This morning I asked the tree trimmers that were on our road if I could pick up the wood that they were cutting. They said yes, and here's one of the loads of wood that we got.Hurray for free firewood!
Firewood!
This morning I asked the tree trimmers that were on our road if I could pick up the wood that they were cutting. They said yes, and here's one of the loads of wood that we got.Hurray for free firewood!
The LaSalle Bank Do-It-Yourself Messiah
Thursday night our family along with about 65 other friends, rode the train into Chicago to the Civic Opera House to sing Handel's Messiah along with about 3,000 other people! The event was the LaSalle Bank Do-It-Yourself Messiah.
The orchestra and soloists were on stage, and the choir was us, the attendees! Maestro Stanley Sperber was our director. We did our best to stay together with the orchestra, but in spite of our best efforts we were still off at times. As a matter of fact, I don't think we've ever been more off before. I'm not sure the exact cause of this occasionally extreme division, but it was still a lot of fun.
On another note, I might add that I think the soloists were the best they've had!
Here are some pictures from the evening.
Getting ready to head out!
Many thanks to Michael Stallings and the use of the Millennium Falcon, in which seven of us were safely transported to and from the Crystal Lake Train Station.
Here comes the train!
Surprisingly, we showed up just as the doors opened and we were still able to get a seat all the way in the front! Here we are in the opera house lobby waiting for the doors to open, so we can find our seats.
Yeah! We got six seats in the very front row! Here's a picture looking back from our seats during the intermission.
On the far left you can see the bass soloist singing "The Trumpet Shall Sound". I am so glad that they had the trumpet soloist come to the front during that piece. They both were incredible!
Ahh, another one of my favorites, the tenor and alto duet "O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?". I might add that (as you can see in the picture) the alto part was sung by countertenor - Brian Asawa.
The orchestra and soloists were on stage, and the choir was us, the attendees! Maestro Stanley Sperber was our director. We did our best to stay together with the orchestra, but in spite of our best efforts we were still off at times. As a matter of fact, I don't think we've ever been more off before. I'm not sure the exact cause of this occasionally extreme division, but it was still a lot of fun.
On another note, I might add that I think the soloists were the best they've had!
Here are some pictures from the evening.
Getting ready to head out!
Many thanks to Michael Stallings and the use of the Millennium Falcon, in which seven of us were safely transported to and from the Crystal Lake Train Station.
Here comes the train!
Surprisingly, we showed up just as the doors opened and we were still able to get a seat all the way in the front! Here we are in the opera house lobby waiting for the doors to open, so we can find our seats.
Yeah! We got six seats in the very front row! Here's a picture looking back from our seats during the intermission.
On the far left you can see the bass soloist singing "The Trumpet Shall Sound". I am so glad that they had the trumpet soloist come to the front during that piece. They both were incredible!
Ahh, another one of my favorites, the tenor and alto duet "O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?". I might add that (as you can see in the picture) the alto part was sung by countertenor - Brian Asawa.
Driver Returns On Foot
Wow! Talk about a lot of snow! Two Fridays ago the plan was for me (Jonathan) to pick Jeremy up from the Mechanic at 8:30, and drop him off at his house on the way to Rockford. Well, as you may have guessed that didn't happen. I was allowing an hour and a half for me to get to school (due to all the snow), but I didn't even get out of the driveway until 8:45 (I'd been trying to get out since 8:00). When I finally got on the road, the snow was so deep that I couldn't drive more than 25 mph because I was going sideways half the time. Rte. 173 was a mess, occasionally I saw the two yellow stripes in the right wheel rut, but most everywhere else I'd guess that the snow was about 5" deep of heavy, packed road snow. Needless to say, I decided not to go to school.When I finally got into Harvard fifteen minutes later (that's about five miles, and I've gotten there faster on my bike), I had already passed one snow plow that was in the ditch (I think he missed the road), three cars in the ditch and one pickup truck stuck in the middle of the road.
The snow was falling so fast that my windshield wipers were clogged with snow, and the side windows were continually being covered with snow, so when I actually got to the mechanic I passed it by accident because (due to the limited visibility) I just didn't see it. I ended up driving the whole way home at about 15mph with my head out the window because the windshield wouldn't stay clear. I really felt like I was in a boat because with the engine speed going up and down spinning the wheels on the snow it sounded like a boat, and with the car sliding around it felt like it too.
