Recent trip to PA/VA, Part 3

Sunday of Labor Day weekend, we attended church with the Browns. 

After church, Shellie organized a mini-MTC for the kids, complete with mission calls and name tags.

Stations: ironing/sewing on a button

Cooking (in which they helped prepare Sunday dinner)

Talk preparation (and a quiz on nation's flags)

Proselyting took the form of drawing a big diagram of the Plan of Salvation in the street in front of their house.

Everyone pointing to where they were "called."

Notice the "dork dots"?

And here's a photo with Chance.

 That night we all attended a Family History activity planned by their ward. Family scripture study and the Fillmore hangout followed, and we had one busy Sunday!

We packed up and drove home the next day (Labor Day) and resumed our normal schedule on Tuesday. All in all, it was a great trip!

Recent trip to PA/VA, part 2

On the Saturday before Labor Day, we ventured into Philadelphia. No tickets were available to go inside Independence Hall, and the line for the Liberty Bell was around the block, so we settled for exterior shots.

I included another photo of the temple here to compare to Independence Hall. The temple is not an exact replica, but the designers definitely borrowed some elements from Independence Hall. 

Anyway, so instead of seeing just those two sights, we found some benches where paid storytellers tell stories about people and events in historic Philadelphia. There are 13 around the historical district, and the kids got a sticker for each one they visited. Using a map, we made it to six of them, and it was an interesting way to see parts of the historical district even I had never seen. 

This statue is called "The Signer." See the quill pen in his right hand?

 

Ol' Ben is still kickin'

 Another cool place we saw was the US Mint. (Photography not really allowed.) We learned a lot about the manufacture of coins.

Next stop: Wyomissing!

While stopped at the old house, Paige needed to use the restroom. I knocked on the Bleakley's door, and they happened to be home. We got the updates on everyone. 

 I had to show the kids my elementary school. With all of its expansions, it really sprawls. The grassy circular area that we'd march around for the Halloween parade is still there.  

To the far right is the wing where Jan attended kindergarten. I remember when that was built.

Time marches on, but the Berkshire Mall is still there.

Then we headed to the Browns' house. See the exciting conclusion in part 3!

Recent Trip to PA/VA, part I

We (I) really wanted to attend the Philadelphia Temple open house. With school starting the same day as the open house, Labor Day weekend was our only opportunity without missing a bunch of school.

We took the Friday off, so we'd have more time. After driving Thursday night, our first stop Friday morning was Hershey's Chocolate World.

Spiffy new entrance.

Chocolate World still has that ride that takes you through a chocolate factory simulation. Updated to include singing cows and talking Hershey's candies (see characters on portico in the first photo.)

The ride still dumps you out in a huge marketplace. Remember the tall trees inside? Still there!

The town still has kiss-shaped street lights. The kids didn't notice a chocolate smell in the town.

Then we stopped at Jason's Uncle Del & Aunt's Mary Lou's house (condo)near Lancaster for lunch. 

At the park, I taught the kids how to play Got It/Dropped It, on maybe the last turntable thing of its kind. 

Brief rest stop in Valley Forge (no interesting photos taken), we made our way to Philly. 

First view of temple, right next to the freeway.

 We met the Browns there and got on the last open house tour of the evening.

The temple's underground parking garage has two stories above ground. The top is like an observation deck.
(Despite the limitations of red-eye correction, this photo isn't bad considering the low light.)

 We spent that night with friends who used to like in Bloomington, who now live in Philly area. See next blog post for more!