Wrapping it all up

What a terrific trip! All of our ACA students behaved so well and were really outstanding role models for other groups around us. We are very thankful for all of the parents and family members who supported these students so that they could make this trip. Personally, this visit to D.C. made me fall in love with our country's history.



Sohailah showing us her ring....sparkle

 We want to say a special "thank you" to our tour guide, Sohailah. What a Godly lady! She shared amazing stories with us and took care of us like we were family.  She is getting married soon and we all wish her a huge CONGRATULATIONS!

Okay, 7th graders.....start the fundraising because you will not want to miss this opportunity next year!

Our Last Day (Tuesday, April 5)

Our very last day....most of us are really dragging but so thankful for the experience.

Paige snapped a great
photo of Jillian Michaels



Matt Lauer filming the Today Show

 We started by going to the NBC Studio for a tour. We had a few moments prior to our tour so we walked around a bit outside. Several of us watched the filming of the Today Show and saw Matt Lauer in person. Our group also got to see Curtis Stone (the Australian chef) because I almost ran right into him outside. Then, we saw Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser taping a segment. The boys got all giddy as she waved and smiled at them.



Jake at the Top of the Rock
- in the rain



The tour was a lot of fun as we got to see the stages where the Jimmy Fallon Show is filmed as well as Saturday Night Live. Kristin and John Michael even got to film a news and weather segment. They were great! Once we were done with our tour we went to the Top of the Rock...the Rockefeller Center. What a view!!! Even though it cloudy and rainy, you could still see so much.  Oh yeah...the weather was not very kind to us on this trip. We had about two days of some sunshine but most of the time, it was cold, wet and windy.





Jake, Jenna & Erica
playing the BIG piano

 We played around on Fifth Avenue looking in all the shops before meeting up on the famous Plaza Hotel. Several of us even went into FAO Schwartz and jumped on the BIG piano that was featured in the movie "Big". Then we were finally off to JFK for our long trip home. It was a heartfelt goodbye to Sohailah, our tour guide, and then a looooooooooong plane ride, with a stop in San Francisco.

Even though we got back to Ontario Airport at 11:45 p.m., it was really like 2:45 a.m. for us because of the time change. We were all tired, goofy, ready to be home, but most of all, thankful to God for such a wonderful experience and thankful for all of those who helped get us there.

If you have the opportunity to go on this trip, let me tell you from personal experience, it is worth it and something that you nor your child will ever forget!

New York City Here We Come (Monday, April 4)

Katelyn at Carlo's Bake Shop

We are so excited to see the city but we seem to be on a detour. We exited the freeway and it still said New Jersey...then it said welcome to Hoboken. I feel a surprise coming on.  That is exactly what happened. Our tour guide, Sohailah took us to Carlo's Bake Shop home of Cake Boss (which is a television show on TLC if you are not familiar). We were all so excited (although Mrs. Phillips and I already knew about it)! We all tasted some yummy treats and they were even filming while we were there.



Evanna with Lady Liberty

 We then proceeded to our NY Waterway tour which took us under the bridges and all around so we could see all of the amazing landmarks including the Statue of Liberty (which is also much smaller than expected), the Brooklyn Bridge and all of the city sites. New York is a very crowded city! We then grabbed a quick lunch at Pronto Pizza and proceeded to the World Trade Tour Museum. Okay...so this is where it finally got me. All of the other memorials were very interesting and honoring to our founding fathers, but this one....most of adults remember quite distinctly. Our kids were still quite young when this tragedy took place so their memories are limited. Most of the adults, however, walked away with a sense of sadness and an overall appreciation for the commitment of those who rescued so many.

It was "Time" to lighten things up. Next was our visit to Times Square (get it...). Anyway, try and picture this scenario. A very crowded Times Square, our kids looking around in awe and us adults trying to corral them in a close area so that we could keep tabs. STRESSSSSSSS! We made it through but it was work and we all had a great time. The group that I had went along with Mrs. Devore and Mrs. Yu and decided to ride the ferris wheel located inside....yes, that is INSIDE... of Toys R Us.  So much fun!!!



Ferdinand & Cameron enjoying dinner at Chevy's.

 After our time of shopping we met for dinner at Chevy's and then proceeded on to the Majestic to see Phantom of the Opera. It was fabulous! The actor that played the phantom was absolutely incredible and all the kids loved it. Needless to say, it was a late night and we were all exhausted.