With Rte. 173 being as bad as it was, we decided not to try to take my car down our road, so Jeremy dropped me off at the end of our road, and then drove my car back to his house. Thus I enjoyed a 1 mile walk through the snow in the middle of a snow-storm on the way home from what would have been school (just like the old days right?).
During my walk home I did get a call from a friend saying that RVC was closed. So much for what they said about community colleges never closing due to weather. :-)
We ended up with +16 inches of snow that day. Now two weeks later - it's all gone...
Will we have a white Christmas? We'll have to wait and see.
A New Mercedes
Ok, ok, it's not really new, as a matter of fact it's really not new!
Last weekend I went out to Ohio to pick up a 1980 Mercedes 300SD Turbo Diesel that I traded a laptop for. I rode to Toledo with everyone from my family that were on their way to Plymouth for the Vision Forum Faith and Freedom Tour. From there I boarded a Greyhound Bus and headed down to Dayton, OH where Adam and Nathan Back picked me up from the bus stop. I spent the rest of the day/night with them and headed back home on Sunday around 12:30am EST. The ride home was fortunately quite uneventful. I got back home at about 6:10 CST and needless to say, I was glad to be out of the car. Six hours in a car isn't bad, but when it's by yourself... ...well, I just don't recommend it.
Don't you love the hood graphics? Any guesses on what it says?
Last weekend I went out to Ohio to pick up a 1980 Mercedes 300SD Turbo Diesel that I traded a laptop for. I rode to Toledo with everyone from my family that were on their way to Plymouth for the Vision Forum Faith and Freedom Tour. From there I boarded a Greyhound Bus and headed down to Dayton, OH where Adam and Nathan Back picked me up from the bus stop. I spent the rest of the day/night with them and headed back home on Sunday around 12:30am EST. The ride home was fortunately quite uneventful. I got back home at about 6:10 CST and needless to say, I was glad to be out of the car. Six hours in a car isn't bad, but when it's by yourself... ...well, I just don't recommend it.
Don't you love the hood graphics? Any guesses on what it says?
My First Buck
...wouldn't it be nice. :-) Would you believe he dropped dead right by our path?
Had to take the picture.
Update 11-14-06
Boy I sure haven't posted anything for a while, but here's a brief overview of a couple of things that I've done over the past month.
Oct. 5th was the first concert of the semester for the RVC Chamber Singers . We presented two pieces at a small dinner party at the Rockford Country Club. This went pretty well and was a neat experience, especially as I've never sang in a formal choir before.
That weekend on Oct. 7 a group of about 15 music students from RVC went out to Augustana College for a Music Educators' conference that was out there. I learned some helpful stuff, and had some great conversations during the trip out and back.
On Oct. 14 I was able to participate in a voice master class which was very good. I've been learning a lot about singing through my voice lessons, and other voice activities around RVC. Last Sunday (November 12th) the RVC Chamber Singers sang for the church service at Second Congregational Church in Rockford. We sang the anthem and the offertory, both of which were pieces that we have been working on. We also sang with the church's choir for the hymns and the benediction, which was "The Lord Bless You And Keep You" w/the Amens. That was incredible, especially as all the organ pipes were right behind us!
In the piano world I've been working with the RVC concert choir on a piece called The Lamentations of Jeremiah (by Randal Stroope). With my previous piano teacher (Mrs. Bendorf) I'm working on a Scott Joplin Rag Rhapsody with three other piano students. This piece was arranged for two pianos and eight hands (lot's of fun!). I also was able to participate in a piano master class with Dr. Glenn Utsch (I got to play on a 11' Bosendorfer grand for this!). This master class was really good, and I learned a number of things about technique, as well as a few specific pointers for the Brahms Hungarian Dance that I'm playing.
Well, that's pretty much a basic sketch of what's keeping me busy. There are a number of recitals/concerts that are coming up over the next month that should be good, but due to some construction problems in the library (which is in the same building as the Performing Arts Room) these might end up being postponed or possibly even canceled. The biggest problem yet is that last Friday a water main that runs over the Performing Arts Room broke, and flooded much of the building including the PAR. Fortunately none of the pianos or other music equipment was damaged, but there is a possibility that asbestos may have been washed out with the water. So due to health issues, we may or may not be able to use the PAR anymore this semester. Everything is still up in the air on that, but we'll see what happens.
