Good Bye, Maryland

Leaving D.C by Makenzie Moody
This is Makenzie, full of sorrow because this is our last full day in D.C. We have been sooo blessed by our hosts and people we have met along the way. This morning, we were supposed to get up and go to a one room schoolhouse for a day in the life of Little House on the Prairie, (actually the Seneca Schoolhouse, circa 1880) but when we woke, there were about five inches of snow on the ground! Janice, our host, came in with boxes of snowsuits, and we all bundled up and went sledding down a huge hill. Janice gave us four inter tubes and two sleds to use while we all piled in the back of the truck to go sledding. When we were there, people were running and sledding down the hill and crashing into each other. At the bottom, Joe would lie down on his stomach and we would go over him like a speed bump; but when we got a group of four people to slide down at once, Joe moved as quickly as possible! When we came back inside, we were surprised with hot chocolate, marshmallows, and the movie: The Incredibles. We all bundled up with a nice warm blanket and our pajamas and lay on the floor and watched half of the movie. Then we were summoned to lunch. We had warm grilled cheese and basil tomato soup. Then we went back and had fresh, warm brownies and finished the movie. Emma and I got to feed Elsie, (Janice’s daughter, Megan, her husband and daughter are living at the farm while they wait for their house to close.) a baby girl who had been a delight on this trip. We played choo choo train with her and Peek-a-boo until we made her smile. We all gathered together for pictures and prayers, as we talked about how much we have had on this trip and how truly blessed we are to have opportunities like this one. During prayer, Elsie started crying; probably because she felt that we would be leaving soon. We all came together for one last group picture, and we all gave Janice hugs, a candy bar, and cherry blossom soap. Janice said that we should learn that saying yes might have its regrets at first, but later it will make a positive ripple effect on people where one word makes a huge difference. We have brightened Janice’s days with us, and everyone who has come with us, helped us, or even opened their house and hearts to us. To everyone: THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Snow!

We wrapped up our last full day in D.C. today. I was raised in a family that wrapped up every meal with dessert. The meals were always home cooked, nutritious and satisfying and the desserts were also of the same caliber, perhaps not always nutritious. This developed in me the sense that no matter how wonderful and or filling the meal, it was never complete if it lacked dessert. Today was that dessert on a very full and satisfying meal. The culmination, or dessert, of this incredible visit to the heart of our government started with a breakfast at the Glenn farm. After we cleaned up from breakfast we loaded up the two vans for church. As one van went to Mass and the other to the Glenn’s Presbyterian church, I was provided, once again, the poignant reminder that the Carden Country School is made up of Catholic and Protestant families, that not just tolerate each other but also truly love, understand, and enjoy each other and while we would be separating the group for the first time in 9 days, we were not truly separating, just going in slightly different places and would soon be back together. Unlike my meals with dessert, this is not the behavior with which I was raised. As the vans drove down the driveways I was immensely grateful for the diversity of Carden and the love and richness this brings both to my family and me.
This trip has been 10 days of firsts for me. At the end of these innumerable firsts, I had the privilege of worshipping with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their spiritual family at Fourth Presbyterian. The fact that I was also with my Carden family made it all the more special. Worshipping with people with whom I am not accustomed to worshipping and in foreign places is always a significant reminder to me of what a wonderful family I am apart of with God as my father. After Church, much of the group went to the Holocaust Museum. Having been to the Dachau Concentration camp, I was looking forward to experiencing this part of our past from an American perspective. My expectations were not too lofty. As I worked my way through this amazing museum, I was moved by how attentive and thoughtful our students were and troubled by my own discomfort as I walked through much of the museum as an American and non-Jew with a group of Jews. I found that my experience at Dachau with my German friends had given me an air of superiority. While being of German decent, I was indeed an American and part of the liberating country. While that is still true, this experience served to remind me that I am not Jewish and as an American, while we did liberate, there were significant moments prior to 1945 that we turned a blind eye and cold shoulder to what was happening to our Jewish brothers and in these Jews presence I found myself shamed and uncomfortable.
After leaving the Holocaust Museum, I took five students to the Museum of Space and Flight. As I looked at the Wright Brothers first plane of 1905 and the bi-planes of WWI, the supersonic fighters of today, and travel to the moon I was absolutely stunned at the rapidity at which the technology of flight has progressed. My 42 years, plus a small handful, which I consider a blink of an eye, is all it took us to move from that simple wood and canvas powered kite to walking on the moon!
At 5:30, we gathered for a very nice meal in the heart of D.C., our last supper. An opportunity to once again break bread and fellowship together. We returned to the Farm, and had a double dessert, dessert for the stomach and the soul. We ate some cookies and chocolate Janis provided and sat in the living room with a crackling fire in the fireplace and discussed the events and impacts of the day and the week. My week long feelings of equal parts blessing and sense of being overwhelmed flooded over me as I listened to these young adults talk about what the had experienced in language that was all at once articulate, insightful and thoughtful. I cannot begin to convey the sense of gratitude I have for the experience of living and learning with these 12 Carden students and my fellow chaperones. Thank you to each and every person that made this trip possible. With sincere thankfulness, Mr. Krueger.

