Weekend Wrap-up~

We had another great weekend...I could really get used to Steve not working on Saturdays again.  For most of the past 4 years (since he's been doing lab work at school), Steve has had to work at least half-days on Saturdays.  Now that his chemistry is mostly done and he's in thesis writing mode, he's not going in on Saturdays (as much)...weekends have been very nice...lots of family time.

We kicked off our weekend at a nice outdoor concert at the Community Arts Center near our home.  It was a latin jazz group...good music, picnic dinner, perfect weather...very nice :)  This place is so very cool...it's a huge old manor house now converted to the arts center.  The building is beautiful and it has this really neato old water tower in the back.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel...

Sweet sisters~

On Saturday, we packed another picnic and headed to Valley Forge.  We were just there for July 4th, but they were having another day of history and events that we wanted to see.  We had a wonderful day...learning, relaxing, exploring.    

We spent some of our morning at the Muhlenburg encampment.  The old cabins are still there...they are so interesting.  Re-enactors were there too.  They are the ones to talk to if you get a chance...they are very knowledgeable and pretty serious about accuracy and getting the historic details just right.  

Valley Forge encampment cabins~

Inside one of the cabins...sometimes 12 men bunked in here~

Soldier girls?

Ready, aim, FIRE~

This guy will be at the Bull Run re-enactment next weekend.  15,000 re-enactors for the 150th anniversary of Bull Run...it will be quite a show~

This guy was a surgeon for the Continental Army...a gruesome occupation...but fascinating to talk to.  I'm so very thankful we live in medically advanced times :)  The girls asked lots of questions and he patiently answered them all.

The surgeon and his tools~

Hmmm...the bone saw is my favorite...yikes!

A definite highlight of our visit today was watching the Fifes and Drums of York Town.  This was their first visit to Valley Forge and they put on a good show...and they are all kids...I was quite impressed!  

The Fifes and Drums of York Town~

These kids were wonderful!

Our next stop was The National Memorial Arch.  This huge arch (modeled after the Triumphal Arch in Rome) was built to honor General George Washington and the Continental Army.  It is really quite beautiful.  We enjoyed our picnic under one of the huge oak trees near the arch.  The girls had fun exploring all around.  We learned from one of the info posts that there are two rooms in the top of the arch, but no info on how to get to them...oooh, a mystery...the girls were determined to figure it out.  Steve and I got quite a kick out of watching them search for the "secret door"...they tried pushing against the blocks in the arch, searching the pathway for a trapdoor, and even thought maybe there was a tunnel from a nearby old cabin that led to the arch.  The mystery remains unsolved. 

The National Memorial Arch~

 

 

I simply LOVE this picture of Steve and Gracia~

I love Valley Forge!

We drove around the park just a bit (the place is huge) before we headed home...and came across this covered bridge...very cool~

Covered bridge in Valley Forge National Park~

Valley Forge is a fabulous place to visit...we love it there :)

Sunday was another great day in our great weekend!  Isabella spent last week at Choir Camp and all the kids sang during worship on Sunday...they were great!  Bella, thanks for doing Choir Camp...I loved watching you up there singing for Jesus :)  Here's a pic of the Kids Choir~

Loved worshiping with the Kids Choir!

Kids Choir~

And we topped off our wonderful weekend by hanging out with some of our friends who are getting ready to head down to the D.C. area for Pastor's College.  We will miss you, K Family, but we are so excited about where God is leading you!  Love and prayers follow you on your adventure :)

Thankful for the friendship God has grown~

Friends~

And there you have it...our weekend wrap-up.  Hope you had a great weekend too~

Rach