The Visit Ends

Well Mum and Dad left over a week ago and I am finally getting around to my last update of their visit. We have been able to speak to them several times while they travel around Canada since we can easily call them from the States. They are having a fantastic time. They have seen an incredible amount of wildlife, including black bears crossing the road several times. They have had beautiful weather and have talked a lot about how beautiful the country is. Here are a few last photos of our last days together. It was so nice having them here and being able to show them around.

One of the last things that we did was popped into Churchill Downs where the Kentucky Derby is run. It is a very famous race (even the Queen attended last year) and Churchill Downs is right here in Louisville. There happened to be races on so we went in to have a look. It was quite an experience. People were pretty excited about the race so it was a good atmosphere. We must go again sometime.

Matthew makes us all laugh with his enthusiasm for flash cars. When we travelled to Washington D.C you would often hear him in the back spotting a limo or a hummer or a convertible going the other way. When we were in D.C he was in his element. We would be looking at the White House or some amazing monument and Matthew would be heard saying, "Hummer". This is Matthew and Mum posing for a quick photo in front of Matthew's favourite vehicle, a stretch hummer.

The day before they left we had a quiet day giving them time to pack and rest, but we did walk down to this beautiful home built in 1855, Whitehall. It was well worth going through.

Mum standing outside seminary.

Salato Wildlife Center

I had heard about this wildlife center so we drove out there for the day. It was a really neat place. They have all the different wildlife which once roamed free in Kentucky and in some cases still do. They had bald eagles, whitetail deer, elk, bison, bobcats, a prairie and a dragonfly marsh as well as a lot of fish. It was all free and the children were even able to fish the lakes for free. They even give you the poles so all you need is some live bait. It was a lot of fun. This is a black bear. Some still roam free around Kentucky. I hope we never meet one in the wild.

Anna-Marie's artistic photo of a dragonfly.

My big catch of the day.

Joel with a small catfish with Marc who worked at the center. Marc came along and showed us what we were meant to be doing and helped us catch some fish. He was a very patient man.

Indiana

One day this week we all went our separate ways over in Indiana. We dropped Dad at the Bass Pro Shop where he spent four hours while Anna-Marie took Mum around the mall shopping and the kids and I went to the $1 movie theatre.

This is the entrance to the store. You can't see it well but along the top reads ' Welcome Fisherman, Hunters and other Liars'.

On our way home we visited The Falls of Ohio State Park. That is Louisville that you can see in the background so it is pretty close to us. It was really just a rapid but along the banks of the river is an amazing amount of sea fossils. Confirmation of a world wide flood considering how far we are from the ocean.

Swimming

One of Marks shifts at the pool is a Tuesday night so some of the children go over and take the opportunity to swim. Anna-Marie took these photos on Dad's camera.

Red River Gorge

On Mark's day off he took the kids and Mum and Dad to Red River Gorge which we had visited before. It was another hot but clear day and I think they enjoyed seeing the amazing natural rock structures.

A view of the Natural Bridge.

Mum and Dad's Visit Continued

It has been unusually hot and humid here for June, which Dad and Mum have found hard but we have still managed quite a few outings. This particular day we took them to Squire Boone where they went down into the cave and onto Hubers where we picked strawberries.

Vegetable Garden

While here Mum and Dad put in a vegetable garden for us. Dad fully fenced it to keep the rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks from munching on our plants. It has been a great experience for the kids and we look forward to the results. Thanks Mum and Dad!

Everyone hard at work.

Staying with the Dankas

We were very blessed to be able to stay with the parents of some friends from seminary. They were very hospitable and allowed all eight of us to take over their house for the week. Being able to stay with the Dankas made it possible for us to take this trip and it was great to get to know them better also. They live in a beautiful area of Maryland only minutes from a lovely walk through the bush. Maryland is so green and has so many trees.

Near the end of our stay Dad and Mum took us all out for dinner to the Outback Steakhouse. This is an Australian themed restaurant. It was a lovely meal.

Ok, I admit this photo is borrowed, but between us on all our different walks we saw about 15 whitetail deer.

Lancaster County

After touring Washington D.C we took Mum and Dad to Lancaster County to visit the Amish. We drove through three little Amish towns and then went out into the country. It was a beautiful drive and very interesting to see a little of how they live.

Anna-Marie relaxing outside a shop, run by Mennonites, which sells Amish goods.

These scooters are what the Amish children use to get around.

An Amish woman working in her garden.

A man working in the fields.

An Amish horse and buggy.

On our travels we found a little place called Gordonville. The only sign we could find though was at this Amish bookstore.

Day Two in Washington D.C

On the morning of day two we went up the bell tower of the old post office which is another beautiful building. It gave us a great view of the city.

The view from the bell tower.

Gardens on top of office buildings.

Outside the White House.

We visited the National Museum of Natural History which was amazing. It included large dinosaur and mammoth skeletons and lots of other animals and fish.

Joel holding a rather large cockroach from Madagascar.

We spent a few hours in the Air and Space Museum. It was pretty cool we even got to see the living quarters of a space craft and the Wright brothers first aircraft.

Anna-Marie got this amazing photo of an unusually friendly squirrel.

The World War Two Memorial.

Mum and Dad outside the Smithsonian Castle.

While we were walking around three official looking helicopters flew over towards the White House. We could see security on the roof tops. Only one landed which we assume carried the president.