Happy Thanksgiving

Is Thanksgiving just about Being Thankful for family, football, friends, and food?  Well, I'm thankful for these things, but it is about something much bigger.  Thanksgiving is a day to thank, in the words of Lincoln, "the source from which they(blessings) come."  Please click below for Washington's first Thanksgiving proclamation as President.  I hope it will make your Thanksgiving that much richer.  Happy Thanksgiving!  Click Here for the document.

Shame on NBC

A new docudrama is on the drawing board for the life of George Washington.  To say in the most affectionate terms I can..... Shame on NBC.  Based on the wonderful book by Ron Chernow, Washington:A Life, the screenplay writer has instead decided to write his own version of history.   He has expressly stated that Washington had an adulterous affair.  Shameful.  Anyone with half a history credential knows that this allegation has been explored and never found to be true.  Chernow also examines this in this book.  His conclusion: not true.  I sincerely hope that NBC thinks better of this farce and doesn't try and sully the impeccable reputation of Mr Washington.  I implore you to boycott this docudrama when it comes out.  Here is the article if you are interested as to what I so strongly condemn.  Click here for the article.

Mount Vernon, Good-bye 11/2

For today's video click here

Gosh, the last day of Mount Vernon.  I remember sitting on the Piazza of Mount Vernon about three weeks ago and thinking, "this is amazing, we have tons of time to enjoy this!"  Well, the day has come and it's definitely bittersweet.  We are grateful to God for our lives back in CA.  We have also been grateful for our time here.  We are heading home tomorrow and will arrive in SF at 7:22 pm.  Please pray for no more cancellations and a safe flight!
How to sum up the last two days?  Yesterday was great!  One of my wife's dreams was to run the National Mall.  So, my daughter and I dropped off my wife and she started her run at the Lincoln Memorial and ran to the Capitol.  My daughter and I walked the Tidal Basin, FDR Monument and then picked up my wife.  She was on cloud nine.
Then, we headed off to Mount Vernon.  It was my day to assist Lady Washington.  What an honor.  She is an incredible lady.  As you know from a previous post, her name is Mary Wiseman.  She was the head character interpeter at Colonial Williamsburg, but found her way to Mount Vernon.  She has spoken all over the country; in fact several times in the Bay Area.  She told me, one of her favorite places is Half Moon Bay. Her ability to teach about Martha Washington, is astonishing.  Something I have found out here is that story is king. A great storyteller will always outshine the Ipad, Iphone, or other technology gizmos.  She entertained 2 year olds to 92 year olds.  Something special that happened yesterday:  Lady Washington was told by my boss that it was our second to last day at Mt. Vernon and most likely we wouldn't see her on our last day.  So, she wanted to make it special for our daughter.  In the middle of her speech to a crowd of guests, she stopped and called up my daughter.  She told her how special she was, and how much fun she had with her while we were visiting "her house."  At that moment she pulled out a little miniature Martha Washington doll and gave it to my daughter.  The smile on her face was amazing.  She has slept with her dolly Martha ever since.  Another amazing moment, was while managing the people coming into hear Lady Washington speak,  I was able to listen in on her presentation.  At one moment a man asked her, "How did Fanny die?"  Fanny was the daughter of George and Martha Washington and she died at 17 years old at Mount Vernon.  As Lady Washington conveyed the story, you could hear a pin drop.  People were moved to tears.  There were two guys in the crowd that looked a bit "tough"...these guys were mesmerized.  They were taking pictures of her and sat there for a long time listening.  Amazing.
Then we headed to Old Town Alexandria for dinner and our favorite homemade ice cream shop.  Yum!
Today, was our last day.  My wife got up, made a special breakfast, and we headed out.  We arrived at Mount Vernon and greeted my two bosses.  I'll be honest, I'm going to miss them.  Incredible people.  We bought flowers for them and my daughter presented them.  They are definitely going to miss her.  They both have a great bond with her.  I dressed up again in my colonial clothes and my boss drove me up to the Mansion.  It was a bittersweet ride.  We had a great talk about the great time we've had over the last month.  I conveyed the thankfulness I had for the time I've been able to spend at this amazing place.  It was a cold day here.  Wind chill was rough, but nevertheless Mount Vernon was packed with guests.  Thousands of students from all over were at the estate today.  Also, families and adults from all over the Union and World.  I had a great job today.  I was the Colonial Game Guy in front of the Mansion.  The best spot on the Estate.  I was in  charge of "Flying Circles".  It is a great game and all ages enjoyed it.  Little kids (my daughter digs it), teenagers, and adults.  There was never a dull moment.  My boss picked me up at the right moment.  I was starting to freeze and it was actually getting painful.  A guest was mad I was leaving because she wanted her kids to play longer, but he said, "He has been here long enough, and he's cold."  Nice.   I greeted the girls back at the Volunteer Center and we said our final good-byes.  Such a great time.  We then headed up to the Mansion to finish our good-byes.  I was able to say good-bye to some great people I met.  We decided to take one last tour of the Mansion and that was a good way to end our time.  We then headed over to see another guy I really grew to like.  He portrayed Mr. Shields, George Washington's Personal Servant after Billy Lee was injured.  He let me know that he would really like to have me watch him perform before I left.  So, we went to the garden greenhouse-his stage.  He is fantastic.  His video is on my phone and I'll get it posted after I figure out some formatting issues.
We then spent some time on the Piazza, a million dollar view.  My wife didn't want to leave.  That is a great compliment to this trip.  It really is a tremendous place and we didn't take any of it for granted.
We then headed down to the gift shop to finish our shopping.  For Christmas we decided to buy a painting we really wanted for our living room of Mount Vernon.  It is an oil reproduction of a 1792 painting of the Mount Vernon Estate.  It is tremendous and we can't wait to get it in the mail and hang it in our Quiet Lake Place Estate.  While we were placing our order, I recognized a lady in the shop.  It was the President and Head Regent of Mount Vernon Lady's Association.  The MVLA are the private owners of Mount Vernon.  I had just seen her in a video buying George Washington's personal copy of the Constitution on behalf of the MVLA for 9 millions dollars at an auction.  I wanted to thank her for the amazing experience we've had at the Estate.  So I walked over, and we had a wonderful conversation.  I was told she was an amazing lady, yet humble and gracious.  It is true.  I had my daughter with me.  She chatted with her for awhile and was so blown away that my daughter could name the whole Washington family, that she walked right over to a display, took off an autographed copy of a new children's book about General Washington and gave it to my daughter.  She said, "my treat."  She then met my wife and we thanked her again.  What a great way to end the trip at Mount Vernon.  We drove home...slowly.  It was the first time I drove below the speed limit on an expressway.  Now we are home, tired, but so grateful.
We are going to pack and soak in the day.
Will I continue to post blogs?  Not daily.  No need.  Believe it or not, I don't have that much to say!  So, as needed, I will post things about George Washington, but not on a consistent basis by any means.  Thanks to all of you for following along, I hope this blog brought you on the journey, and I hope you learned a ton about Washington.  We highly recommend you take a trip here soon.  If you do, I'd love to meet with you and talk about what to see!
Tomorrow, we are going to Arlington National Cemetery and DC, and then off to the Airport.  We will see a lot of you at Church Sunday and many others at school on Monday!!!!!!!