Oct. 5th was the first concert of the semester for the RVC Chamber Singers . We presented two pieces at a small dinner party at the Rockford Country Club. This went pretty well and was a neat experience, especially as I've never sang in a formal choir before.
That weekend on Oct. 7 a group of about 15 music students from RVC went out to Augustana College for a Music Educators' conference that was out there. I learned some helpful stuff, and had some great conversations during the trip out and back.
On Oct. 14 I was able to participate in a voice master class which was very good. I've been learning a lot about singing through my voice lessons, and other voice activities around RVC. Last Sunday (November 12th) the RVC Chamber Singers sang for the church service at Second Congregational Church in Rockford. We sang the anthem and the offertory, both of which were pieces that we have been working on. We also sang with the church's choir for the hymns and the benediction, which was "The Lord Bless You And Keep You" w/the Amens. That was incredible, especially as all the organ pipes were right behind us!
In the piano world I've been working with the RVC concert choir on a piece called The Lamentations of Jeremiah (by Randal Stroope). With my previous piano teacher (Mrs. Bendorf) I'm working on a Scott Joplin Rag Rhapsody with three other piano students. This piece was arranged for two pianos and eight hands (lot's of fun!). I also was able to participate in a piano master class with Dr. Glenn Utsch (I got to play on a 11' Bosendorfer grand for this!). This master class was really good, and I learned a number of things about technique, as well as a few specific pointers for the Brahms Hungarian Dance that I'm playing.
Well, that's pretty much a basic sketch of what's keeping me busy. There are a number of recitals/concerts that are coming up over the next month that should be good, but due to some construction problems in the library (which is in the same building as the Performing Arts Room) these might end up being postponed or possibly even canceled. The biggest problem yet is that last Friday a water main that runs over the Performing Arts Room broke, and flooded much of the building including the PAR. Fortunately none of the pianos or other music equipment was damaged, but there is a possibility that asbestos may have been washed out with the water. So due to health issues, we may or may not be able to use the PAR anymore this semester. Everything is still up in the air on that, but we'll see what happens.
RVC Chamber Singers
I thought you all might like to see a picture of the RVC Chamber Singers (I'm at top left). We got this picture taken last Sunday in front of 2nd Congregational Church. Two special people to note are: Mr. Laprade our director at front - far left, and Carol Ostrom our accompanist at front - far right.
Update coming soon!
Boy do I have a lot to update this blog with!
I think I might have time to update it early tomorrow evening, so stay tuned!
Sorry, the computer lab was closed so I couldn't get around to it.
I think I might have time to update it early tomorrow evening, so stay tuned!
Sorry, the computer lab was closed so I couldn't get around to it.
Random Photo / Update 9-29-06
Well, it looks like updates might be pretty boring for a while. Here it goes: School is going fine, I'm having fun and making lots of music.
________________________
Random Photo:
I'll be posting a few pictures with problems in them; some edited and some not. Here's the first.
Can you figure out what's wrong?
BTW: This is Aaron on the way back from Arizona earlier this year. Boy, it was HOT! It actually hit 118 degrees while we were there!
________________________
Random Photo:
I'll be posting a few pictures with problems in them; some edited and some not. Here's the first.Can you figure out what's wrong?
BTW: This is Aaron on the way back from Arizona earlier this year. Boy, it was HOT! It actually hit 118 degrees while we were there!
Camping and College
Things are continuing to go well with my classes at Rock Valley College. I may have said this already, but the music program at Rock Valley is very good, and I'm really enjoying it. Here's a picture of the "PAR" where the Choir and Chamber Singers meet for practice. This picture was taken just before Chamber Singers.
One thing that's kind of neat is that there are a lot of other homeschoolers in the classes I'm taking! It's funny to watch the reactions when we find out that each other was homeschooled. You'd think we all went to the same school!
Just last week I also ran into an old neighbor from back when we lived in the Chicago area who is also attending Rock Valley! I could hardly believe it.
Here are some pictures from the church campout that we had last weekend.
I'm not sure what's going on in this picture, but if you look at the difference between everyone's faces, it's very comical.
Here are some pictures of the guys getting some music ready for around the fire.
The fire got a little bit hot for a couple of the kids, so they took care of the problem with face shields.
