COSI Museum and Historic Roscoe village

On waking up on our second day we ventured downtown Columbus to the phenomenal and kind of big COSI Museum (http://www.cosi.org/ ). This Museum is definitely geared towards children of all ages but after visiting all the levels, and most of the museum, except the 3D movie theatres it was worth the visit. We were blessed to not have to pay admission due to being members of the Indiana State Museum. There is a link between some state museums called the Passport Program (link here: http://www.cosi.org/files/File/ASTCPassportProgram.pdf ) . This sure helped us out. There were 2 3D movies at the time of our visit but we did not have the time in our 8 hour day to watch either of them. One was on Whales and Dolphins and the other on The Titanic. We hope to visit the Titanic exhibit when it comes to the Indiana State Museum.

COSI Museum had a special area for the toddlers and no child over 3 was allowed to visit. There were lots of interactive things for Andy to participate in in this area. When about an hour had passed and it came time to move to the next exhibit we had a few tantrums to get through.

I can not honestly remember all the different things that we saw in there, although there was a special exhibit that only teachers who attended that day got to see. As I had registered for the teacher conference that day we got the opportunity to visit the Valley of the Unknown. Inside here we were given a map and clues to find, and tried to solve each part of the ancient language message on our map. At the end we entered the Temple and found the treasure. My son Dan was in his element as he searched for the clues, and eagerly looked for anything else we needed to know. He had fun. This exhibit was a trial run that was officially being opened to the public later this year.

Our day at the Museum was so fun and over too soon. We will go back on another mini vacation and see what they have changed and enjoy what has not!


Roscoe Village, Coshocton, Ohio

We travelled a few hours NorthEast from Columbus to Roscoe Village ( http://www.roscoevillage.com/ ). Here is a small colonial town which dates back to the 1800's. There are Living History Exhibit Buildings all over the tiny town but we did not have time to purchase the tour through all the buildings that they visit. Our toddler would not have done very well with all the walking too. The buildings look interesting but are only opened with a tour guide especially during out of season times. The main tourist office for the village does have a small shop attached to it , as well as an educational center inside. The children tried on hats and clothes from the 1800's and played with some of the toys that would have been popular in that day and time.

We walked across a park area to the place where we boarded our Canal boat for an hour's ride on a restored boat from the 1800's. This ride was quite a treat for my son and I as we had studied the Erie Canal last fall and enjoyed reading about the families and businessmen that had built and used the canal. It cemented a lot of the information that we had read about. the walk between the Visitor's Center and the Canal Boat Ride is far so it is advised to drive especially if you have small children.

Once we had returned to the Visitors Center a storm was brewing and we had to walk back to our vehicle. This entailed more walking as we were parked at the other end of the village. Of course we took it in turns to carry an extremely tired 3 year old. He then started eating his lunch in the van and promptly fell fast asleep in the middle of his third bite of food, and no sooner was he asleep than the heavens opened, and we were all rocked around in our van by thunder, lightning and rain. We were reasonably safe but on driving out of the village realized how severe the straight line winds had been in that storm. Giant trees, medium sized trees and debris were everywhere on the roads - it was amazing what power the winds had that day!

Roscoe Village is somewhere to visit if your children are studying Colonial America, the Erie Canal, or life in the 1800's. We wished we had more time to visit but glad that we saw what we did!

Ok the pic at the top of the post is me all dressed up in Colonial clothing - whew it was hot!


On the way home we stopped by an amazing Ice Cream shop. Velvet Ice Cream (http://velveticecream.com/ ) make their own ice cream on site, with a viewing window to see into the processing room, as well as a cafe to sample some of their wares and they ship all over the USA too.

It was a fun and exciting day filled with learning experiences and some fun ones to fill our bellies with!

Vacation Highlights August 2010

We decided to stay at a Homewood Suites Hotel in Columbus located on the Northwest side of the city. It was fairly central to all the places we had planned to visit. We like these hotels as there is a light evening meal provided between 4-7pm, especially for the businessman or family I presume. Breakfast is a full breakfast with a cooked selection as well as the usual cereals and breads. We figure that the cost of eating dinner out with 4 of us ordering plus a cheaper hotel and dingy Continental breakfast, equals or or is more than staying at Homewood Suites. The evening meals I must say are only Monday through Thursday. The breakfasts are great no matter what and definitely fresh fruit is a big draw for our family. We had a King Suite with sofa bed. The suites are ideal for a small family like ours, we could fit nicely and could utilize the kitchen that they provide in the rooms too.

