Monday morning very early we left for Belleville, PA, Mom, Madi and I. We took turns driving and sleeping and arrived to our destination early evening. The Belleville church and school sit on the same yard, and the teacherage where we stayed is right behind the church so it was a great setup. Monday night was supper at church and we met the girls and fellow workshop leaders. We got to know each other abit through intros made at the front of church after supper, and then dispersed to our houses for night.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings at 9 we began with devotions followed by either a lecture or workshops. We had the lower grade workshop with 15 girls in it. On the 3 days of classes, we discussed classroom structure, procedures, discipline, teaching tips, and each of the girls had to get up and teach part of a lesson. They did so good! It is so fun to see each of their unique teaching styles and ways they would deal with things. From the first day to the last you can see them come out of their shells more and ask questions and it is so cool. It’s always an inspiration for mom and i to teach this class because we get inspired by hearing the girls’ ideas and enthusiasm. We had break partway through the morning, then lectures or workshop, lunch, more lectures or workshop, afternoon break, lectures or workshop, and supper, usually with a lecture after supper. Very full days and the mental energy of the girls and us at the end of each day was pretty low!

Wednesday and Thursday mornings, Mom, Madi, and I went to a little breakfast place called “Taste of the Valley” and had coffee and blueberry baked oatmeal with cream and it was delicious. Wednesday after breaky we stopped at a farm market in our Sunday clothes and walked around looking at shoofly pies and quilts and handmade soaps. It was interesting. Belleville itself was so so pretty. Its buildings are all quite old and even the gas station building doesn’t look like a gas station. Coming into the valley you come over big hilly ridges full of trees and overlook a rolling green valley with old houses and red barns and even sheep on the hills. It is truly beautiful.

Thursday evening was the program and snacks after. I met up with my dear long lost friends haha Burnell&Cindy from Shippensburg and it made my whole week just to see them at the program. Said our goodbyes to the dear girls and wished them luck. It always amazes me that they are on their way to teach the next couple weeks with only a few days of instructions to help them. Truly the Lord that keeps our schools held together and running.

Friday morning at 4 we were on the road to pick up Dillon and Renae from Baltimore airport and head into Washington D.C. to spend a couple days. We started with the Holocaust Museum which of course is an era of time very close to my heart, especially after going through Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam and seeing up close the places where Adolph Hitlers cruelty hit so hard. The museum itself was not as heart rending to me as it was overwhelming. The amount of lives and the measures they went to to insure only the pure Germans were left to live was astounding. Everything from a device to measure nose or forehead width, to a card of hair colors that if their hair color wasn’t on, they were sent away. We spent several hours there and then went to the Air and Space Museum. Dillon and Madi were super interested in this one and since we only had a couple days to tour, we each had to pick out something we really wanted to see. So we saw the Wright Brothers plane and Charles Lindbergh’s “The Spirit of St. Louis” and much more. Went to the National Mall later in the afternoon and went to the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. Very fun day full of emotions and my best family.

Saturday morning we started at the Arlington Cemetery which we took the tour in. Saw JFK and Jackie Kennedy’s gravesite, Arlington House, and watched the changing of the Guard in front of the grave of the unknown soldier. It’s so quiet and solemn to watch and i pity the poor men who stand in the sun with sweat pouring down their faces but they simply march in the same line and make no movements to wipe their faces or scratch their heads. From the cemetery we went to the Capitol and toured around there abit. Madi went and met some of her friends that happened to be in town for the evening and Mom, Dillons, and I went for supper and walked around town for awhile.

Sunday morning at 4 i told my dear family bye and caught the shuttle to the airport. I flew to San Fran at noon ish and Morgan picked me up. Finally, after THREE weeks apart we got to see each other!! We grabbed lunch to go from the Embarcadero and took it to a grassy park area and had lunch on the quilt. Dogs came by and licked us and owners chatted and people flew kites and it was delightful. Came home and went to Uncle Jon & Aunt Holly’s with a bunch of the Jantz fam that was still around.

Monday morning at 6 Morgan left with Dad for a job in LA and i slept late which was fabulous. I didn’t get anything done all day really. Except i surfed the internet for awhile and pretended to work on school stuff but i definitely wasn’t fooling anyone. In the evening was school cleaning so i actually did go and work in my room for awhile and socialize with people i hadn’t seen for a week. I went and stayed at Mom’s for night.

This morning I went to Savannah Dyck’s bridal shower which was held at Ballico church. She is marrying Bryce Giesbrecht from Glenn? I think Glenn. Then I ran errands and am going swimming with Alicia over at Hannas. Morgan has fire meeting tonite if they get home in time from LA, and i do need to work again at school this evening. In the midst of the busyness, a part of my heart aches for the loss of a mother in Greensburg, and the diagnosis of a friend in Michigan. Prayers to all this week. chey