IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR........
This is the time of year when families meet together. Our family is everywhere but Tampa, so Jim and I have our two grandsons and daugher-in-law with us from Maritius. We look forward to their visits as we do not see them on a regular basis. The boys are very active so day care was an important choice to keep their minds and bodies occupied! Here are a few pictures with Erik, Isak and Jayden at the Oldsmar Park.
"The sweetest love is that which is neither sought nor deserved." Nothing touches my heart more, when a child comes up with a big smile and says -I love you- or wants to curl up in your lap with a hugh hug! Proverbs 17:6 says: "Children's children are a crown to the aged..." mmmmm - that would be my grandkids?? Yeah!
We wanted our friend to experience "The Beehive" hike first, which is shown behind us in the pic, just as a warm up before venturing to the Precipice Trail. The views are spectacular from the top and you can almost touch heaven...more pics follow.
Almost there! You had help with iron ladders and rungs to hoist yourself along the way. When I am climbing, I "know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His." Psalm 100:3.
We are staying at this b&b. My hubby found it a few years ago and fell in love with the inn and the owners. They are wonderful people and make you feel like family. You can check out their site: 
The next day we rode bicycles on the Rockefeller carriage trails in the park. We had a blast and stopped for lunch at Jordan Pond. We ate Lobster Stew and Seafood Stew with their famous popovers. Yummy. Then we hiked up the "Bubbles" for a view of the ocean and rode back to town. We had a full day and loved every minute of it!
The next day we headed for the "Precipice Trail." With our lunch from the Morning Glory Cafe in town and our huge cookies, we set out for this awsome climb. "A mans wisdom gives him patience."Proverbs 19:11. And you should have patience climbing this mountain!
After that great hike, we showered and headed to Lundt's Lobster Pound. Steve and Teresa tried their first whole lobster. Not for the faint of heart!
After 4 days in Acadia, we left for New Hampshire to drive on the Kangamangus Highway. The leaves were golden and the air crisp with a dusting of snow at the highest elevation.
Franconia Notch was our next stop. This is "The Flume."
Someone had to do it! After another great day in the cold autumn air, we headed south to Boston Massachussetts. We followed the Freedom Trail to glean some history of our past. This fellow citizen headed up the tour! We met Jim's son for dinner and caught up on his ventures.
It was absolutely freezing and I was frozen at the end of the tour! I cannot remember half of what he told us but there were many brave men and women who stood up for what was right and is still an example for us today. Our next stop was the Plimothe Plantation which shows how the pilgrims lived during their first years here in America. I enjoyed this very much.
The life was harsh, but that was what they only knew, cooking over a fire, gathering wood, trying to exist in the freedom they had heard about....
We stopped by the Mayflower replica but I was too cold to get a good picture of it, but I snapped a painting of that small ship that sailed to America.
I hope you enjoyed our journey and hope to inspire you to create your own.
It may seem morbid, but I enjoy looking at old cemeteries. They have a beauty in them that I appreciate. Take a look.
"But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for He shall receive me. Selah." Psalm 49:15.
Because we left no stone uncovered in three days, I am going to showcase one plantation only. We visited many homes and the blog would be too long even for me if I included them all! This one is called Rosedown. The gardens were lovely to walk through. Just listen, your tafetta hoop skirt rustling as you walked on brick paths....stopping to enjoy lemonade in the gazebo as you listen to the fountain bubbling happily while you wait for your suitor to ride up in a horse and buggy. Ok....
Come on in with me, with your imagination. They would not let me take pictures and I truly understood. Mostly. So I will to my best, describe some rooms to you, hopefully you won't get bored.
This view is from the top balcony porch looking down into the front formal gardens, which lead down the way. This is where you would be greeted by the owner before entering the home. There is much to say about these plantations. Some are still owned by the same families that built them, some are owned by the state. Some are still private homes that are not shown to the public.
I hope you enjoy the very few pictures I presented. It was hard to pick and choose as I had sooooo many! Now back to the future....
Here is Lynette's indentured servant, cooking us breakfast. He is making his famous "cat head" biscuits, bacon and sausage. It was wonderful Mike! Thanks for indulging me! Here is a picture of the "cats."
One of the 7 wonders of Illinois....I wonder what the other 6 are....
The park has nature trails that lead to bluffs with views or down into small canyons made of limestone carved by water over the centuries.
"Cloud Gate" is British artist Anish Kapoor's first public outdoor work installed in the United States. The 110-ton elliptical sculpture is forged of a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect the city's famous skyline and the clouds above. A 12-foot-high arch provides a "gate" to the concave chamber beneath the sculpture, inviting visitors to touch its mirror-like surface and see their image reflected back from a variety of perspectives. Inspired by liquid mercury, the sculpture is among the largest of its kind in the world, measuring 66-feet long by 33-feet high. Cloud Gate sits upon the At&T Plaza, which was made possible by a gift from AT&T.
There were other sculptures too. This one below was made of some type of vinyl and held together with zippers...
This next area came in handy on this hot day. Awsome structure.
City life is really not for me, but big cities like this have facinating destinations to enjoy. After a few hours, we decided to head to Navy Pier.
"Joy has not value until it is given away" and these kids gave me joy. I decided to join them!
After Jim ran around with those kids, he was pooped out! He was resting up before we walked on the pier. The waters of Lake Michigan was a pleasing greenish blue. This was a great surprize for me. Coffee in hand, my wonderful hubby by my side, it was a great day.
Christ with His deciples in stained glass. 