Our first day we drove down to "The Wilds" situated near Cumberland, Ohio. We had visited this game park before when Daniel and Brendon were much smaller. It is a touch of Africa in the middle of Ohio for me. Hopefully we can go back every few years. The Wilds has a wide range of animals, insects, amphibians and birds to see. No two days are the same say the bus and game truck drivers. One can tour on an air conditioned bus, an open-air safari or an individual jeep ride, depending on your level of comfort and pocket book!

There are animals from Africa, China, other Asian countries, and others found in the United States that have become endangered. I love to see my favourites like giraffes, zebras and rhino in the wild. I do not like seeing them caged in a zoo. At The Wilds you can view them in a natural setting with trees, grasses, birds, and insects all around them! It is an awesome place to visit.

There are camping experiences that you can have there too, stay in a yurt, or perhaps next summer book your child in for a really educational week to stay at The Wilds in a tent, and help them gather data on their animals and birds. We have found the day visit is a good start and really educational. We hope next time to be able to ride in an open air jeep to give our children more of the feel of being in the wild. I am not sure if I will ever get them back to my wonderful Africa. There are Family and Adult Camps available too throughout the year

Here is a link to their website if you want to go on over and peruse it http://thewilds.org/ . I put a picture at the top of my boys with the overlook and view behind them.


This is the first day and there is more to come!

Vacation Summer 2010

I decided it has been forever since I updated everyone on our lives. It has been a busy summer with us continuing to homeschool throughout only taking breaks for our week of vacation during August and a week in June for VBS.

Our vacation/holiday this year was overshadowed by a very sad event. My husband's stepmom passed away on our first day that we were away. We knew she was very ill as her cancer had progressed substantially this summer, but thought she would fight a little longer. She declined quickly the week before we left and somehow the Lord prompted or warned me that she was not going to make it. We decided to take our family away even though we did not know when she would pass away.

On arrival at our hotel in Columbus I checked my email briefly after taking our oldest son out to dinner for his birthday. The dreaded message we had been waiting for was right there in front of my eyes to see. I wished I had had no access to the email that week at all because we were in the land of should we/shouldn't we go back for the funeral. This funeral was in Monroe, Wisconsin jsut a few days later which would have been a 14 hour drive for us with 2 young children!

We heard when the funeral was the day before and decided we would not have time to drive all the way and be exhausted. We think it was a good decision and we are blessed to know that even though we were missed, no-one was mad at us!

I will post about our vacation spots in the next post so keep on reading if you are interested.

How Much Time Did you Give Him Today?

James 4:17 was the scripture I read a few weeks back probably 2 months ago. It prompted me to do some soul searching, thinking and challenging myself.

I found these notes that I had written out of my daily QT reader.

Reprioritize how you use your time, bringing new life to yourself and those around you.

EVERY DAY, YOU TOO LEAVE BEHIND LASTING FOOTPRINTS ALONG THE PATH OF YOUR LIFE. WHAT DO OTHERS SEE IN THEM? MANAGE WELL THE TIME YOU HAVE; DON'T LET TIME MANAGE YOU.

God has placed you in this earthly realm for a brief season, and you need to use the knowledge that you have to deliberately order your steps. make them count in the lives of others daily.

If you have difficult circumstances Seek the Lord - then Worship Him in unwavering trust that He will rescue you! He does know, He can see you all the time. He can touch your heart, and life right where you are now, whether it be at work, in your home, in a coffee shop, or sitting in your car. He loves you, He needs you to love Him back.

UNWAVERING WORSHIP FOR YOUR GOD AND KING! That is all He asks you to do....

I hope the above Word from the Lord blesses you as much as it did me.

Thank you God for the wonderful gift of your son Jesus Christ.

Rhema Marvann

I just listened to the most awesome little girl on You Tube. I was referred by a friend of mine's post. It is so beautiful to hear a young child praise the Lord with a pure heart and not because she is told to do it.

http://www.rhemamarvann.com/


There are some songs on her website and some on You Tube as well. She blessed my heart today to hear her singing. Be Blessed!

