Going Back 300 years...

standing on the gravel path which is the actual outline
of George Washington's birthplace. In the background is
 the reproduction kitchen and House (built on what
is believed to be the old distillery foundation). 

Christmas Fun: Part 3...After xmas

at Maymont, winter 2012. 

October Smiles

inside the maze...

Where is ALL Began....

I doubt my kiddies ever think about where their story began. But I think of it often. I think of the scenes where our romance was born. I think of the walks, the drives, the rooms, the smells, the places where we first said "I love you" and the local of our first date. Our first home, and all those first moments that founded the romance we live daily. So while my children probably don't think often about how their story began...its still fun to intertwine the present with the flavor of the past.

Yorktown Beach and.....

Yorktown, the historic local.

Photo Round Up: Gettysburg Trip final Photos!

Location of some of the New York Troops on the 3rd day of Fighting, during pickett's charge.
We loved this statue.

Photo Round Up: Gettysburg Day 2 of Battle July 2, 1863...Part 2

Photo Round Up: Gettysburg 2012 Part 1: Day 1 of Battle July 1, 1863

Fridy Photo Round Up: Wilderness, Chancellorsville and Spotsylvania Battlefields

Wilderness battlefield 2010.

Photo Round Up: Midwest Military Museum 2010

Inside A Bradley Tank (I think this is the bradley).

Outside of the same tank.

WWII Sherman Tank, although this one never saw action.

Silas with a huge artillery gun.

The rounds.

Hugey Helicopter pilots!

Inside the Huey. This is the area where they carried the wounded.

WWI era truck.

I doubt there were anny girl pilots in Vietnam!

This actual Huey saw action in Vietnam and was shot down twice.

Will thought this was cool...but I cannot remember why or what war it was from!

Another artillery Piece.

Silas inside one of the original hummer prototypes.

Silas wit a M.A.S.H. Truck, can't remember if this was actually in action or not.

More recent military vehicle, but cannot remember exactly what it is or what its from.

Can You imagine learning to shoot a grenade from a launcher?

I think this was a military fire truck.

We Got every one a special treat from this awesome museum! It was SOO cool that they boys were able to climb in and on these historical military vehicles and weapons. I have to confess my fave was the sherman and William was quite taken with the Huey. The pastor who did our marital counseling actually was a Huey pilot in Vietnam and we were both thinking of him while looking at this piece of history. Kace especially loved this little stop as we drove across the upper midwest! It was one of my faves too! Love these photos! Hope you enjoy seeing some of our adventures from the past!

Photo Round Up: Donner Party Edition

They are such close buddies!

Our Little Flirt!

This park had a TON of HUGE Rocks for the kids
to run and jump on! It was really neat.

Fab Cali Pinecones.

This plack was on a large rock which was once part of one of the Donner
Party Cabins during their time in the Sierra Nevadas. It lists the names of the
 Party Members, I don't remember how many survived.

Notice any similarities?

Funny thing is that we drove from St Joseph Missouri and took this nearly exact route!

The top platform where the statue is was the level of the snow
 when the donner party were stranded in that winter, it was at least 10 feet! Crazy!!!

Thinkin' Hard!

Journey Back 400 Years....

1519 bible.

Shackles from the 1600's.

heading over to Jamestown island, over the swamp.

300 year memorial monument from 1907.

Pocahontas at the entrance to fort Pocahontas.

17th century grave with a skull and cross bones--cheerful, huh?!

Model of the original fort built by John Smith and the others.

Rebuilt fort outline on the original site of the Jamestown fort of 1607.
Memorial Anglican Church also in background.
Current archaeology in foreground.

location of the barracks and also more of the fort border.

Statue of John Smith overlooking the James river.

Rebuilt barracks where the men lived while occupying Jamestown Island.

Anglican Church Memorial.

my husband and I took our children to see the original Jamestown settlement National park. We both stopped first at the reenactment of the Settlement, where we had been before, Will went in to check and see if we were in the right location, we weren't and we quickly discovered that the Jamestown we had always thought we had visited before wasn't really Jamestown! WOW! We were amazed!! And SOO excited to see the real thing!! It was really neat! Seeing where they originally landed and where the actually fort was, the swamp where they were stuck for that long period while they all starved and struggled. I could picture their problems. I could see them eating snakes from the surrounding swamp. I could imagine the fear and the isolation that was self imposed and forced by the Indians who themselves felt fearful. We watched the intro video with the kids and Gresham Asked me "So momma, who were the bad guys and who were the good guys?" I didn't know at first how to answer him, but finally I said "They we both good and bad in different ways." And at the end Silas asked me What happened between the Indians and the white peoples. "Well they fought, the whites wanted the land and the Indians wanted to protect the land." and his answer made me very sad. "and that's why all the Indians died, huh?" I looked at my son, sorry he lives in a world where his ancestors tried and almost successfully destroyed and entire people, so that he will not often encounter them. I desire now more than ever for the gospel to live in my children's hearts.