No post!

No post!  I'm beat!  We went all day!  One more day

Washington DC and Halloween 10/31

For today's video click here
Happy Halloween everyone.  Be safe out there and remember too much sugar can cause diabetes (your public service announcement).  Looking forward to hearing about everyone's costumes.
This morning we got up and headed to Washington DC.  I wasn't working at Mount Vernon today, so we wanted to maximize our time in the city.  The place was a ghost town.  The Potomac was super high with lots of leftovers of trees branches from up stream.  We saw a few downed trees, but all in all, DC weathered Hurricane Sandy pretty well.  Today we wanted to catch a few more memorials and go to the National Aquarium (The oldest aquarium in the United States).  We parked in our secret spot (it will cost you money to know where it is), and walked to the Department of Commerce, where the National Aquarium is located in the basement.  We basically had the place to ourselves.  Some great exhibits.  We then walked to the White House, down Pennsylvania Avenue.  You really can't get enough views of the place.  Very nice.  Then off to Caribou.  You know we go there too much when my daughter says "that's Caribou!" when she sees it.  Then we walked to Pershing Park (dedicated to the American General in charge of our forces during WWI).  Then we saw the Wilshire Hotel (where we got the song "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the term "lobbyist").  We then walked through the DC war memorial, which you see pictured above.
We were going to try and hit the Arlington National Cemetery again, but it didn't work out.  One of the cool things today was that it was cold.  We have experienced three seasons since we got here.  When we arrived it was HOT!  Then it was very Pleasant Fall weather!  Now it is COLD!  Very cool. I then spent some time talking with a class of history students at WCI.  That was great.  Super good questions about George Washington.
Then we spent some time getting ready for Halloween.  My daughter wanted to be a Ballerina for Halloween.  So we bought a tutu.  She loves it and has been wearing it the past three days.  We got ready, listened to the Nutcracker, danced, and then we headed out.  She loves Halloween.  The concept of "Trick or Treat" and you get candy.. She digs that.  I went around to several houses with the girls, and then headed back to man the house to pass out candy.  The girls continued on!
A great day!  Two more days to go, and flying home on Saturday.

