Thursday, February 20, 2014
Tri-Cities Trip
I recently went on a trip with my mom to Tri-Cities, for work purposes. We happened to drive out on the perfect day, because just a day before the snow was too heavy, and just a day after there was a mudslide. And, since the snow hadn't fully melted yet, we got to see some beautiful hills on the way that were covered with snow. The weather was quite fantastic, and I actually felt as if we were driving through a different country! Because it was so beautiful, I decided to take several pictures along the way, and now I want to share them on this post!
Rain
If you live in Washington, how often have you heard people complain about the rain? I've heard more complaints about it than I can possibly count. The problem is, a lot of people don't realize how beautiful (and beneficial) the rain actually is! It can be so incredible, especially when the sun shines on the rain drops. I just wanted to share these pictures that I took a couple days ago when it was raining. Hopefully these pictures will remind everyone (including myself) to appreciate even the rain.
"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life." -Genesis 9:13-15 (New International Version)
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Fort Vancouver - Summer Adventures
It's interesting to think that though I love visiting historical areas, I hadn't ever visited the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site before my week of summer vacation! It's a wonderful historic site that consists of nine buildings, and I would love to visit again when all of the buildings are open. Most of the buildings allow you to enter, but have inner doors with windows that keep you from entering the actual rooms. However, some of the buildings are completely open and can be thoroughly explored. These are the buildings that I enjoyed most, because I was able to touch historic artifacts and imagine the lives of those who used to live inside (though the buildings are actually reconstructed, not the original ones).
Similar to when we visited the Aurora Colony, we took a self-guided tour at Fort Vancouver. Even though I might not learn as much, I've always preferred self-guided tours to group tours, because they allow you to go at your own pace and in whatever order you like. The site also offers audio tours at no additional charge, for those who want to learn a bit more information about Fort Vancouver.
In my opinion, it's definitely a better idea to visit places like Fort Vancouver on days that are likely to be less crowded. I'd happily walk between buildings in the rain if it meant running into less people within the buildings. We happened to go on a really nice day, so the area was a bit more crowded. Unfortunately, we ran into several immature people (like children who had to touch and destroy everything, and a father who left his girl crying at the top of a steep staircase) during our visit, which spoiled some of the atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate people, I just prefer to visit places like this on quieter days.
Some of the buildings have reenactors who tell you all about what the building would have been used for, and give you a taste of what it would have been like.
Overall, the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is a very interesting and beautiful place to visit! The reconstructed buildings are great, and they really allow you to feel as if you've stepped into the past. I would definitely recommend this for everyone, and I can imagine that children would especially appreciate all that they have done to make the site authentic.
This was my favorite view of all, looking out from the tower.
Here is a link to the website: http://fortvan.org/
In my opinion, it's definitely a better idea to visit places like Fort Vancouver on days that are likely to be less crowded. I'd happily walk between buildings in the rain if it meant running into less people within the buildings. We happened to go on a really nice day, so the area was a bit more crowded. Unfortunately, we ran into several immature people (like children who had to touch and destroy everything, and a father who left his girl crying at the top of a steep staircase) during our visit, which spoiled some of the atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate people, I just prefer to visit places like this on quieter days.
Some of the buildings have reenactors who tell you all about what the building would have been used for, and give you a taste of what it would have been like.
I really enjoyed their displays of artifacts!
Aurora Colony - Summer Adventures
The Aurora Colony was one of my most favorite destinations during my one week of summer vacation, because I was able to see actual pieces of history. I get this unexplainable feeling when I'm inside historical buildings, as I imagine the people that lived and walked within the buildings so long ago. History class was never my strong point, but I do enjoy the elements of history that don't involve memorizing hundreds of dates and reciting historical documents. I like to be able to feel history, to be able to see history with my own eyes.
Unfortunately, we were unable to actually touch anything (which I completely understand), because everything was so old and fragile. However, I was able to get some pictures with my cellphone (sorry for the poor quality) of what we saw!
