage in the pic), we marveled at the difference between the size of the little log home Abraham Lincoln was born in and the “cottage” his son owned for his summer get-aways. What a difference one generation made!

8/21/08: The Battle of Saratoga

2008-08-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

This was awesome to at least one person in my family – me!!! It could have turned me into a Revolutionary War buff …almost. The American victory at Saratoga (Who’s Sara Toga?, my daughter asks – see MeityFunnyBone.blogspot.com for more on that one) showed the world that the untrained, undisciplined American soldiers could beat the best army in the world. The British surrendered (with conditions) to the rebels. As a result, the French decided to aid the Americans in their war with the British.

I loved seeing the battle site and getting a good feel for exactly what happened during the two battles that took place there. I marvel at the huge battle area where they fought. It made me tired just thinking of how long and hard they fought and over such large distances. It was also interesting to see the significance of geography in history. I keep seeing the repeat of that theme every time we visit a historical site. Well, now I just need to find a good sight-seeing buddy who will read ALL the signs WITH me.

8/20/08 Catching up

2008-08-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

8/20/08We headed further East and took a couple days for what we call “catch up” days where we just attend to real life responsibilities (imagine that!) like school paperwork due, planning, mail, and various other chores and responsibilities and do absolutely no sight-seeing. For these days we try to find campgrounds with plenty for the kids to do. Thankfully, this one fit the bill to a “T” with a great pool, splash park, playground, small lake with paddle boats, and a mini-golf course. The kids voted to stay another day here!

8/17/08 Wine Country

2008-08-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

While here I learned that this lush green area in the finger lakes region of NY is famous for it’s fine vineyards and popular wines. It is 2nd in the US only to California’s Napa Valley – the only difference, we were told, is California’s longer growing season. Not only was it full of tasty wineries but also lovely lakes and rolling green hills.

After the wine country, we headed to Fort Stanwix where a successful Revolutionary War battle was fought against the British. I learned that 1/3 of all the battles were fought in NY State. Hopefully, we can get in a couple sites before “fort-fatigue” sets in on the kids.

8/15/08 The Greatest Engineering Marvel in the World (at that time)

2008-08-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

The 363 mile Erie Canal was completed after 8 years in 1825. Considering that it’s getting close to 200 years old, we marveled at the significant accomplishment it was for that time as well as its impact on our history, opening up trade and settlement in the Midwest. For all you history buffs out there, at the time of it’s completion it was hailed as the greatest engineering marvel in the world. It reduced the cost of shipping goods to the “frontier” of that time by 90% and made New York City the busiest seaport in America.

We took a boat trip which included travel through the locks in Lockport, NY. This area was the most difficult stretch of the Erie Canal to build through solid rock cliff with an elevation gain of 60 feet just in this one section. It was fascinating to experience “locking up” and “locking down” for the first time. We also enjoyed riding bikes along a portion of the 363 mile trail that was once the tow paths for the mules pulling the boats along the canal (prior to the invention of steam engines).

8/12/08 They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

2008-08-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

We spent 2 ½ days, at Niagara Falls. It was a magnificent sight to behold and since a picture is worth a thousand words, I’ve posted a few pics from our time here.

8/11/08 We were blown away!!! …Or, The Power Shower!

2008-08-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today we were literally blown away on the very aptly named “hurricane deck” on the Cave of the Winds tour. We felt like we “experienced” the power of the falls. We literally stood under the falls as the wind blew them directly on us. Full of giggles and squeals of delight, we had so much fun that we went back in the falls about a dozen times! We all agreed that this was our favorite Niagara stop. (In the attached video, the kids getting really wet under the falls are K & R!) (Oh, and BTW, my STS, spousal technical support, advised me to note that in case any of you are as technically illiterate as I am, this is a video below, push the arrow button to watch)

8/9/08 Nancy Drew, the Crissman Historic Trail, and a reunion with dead relatives

2008-08-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

We had a regular Nancy Drew mystery solving adventure today. We tried to find the home my dad was born in and spent his very early years. We had no address but did have some directions from my dad. We had no street names, my dad’s recollections were based on 20-some years ago (things can change in that time!), and to top it off, there was major road construction blocking the only roads he remembered. Too make a long story short, with some prayer, a good bit of driving and turning around, lots of map studying, and some creative thinking, we found it!!