:-)
One thing that's kind of neat is that there are a lot of other homeschoolers in the classes I'm taking! It's funny to watch the reactions when we find out that each other was homeschooled. You'd think we all went to the same school!
Just last week I also ran into an old neighbor from back when we lived in the Chicago area who is also attending Rock Valley! I could hardly believe it.
Here are some pictures from the church campout that we had last weekend.
I'm not sure what's going on in this picture, but if you look at the difference between everyone's faces, it's very comical.
Here are some pictures of the guys getting some music ready for around the fire.
The fire got a little bit hot for a couple of the kids, so they took care of the problem with face shields.:-)
New News + New Idea = New Update!
Boy, I hate filling my blog with "Updates", but when life is full I'm always looking for little ways to cut back. Consequently, I only spend just enough blog time to keep my friends and relatives happy with occasional "updates". Well, this one is long due.
So, let's see... here are some pictures of the visit that we had with Grandma Muligano, and Aunt Clorinda while they were in town before they headed out to California for my cousin's wedding the beginning of August.
Four generations!
An evening of relaxation on the back porch.
Aunt Clorinda helping Joanna with vibrato on the violin.
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Here are some pictures from a World War II re-enactment that was in Harvard. It was pretty neat, although very unrealistic.
This is the same tank that was in the movie "Saving Private Ryan".
Oops, the flash suppressor wasn't supposed to fly off. Fortunately it didn't hit anyone.
Don't you love how basic the old engines were?
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No pictures for this one, but in mid-August I started taking some classes at Rock Valley College. The music instructors there are EXCELLENT! I am really enjoying it a lot.
____________________________
Last weekend Justin Kelly was in town visiting from Texas. On Saturday we had a softball game, and an evening BBQ at Milky Way Park. It was a blast! The teams were made up of some of the older sons and fathers from our church. Most of the people had time prior to the day of the game to get together with friends and practice. This was especially good for me since I'm not used to playing with a 12" softball. The final score was 10 to 11 with the winning team scoring the last point in the bottom of the 9th. It was a close game the whole way through.
Justin, Joshua, Josiah, Joseph and I got there early to prepare the field. It was terrible when we showed up, but by the time we started the game it was really nice.
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On Monday (Labor Day) Justin, Joshua, Ethan Webb, Luke VonHolten, Aaron Englund and I rode the train down into Chicago for a Cubs game at Wrigley Field!
Unfortunately Carlos Zambrano (the opening pitcher for the Cubs) wasn't feeling right, and let in four runs in the first inning, and one more run in the 2nd inning before getting pulled out. The final score was Pirates 5, Cubs 4.
So, let's see... here are some pictures of the visit that we had with Grandma Muligano, and Aunt Clorinda while they were in town before they headed out to California for my cousin's wedding the beginning of August.
Four generations!
An evening of relaxation on the back porch.
Aunt Clorinda helping Joanna with vibrato on the violin.____________________________
Here are some pictures from a World War II re-enactment that was in Harvard. It was pretty neat, although very unrealistic.
This is the same tank that was in the movie "Saving Private Ryan".
Oops, the flash suppressor wasn't supposed to fly off. Fortunately it didn't hit anyone.
Don't you love how basic the old engines were?____________________________
No pictures for this one, but in mid-August I started taking some classes at Rock Valley College. The music instructors there are EXCELLENT! I am really enjoying it a lot.
____________________________
Last weekend Justin Kelly was in town visiting from Texas. On Saturday we had a softball game, and an evening BBQ at Milky Way Park. It was a blast! The teams were made up of some of the older sons and fathers from our church. Most of the people had time prior to the day of the game to get together with friends and practice. This was especially good for me since I'm not used to playing with a 12" softball. The final score was 10 to 11 with the winning team scoring the last point in the bottom of the 9th. It was a close game the whole way through.
Justin, Joshua, Josiah, Joseph and I got there early to prepare the field. It was terrible when we showed up, but by the time we started the game it was really nice.____________________________
On Monday (Labor Day) Justin, Joshua, Ethan Webb, Luke VonHolten, Aaron Englund and I rode the train down into Chicago for a Cubs game at Wrigley Field!
Unfortunately Carlos Zambrano (the opening pitcher for the Cubs) wasn't feeling right, and let in four runs in the first inning, and one more run in the 2nd inning before getting pulled out. The final score was Pirates 5, Cubs 4.
