Family Birthdays

This past Sunday we celebrated Sarah and Hannah's birthdays!  Their birthdays were November 15 and 20, but with our busy schedules and people being out of town, last weekend was the first opportunity for a party when we were all available.    Ed & Pat Turner graciously hosted us in their home and prepared a delicious meal.  I loved the simple yet special touches Mr. Turner added to the celebration.  He placed a Hershey's kiss and orange piece on each of the birthday girl's plates, and little bowls of chocolates followed us wherever we went that afternoon (compliments of Benjamin).

Essie designed and decorated this cake with homemade fondant all by herself!  She's getting to be quite the little baker!

Sarah turned 4 and Hannah 2.  They were two very excited birthday girls when it came time to blow out the candles and open presents.  

Waiting to open their presents…

I gave both the girls pearl necklaces.  The following pictures are a bit fuzzy, but their expressions upon opening that particular gift are priceless.  They were both beyond delighted!

There were an assortment of other gifts, each received with great excitement.  This is such a fun age for birthday parties!

It was a great afternoon as families together, and we look forward to more such times in the future.

Washington, DC: Sunday

On Sunday morning, we drove about 45 minutes to the Gettysburg National Military Park.  The battle at Gettysburg was an important turning point in the Civil War as well as the bloodiest with 51,000 casualties.  After having just been in a city symbolizing the birth, unity, and strength of the United States, visiting this battlefield was a stark contrast.  Here our country was divided.  Here family members stood in opposite uniform.  Here fellow countrymen fought one another with rifles and cannons. Here thousands upon thousands shed their blood for a cause that would impact generations for centuries to come.

Civil war.  A nation divided.

It was sobering.  It was beyond my comprehension.

I gained a new appreciation for President Abraham Lincoln as he led the nation through one of the darkest and toughest periods of history we have ever experienced.  His famous words in the Gettysburg Address spoken just a little over 150 years ago now hold new meaning to me:   "…that we here highly resolved that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

Before attending a church service in downtown Gettysburg, we viewed an informational video about the battle and the Cyclorama, which depicts the final fury of "Pickett's Charge." 

We then purchased the audio CD tour and hopped in the van for a blitz drive around the park, hitting the high points of the battle.  We stopped along the way to take pictures of significant sites and famous monuments.  Debbie and I also climbed the 150-step tower for a great view of the landscape before us.

We could have spent several hours more there traversing all over the park, but by early afternoon, we knew we had to begin the long drive back to Indianapolis.  

We arrived home around 11:30pm.  I was exhausted but thrilled to see Dad and Mom who picked me up at our meeting point.  

Since I've been home I've been thinking a lot, trying to process all that I saw and experienced in a week's time, recognizing that it has been significant but in ways I do not yet fully understand.  The inward spark that was fanned into flame on Tuesday night has not died.  It is still there, and I know that my love of this country's history and for her leaders' faith in Jesus Christ has only grown stronger.  My prayer is that God will continue to cultivate what He has put in my heart and use it in ways that will bring Him great honor and glory.  I will always look back upon this trip with fond memories and thank the Lord for His goodness towards me.

Washington, DC: Saturday

Early on Saturday morning, we packed up all of our belongings in order to check out of the conference center and spend the day sightseeing.  Matt had to make airport runs almost the entire day, so he dropped off me, Miriam, and Debbie downtown to explore the city together.

We opted to purchase trolley tickets at Union Station in order to save our feet from extra walking and see the most sites we could.  Our first destination was the US Capitol since Matt had arranged a tour for us through Congressman Stutzman's office.

While waiting in line to go through security, we read more thoroughly the complete list of what was and wasn't permitted inside the building, and it suddenly dawned on us that we had a problem on on our hands.  In order to be frugal and not waste time, we had made peanut butter sandwiches and brought water bottles for lunch and packed them in Miriam's bag.  But the sign said absolutely no food or beverages allowed (opened AND unopened - water included).  We debated a few minutes on what to do but finally decided that Miriam would stay behind with all our prohibited items since she had toured the building a year or so before, and Debbie and I would proceed together.  

The tour was fascinating, but I found it to be too much information too fast while trying to take in my surroundings and snap a few pictures.  That building is incredible with so much history!  Our tour guide was excellent, but with our group so large (approximately 30 people or more), it was difficult to see everything, not to mention try to take pictures!

The most impressive room of all, of course, is the rotunda.  One could only gaze upward in complete awe, being literally overwhelmed by the beauty and grandeur of what was before their eyes.  There are no words to describe it, and a mere picture cannot capture it.  

After completing the tour, we browsed the gift shop for a while before meeting Miriam outside near the trolley stop.  We ate our lunch and also enjoyed some Starbucks before hopping back on the trolley for our ride to the Washington National Cathedral.  While on the way, we passed numerous Smithsonian museums as well as other notable landmarks, and it was interesting to have the trolley driver share noteworthy tidbits of information as we traveled on our way.

On the trolley.  We look a little tired, don't we?

We arrived at the National Cathedral around 4pm and only had about 30 minutes to tour the place before it closed.  So after snapping a few pictures outside, we made a mad dash inside in order to hit the high points.

But once inside, we soon realized we couldn't move all that quickly.  It was another impressive site to behold.

There are numerous famous people buried here, one of them being Robert E. Lee.  

In the children's sanctuary (yes, a children's sanctuary!), each little chair had a chair pad with a crosstitched picture on it.  I thought they were so cute.