Switching Cities X 2 (Sunday, April 3)

We are on the road to Philadelphia....and then to New York....all in one day! We began the day by traveling through Embassy Row in D.C. on our way to church. It wasn't just any church....it was the National Cathedral.  What an amazing building! The service was quite different than most of us are used to as it was much more traditional. The message was very good and the kids were quite surprised when we took communion with real wine. It was a memorable experience for all.



Independence Hall



Deanna by the Bell



We then hopped on the motorcoach and off we went to Philadelphia. After lunch we visited the National Constitution Center. This was a really cool museum with a lot of hands-on activities for the kids to enjoy. We then went to Independence Hall and stood in the actual room where our Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed. The awesomeness of that experience still resonates with me. After a short walk, we went into the museum to see the Liberty Bell. We all thought that the bell would have been much larger. In this museum, they had many items from the past years that had the liberty bell on it. One of those items was the butter wrapper that many of us adults grew up with. So upon mentioning that to a few students standing around me, Evanna responded, "that is really neat Mrs. Crocker....now that wrapper is in a museum". Suddenly I was feeling very old.  Love you Evanna!

One of the interesting items I noticed and many of the students caught throughout our visit in D.C. and now in Philadelphia is that with all of the scripture engraved on walls of the memorials and even on the Liberty Bell itself, how could anyone say that we were NOT founded upon Christianity?

Once again, we were hungry and went to dinner in Philadelphia at a restaurant called Buca di Beppo. The food was good and they had very interesting pictures on the walls.  I'll let you ask one of the kids for more details on that one. Off to New York!!! It was quick trip to Philly but we had more to see.

We arrived at our hotel just over the bridge from New York City in New Jersey. It was very nice and we were all ready for sleep.

Have you ever seen horizontal hail? (Saturday, April 2)

Well, we have!! But more about that in a minute. 

The President's birds dropped a
bomb on Mrs. Crocker's jacket.




Our kids in front of White House


After breakfast we ventured over to the White House and took a couple of pics in front of the gate. The day started out beautifully with partial blue skies and a brisk chill in the air. But I should have recognized the sign that things were going down hill (see pic for a better understanding).
Even though I was thoroughly disgusted, I got over it....eventually.

Mrs. Phillips offering her reflection in the
Memorial Wall for a great photo!

Our next stop was at the Vietnam Memorial. The memorial walls listed 58,000 names of soldiers who perished in this war. Another statue of three nurses helping a soldier was quite moving. The creators really captured the look of anguish they obviously felt at that time. 

The FDR Memorial was next and this area was surrounded with blooming cherry trees. This was soooo beautiful. The final quote on the wall was "Freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear."

The weather was still looking quite innocent but a slight wind, a very chilly wind, had started. 

Original Ruby Slippers from the Wizard of Oz

Original Da Vinci

Next was the Smithsonian Museums. We had a choice of the Air & Space, Natural History, or the American History museums. The students in the group headed by Mrs. Phillips and myself chose to go to the Air & Space and then the American History (which is ultimately were we ate lunch).

This is where the story changes. On our way to the Washington Monument....well, let me back up a bit. While our group was looking around the inside of the American History Museum (by the way, we got to see the original ruby slippers Dorothy wore on the Wizard of Oz - see pic), we noticed that many people coming into the museum were drenched. However, when we exited the museum to meet the rest of the group and go to the Washington Monument, the sun was out and no rain in sight.  We boarded the bus and were excited to see this outstanding monument. While in route, a very weird weather pattern developed which consisted of wind blowing HAIL sideways. Neither rain nor sleet nor snow will hold us back, however, from our grand adventure. We exit the bus, walk (with a vengeance) up to the Washington Monument and the guards are evacuating the building because of lightening. Now, I remind all of you that this day began with clear skies and a nice warm (well, almost) sun.

Our wonderful tour guide switched up the schedule and we went to the Holocaust Museum first and she promised we would try for the monument afterwards if there was still time and if they would honor our tickets. The Holocaust Museum has a very special part called Daniel's Story. The experience of the Holocaust was told from this Jewish boy's perspective as his whole life was changed and he ended up in Concentration Camp.

Mrs. Phillips standing at the WWII Memorial
and attempting to hold up the Washington Monument.
She's strong!

Once finished, we rushed back over to the Washington Monument. By the way, the skies were clear, bright blue and the sun was shining. We made it there very quickly and just got into the final trip up to the top before it closed. It was well worth it as the view was incredible! We are very grateful for our tour guide. Because she pushes us to walk quickly to places, we have been able to see so much. 

