Saturday 4th of July--Williamsburg

Saturday, the 4th of July, was the day we had set aside to spend at Williamsburg. What better way to celebrate the independence of our nation than at the place where it all began? The only problem here is that I really really wanted to spend more than 1 full day at Williamsburg. So I went into the day with a teeny tiny bit of a bad attitude that we were here but that there was no possible way to see everything.

Our first stop was the brickmakers. See the lady stomping through the clay? Can you imagine doing that all day long? And let me tell you that clay is messsssyyy!! This would not have been the job for me:)

Next stop...the Cabinetmaker. We all had fun trying to find the hidden compartments in this desk. Furniture was routinely made with hidden cubbies to stash your precious papers and such. You were supposed to dig through the desk and find all it's treasures. It was a very hands on experience. But yet I did have one mother give me the evil eye because my kidlets were touching the antique desk! bet her kiddo's didn't have much fun if they weren't allowed to have the hands on experiences that Williamsburg provides.

The printing press. This was very informative and popular!! It was so crowded in this room. The lady explained how customers were pretty much rich men only--because that is who could read!! It was amazing to me how she had to ink up each individual letter!! Oh my...it was like font Heaven...if you like that sort of thing. And we all know I do:)

This was simply amazing!! They read the Declaration of Independence off of the balcony of the Capitol Building. Talk about emotional. There wasn't a dry eye around us. Big biker dudes had tears rolling down their cheeks just like the little old lady's!! It was a really beautiful moment and I felt so blessed that I could share in it with my kids. The cheers and chants were after each sentence was read really made all of us feel proud to be American.


When the reading was over the Fifes and Drums marched through the streets and the crowd and townspeople followed. Asher lived for seeing the Fifes and Drums so this particularly exciting for him.

We took a tour through the capitol building. This is where trials and such would take place. It was a gorgeous building. Full of beautiful antique furniture amidst amazing architecture. Right up my alley!!


The Blacksmith's It was hot and filthy in here.
Everyone is worn out and Maia especially is full of complaints:) It was hard not to get irritated with them so I just went ahead and got irritated! Good thing Andy and I balance each other out so well. He was able to readjust my perspective pretty quickly:)The church. It looked gorgeous from the outside however I never did get to see the inside. It was open to the public the day before.
Maia in her hat. She HAD to have this hat. She would DIE without this hat:) We got to go inside the general store to buy it and that part of it made me very happy. The general store smelled exactly like my Great Grandma Ruth's house. I haven't smelled that smell in 30 years but as soon as the first waft hit my nose I stopped dead in my tracks. And bawled. In the middle of the general store. It was out of sheer happiness I assure you. It was like I had regained a very special piece of my childhood. I also enjoyed talking with the proprietor of the general store. At one point he asked me where we were from and I replied Ohio. He looked at me like I had 2 heads and proceeded to tell me had never heard of it!! I should've said Schoennbrun as Ohio was most certainly not a state back then!! DUH:)Asher with his much coveted gun. I don't know I almost think he looks more like a pirate here. Pretty scary either way though.After dinner and a pear cider we headed out to find some trinkets and treasures for me to bring home. The kids had all bought souvenirs but I was yet to pick anything up. I had my heart set on charms for my charm bracelet. I found them and then some. I also picked up a Christmas ornament. How fun will it be to reminisce about our trip throughout the Holiday season?

It was getting late so we headed out to find a good spot to watch the fireworks. Maia and Asher were NOT looking forward to the overhead display. Lucky for them we had quite a wait. In the meantime a little boy named Conrad was very very eager to make friends with my kids. Conrad was very difficult to understand and quite a handful to boot. It didn't take us long to figure out that he was different. Very different. I don't know if he had ADHD or autism...I'm leaning very heavily towards a combination of both. The boy was sweet and demanding all at the same time. Isaac picked up on it right away. Isaac seems to gravitate towards people who need a place to fit in. He was so incredibley kind and gentle with this boy. They played for well over an hour and the entire time Isaac was beyond amazing. Like I said this boy was very difficult to understand but Isaac was patient and completely tuned in to him. I sat there with tears in my eyes my mother heart swelling with pride!! I do have to say that I was scared to death he would make some comment about "Germans". He is WWII obsessed I tell ya!! And he has been spouting off that the "Germans" are coming after us in all his play scenarios. Conrad's mother was very clearly German through and through. Thankfully we did not offend them.
I managed to snap a future blackmail picture. All mommies need one of these pics right?Finally the fireworks started. Maia hid behind Andy and Asher ran down the street shreiking. Never fear he ran right into the arms of a STRANGER!! That's right he let some unknown woman comfort him as opposed to me. He wouldn't let me NEAR him!! Thankfully she was a mommy herself and very kind. I felt like a complete loser though:( It was surreal watching the sky light up in celebration above the same houses that were standing when our country first began. It made me wonder how those men and women who fought so hard to establish this country would feel about what we've become. I'm sure they would have moments of tremendous pride and also disappointment. The whole thing brought me to tears. Yes tears again. It was an emotional day.After the fireworks the Fifes and Drums marched back out with torches and the mob of people followed them through streets. All singing the Star Spangled Banner. Yep more tears. But it wasn't just me making a fool of myself. EVERYBODY was sobbing. I have never seen anything like it before!!

Asher wanted nothing more than to see the drummers but it was impossible through the crowd. Right before we headed out the door I spotted these young men and they were kind enough to pose for a picture. After their mom and dad said they would be happy to :) Totally cracked me up! The momma had tears running down her face as this is her boys last year participating in this wonderful event. I think all momma's can sympathize...we've all felt the passing of time.

This is Asher at the end of the night. I think we ALL felt as bad as he looked by the time we made it back to the hotel:)