After a blitz tour and perusing the gift shop, we once more hopped on the trolley for our ride back into town to meet Matt for dinner.  The route we were taken was through Georgetown, and there were numerous times I wanted to get off the trolley and go into all the little shops and cafes!  It was such an intriguing area of DC that I want to spend more time there if I ever get back.  

One noteworthy building we passed in Georgetown was the bank that bailed out the US government in 1812!  I just had to take a picture to show Dad as we passed it.

After dinner, Matt and Miriam offered to take us to the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials to see them lit up at night.  It was drizzly and cool but well worth the effort!  It was so beautiful!  Matt was so patient sitting in the van or driving in circles while waiting for us to come back from taking pictures.

The Lincoln Memorial:

 The Jefferson Memorial: 

What a day it had been!  So many good memories made with some very special friends.  Even though I was tired and a little anxious to get back home the next day, I was so grateful for all that God had allowed us to see and do together.  

While driving out of the city, Matt mentioned the idea of visiting Gettysburg the next day before heading back to Indy.  At first I thought he was joking, but when he said he was dead serious, I couldn't believe my ears.  I had always wanted to see Gettysburg but never thought I'd get there!  So while on the road, we made hotel reservations at a Comfort Inn near Gettysburg.  I went to bed that night with anticipation of what the next day held for us. 

Washington, DC: Friday

Being that Friday was the conclusion of the conference, I knew I wouldn't be gallivanting off and doing more sightseeing.  But I really enjoyed listening to the sessions and interacting more with the conference attendees.  I was encouraged to take as many pictures as possible to preserve the events of the day.

Matt preached from Daniel 9 this morning.

Pam Russell spoke to the ladies on a woman's role in ministering to elected leaders.

Before the conclusion of the morning session, Luciano and his wife presented us with thank you gifts for helping them with the conference.  Here Matt was given a book on Argentina and Miriam a shawl of sorts handmade in Argentina!

That evening David Gibbs, President of The National Center for Life and Liberty, addressed the group.  Here we are with him as a team:

One of the highlights for me this trip was meeting other state directors with Capitol Commission from around the country.  I met men from California, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina.  It was a joy to spend time with them during the week and see their heart for ministry in the political arena.

This is perhaps one of the best shots from the week (thanks to Miriam!) that captures the heart of these godly men as well as the source of their ability for ministry where God has placed them.

Although it's a little fuzzy, here's a picture of the Parlamento & Fe staff who supports Luciano in ministry to Argentine leaders:

And before the conference concluded that evening, Luciano had one person from each country present at the conference come forward to the front.  It was an amazing realization!

It was a late evening saying good-bye to new friends and cleaning up the conference room.  God had answered so many prayers the last several days and blessed the conference in wonderful ways that our hearts rejoiced with thanksgiving.  We look forward to seeing how God will use the seeds that were sown to His praise and glory.

Washington, DC: Thursday

When I awoke on Thursday morning, I thought I would be listening to the conference sessions and helping in whatever ways were needed, but little did I realize what surprise was in store for me that afternoon.

Around mid-morning, Miriam came to me and Debbie and asked if we wanted to take a walk in the neighborhood surrounding the conference center.  So we donned our jackets since it was a bit cool and set out on foot for an outdoor excursion.

It was another beautiful day!  As we strolled up and down through the hilly side streets, the crisp air and blue skies overhead reminded me of our annual family visits to my grandmother's house in Alabama during the Thanksgiving holiday.  And the neighborhood itself looked like hers, too.  We were amazed with the houses as well as with the landscaping.  We even discovered a holly tree - yes, probably at least 6 feet or taller!  Only a little snow would have made the picture more stunning.

We hadn't returned to our room but ten minutes when Miriam called me and asked if we would be interested in spending the afternoon at Mt. Vernon.  I was startled by the idea since I did not have any expectations of visiting Washington's home during this trip, but ever since I had toured the house and plantation with my family more years ago than I can remember, I had always longed to return and see it again.  So you can only imagine my delight with this new plan!

We quickly changed out of our suits and dress shoes and into something more comfortable, pulled together a picnic lunch to eat in the van, and headed out to Mt. Vernon.  We first had to make an emergency run to a Jos. A. Bank to buy Matt a tie since he failed to pack any for the entire week (a first - and hopefully the last - I believe!).   While there, Miriam discovered she didn't have her wallet or license with her.  So while she raced back to the conference center to retrieve those necessary items, Debbie and I walked several blocks looking for that CVS we knew we had seen during one of our many drives around the same huge circle looking for an available parking space.  We finally did locate it and made our necessary purchases before Miriam picked us up and we were finally on our way to Washington's home.

Oh, I will never forget the sight!  I thought I would never see it again.  The home of the first president of the United States - right there before my very eyes.  I was beyond delighted!

We went on the tour of the mansion, much of which I didn't remember from my first visit during my young teen years.  Perhaps my favorite view was looking out over the Potomac from the back porch - George Washington's favorite place to relax as well.  It was so calm and peaceful.  

More holly trees!

Time did not allow us to explore the gardens or walk all the way to the place where George and Martha Washington are buried, but we did try to snap a few pictures together before leaving.

We drove back to the conference center in the usual horrible DC traffic (it took us 2 hours to go 17 miles), but it had been a wonderful afternoon!  I am indebted to my very special friend for making a dream of mine become a reality.