Another update coming soon...
Boy, I hate filling my blog with "Updates", but when life is full I'm always looking for little ways to cut back. Consequently, I only spend just enough blog time to keep my friends and relatives happy with occasional "updates". Well, you'll be getting one soon.
In the meantime, here is something scary, but interesting.
When I first got my car, I was getting about 30-31 miles per gallon. I was somewhat disappointed with this, but it does have 180,000 miles on it, so I figured I shouldn't be surprised. Last week I got the oil changed and on my last tank of gas I got just over 38 miles per gallon!
Scary oil, huh!
I guess that when you get a car for $175 maybe they don't include the oil?
:-)
In the meantime, here is something scary, but interesting.
When I first got my car, I was getting about 30-31 miles per gallon. I was somewhat disappointed with this, but it does have 180,000 miles on it, so I figured I shouldn't be surprised. Last week I got the oil changed and on my last tank of gas I got just over 38 miles per gallon!
Scary oil, huh!
I guess that when you get a car for $175 maybe they don't include the oil?
:-)
Automobile Chiropractics!
On Wednesday night, Dad and I headed down into Chicago on the train to look at a car that I found on craigslist.org for $300 dollars. It was supposed to be in good shape except for some front end damage, and a broken window in the back passenger-side door (through which the door was unlocked, and the sound system stolen). We looked at the car, took it for a test drive, and decided that it would work out great for what I needed it for (back and forth to music lessons each day). We offered $150, and in the end the car was mine for $175! Here's a picture of what it looked like when we got it.
Crunch!
As you can see, the interior isn't bad at all. After a little cleaning, it will actually be nice!
Oh and, although they did steal most of the sound system, they still left some pretty nice speakers in the car! Also, the radio that was left over from the Lumina, worked great in this car!
Last night we went out to "reverse the accident". After some pulling...
And bending...
And pulling some more...
The final product isn't... ...well... ...all that bad!
Crunch!
As you can see, the interior isn't bad at all. After a little cleaning, it will actually be nice!Oh and, although they did steal most of the sound system, they still left some pretty nice speakers in the car! Also, the radio that was left over from the Lumina, worked great in this car!
Last night we went out to "reverse the accident". After some pulling...
And bending...
And pulling some more...
The final product isn't... ...well... ...all that bad!Random Photo of the Random Moment: Is it Live, or is it Memorex?
Random Photo of the Random Moment: Is it Live, or is it Memorex?I was going through pictures of our Arizona trip when I came across this one. I thought it was so neat that it deserved to be posted.
Neat picture Aaron!
We're Back on the Trail Again
Well, here we are back on the trail again with the Resounding Voice crew, headed to Phoenix, AZ where we are going to be recording AFHE’s Annual State Home School Convention. As I am typing this, we are driving between Albuquerque, NM where we stayed last night, and Phoenix, AZ. Joseph is sitting in the back seat trying to adjust his body to the altitude changes by plugging his ears, squeezing his nose, holding his mouth shut, all the while blowing out quite hard. He appears to be in great pain. Ethan is sitting next to him in the back seat listening to music on his new iBook. Luke is sitting in front of him holding onto the handle above the door while looking out into the rain storm, wearing his Wenco sunglasses discussing with Aaron (who is sitting next to him) the price of land in these rugged parts of Arizona. Aaron, aside from talking with Luke, is admiring the rugged landscape. I am sitting in front of Aaron in the passenger seat typing on my laptop, attempting to fill all of you in on what’s going on here, and what has been going on with me over the past few weeks. Joshua is, of course, sitting next to me driving this rig down long steep downhill’s, and up aggressive inclines. He is doing a masterful job, and I predict that apart from any unforeseeable complications, we should arrive safely in about two and a quarter hours. Oops, we just had to turn off the air conditioning, unplug the AC adapter, roll down the windows and… Can you guess what’s next?... Yes turn on the heat. This is one LONG uphill, and the external temperature just went from 70 degrees to 98 degrees in about 10 minutes (I think this is because we just got out of the rain storm). We have to hold our speed at about 25 mph, to keep the engine from overheating.
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...
