Starting new

Oksana officially moved in with us today.  We are greatly excited about the days to come.  Please pray for me as we get school in order.

Our last evening in D.C.

I have been packing all day! Whew!  We hop on a plane bright and early tomorrow morning.  Aunt Tobi read the Pokey Little Puppy to the Boys tonight and we had one last photo shoot with the cousins.

Bon Qui Qui

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZkdcYlOn5M

I can't believe I haven't posted this yet! It's totally my all time favorite.

Washington, D.C.

We drove from my Aunt's house in Clinton, NJ, to Washington, D.C., and met my sweet friend, Geryl Anderson. Geryl and I met when we were in the Lion King Parade at Disneyland. He is in D.C. now which is his hometown. He is recovering from triple bypass heart surgery...please keep him in prayer as he is healing. He is truly a very special man. Our whole family adores him! We also got to meet Geryl's mom, Marietta, who is an incredibly endearing lady. It was such a refreshingly wonderful visit.

__________________________________________

...even though you-know-who lives there...
_________________________________

Below is the box at Ford Theater that President Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot by John Wilkes Booth.

______________________________________

Home schooling has been so cool. We spent much time learning about Apollo 11 and other aerospace stuff. We went to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum the first day. Here is Si in front of the Apollo 11 command module, and the boys with the Wright Flyer.

Would you believe there is a 2nd Air & Space Museum closer to Tobi & Rich's house? And there is a Space Shuttle there. That is sooooo cool! We were awestruck at the complete massiveness of this thing. Lucas, my nephew joined us.

We're staying with my sis and her family in Manassas, VA.


Jamie's dear friend, Jon Carroll, drove up from South Carolina to spend a day with us.  He brought his wife, Leah, and daughter, Abigail.  We ventured out to see the American History Museum, but arrived only 10 minutes before they closed, so we were able to see Old Glory and nothing else.  However, Old Glory was beautiful and certainly did not disappoint.  I was in tears looking at that beautiful flag.  It was flown over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and it flew all night as the Fort was under attack and it was the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key's "The Star Spangled Banner".  Tobi sang the National Anthem with Abigail with Brandon and Silas present.   Then a quick stop at the Natural History Museum.  We had dinner at the Capitol City Brewing Company and took the metro out of DC on our way "home".

Tobi & Rich watched the boys for us on one of our last days in DC, so Jamie & I could enjoy the city on our own.  We revisited the Pentagon Memorial, American History Museum, walked the National Mall all the way down to the Lincoln & Vietnam Memorials, then hailed a taxi to the Old Ebbitt Grill near the White House.

D.C. is a really cool city.

Will be heading home on Tuesday. Has been a great time.

Liberty Enlightening the World

We weren't able to see the Statue of Liberty while we were in New York. We tried to book tickets to go up to the crown but it was sold out through November. We couldn't even get pedestal access from Battery Park, so our next best option was to go while we were in New Jersey. Praise the Lord! It was quite easy getting in and out of there from the New Jersey side. God knows best! And Vanessa, my cousin's girlfriend, was telling me that it is a hard climb and very hot and stuffy so I believe God worked it out the very best for us. We had a wonderful visit today. We will stay one more night with my Aunt Toby and her family and then will go back to DC tomorrow where we will meet up with a sweet friend, Geryl Anderson, who I used to dance with at Disneyland, and spend a few more days with my sis. So that will be super cool!

Prayer for Joyce

Please pray for my sweet sister in Jesus, Joyce Martin. She has been undergoing intense radiation treatments for the past few weeks for some cancerous tumors found on her spine and brain. Please pray the Lord will wholly heal her...here or in heaven. His will be done.

Clinton, NJ

My Aunt Toby & Uncle Glen live in Clinton, which is the cutest little town without having to be so remote that it takes an hour and a half to drive to the nearest shopping center....ok, so maybe I am referring to the remoteness of Borrego (is "remoteness" a word?). Anyway, it is quite charming here and has been so refreshing to just enjoy their little town and spend time with family. My aunt is such a dear, kindred spirit to me and I really adore her.

My cousin, Kyler, is housesitting for Mark Lipinksi of "Quilter's Home Magazine" and we enjoyed yesterday afternoon in his pool and playing with his 3 dogs: Tulip, Petunia, & Violet. I think it

was a much needed day of R&R.

Aunt Toby treated me to a pedicure and then we walked along the downtown Clinton with a stop for tea and lunch. Yeah! That's why I love her life! Toby owns a quilting shop here called "Kindred Quilts" and has the most beautiful creations. www.kindredquilts.com At the end of the street, there are 2 mills along the stream. We were able to take a little walk through the Red Mill. The boys loved climbing all those stairs and watching the wheel turn.