Before hitting dinner at Union Station, we got the opportunity to visit the WWII Memorial. This memorial has only been open a few years and is absolutely beautiful and honoring to the soldiers who fought and died for all of us. 

One of our final events of the day after dinner was traveling to the Capitol building and praying on the steps of our Nation's Capitol.  Many of our students prayed openly for our leaders, our President and the people in which they represent. We ended this time by singing Amazing Grace. Several students commented that this was their favorite part of the trip.

Back at the hotel, we all squeezed into Sohailah's (our tour guide) hotel room to watch the fireworks display celebrating the Cherry Blossom Festival (she had the only room that faced the direction of the show). 

Whew!!  We had a busy day and very strange weather. Tomorrow's adventures will soon be here....

(If you haven't seen any pics of a particular member or two from our group, please be patient. The kids have been taking so many pictures that it is been difficult to sort through them in the evenings. However, we will be making a CD with all of them for each family to enjoy.)

DUE TO THE LATE NIGHTS AND BUSYNESS OF THIS TRIP, MY BLOG ENTRIES ARE LAGGING. PLEASE BE PATIENT AND I WILL TRY AND CATCH UP.

He doesn't have wooden teeth!!



Sweetness!



Katelyn captured this beautiful pic

That was one of the things we learned today about George Washington when we visited his home at Mount Vernon. Such a beautiful estate for an outstanding man of God. We toured his house, the grounds and even saw two-week-old baby lambs. So sweet! This was where we encountered a very funny comment from one of our students..."you know, if you shave the sheep, you'll kill it." 

(We are definitely saving the list of "isms" for future enjoyment and use.)

 

Paige, Deanna & Jihyun at Mount Vernon

 

Brooke flashing a smile



After eating lunch in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, we had the privilege of visiting the Pentagon Memorial from 9/11. Most of the students were too young to remember this event when it happened back in 2001; however, for the adults, viewing this memorial brought back the realization of what happened on that morning and the impact it has taken on our country ever since.

  

Pentagon Memorial



Back on the bus, we returned to D.C. to see Ford's Theatre. This is the location where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. The theatre has been restored to its original condition and the Presidental box was fully decorated to represent that period of history.

Next on the agenda was a visit to the Jefferson Memorial. What a beautiful site especially with all of the cherry trees in bloom (we have more info on that tomorrow). When you stand on the top steps of the memorial and look inbetween the trees, you see that the White House has a direct view.

 

As you can tell, this was already a very busy day for us but we still had more to do and more to see. We hopped back on the bus and took a short drive over to the National Archives where we saw the ORIGINAL Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights as well as the Constitution. You could probably spend an entire week in this building alone! But you will not see any pics from here....not allowed.

It was then time for dinner. We ate at Fresco's Italian Eatery...very yummy. Our last two stops for the evening were at the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean Memorial. Many were amazed at the size of Lincoln's statue. He appeared quite large to those of us standing at the base. The Korean Memorial is quite something as the statues of the soldiers are life-sized. It truly helped all of us to develop a perspective on what our soldiers have sacrificed for us.



Olivia's pretty face on the bus

Tomorrow is another full day of D.C. treasures.  Catch you then...

 

 





Oooh, my aching feet..

Inside of the Library of Congress

Jacob, John Michael & James takin' a break


If you are wondering what we did on day two, I can sum it up in one word....WALK! First, we WALKED around outside and inside the Library of Congress. It was so amazing to see Thomas Jefferson's book collection - the books he actually read and had in his personal library. Delaney commented that she loved the masonry work of the inside and outside. Once you realize that every stone, every tile was hand-placed, it is something to appreciate.

Just an ordinary courthouse...NOT



Capitol dome



Jenna & Erica waiting for the tour



Before we WALKED to our nation's capitol, we were privileged to stand in front of the Supreme Court for a group photo as well as prayer. Once we were over by the Capitol, many of the students commented that the dome appears much larger when you are viewing it from the outside than when you see it on the inside. The detailing was just as incredible as the Library of Congress.  We had a special treat on the steps of the Capitol. The Chaplain to the Senate, Chaplain Barry Black, stopped by and spoke to our group for about 10 minutes. What a great man of God! He strongly encouraged the students to not only continue their education but stay in Christian education. He said that he was a product of Christian education from 1st grade all the way through seminary. This was a last minute add-on to our events but it truly made our day special. 