Yes! We finally made it over the hill, and the AC is back on. Well, let’s get back to the the original purpose of this blog post, and start our recap of the events of the past few weeks. Let’s go back to three weeks ago, and the beginning of Vision Forum’s Faith and Freedom Tour. The tour started on the evening of June 28, with an opening banquet. Thursday morning we headed out for Jamestown Island…
Here’s part of our group at the first stop on the Tour. We are all sitting in front of the tricentennial monument at Jamestown Island.
From there we went to the John Smith statue which is also on Jamestown Island.
Throughout the week, Joshua ran the sound/recording equipment.
From the John Smith statue we went to the first church in Jamestown. The tower on the front of this church is the original brick and mortar structure, which is still standing to this day. Here we are inside the church.
Lunch time! Joseph is pulling some of the lunches to the lawn where everyone is going to eat.
After lunch we headed to Jamestown Settlement. Here, a few of the group stayed behind in the A/C. Of which were a number of our family, Anna Sofia Botkin, Mrs. Phillips, and Providence Phillips.
While we were talking inside the visitor center, Providence Phillips fell asleep, so I got to carry him around for about an hour before he woke up. Here he is on my shoulder in a very deep sleep.
Someone brought their Lego Sponge Bob along with them, and they were getting their picture taken everywhere together.
That evening we went to the Glass House. Wow! I had never seen glass made before. That was neat.
The next morning we went to Williamsburg. Here we are on the green in front of the Governors Palace hearing about the Great Awakening.
Jessica and Joanna enjoying the gardens behind the Governor's Palace.
Joseph and Josiah behind the Governor's Palace near the “Canal”, looking at the fish.
That night we met an incredible Patrick Henry impersonator. He was GREAT!
In this picture Jubilee Phillips is on her way forward in the bus, after teasing me about having taken her seat on the bus earlier in the day.
Here we are at Scotchtown (Patrick Henry’s home) listening to Mr. Phillips.
While waiting outside of St. John’s church for the doors to open so that we can all go in and see a reenactment of the 2nd Virginia Convention, we enjoyed a number of laughs with our good friend Brian Howell from Vision Forum.
Here I am with George Washington.
After the re-enactment at St. John’s church, we went to the Yorktown Battlefield where the Colonial Army finally pushed Cornwallis to surrender during the Revolutionary War.
Here is our group at Redoubts 9 and 10, where the Colonial assault was made against the British fortifications.
In this picture a couple of fifers from Colonial Williamsburg led our group in the singing of Chester.
Next we did a reenactment of the battle. In this picture, Mr. Potter waits for his British recruits.
CHARGE!
One of the Colonial soldiers was hit by a British bullet, and it took the nurses about 15 minutes to bring him back to consciousness. :-)
Sunday afternoon we went to Sherwood Forest (home of the Tylers), where we were able to meet Harrison Tyler, who is the grandson of John Tyler, 10th president of the United States. This is actually the real life grandson, not an impersonator. One somewhat odd sounding fact about him, is that he had a 2nd cousin who died in Pickets Charge during the Civil War!
Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin brought their harps, which they played for Harrison Tyler in front of his house.
The next day we went to Mount Vernon, where we saw a Long Fence. Entirely inconsequential I might add.
On the lawn between Mount Vernon and the Potomac we listened to Mr. Phillips and Mr. Potter.
In the book store I walked up to this painting of George Washington just as the fire alarm went off (notice the bell and light right above the picture). Needless to say, I jumped more than a few feet.
After our time at Mount Vernon we visited Arlington Cemetery. Here we saw the graves of many heroic people, including Audi Murphy who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his brave deeds during World War II. The movie “To Hell and Back” is about Audi Murphy. The actor that plays Audi Murphy in the movie, is Audi Murphy himself!
At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, we saw the changing of the guard. That was amazing.
Here is a picture of our family in front of the Marine’s Memorial where we went after Arlington Cemetery.
After the Marine’s Memorial we dropped by the Jefferson Memorial, and then headed to Union Station where I had an excellent burger.
At Monticello on Independence Day.
Joseph and Josiah climbing a tree in the gardens of Monticello.
Here’s our group under that same tree a little while later, listening to Mr. Phillips.
That night we went to Williamsburg where we watched the fireworks. Here’s the fife and drum corps that played just before the fireworks started.
Oooo…
Ahhh…
Actually there was no "Oooing" and "Ahhing." It was more like “WOW”! It was a great fireworks show.
The last day of the tour touched on the War Between the States. Here we are at Pamplin Park, observing a canon demonstration.
