Memories...Gettysburg....

Gettysburg and Chambersburg...a dream come true for my Meghan...she was  born an "old soul"...and has such a passion and love for history...especially Civil War...and Gettysburg.  This weekend...we made this dream a reality....above...that's my girl and I on top of the Pennsylvania monument on the Gettysburg battlefields.

Pennsylvania monument

Gabrielle, Sara and Meghan under Abraham Lincoln...

the girls on top of the monument (can't believe we did all those steps! It was HIGH!)

Meghan was so awed to be there in person...she ran (in 90 degree heat)  all over taking picture after picture...capturing it all in her heart and memory...

Meghan standing at the site of Pickett's charge...

General Meade

Sharpshooter monument..."In God we trust...and we kept our powder dry" is inscribed onto this stone

Looking down at re-enactors in 'Devel's Den'...

Looking from Little Round Top down....

Meghan and I on the top of Little Round Top...

Barn....site of Civil War field hospital...notice the slits for guns in the sides...

The girls with a re-enactor from the Bucktail division...this young man is a direct descendant and even was there with his elderly grandfather who is a Methodist minister and a chaplain with the re-enactors...

Miss Gabrielle...a very good sport! LOL  There was a living military history re-enactment going on and this is the WW2 Army tent with MP's and medics...they taught us (and used her as a model) all the gear that was carried and used by medics in the Pacific theater in WW2.

Sara...loves horses...this was at the diorama at one of the many history museums in Gettysburg..

Gabrielle has been visiting us every summer for the past 4 years from Idaho...and this year, a dream of hers came true...she was able to meet and spend all day in person with 2 dear friends from the other side of the country, Sara and Neesie who drove from the Philidelphia area to spend the day with Gabrielle and all of us...sweet girls!

Horse drawn carriage thru downtown Gettysburg...

Stopped in Chambersburg first...(I know I put these in the wrong order)...Meghan's Civil War novel "Amongst the Roses" is set in Chambersburg and Gettysburg....

Chambersburg fountain in the square...

This soldier always faces south to give warning of any future invaders from the south...

Hehehe...Sara and Gabrielle....

Chambersburg..

Meghan's roses in Chambersburg....she was truly "Amongst  the Roses".....

~ This trip has been amazing....I am humbled and amazed at the Lord's grace and provision over us....from my mother-in-law watching my little ones while we were gone...and my 7 year old being sick....from the Lord protecting us when our brakes overheated coming down many mountains (I hope never to be the driver again up and down mountains filled with "S-curves"...) as well as driving over 4 hours each way with no airconditioning in 90 degree heat....but most of all....He gave me the strength and endurence to drive for so long....to walk around and actually climb so much with my Ra and Fibro....I have no been out of a flare up in so very, very long...and yet...I feel as if I won...if only for a few days (I am recuperating now)...I was able to share this and make these precious memories!  I'm so very grateful to the Lord!  I know now...that if I prepare...and plan to be "out of commission" for a few days afterwards...that the memory making doesn't have to end....we just need to adapt to His plan...and He is faithful to bless our efforts.  So grateful for this time with all the girls...memories made...dreams come true.....

Photo shoot fun...

One of the things that my older girls have loved to do for years now is 'photo shoot's with friends....and yesterday was no exception....what a fun, beautiful day enjoying the gifts of friendship and God's creation!  (I am loving my new camera...seeing beauty everywhere thru new eyes...now to really study how best to use it!)

Beautiful friends...beautiful surroundings...enjoying God's gifts!

Ronnie loves nature!  If there is water or "critters" around, I can't keep him away!

finding minnows...and watching dragon flies...

My precious, beautiful baby girl!

Loved her freckles so much I HAD to take a picture!

Sisters of the heart...Meghan & Gabrielle

Loves to pose!

My beautiful Sara and beautiful Michaela....Grad photos (the purpose of this photo shoot)...a long Grad post to come....Can't believe how fast they grow up...my 2nd graduate...thank goodness I still have 2 younger precious children to enjoy learning and exploring at home with!

These 2...Michaela and my Meghan...precious friends forever!

The Amazing Grace Race!

For years, my older daughters participated in a wonderful children's choir and every year the children performed a great musical filled with the Gospel message, very catchy songs and fun movements...it's something we looked forward to every year.  Well...now that they are grown, our youngest is now involved in this same choir and we are so happy she is and so blessed!  Our 2nd daughter, Sara, was an assistant with the choir this year, which made it even more special for our whole family.  We're so proud of both Sara and Anna for all of their hard work and dedication!  (my son tried it, and said it was not "his thing"...fine with me...he's involved in enough! LOL)

This year's musical was called "The Amazing Grace Race" and after 2 long rehearsals and 2 performances...we celebrated the final performance tonight!

Anna was a dancer for one of the numbers in the musical...a 1950's "bobby-soxer"...complete with poodle skirt!

I love this picture of our little Anna!