After that adventure we went to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church which was founded by my ancestors in 1834. The attached cemetery was full of Crissmans. It was wild to see so many dead relatives in one place! We saw the graves of my grandma and grandpa and 2 aunts who died before I was born. We even saw Crissman Rd. Imagine that – a street named after my family. To think…we are famous (ha! ha!) We enjoyed all the various stops we made along the “Crissman Historic Trail” (even if some of them were challenging to find).

8/8/08 A Family Reunion

2008-08-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

It took me a while to remember, but it’s been 23 years since I’ve seen my cousins in Pittsburgh!! Two of my cute little kid cousins are in their 30’s now!! This was a long overdue visit and a great delight to us all. Steve, Connie and Cherie gave us a great tour of Pittsburgh. We got to see lots of pics to get us caught up on all their kids and grandkids. My two first cousins are sisters and truly best friends (even in spite of the many “helpful suggestions” they give each other). I hope my girls are lifelong best friends like they are. We really enjoyed spending time with all the family (cousins and 2nd cousins) we were blessed to see. We even got to see the homes where my mom and dad grew up so long ago.

8/6/08 A Fun Reunion

2008-08-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

Last night and this morning we were so blessed to be able to see some friends of ours from when we lived in Crestline. We knew them before and after we had kids. We have pics of our kids as babies together!! It was so wild to see those once babies together now as 13 year olds. We had such a great time visiting and laughing. The more I am privileged to see old friends, the more certain I am that it is a very small foretaste of what Heaven will be like. Think of all the glorious reunions we will have one day with the added plus of no time constraints!

8/5/08 Follow the Drinking Gourd

2008-08-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

Today we went to The Underground Railroad National Freedom Center in Cincinnati. Wow! And, double wow!! I was moved to tears many times throughout the day as we saw various exhibits and films about the history of slavery, the Underground Railroad, famous abolitionists, various heart wrenching and heart warming true stories, and life after the war for the freed slaves. It was interactive so the kids were very engaged. This was definitely an amazing field trip for the kids complete with a written paper their teacher assigned them.

8/4/08 Evidence That Demands a Verdict…

2008-08-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

On a scale of 1 to 10, this was a 10. Even my museum-fatigued girls loved it. Today we saw the very well done Creation Museum just outside Cincinnati. The exhibits were fabulous and done in an engaging, kid-friendly way. Not only did it show the history of creation from a Biblical perspective, but it also highlighted the evidence for creation when one begins with a Biblical world view. Both creationists and evolutionists look at the same evidence, they just interpret it differently because they begin with different assumptions. Even the radio-isotope dating technique makes many assumptions. I left feeling even more in awe of our creator and had a greater appreciation of the evidence that supports creation (for example, the evidence supporting the powerful and quick effect a world wide flood would have on fossil formations, canyon formation, sediment layers, etc.). I definitely recommend this museum. See http://www.creationmuseum.org/ for more information if you are interested.

8/3/08 V-r-r-r-o-o-o-o-m!! V-r-r-r-o-o-o-o-m!! Off to the racing capital of the world.

2008-08-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

After attending an awesome church in Indianapolis, we took a tour of the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. If you know us really well, you might think that a strange stop since we aren’t racing fans. But, it was definitely a Meity crowd pleaser. I guess it helped that the girls watched the last several laps of the Indy 500 race at Cousin Kevin’s. Or, maybe it was just fun seeing something totally different. But now that we’ve been there, I have a feeling we’ll be watching the 500 next year - by popular demand.

8/2/08 On the Road Again

2008-08-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

We headed out today through Chicago to visit a friend of P’s from High School. Eric has a wonderful family and P loved seeing him again after all these years. Our visit was short but sweet and then off to Indianapolis.

Family Fun Memories

2008-07-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

A highlight for the girls during these two weeks was lots of cousin time. Unfortunately my girls are short on cousins – they have a mere 4 first cousins in the whole world. Two of their cousins are adults and the other two cousins live 2000 miles away. So, they were in cousin heaven. They had various sleepovers, outings, and even a tea party with cousin Andrea and Grandma. They also got to go on a few outings with Grandma and Grandpa. We also stayed just a bit longer and were able to see P’s Aunt Marge from Hawaii. We were all thankful for this time with P’s family.