Boom!
Some of us were enlisted into the army, and got some practice loading and firing muzzle loading rifles. Here they are loading the paper cartridges into the barrel.
Here they are ramming the charge down the barrel.
And here they are practicing firing one row at a time, while the other row loads.
That evening came the closing banquet.
This picture is at the closing banquet where Mr. Phillips is handing out awards to certain people who answered trivia questions correctly.
Joshua was also asked to present Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech, which he memorized for a reenactment of the 2nd Virginia Convention that we do every spring during our Liberty Day Celebration.
After the closing banquet, the hours ran late. Everyone enjoyed the last evening of conversation and fellowship before the tour was over.
Overall, it was an excellent tour.
That weekend, after the tour, we went to the Brown’s house in North Carolina where we had an excellent weekend of fun, fellowship, and relaxation. Unfortunately I only have a couple extremely boring pictures from the Browns with me right now (I accidentally left almost all of the pictures from the Browns, on the memory card at home). Anyway, I guess you’ll just have to be content with pictures of us doing things like looking at wave audio editors on the computer, checking email, and lounging around playing with digital cameras.
Thank you Browns so much for opening your home to us! We all had a great time.
After the weekend with the Browns, we went to Vision Forum’s “History of the World Mega-Conference”. That was excellent! Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures from that conference, but it was an excellent event!
We got home from the History of the World conference Monday morning (a few days ago) at around 1:00 am, and then we left for Arizona around 2:00pm that afternoon.
We are now in our hotel room at the Double Tree Inn and Suites in Phoenix, AZ. The trip down here to Arizona went great! We enjoyed listening to a number of CD’s from the History of the World conference, including “The Vikings; Their Laws, Culture, and Conquests” by Col. John Eidsmoe, “The History of Libraries and Books” by William Potter, “The Crusades” by Dr. George Grant, “Islam and the Modern World” by Dr. George Grant, and “The Puzzle of Ancient Man” by Doug Phillips.
Well, that’s all for now! Be sure to check back for pictures and an update from this trip later.
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...
Yes! We finally made it over the hill, and the AC is back on. Well, let’s get back to the the original purpose of this blog post, and start our recap of the events of the past few weeks. Let’s go back to three weeks ago, and the beginning of Vision Forum’s Faith and Freedom Tour. The tour started on the evening of June 28, with an opening banquet. Thursday morning we headed out for Jamestown Island…
Here’s part of our group at the first stop on the Tour. We are all sitting in front of the tricentennial monument at Jamestown Island.
From there we went to the John Smith statue which is also on Jamestown Island.
Throughout the week, Joshua ran the sound/recording equipment.
From the John Smith statue we went to the first church in Jamestown. The tower on the front of this church is the original brick and mortar structure, which is still standing to this day. Here we are inside the church.
Lunch time! Joseph is pulling some of the lunches to the lawn where everyone is going to eat.
After lunch we headed to Jamestown Settlement. Here, a few of the group stayed behind in the A/C. Of which were a number of our family, Anna Sofia Botkin, Mrs. Phillips, and Providence Phillips.
While we were talking inside the visitor center, Providence Phillips fell asleep, so I got to carry him around for about an hour before he woke up. Here he is on my shoulder in a very deep sleep.
Someone brought their Lego Sponge Bob along with them, and they were getting their picture taken everywhere together.
That evening we went to the Glass House. Wow! I had never seen glass made before. That was neat.
The next morning we went to Williamsburg. Here we are on the green in front of the Governors Palace hearing about the Great Awakening.
Jessica and Joanna enjoying the gardens behind the Governor's Palace.
Joseph and Josiah behind the Governor's Palace near the “Canal”, looking at the fish.
That night we met an incredible Patrick Henry impersonator. He was GREAT!
In this picture Jubilee Phillips is on her way forward in the bus, after teasing me about having taken her seat on the bus earlier in the day.
Here we are at Scotchtown (Patrick Henry’s home) listening to Mr. Phillips.
While waiting outside of St. John’s church for the doors to open so that we can all go in and see a reenactment of the 2nd Virginia Convention, we enjoyed a number of laughs with our good friend Brian Howell from Vision Forum.
Here I am with George Washington.
After the re-enactment at St. John’s church, we went to the Yorktown Battlefield where the Colonial Army finally pushed Cornwallis to surrender during the Revolutionary War.