Our Amazing Hosts: Janice & Greg Glenn

We are so lucky to have such great hosts. When we came home last night, the barn was set for s'mores, popcorn, pingpong, foosball, dancing and tricycle demolition derby!

March 1: Gettysburg

Carden on Little Round near Devil's Den

Union Army Monuments at Gettysburg

By Lexi Krueger

Yesterday we went to Gettysburg to see that amazing battlefield. As soon as we got there we went in and had lunch, because we had pre-ordered. After the lunch we went into a theater to see a movie that was an introduction to the whole park. As soon as the movie was over we exited and headed up to a large circular room. On the walls of the dome was a mural of the battlefield; it looked so real. After about 5 minutes of looking around, a voice came on talking about the battle that took three days. There were some cannons that boomed, and it was so hard to imagine that that was not even half of the noise that went on during those three days. After that presentation, each of the vans got a tour guide to take them around. We drove all around while the man was speaking, and sometimes we got out and looked around. It was freezing, unlike the real battle that took place in July! He showed us the spot where Robert E. Lee is supposed of sat during Pickett’s Charge, and the spot where General Mead sat. It is so hard to imagine being a battle, especially one in the heat of summer, in a cotton shirt, with hardly any water, the sound of dying men, cannons and guns, the smell of smoke, blood and dying horses and men and running though open fields being shot at. I cannot imagine what those brave men did for us, even the ones from the South. If any of you have the chance to go to Gettysburg, you should go, because it is a life changing experience. The hard part is trying to remember it wherever I go. I take so much for granted, and at the moment I am humbled, it goes away as soon as I am back at somewhere where I am comfortable.

Robert E. Lee Memorial

Church, Holocaust, and Air and Space Museums

This morning we woke up around seven. We had breakfast and left for church. I went to the Presbyterian church called Fourth Presbyterian, but I do not remember much of it all because I fell asleep. But the pastor who spoke had a really cool accent.
After church, we continued to DC, and went to the Holocaust Museum. It was by far, the saddest museum we have attended yet, because it really brought the stories of the people who were involved in it to life.
After the Holocaust Museum, we went to The Air and Space Museum. This museum was very cool, because it showed the advancement of flight over the years. There was a replica of the first Wright flier, and one of the newer 747s. It also had on display a few Apollo space capsules.
We then left and ate dinner at a resteraunt called Founding Farmers. Eventually, we came back home.
Brendan