A Full Week

2008-07-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

I thought we might have some down time/catch up time this week. But it turned out to be busy with 7 dentist appointments, 5 hair cuts, 4 meetings with mission organizations and then the most important – family time (after all that is why we are here in WI)! We loved getting to see P’s family. The kids were especially thrilled to have the much anticipated cousin time. We were also glad to have time to explore the various mission organizations. One day we even spent over 8 hours talking to two different organizations – whew! Long day! But I’ll tell you more about that in another entry.

7/24/08 Horsing Around, Again

2008-07-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

We had the privilege of another visit with the Kelly family. Not only were the girls delighted to have some more time with their kids, but they also got to ride their horses. That was a huge treat for my new found horse lovers – a definite highlight for them. Thanks again Kelly family for all the fun!

7/23/08 Four Birthdays

2008-07-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

We celebrated P’s parents’ birthdays. We enjoyed a lovely evening celebrating their lives. We are so thankful for the 70 wonderful years God has given them. A few days later we celebrated RJ’s b-day and cousin Jeff’s. She turned 12 and he’s turning 15. Happy Birthday to the Meity gang!!

7/19/08 Devil’s Lake Delight

2008-07-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

P and the girls joined his brother’s family and some of their friends for a fun weekend at Devil’s Lake in Wisconsin. To the delight of our kids, they were kicked out of the motorhome and sent to the tent, while P's brother and his wife stayed in the motorhome. Meanwhile, I stayed home for a weekend of school planning. Like I expected, I worked like a horse all weekend (on school planning) and the 2 days felt like 2 seconds and I still have much to do! Well, I’m thankful that I at least had that time! But, too bad the camping trip wasn’t a week long instead!

7/17/08 Spring Cleaning in the Summer

2008-07-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

Last night we finally arrived in Wales, WI for the long awaited visit w/ P’s family. We are all so glad to get to visit his family.

Besides spending time with P’s dad, today was spring cleaning day, complete with a good washing of our house – inside and out. However, we did find someone sleeping on the job in one of our storage bays!

7/16/08 Green Acres is the Place to Be…with friends from our college days

2008-07-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

On our way to visit Paul’s family, we stopped to see some friends we met on a summer mission in college – that was when P and I first met each other, too. We’ve kept in touch over the years but haven’t seen them since we were newly weds (at least that’s as far as we can remember!). They live on a beautiful 6 acres with horses and 5 kids, 4 who are the same age as our girls. We ALL had a terrific time. It was great to catch up and enjoy the fellowship with them. We even looked at pictures from the summer mission and could hardly recognize the little boys and girls in those pictures from 21 years ago – surely they couldn’t have been us!

7/15/08 A Water-ful Day

2008-07-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

Little did I know that Wisconsin Dells is the water park mecca of the USA. They have the largest indoor and outdoor water parks in the US. And, I feel certain they have the largest number of water parks per capita in the world. I’m not sure how it happened, but somewhere along the line, someone (or more likely, many people) decided that this was a good spot for an inordinate amount of water parks, mini golf courses, restaurants, hotels, and all sorts of other ways to spend your money to entertain yourself. We were fortunate to get free tickets to a water park/amusement park by staying at the local KOA campground, so we indulged in a water park day like the bizillions of other people there. We arrived at opening time, 10am and stayed until 10:30 at night. You might think we must be a little water park deprived – and I’d agree that it seems that way. We had a blast! We also enjoyed the unlimited go-kart racing on three different tracks at the amusement park. I could let the speed car racer in me come out. :-)

7/14/08 No Touring Allowed!

2008-07-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

In honor of a couple of lovely NO tour days, full of just hanging out, and not having any planned activities, I have no comments and no pictures. :-)

7/12/08 A Delightful Visit with Dear Friends

2008-07-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

This was a visit I had hoped to make years ago, but better late than never. These dear friends moved away from Torrance about 4 years ago and it’s been that long since we’ve seen them. We had a short but very sweet visit with them. Joni’s father passed away just 1 week before our visit so we felt very thankful that they were even up to a visit considering all they’ve been through. It was so good for our souls to see them. Fellowship with beloved friends and NO time constraints is definitely something I look forward to in Heaven!!