An Inside Day 10/30

For Today's video click here
We hope you are well.  First off, we are doing well.  Alexandria was in the path of Hurricane Sandy, but it was not in the eye nor are we by the water, so we are okay.  We pray for the devastation that Sandy brought to the coastal communities north of us.
Nothing was open today.  Even Mount Vernon was closed today (click here), and that is rare.  So, we decided to have an indoor day.  Now, some would say, "bummer, you are stuck in a house, when you should be out somewhere doing something on your trip."  I definitely hear that sentiment, but I would say that we are BLESSED to have this day together.  First, we are safe, we are healthy, nothing has been lost.  That could not be said for millions.  Second, not many people have the honor of spending all day with their family.  I've had the opportunity to do this not only today, but for weeks.  Third, we must embrace what we are given.  We often cloud our time with "stuff", and miss out on life.  Fourth, I do not consider today a waste.  George Washington understood that we will one day be held accountable for how we use our time. God has given us a certain amount of days.  George would write in his diary "How I used my day".  I do not believe that we must do grand things, but honorable things.  For those of us that have a day to live, did you do it for God's Glory?  That can be as simple as trusting.  That is honorable.  I'm definitely preaching to myself here folks.  Today, was a good reminder of all the Blessings I have been given and the abundant gifts.  I chose optimism over negativity.
My wife planned a fantastic day today for us.  We braved the wet weather and 30 degrees and headed to Target (yep, it's open).  We bought food for a special meal she had planned, and arts and crafts.  We had a really nice time at Target as both my girls love this place.  At home we had a great time.  We made Candied Apples, Made a fall place mat, Made hanging pumpkins, painted, I talked with two of my classes, and made homemade chili.
At the end of the day, we ate the chili and added a cheese pumpkin (something my Mom used to do and I loved it as a kid).  Then we shared a candied apple, and called it night.
I would say today has been a fantastic day!!!!
On the video today, you will see our day, and also pictures from previous days to take a look back on an incredible journey.  We feel blessed.

Mount Vernon and Hurricane Sandy 10/28-10/29

For Today's video click here
We hope you are well from the wet east.  We cancelled our trip to Philadelphia, and we are glad we did.  The roads are all being restricted and it would be tough to get there.  From our vantage point, it feels like a normal California storm at this point.  Windy and Wet.  So, hopefully that continues!  Thank you for all your prayers on our behalf and the people affected more North.
Yesterday was masterful.  Mount Vernon wanted me to come help with Harvest Festival Days.  I was required to get dressed up again, but his time with another layer (it was steadily getting colder). Needless to say, I had a total blast.  My job was taking care of the line for the Horse Drawn wagon on the 14 acre lawn area.  This wagon ride simulated what guests coming by land would have seen as they entered the estate in the 1700's. Guest of all ages loved the ride.  The little kids loved being pulled by the horses (Shire horse, like a Clydesdale), and the adults loved re-living something people would have experienced.  Most guests in the 1700's did not arrive at Mount Vernon by land, but rather by the Potomac River.  The wharf there today (rebuilt in 1951) is in the same spot the previous wharf was.
I had a blast talking with people from all over the world and country.  Ireland, Germany, Russia, Georgia, Maryland, Kentucky, Iowa, Kansas, California, Washington.  I was able to talk with an eighth grade teacher from Georgia for a long time. I was also, in lots of pictures with people as they wanted a "Colonial" man in the picture.  I often stayed in character when we chatted, and the guests got a big kick out of that.  For instance when the people from Ireland told me where they were from I'd say, "I hope your sea voyage was to your liking."  Or to the people from Kentucky I'd say, "The wilderness, welcome."  Tons of fun.  It was also great talking with the Livestock experts that I was working with.  Not only are they knowledgeable about livestock, but also the history behind the breeds.  After I was finished, they gave me a ride on the wagon about half-way back to the volunteer center, dropped me off, and I walked the rest of the way on the back-lot of Mount Vernon.  I had three thoughts:  First, Thank you God, my district and Family and Friends for their support as I pursued this amazing adventure.  Second, I just experienced what it would have been like to get a ride home in the 1700's.  Third, I felt like I was part of History Disneyland.  Walking in costume, behind the scenes.  What an adventure.
My girls explored the Estate again for several hours.  They enjoyed it so much the previous day as a family, they wanted to do it again.  Apple roasting, Corn-cob dolls, A picture with Washington, and Wagon rides.  The highlight of my day was seeing my girls towards the end of their day.  My daughter was running up the hill (called tomb road) and laughing and saying "Daddy."  She ran right into my arms and we hugged.  Right behind her was my smiling wife.  You can't get a better picture as a Husband and Daddy.
We then treated ourselves to the best ice cream we've ever had at this point in our lives:  Pop's Old Fashioned Ice Cream.  We figured, if we have to ride out a Hurricane, might as well eat Ice Cream.  Then for a nice, restful night.