We had a wonderful visit with family in Clinton. Definitely my favorite part of the trip so far. It is so refreshing to be with those whom your soul is knit to.

New York & Ground Zero

We had a whirlwind visit to NYC. We arrived at about 3 pm on Friday, checked into our hotel, and walked a few blocks to Ground Zero. We met this sweet fireman who was gracious to allow us to photograph him. The station is directly across the street from Ground Zero.

The Memorial at the WTC site is very much still in the works but they have put one building up so far. It is the building on the left of the photo below. The empty space in the skyline is, of course, where the towers once stood. The exact site of the two towers will remain empty with the memorial building going up around the previous WTC site.

My friend, Patty Scott, and her granchildren also were in New York while we were there. Patty's son, Seann William Scott, is a movie actor and has an apartment in the City. Seann (not present) treated us to a delicious dinner at "Morandi", an Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village. After dinner, Sydnea and Austin (Patty's grandchildren) wanted to go to Washington Square Park, so off we went. What a beautiful park! The play area was empty (afterall, it was about 9pm) and the kids had a blast having the place to themselves. Jamie and I got a really sweet visit with our beautiful Patty.

The next morning, we decided to do some shopping and revisit Ground Zero because we wanted to see the cross. On our way I discovered this store. My name isn't exactly common (especially the spelling) so it caught my eye.

The cross at Ground Zero was still standing in the midst of the rubble of the Twin Towers and has been relocated temporarily to a church across the street. God knows and gives us hope in the midst of our very darkest and trying times. "If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (1 Chronicles 7:14)

Boston

Dorchester Heights was our first stop in Boston. It is the site of George Washington's 1st Revolutionary War victory. He and General Henry Knox rolled a bunch of cannons up the hill in the night and surprised the British who were, thus, at a great disadvantage down below and Washington won without a fight. The British were forced to flee the city.

ready for the Freedom Trail.

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile historical walk around downtown Boston. It covers such places as: The Granary Burial Ground (where Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and the victims of the Boston Massacre are buried), Old North Church, Paul Revere's home, Boston Common, etc.

_________________________________

Boston Common

Paul Revere's current residence

outside the Old North Church.
"1 if by land, 2 if by sea.  The British are coming, we'll fight to be free!"
a song we love from one of the videos we watched.
See if your library has it: History's Heroes.

The boys were drawn to Paul Revere while we were studying the things and places we would be seeing on this trip. Above right is his very humble gravestone at the Granary Burial Ground. He was a real American hero whose courage birthed a nation of free people. As you read this, will you please take a minute to pray that all the good these brave men did to ensure our freedoms today will not be in vain for our generation or future generations of this great country?

This is on the fence at the Granary Burial Ground.

________________________________________

Newman Window

Old North Church

This (above right) is the "Newman Window" of the Old North Church. Newman hung the 2 lanterns in the tower and the Regulars were busting down the door to the church when Newman descended. He ran down the aisle of the church and jumped out this window to escape.

We ended the day with a short subway ride back to the Common which I am sure will be the boys favorite part of the day. The boys did a great job on the walk. We didn't make it to "Old Ironsides" or Bunker Hill. But, will try to take that in tomorrow when we leave for New York.

Fun photos

Jamie got these shots today just before we left the Island. There was a playground at the tourist shopping area, so we let the boys get a little energy out while I picked up a few last minute souvenirs.

Our week on Prince Edward Island

It really doesn't matter which direction you look, the Island is wholly stunning.

We arrived in PEI a week ago and left today. What beauty!

We stayed at the home of some friends of ours from our church in Borrego, Tom & Karen Story. We missed Karen because she is helping her parents in Texas (her dad has been ill). Tom is the most perfect, gracious, generous, and hospitable host. Their cottage is completely adorable and so cozy. Tom busied us with many, many activities and we had a fantastic time.

_______________________________

The boys' breakfast spot on the deck.

______________________________

Of course, we had to do an "Anne" activity.

__________________________________________

We love the beach!

A highlight was definitely our little fishing excursion. Silas caught the 1st fish and Brandon got a 2 1/2 pounder which fed us all. The boys have asked often to go fishing so this was the perfect opportunity.

I think Si is a little unsure of that fish.

__________________________________________

Jamie took the boys out in Tom's canoe. The neighbor's dog, Riley, followed them out at least 100'.

_____________________________

Silas and Daddy playing at the PEI Preserve.

_________________________________

Ready for our "Cows Creamery" tour. Hilarious!

__________________

Silas was very upset when he realized we were leaving the Island this morning. The boys really took to Tom and I think were pretty sad about leaving.

Please pray for us regarding Silas. Obedience has been basically non-existent and we are at our wit's end.

We are heading for Boston tomorrow.