Farmers Markets

Hi there,

We are homeschooling, playing in the pool and are done with VBS as well as all our tennis and swimming lessons too. It has been a busy June and July. We are leaving for vacation soon for a week but I would like to post about some things I love best.

The month of August is known nation wide as the harvest month, and bumper crops of zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes and corn are coming in by the droves. When selecting at the farmers markets be sure to get the least bruised looking items. Sometimes the vendors if I know them well will give me a reduced price for the produce if it is damaged and then I just blend it up into fruit or veggie rollups. I have a dehydrator so after the produce or fruit is blended I put it in the dehydrator and about 6 hours later I have a preserved harvest. Of course it usually gets wrapped in plastic wrap(yes I do use it occasionally), and stored in the freezer. When we leave on a day trip I have a handy snack which is nutritious and healthy and yummy for the boys.

Our local farmers market in Cumberland, IN is having a Arts Festival in August. Here is a link to the page where you can find the information.

http://cumberlandfbc.org/Cumberland%20Arts%20goes%20to%20Market%202010.htm

Our family attended last year. We found some neat deals on Christmas gifts, as well as did our usual shopping at the Farmers Market at the same time. The boys and I listened to some neat classical and jazz music in the big tent whilst snacking on our lunch. It does not have to cost anything to attend just don't buy too many things when you are there. You will get an idea of the local vendors in and around Cumberland and Greenfield, IN and enjoy some time with your family.

No I don't get paid for this but just would like you to have an enjoyable day! I met some wonderful people who had exhibits up last year and the boys had a fun and exhausting day.

I will put a button somewhere on here on the blog soon.

Change, change and More Change

It has been a very busy month for us. We have experienced lots of running around to swimming and tennis lessons, park dates with our Homeschool friends, a fabulous ride on Thomas the Tank Engine in Connersville, In and also some changes.

The church that we were attending is now closed. The pastor felt led to close the church down for various reasons. It has been a difficult two weeks adjusting to the thought of not seeing folks who we have become friends with over the last 3 years. This church is also the last place where Brendon attended services before he passed away. The thought of not being in touch regularly is difficult as that is a way for us to remember Brendon. People say they will never forget him but I do know from experience that does not last.

My husband and I are on a new journey now to find a church home which is a family orientated church. To us, that means a place where the children are in the service with us and not separated. I believe the children are supposed to be with their parents as their teachers and monitor what they are receiving from others. That is hard to do if you are not in the same room as the child!

We have been a family that is careful what our children watch on TV, Video and DVD, and where they go on the Internet. I have noticed my children are aware of more of the sin that is around them than I thought. My oldest has pointed out that David and Bathsheba definitely did the wrong thing before getting married. Now it looks like I am going to have to look into some early adolescence counselling and training.

My grief journey is very slow at the moment. I go over one hump and back over two. I know I am progressing but ever so slowly and then I get frustrated with that. I have made a start on the book that I am writing, its on paper for right now and will transfer to the computer sometime. Yes I do know that heaven is going to be manifested soon and so will be the opportunity to see my child there, but I am living every day with a huge gap in my home that I am still getting used to.

We are due to have a family vacation sometime soon, whilst also praying in anticipation for Walt's step-mom who is going through the final stages of fighting ovarian cancer. We do not know when she will pass on but we are thinking it may be sooner than we thought. I do not like attending funerals at the moment but at least we have talked a few times on the phone and she seems to be okay. Some days are harder for her than others. She does live on her own. Please pray for Pat that she would not have pain but that when it comes time she would recognize the Lord's angel sent for her.

All these changes are taking place during a very hot and sweltering summer through which we continue to homeschool and enjoy the outdoor activities later in the day or earlier in the morning. I miss my work with the Homeschool crew but know that is was for a season, just like our church, and we are moving into a new stage of our lives.

My desire for the rest of this year is to not get caught up in the necessary evil of everyday tasks but to enjoy each day for itself. My boys would love it if I would not be so sticky to the schedule...especially on those cool summer days we could play outside all day. We look forward to a week of VBS with friends coming up and no school for those days. Thank you for your continued prayers over our family and our ever changing hearts.