Here is our group at Redoubts 9 and 10, where the Colonial assault was made against the British fortifications.
In this picture a couple of fifers from Colonial Williamsburg led our group in the singing of Chester.
Next we did a reenactment of the battle. In this picture, Mr. Potter waits for his British recruits.
CHARGE!
One of the Colonial soldiers was hit by a British bullet, and it took the nurses about 15 minutes to bring him back to consciousness. :-)
Sunday afternoon we went to Sherwood Forest (home of the Tylers), where we were able to meet Harrison Tyler, who is the grandson of John Tyler, 10th president of the United States. This is actually the real life grandson, not an impersonator. One somewhat odd sounding fact about him, is that he had a 2nd cousin who died in Pickets Charge during the Civil War!
Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin brought their harps, which they played for Harrison Tyler in front of his house.
The next day we went to Mount Vernon, where we saw a Long Fence. Entirely inconsequential I might add.
On the lawn between Mount Vernon and the Potomac we listened to Mr. Phillips and Mr. Potter.
In the book store I walked up to this painting of George Washington just as the fire alarm went off (notice the bell and light right above the picture). Needless to say, I jumped more than a few feet.
After our time at Mount Vernon we visited Arlington Cemetery. Here we saw the graves of many heroic people, including Audi Murphy who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his brave deeds during World War II. The movie “To Hell and Back” is about Audi Murphy. The actor that plays Audi Murphy in the movie, is Audi Murphy himself!
At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, we saw the changing of the guard. That was amazing.
Here is a picture of our family in front of the Marine’s Memorial where we went after Arlington Cemetery.
After the Marine’s Memorial we dropped by the Jefferson Memorial, and then headed to Union Station where I had an excellent burger.
At Monticello on Independence Day.
Joseph and Josiah climbing a tree in the gardens of Monticello.
Here’s our group under that same tree a little while later, listening to Mr. Phillips.
That night we went to Williamsburg where we watched the fireworks. Here’s the fife and drum corps that played just before the fireworks started.
Oooo…
Ahhh…
Actually there was no "Oooing" and "Ahhing." It was more like “WOW”! It was a great fireworks show.
The last day of the tour touched on the War Between the States. Here we are at Pamplin Park, observing a canon demonstration.
Boom!
Some of us were enlisted into the army, and got some practice loading and firing muzzle loading rifles. Here they are loading the paper cartridges into the barrel.
Here they are ramming the charge down the barrel.
And here they are practicing firing one row at a time, while the other row loads.
That evening came the closing banquet.
This picture is at the closing banquet where Mr. Phillips is handing out awards to certain people who answered trivia questions correctly.
Joshua was also asked to present Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech, which he memorized for a reenactment of the 2nd Virginia Convention that we do every spring during our Liberty Day Celebration.
After the closing banquet, the hours ran late. Everyone enjoyed the last evening of conversation and fellowship before the tour was over.Overall, it was an excellent tour.
That weekend, after the tour, we went to the Brown’s house in North Carolina where we had an excellent weekend of fun, fellowship, and relaxation. Unfortunately I only have a couple extremely boring pictures from the Browns with me right now (I accidentally left almost all of the pictures from the Browns, on the memory card at home). Anyway, I guess you’ll just have to be content with pictures of us doing things like looking at wave audio editors on the computer, checking email, and lounging around playing with digital cameras.
Thank you Browns so much for opening your home to us! We all had a great time.
After the weekend with the Browns, we went to Vision Forum’s “History of the World Mega-Conference”. That was excellent! Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures from that conference, but it was an excellent event!
We got home from the History of the World conference Monday morning (a few days ago) at around 1:00 am, and then we left for Arizona around 2:00pm that afternoon.
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We are now in our hotel room at the Double Tree Inn and Suites in Phoenix, AZ. The trip down here to Arizona went great! We enjoyed listening to a number of CD’s from the History of the World conference, including “The Vikings; Their Laws, Culture, and Conquests” by Col. John Eidsmoe, “The History of Libraries and Books” by William Potter, “The Crusades” by Dr. George Grant, “Islam and the Modern World” by Dr. George Grant, and “The Puzzle of Ancient Man” by Doug Phillips.
Well, that’s all for now! Be sure to check back for pictures and an update from this trip later.
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