Gettysburg

Parker and I took our trip to Gettysburg this past weekend.  Thanks to Joe and Diane for coming down and staying with the girls and Jazz for us!

We headed up around noon on Friday and got to our hotel called The Lodges at Gettysburg.  Such a neat place, on the outskirts of town but overlooking the battlefield (from a distance).  Instead of a typical hotel each room was its own separate cabin!  It was like having a mini house for a couple of days.

 We checked in, dropped our stuff and headed over to the visitor center around 330 Friday afternoon.

We bought tickets to the movie they show, which was great, and to the cyclorama that has been moved and completely restored.  It is a huge painting depicting all stages of the battle and it is a magnificent piece of work.  They said it was the largest painting in the United States.

 There is a scene painted in the cyclorama that was done with creative license by the artist - Lincoln had already been assassinated by the time this painting was completed so as an homage to Lincoln, the artist painted Lincoln (or a resemblance to him) into the painting in the same position he was carried out of Ford Theater.

Friday night we had reservations at The Carriage House Inn in Emmitsburg, MD.  Delicious!

Saturday morning after complimentary breakfast at the Lodges we headed to the visitor center again to meet our guide for the day.  On the way we passed a covered bridge - had to get out and check it out!

 Once we got to the visitor center we met our guide for the day, a man named Jack Drummond.  Having both been to Gettysburg previously this time instead of doing the auto tour Parker suggested hiring a guide to come with us and give us a personal tour - best idea ever.  We had him for three hours, he drove our car for us so we could look around and he was just so interesting and knowledgeable that I spent more time listening to him than I did taking pictures!

After we left Jack we headed to town to wander around and find some lunch.   By luck we stumbled across the Dobbin House.  Lunch was being served in the Springhouse Tavern which was actually in the cellar of the original house and lit only by candles!  It turned out to also be a part of the underground railroad so we felt honoured and a huge sense of history by spending some time there.

After lunch we headed back to the park to visit the cemetary.  There are two cemetaries side by side.  The original Evergreen cemetary was there before the war and that is where the name Cemetary Hill comes from if you read the history of Gettysburg.  Next to it is what is now the National Cemetary and where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address in November 1863. 

The soldiers monument now stands where Lincoln delivered the Address.

Alot of the Gettysburg war dead are buried in this cemetary.  Some by name and some known only by a number.

 That evening we stayed in the park as late as we could (7pm) and then headed to the Presidential Circle to wander around and headed into McClellan's Tavern for a late dinner.

Up early Sunday for breakfast and another quick drive through the park for a quick pic of the Pennsylvania monument and then home.

Loooong weekends

Aren't they great?  President's Day weekend was last weekend so of course we had to make BIG plans.  After gymnastics on Saturday morning Kenzie came over and we headed to the Adventure Aquarium for the day.  I had gotten a Living Social deal that got us a year membership at the aquarium for 55% off the normal price so it was hard to pass that up!  We had a great time, petted some sharks and some rays - went through the shark tunnel, smelled the hippopotamus (es?) and saw the penguins.

Kenzie spent the night and we rented movies for the girls that they watched upstairs in their newly rearranged room that put all the toys upstairs out of the rest of my house  Whoohoo!!!

Sunday was a little lazier but we did manage to get Jazz to the dog park to have a romp.  It was a nice day and there were lots of dogs for her to play with.  Just like having a kid though she did not really get ramped up and playing hard until it was almost time to go.

Monday it was me and 3 six year olds and a 3 year old against the world.  Kenzie was still at our house :)  and Parker had to work on Monday (haha) and Angela needed someone to watch Enaiya so I took her.  What to do to keep them from getting bored?  Go to Giggleberry Fair!  Shockingly I was not the only one who had this idea on a holiday Monday - it was a little busy but the girls still got to do all they wanted to and it killed 4 hours just like that!

Next up - Parker and I are going away for the weekend this coming weekend!  We scored another Living Social to a weekend in Gettysburg so instead of waiting to go when it is warmer we are getting away as soon as we can!  haha.  Joe and Diane and coming down to stay with the girls and Jazz for us.  We leave Friday around noon and will be back on Sunday.

Like a champ!

BIG night last night.  Rowan got a cavity filled.  She was so upset when they told her she had a cavity back in December and then it took until last night to get an appointment to have the thing filled (it's on her upper 6 year molar).  She was apprehensive leading up to being called and then wanted me to go with her to the back, which the dentist office allowed, but then she started to cry and it just broke my heart.  We sat for a few minutes of some calming down and then they called her over and she went all on her own.  They get her all numbed up and let her pick out some prizes while her tooth took a nap.  Then they took her back and filled the cavity for her.  Appt took 45 minutes but there was not one scream, cry or pleading.  She took the whole thing like a champ and I know if you ask her about it today she will tell you it was no big deal.  Hopefully this is the one and only cavity she needs filled.  When we go back in June for her regular cleaning they are going to seal the other three molars.  They are not completely through yet so they wanted to wait.

We went to Lily's swimming class on Tuesday and they got to don lifejackets and get in the canoe.  The looks on those three little girls faces was priceless - to say they enjoyed it is an understatement.  Once they got out of the canoe though Lily could not wait to jump into the water and start swimming again.