Dad's Birthday By: Stella

Hi All!
Dad's birthday happened recently-and I wanted to share some pics. with you!
We all prepared for Dad's birthday and we had fun! I baked a lasagna and a carrot cake-Dad's favorite meal and his favorite cake! We got some pictures-when Dad came home!


Dad with Stella, Leo, Rus, Tert, and Filia

Dad with Stella and Filia

Blowing out the Candles-MAKE A WISH!

Dad with Mater

Happy Birthday Dad!

By: Stella

Father's Day Pic.

Happy Belated Father's Day!

Sharing Smiles...

Tert (age 3) - When he saw Stella in her bathing suit and sundress for the first time this season, he exclaimed, "Sissy! You look RIDICULOUS!"

While Stephen was filling the van with gas, he exclaimed, "Daddy! Hurry!! You're wasting time!"

Tert's favorite DVD is an exciting train movie. I came downstairs during a particularly intense moment, and he assured me, "Don't worry, Mom. It's just a scary episode."

"Mom, will we eat icicles when we're done with dinner?" (meant Popsicles)

Rus (age 5) - "There are two paths in life - the path of wisdom and the path of construction (destruction)."

Leo (age 9) - "Mom, Ben Franklin wasn't a very biblical child." He then proceeded to read a portion of his biography which described some poor behavior.

"In Ancient China, girls were predestined to be married from their mother's womb!"

Stephen and I woke up disoriented from one of those rare Sunday afternoon naps. Tert had burst into our room to tell us that he had been WOOD BURNING! : - /

On Saturday morning we woke up to our two beaming little boys, eager to perform "The More We Get Together," complete with sign language. Sleeping in on the weekend is definitely overrated!

Tert asked Rus, "Hey, Rus. How many weeks until you go to college?"

Poor Rus just had his annual blood work done for allergies. After the ordeal, he and Daddy stopped at the convenience store for a treat. Rus was floored when he was given the go ahead to choose ANYTHING he wanted from the treat display. He was so overwhelmed by the decision that Stephen suggested a certain donut. Rus replied, "Oh, but that one costs seventy-five DOLLARS!" (he still confuses the dollar and cents signs) Later he asked if he could please start a blood test Bandaid collection.

I recently told Rus the story of Solomon's request for wisdom. Afterwards I asked him, "Rus, if God offered you ANYTHING in the world, what would YOU choose?" Without hesitation, he answered, "A new heart."

Field Trip to Strawberry Banke By: Stella

Hello All!!! We recently took a field trip to Strawberry Banke. It was an awesome field trip! I was the assigned picture taker... so I hope you like my pictures!! I think that this will be better if I post pictures and describe the trip with captions underneath... So here we go...

Finally...we're here! Filia's ready!

Walking on the Path...

In the Backpack and Ready to Roll!

What have you got there Rus?

Old-fashioned pump

We are now at the pathway to Mrs. Goodwin's garden in our virtual tour! The Goodwins were the richest family that first came to this area.
Note the quote by Sarah Goodwin in purple above... This is at the entrance to her garden...

This is the breathtaking view the you will behold when you step out of the woody pathway to the garden.

Here is a virtual tour of part of the HUGE garden!!!

This was planted all over the place! I thought it was really pretty!

Under the gazebo!

Beautiful!

"When I was a very little girl, my Father gave me a little piece of ground, six by one, with what was called an 'alley board' around it. In that, I had several small roots of inferior value, that now would be not thought scarcely worth cultivating."
---Sarah Goodwin (Mrs. Goodwin)

Flowers...Flowers...Flowers!!!

I thought that these were really neat-looking...

Pineapple!!!

Now we approach the Goodwin house...

These rooms were amazing!!

This just gives you an idea of the rest of the house... this is the fireplace and it is decorated with engravings, peacock feathers, and heirlooms!!!

Governor Ichabod Goodwin


Sarah Parker Rice Goodwin

Tea Set

Amazing House!

Piano
The Goodwin Table

Beautiful Chandelier


I took this picture of Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin's stairs...I won't complain about ours again!!!

Posing on the Goodwin Family Porch Swing
Rus plays croquet while Leo and I (Stella) try to roll hoops! We found that it is harder than it looks... :D

Filia has learned how to wave! First she looks at you...

Then she looks at her hand...

Then she waves! :D

On the way back to the path I took some more snapshots of Mrs. Goodwin's garden...

I just love taking snapshots of flowers!

Breathtaking!

These flowers were really cool! They felt like rubber and then they were also like upside-down roses!

Trying out the Horse Swing

Now we enter the Shapiro house. The Shapiros were a Russian-Jewish immigrant family.

Sewing Machine in the Shapiro house

Shapiro Table
Want to listen to some music?!

Under the Gazebo

Shelves and Shelves!!!

We were shocked at the prices in this little store! It was only pennies for a candy bar!

These are a few posters hung up in the Marden-Abbot Store and Garage. The story behind this store was really interesting. The Father and Mother of this family had run the store. Then the Father died and the Mother continued to run the store. When you stand in front of the building there are two doors. If you go in on the left you come into a hallway and then the dining room. There is also a staircase to the upstairs family bedrooms. If you go in the door on the right you will climb some stairs and opening the screen door will come into a little store decorated with poster after poster, and shelf after shelf containing everything from groceries and cleaning products to garden supplies. This store had everything! On your left you will see a little open passageway to the dining room. The store was open till nine p.m. so if a customer came in they would be heard and could easily be reached. It was a really creative business that the Marden-Abbot family ran!

The Store's Pledge
Rationing Poster

Prices Chart

Just outside the store...

Now we come to the Marden-Abbot shed, put on exhibition with lots of cool posters! Here are some of them below...

This poster gives lists of how much metal makes certain objects. I.E. There is enough metal in three salvaged cans to make a hand grenade....

More Posters!!

This I thought was cool because it is sort of like our food pyramid-but in a circle!

This really was a cool field trip-and I hope you enjoyed your virtual tour of- Strawberry Banke!

Pictures and Anecdotes by: Stella