You may be asking, "what did you do next?"  Wait for it.....wait for it.... We WALKED to the bus after lunch and traveled to Arlington Memorial Cemetary. Just in case we did not get enough exercise in the morning, our journey around Arlington made up for it. We spent approximately three hours outside at Arlington seeing and appreciating this amazing place. (By the way, the temperature remained around 43 degrees tops with drizzle the whole day.) Although physically exhausting as well as a bit cold, this was such a tremendous experience for all of us. We witnessed the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and then Becky, John Michael, Deanna and Evanna participated in the wreath laying ceremony. This was especially poignant for John Michael because he has several family members buried at Arlington including his grandparents, great-grandparents and his great uncle. Another highlight was meeting John Michael's uncle, Dave Magness. Once we completed the ceremonies, we all proceeded to the area where their family members are buried. Mr. Magness brought small American flags for each of us to honor these family members as well as others in the general vicinity as an expression of our appreciation for their service. All of the students really seemed to understand and appreciate the magnitude of this opportunity.

Wreath Laying Ceremony



 

We then stopped at the Iwo Jima Memorial and WALKED around it. The kids were challenged to find the "extra" item on one of the soldiers. James pointed out the blanket on the belt of the soldier in the back. Ask your student, when we get home, the significance of that blanket. They should be able to tell you the story.



What do you get when you combine a blond,
redhead and brunette? Mrs. Devore, Mrs. Crocker and
Mrs. Phillips believing they are Charlie's Angels....
or perhaps we were just tired. You decide...



We then WALKED inside the Pentagon City Centre which is a really cool mall. This is where we ate dinner and relaxed for about an hour.



Our final quest of the day was WALKING around the Air Force Memorial.

So, did you catch the theme?  Needless to say, as I am typing this, I can confidently tell you that everyone else in our group is out like a light and I will be shortly. Thanks for staying with us and I will be checking back in tomorrow after we visit Mount Vernon.

Looks Like We Made It!



Ferdinand being goofy in the airport!



Flying the "bumpy" skies (going into Denver)



Becky & Mrs. Sieruga all smiles



Over the mountains and through the woods, the 8th grade class landed in Washington D.C.  With a short stop in Denver, Colorado and a change of planes, we arrived in D.C. around 6:30 p.m. (that would be 3:30 p.m. California time). Our tour guide's name is Sohailah and we are already enjoying her wealth of knowledge. Along with our bus driver, Larry, we drove around the monuments and capitol building to get an idea of what we would be seeing on Thursday.  Wow! The buildings are magnificient!



The kids have behaved beautifully and our flight attendants even commented on how polite and courteous our group was (they said that they have seen many groups who were not).  We are very grateful for such awesome ACA students and look forward to what God has for us tomorrow. Stay tuned...

 

Our awesome photographer Kristin along with Evanna

Say "Cheese" Delaney!

Mrs. Crocker & Mrs. Devore before their cup of morning java.



 

Departure Day - Wednesday, March 30

Yes....I know it is early. I feel your pain but we are on our way!!!

Welcome to Washington D.C., our nation's capital. We start with our orientation and thank God for the opportunity to learn about our country's godly foundations.

OOOOOH!! It is soooooo early.

Wow! It is early in the morning and we are set to travel to Washington D.C. today. Believe it or not, I'm actually up almost an hour before the alarm because of so many last minute things going through my mind. Mostly, though, I think it is just excitement. You see, just like most of the 8th grade students, I have never been to Washington D.C and I really look forward to seeing our nation's capitol and learning how God influenced our country's leaders in its establishment.

By this evening, we should have a few pictures posted from our first day of adventure. Stay tuned.....and follow us on our trip.

(Lord we just pray for your hand upon our entire trip and for your traveling mercies...)

Weather Forecast

Well, I just checked the weather forecast for D.C., Philadelphia and New York. While we will not be absolutely freezing (hopefully), it does not appear that we will be warm either.  The forecast shows that Wednesday through Friday, rain is likely and temperatures will be around 50 to 60 during the day. On Saturday, temperatures are supposed to be in the low to mid 60s with a bit of sunshine. On Sunday, we will be in Philadelphia where we will encounter the rain once again. For the final two days in New York, temperatures are expected to be in the 50s to 60s with showers.

Be sure to pack accordingly but we know that God could also bless us with clear skies. Those weather forecasts are often wrong!!!

D.C. Packing List

Have you started packing? Remember, you can have one suitcase and one carry on. I know for us girls it will be difficult to keep it to a minimum but I am up for the challenge.

We only have two more weeks!!!

Getting ready for the trip!!!

We are just three weeks away from our adventure. Get your packing list ready and lets begin the countdown!