Onward and northward! The story of the United States is all coming together.

We left DC and headed to New Jersey.  We stayed at a small Navy Weapons station and loved it there.  We had Kamryn's birthday there but it was hard for her to understand that her friends weren't around but she was determined to have friends there...so...we invited anyone we saw!  It was cute.  Kelly and I hung streamers and balloons and got her a Frozen cake.  She had a marvelous birthday as she started her day with cake.  We took her to Six Flags and made the day about her.

The 4 yr old blowing out her candles and eating cake for breakfast!

Birthday girl loving her day!

She loves riding this!

We ventured to New York City the next day and had a blast.  So much to see there.  Dave really had a blast when we started the history part of New York City.  Went to the place where George Washington took his Inaugural Oath, studied about New York City being the Nation's first capital, finances of the US and the Subtreasury, why Wall Street is called Wall Street.  The kids got to ride a passenger train and another subway.  It was a blast and the kids earned a few more badges.  On the way back to NJ, we met the director of the US National Parks Dept and had a great conversation.  He is going to send us a few things and gave us some great tidbits of info about a few places. 

One of the reflecting pools at the site of the World Trade Towers.



Such a beautiful site!.

Proud badge wearers after Castle Clinton.

The bull!

Ridiculous story about why this is cracked...

Badge earners from Federal Hall.  Quite a historic landmark. 

In Times Sqaure

Had a blast in Toys R Us NYC!

A part of Kamryn's birthday present. 

We thought the sign was rather fitting!  :)  (Happiness in the Big Apple)

We stayed at the base the next day and met some great folks.  One of the people that were there was next to us a while before at a different campground.  It was great; that makes the third campground that we have seen someone we have camped with before. We spent one day doing absolutely nothing and then headed further north.  We stayed in a Wal Mart campground that stated online, "RV are not allowed to stay overnight."  Kelly ended up calling them, for whatever reason, and they said that we could stay for the night.  We showed up there and went in to meet with the manager to let her know we were there.  She let us know that typically it is not allowed but if we had been told that we could, then so be it.  We talked for some time and we told her about how God had worked in our lives over the last few years.  We talked some more and she ended up asking if we needed anything because she just lived around the corner; she was great.  The kids went in later and bought her a card and wrote nice things in it about being so kind.  We had also met a family who was waiting on a tire for their RV...they were stuck there.  We chatted for a while and ended up playing kickball with them in the empty parking lot until bedtime!  We got up the next morning and said our goodbyes to them and exchanged info with them.  Kamryn got a bracelet from their daughter (and is still wearing it). They live in Boston and told us to call them when we are in town. 

The Lord answered prayers about the truck being broke and got us to Boston.  Met a young couple who has moved into an RV instead of being on base housing.  We have had numerous opportunities to help and get to know more about them and their children.  We have met dozens of folks here and had some great talks.  We have a couple next to us who have let the kids invade their space and treat them like family.  Dave has coffee with many of them some mornings and we meet them for fires many of the nights.  If we are around the campground, many of us are in a group sharing stories and helping each other out.  The kids have taken many opportunities to be "helpers" and serve.  It has been Good here and it is nice to see the kid's faces when others are so thankful to them.

The history here is more than amazing.  We have mostly shifted from the Civil War to the Revolution.  We have seen the spot of the Boston Massacre, where the Declaration was first read, the bridge where the colonists were first ordered to fire upon the British.  We have seen the steeple where the "1 if by land, 2 if by sea" happened, the place where Paul Revere was captured for a period, an Underground Railroad location.  We have seen the homes of great authors and literary places of importance like the home of the story of Little Women and The House of Seven Gables. We have seen the graves sites of so many pivotal people to include Sam Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, Paul Revere, and many of the "Sons of Liberty", the place of the "Boston Tea Party", Salem, Mass and the Armory, and the list goes on and on.  It is amazing to see the fortitude that the colonists had in completing a mission that was so important to them.  This nation could not have begun to exist as a nation without these battles, the beliefs and the losses, and the stories that go along with it all.  It is even more overwhelming to be here over the 4th of July.  We have taken the opportunity to learn so much more about our country that we ever could have in any books!  Zachary read a non-fiction book about Nathaniel Bowditch for his schoolwork and when we went to Salem, he was able to see the places and history that was talked about in the book.  He really enjoyed that.  The kids have continued to earn their Jr Ranger badges and are proud to have now visited more than 20 National Parks.  For the 4th, we stayed around here, hung out with folks, BBQ'd and sat around the fire and did s'mores.  Also watched the fireworks over Boston and were happy to be here! 

North Gate Bridge where the "Shot heard around world" happened. 

After the battle at North Gate Bridge, the colonists buried the British soldiers who died. 

The kids enjoying numerous answers to their numerous questions. 

The grave of Sam Adams at Granary Burying Ground. 

The gravesite of Paul Revere.

 

The site of the Boston Massacre

The site of the Boston Massacre and the first place the Declaration of Independence in Boston.

Taking a break from being tourists and playing house. 

Salem fun time. 

The USS Friendship that we toured.  A ship like that in which Nathaniel Bowditch would have navigated.

Gravesite of family members of Nathaniel Bowditch that Zachary studied.

Proud of their badges at the first NHS.

Playing an intense game of marbles!

Learning how a tinsmith completed their work.  She wanted to have a "date" with daddy...it was a wonderful date!

Pretending to be a tinsmith.

So proud of her accomplishment!

The steeple which was used to notify "one if by land and two if by sea" as stated by Longfellow. 

Silly faces at the bowling alley!

After much prayer, we have been contacted and have our first assignment with YWAM.  We will be serving in Virginia in the beginning of Aug for a lengthy period of time.  We are excited to see how God is going to continue to work up until, and after we arrive.  Again tonight, I was able to share our story with a neighbor and how God is revealing His plan for us and the story never gets old.  People are excited to meet our family and to hear how we are able to serve and love on others.