Pick Your Own Sweet Corn

Aunt Vicky and Cousin Stephanie took us to Alstede Farm. We got to go on the hay wagon, and pick our own sweet corn.

Not ever having grown my own corn before, we learned that the ear of corn actually grows about a foot off the ground, even though the corn plant itself grows to be taller than me. I can see why there are corn mazes, too. While we were in the corn fields, we really had to depend on our hearing to be able to locate one another. That is cousin Stephanie with Nathan in the photo.

The weather was clear, but very cold! The ride on the hay wagon, especially over some open fields, made me wish I had a hat and gloves on. Brrrr! I think it was about 40 degrees or so.

After picking corn, we had homemade ice cream in the little shop on the farm. Aaron had smurf ice cream. Yes, it is blue, and yes, it is actually called smurf ice cream. It was actually very delicious - blueberry ice cream with marshmallow cream. Yummmmmm.

Stephanie also picked out some apple cider doughnuts (apple cider from the apples on the farm) which we had for dessert last night. The doughnuts are soft, moist, and not very sweet - and perfumed with the taste of apples. The mug that I chose to put my milk in just cracks me up. Funny, no?

Jockey Hollow

The roam schooler in me got so excited about this place!!!

Dave's aunt took us to Jockey Hollow National Park in Morristown, New Jersey. It is where George Washington and 10,000 soldiers spent the long, cold winter of 1779-1780 during the Revolutionary War. There are still some soldiers' quarters (cabins built by them) at the park. They are 14' by 16' and would house 12 men. It was so cool to see the cabins, and to think about the feet of those brave men from the past walking around that very area! The boys marveled at how the cabins were constructed like Lincoln Logs, without any nails, and on a downhill slope so that precipitation would drain.

We also got to try the costumes that look like clothing from that time period, and watched a short film in the visitor's center about that historic winter.

We had originally hoped to go to DC, but it is not going to happen on this trip. I am glad we still got a taste of American history :-).

Greetings from the east coast!

We are having a wonderful, restful time on the East Coast. We spent our first few days in Harvey Cedars, a beach town off the coast of New Jersey. It is actually on this sand bar - it looks like a finger of land surrounded on both sides by water. It was gorgeous - but the weather changed the next day, and it became bone chillingly cold (at least for this California girl) and windy. Still stunning, though.

We were at Harvey Cedars Bible Conference to attend a retreat. All of the kids had a blast, and I was able to attend most of the sessions since they all happily went to their respective classes. Even Lily was content to be in her little toddler class after I would stick around and get her settled in. It was a rich time, and I received a lot from the ministry time.

After the retreat, we stayed at our friends' home in Montvale, New Jersey. The Chens are such dear friends of ours - Dave and Daniel go back probably 25 years. Our kids had so much fun staying with them and playing with their kids every day (and we are going back tomorrow to their house). See them ready to save the world in their various vehicles?

Do you like photo of the magnet I saw on a friend's refrigerator over here? Tee hee. Dave concedes that it is true in our family :-).

Lastly, the kids are refreshed by te discovery of so many insects here. Praying mantids as long as their hand, and woolly bear caterpillars. Of course they want to take all of them home, but reality checks and they know it is not possible.

More later. We are at Aunt Vicky's house now in Morristown, and I have to get ready for the day :-).