For anyone who is interested in visiting the Aurora Colony, I totally recommend it (It's currently $6 for adults and free for children 5 and under)! Not everything fragile is behind glass, but it's still a great place for those who have children interested in things like this.
My mom and I took a self-guided tour, and no one else happened to be taking a tour that day, so we had the whole place to ourselves!
When you first enter the Old Aurora Colony Museum, you can watch a movie about the colony and will be given a map of the buildings. It's a five building complex, but the map will show other buildings that were originally part of the colony, but are now being used for businesses and other things (such as the post office that is now an antique shop). We visited most of the buildings, but had a difficult time understanding the map. It was also very hot outside, which made walking to each building and around the area somewhat tiring.
For lunch, we walked to the Colony Pub & Grille and sat outside. It was a bit odd at first, because though we knew it was family friendly, I felt as if I was walking into a bar full of old men (My pop was even served in a beer glass). Still, it added to our visit with its historical atmosphere.
Unfortunately, we were unable to actually touch anything (which I completely understand), because everything was so old and fragile. However, I was able to get some pictures with my cellphone (sorry for the poor quality) of what we saw!
My mom and I took a self-guided tour, and no one else happened to be taking a tour that day, so we had the whole place to ourselves!
When you first enter the Old Aurora Colony Museum, you can watch a movie about the colony and will be given a map of the buildings. It's a five building complex, but the map will show other buildings that were originally part of the colony, but are now being used for businesses and other things (such as the post office that is now an antique shop). We visited most of the buildings, but had a difficult time understanding the map. It was also very hot outside, which made walking to each building and around the area somewhat tiring.
For lunch, we walked to the Colony Pub & Grille and sat outside. It was a bit odd at first, because though we knew it was family friendly, I felt as if I was walking into a bar full of old men (My pop was even served in a beer glass). Still, it added to our visit with its historical atmosphere.
Again, I definitely think that the Aurora Colony is a fantastic place to visit if you enjoy exploring and learning about some interesting pieces of history!
Here is a link to the website:
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday is definitely one of my most favorite days of the year. It brings such a feeling of joy and gladness, because it's a time when we celebrate Christ's resurrection. Easter isn't all about the egg hunts and outdoor games, just like Christmas isn't all about the presents. It's about what Christ did for us, when He took every possible burden upon Himself and died in our place.
Because I really enjoy decorating for special events, I wanted to decorate for Easter last year. My Mom and I came up with some fun ideas, and I wanted pieces of the decor to be special and symbolic. We decided that it would be nice to create two crowns of thorns (one for each table), and put them under glass cake domes. So, my mom bravely went out in the dark to cut pieces of blackberry vines for the crowns. She wound them into circular shapes, which we placed on the cake dome pedestals. These represented the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus' head. I wanted to symbolize what the crown of thorns and Christ's death means for us, so I placed a small, white bird (to represent us, after the cleansing of sins) in the center of each crown.
Two other special parts of the decor were the napkin bands and the song banners. For the napkin bands, I used pieces of lyrics from various Easter songs, and placed a picture of a crown of thorns near the lyrics.
For the song banners, I used the lyrics from "Christ is Risen" by Matt Maher, because it has such a wonderful meaning and has been my most favorite song. I typed pieces of the lyrics on separate pages, and hung them in three different spots around the house.
Overall, the decor was quite special to me, and I enjoyed the process of putting it all together! I hope that I get the chance to decorate similarly this year! Here are more pictures.
Because I really enjoy decorating for special events, I wanted to decorate for Easter last year. My Mom and I came up with some fun ideas, and I wanted pieces of the decor to be special and symbolic. We decided that it would be nice to create two crowns of thorns (one for each table), and put them under glass cake domes. So, my mom bravely went out in the dark to cut pieces of blackberry vines for the crowns. She wound them into circular shapes, which we placed on the cake dome pedestals. These represented the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus' head. I wanted to symbolize what the crown of thorns and Christ's death means for us, so I placed a small, white bird (to represent us, after the cleansing of sins) in the center of each crown.
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