August - Selfridge Air National Guard Air Show

Simeon has said when he grows up he wants to be a 'spaceman,' a 'football guy' a fireman and maybe a soccer guy... we laugh when he says that these are just the things he wants to be... but somehow since he's been making these declarations he always comes back to the spaceman or the outer-space guy or the astronaut. We've only heard about the Air Show but never been able to go to it... except this year, we made it... the kids had a great time. We learned a ton of things - and Simeon got to talk to some people that work for NASA and we also got to explore a lot of different air planes. It was fun to experience a first time thing for our kids through their eyes. And, I must say - that even weeks after the experience, Sim hasn't stopped mentioning things that he learned... just maybe God has impressed on his little boy heart what he was made to do - explore the heavens.

a robot used to detect and un-arm an IED in Iraq -
they are maneuvered by a gameboy control... so there is a purpose for all those silly games!

Inside an army helicopter - we did have to remind him to not touch anything!

the girls were exploring just as much as Simeon was - this was their first time in an airplane... and it had a movie screen in the seat in front!

August - A Fort-tuituos Weekend

As a little girl I loved going to historical sites with my family. I remember several trips to the site of Fort Miami (Fort Wayne, IN) which in the 1750s was one of the furthest outposts of the "west." As fortune would have it - or maybe just a girls dream... I spent some fun Friday evenings and Saturdays as well in the early 90s (circa. 1900s) 'playing' at the same Fort that I adventured to as a child. Sadly, the Fort closed in the 90s due to lack of funding... and so I packed up my clothes and figured that days of play had passed.

Major Whistler's Kitchen was a fun time to enjoy fire cooked foods and retrieve some skills of cooking that aren't often used!

Then, a friend of mine Catherine invited my family of now 5 to come and play at the fort during the weekend in August... amidst a flurry of sewing for 4... and outfitting 4 others and updating my clothes (time is merciless) we made it a weekend of much fun exploring a lot of new things for each of us in our house it was a different memory - but one thing has remained consistent... we all fell in love some for the first time and for me a renewed love of history... and being a part of sharing it.our borrowed quarters for the weekend

Sophie running across the parade ground... notice her barefeet!

Needless to say - there will be more memories for the family spent around 'playing' at history. George Santanya said, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”... hopefully my children will learn from these glimpses of our American hertitage passed and bring some valuable lessons into the 21st century.

the world through the 21st century eyes of lovely children...
playing dress up in the 18th century

the newest powder monkey and his 3 lovely children -
no man ever had such a cheering section!

Backtracking a few weeks...

Apparently it's been a few err... months since I've posted on my blog. I'm not excusing myself just drawing attention to the fact that I've noticed! So... let me update the blog for those that read!

And, BTW - Sophie is sitting on my lap pretending that she is reading what I am typing. We've become quite the pals since her sister and brother are in school all day!

Tales of a Teddy Bear Tea Party

Olivia decided that she needed to have a tea party one day this summer.
So, she invited her favorite bear along to tea.
They talked and talked and had a wonderful time even as there was much to be done.
Too bad us adults can't remember that there are times when we just need to sit down
and have a good friend to friend conversation with our bear friend about life.

Who knows what all kinds of life problems were solved at that tea party,
but I'm sure that Mom learned a good lesson about stopping and having a cup of tea now and then.

Another corny collage!

Many hands still make light the work - at the end of a long tiring love labored week...
we can still enjoy time working together - even shucking corn at Grandpa's house!

Love all you kids -
and miss seeing you and hearing your squeals of delight while you play together.
Aunt Sarah

Sweet Corn Summer Time Fun!

What is more fun than shucking corn on the cob knowing that the deliciousness of it all
will
in a few minutes be running down your arms!

One of the many fun times remembered with Uncle Ben and Aunt Emily this summertime in OH!

Mile marker 1050 ... Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth MA

I have wonderful friends in this world. On the day we chose to see Plimoth Plantation (a place I have dreamed of seeing since I was a school girl) it was rainy, drizzly, and cool. Weather.com assured us that there would be a respite in the weather, so we pressed on... picking up the good doctor after he'd logged some office hours... we arrived in a rain shower and it subsided a bit after lunch enough that we could explore the Wampanoag Homesite.These boys were demonstrating how to tie a fish net.

Then on to the 1627 English Village.

• Sophie playing near a hen house that was being "mudded" - they were adding dirt, clay, dung, and straw in between the cracks of wood so that it would be able to stay dry during the rain and snow!
• A single chamber home
• Outdoor oven - baking for a family happened only once a week (maybe)
• A wood mound -wood piled in a ring with extra pieces tossed into the middle and then mounded for stackability
• Simeon feeding the goats
• The Shepardess
• a colonial garden
  

It all felt really surreal as I explored and feasted my eyes on things that my head had only imagined seeing for many years. I loved every second of it (except the ones that I was wondering wether everyone else was having as much fun as me) ... though I think that I would more easily have lived a few years forward - maybe in 1676.