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Hello again! This is Hailey, by the way.
Today we went to church at Fourth Presbyterian Church. I don't know if he would want me to tell you this, but Brendan fell asleep and words cannot describe how hilarious is when he sleeps. The service was about how Jesus fed the multitude and how that effectsus today. Then we jumped in the car to our sandwiches awaiting us. The car ride was short, suprisingly we found our way in good time. The Holocaust Museum was appallingly sad, but it really opened all of our eyes. Then we met up with the group that chose not to go to the museum. Then Mr. Krueger, Brendan, Lexi, Joe, Will, and I walked to the Air and Space Museum. It is amazing how far air planes have come since the Wright Brothers in 1903. That is such a short time! Then we went in the flight simulator, which was so scary. We probably did five rolls and going upside down is insane, let me tell you! I could not be a pilot. But it was really fun! Then we went to Founding Farmers restaurant and I had the "Macaroni with Meat Ragu." It did not meet my expectations, but it was still delicious. Although I have enjoyed every part of my day, my favorite part was singing probably every song written from the 1950s to now. We should become a internationally toured band. Just kidding! I have never heard any group of people sing/scream so loud and be so off tune, but that was so fun! Sadly, my voice is sliding away every minute. Right now Mr. Harvey is talking to us about how we should go to sleep sometime tonight and how we may not want to play German Spotlight in the snow. This trip has been amazing and I can't wait to see you all in a couple days! Bye!

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow?

We woke this morning to the beauty of God's creation here at the Glenn Farm. Don't worry, The forecast is only for 4-6 more inches today and tonight. I'm sure our flight won't be cancelled.

Target for Dinner?

Target: by Dalis and Emma
After we got to the hostel and put our luggage away, the parents decided that since we had such a late lunch that we should have ice-cream for dinner. Everybody loaded up in the vans and drove to Baskin Robbins. Once we all got inside and began choosing our flavors, Mr. Ekin said, “I have a better idea.” SO everyone loaded back in the vans and started following Mr. Ekin. About 45 minutes later we pulled over. Mr. Ekin walked to our car and said that the GPS said that we were here. We kept on driving, trying to find some place to eat ice-cream. After driving for another 20 minutes, we finally found the ice-cream shop we were looking for… only to find that it was closed! We needed to get out of the van. We stopped at the Philadelphia Art Museum and ran up the long stairs that Rocky ran up. Then, we posed for a picture with a Rocky statue. We piled back in the car and began to drive back home again. We had not had any dinner, because we had a late lunch, but at 9 at night, we were getting hungry. Dr. Ekin pulled up to a Target, and told us, “You each have a three dollar budget to get something to eat.” We all got some food, well, actually, desert. Joe got a whole tube of raw cookie dough, Bailey and Dalis got a carton of Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream, Hailey got six cups of chocolate pudding, Madeline got six cups of Jell-O, Will got twenty-two ounces of tapioca pudding, Rebecca got two candy bars and a pack of M and M’s, Lexi, Emma, and Brendan split six cups of chocolate pudding, they each got vitamin water, and Lexi and Emma bought candy, Anna bought Drumsticks, and Makenzie got a slice of Oreo pie. It was a fun but unexpected stop to an unexpected drive.

The Hostel

The Hostel by Makenzie Moody
Hello, this is Makenzie. It was last night when the story began in the Chamoix (shammy) Mansion, just outside of Philadelphia. It was gorgeous when we entered the building with old furniture and elegant flags from countries all over the world. After we had checked in, Mr. Harvey started calling, “We need three people in this room” and “we need four people in this room!” As soon as we heard that there was a four person room still available, Dr. Naden, Emma, Dalis, and I climbed up three floors to where we would be staying that night. As we came to the second floor, there were pretty, bright rooms with wooden bunk beds. As we climbed to our room, we could not get the door open because the lock was so confusing. It was something like turn the knob left, let go, enter three numbers and turn the knob right. It took three tries to get it open. Then, we were lucky we were only staying one night. There were four metal cots in a tiny room with no sheets and one scratchy blanket for each of us. We made our beds, and all of a sudden Dalis jumped. Now, Dalis is very afraid of bugs and does not enjoy them in the least bit. There were bugs everywhere! In the girl’s bathroom, on the lights, climbing on the ceiling, and running on the stairs. Emma, Dalis, and I made an S.O.S video before bed, and laid down posing for our coffins. Then Emma started talking in her sleep, and Dalis said that she was cold, then stole Dr. Naden’s blanket. In the morning we made a video about how the stay affected us, and it showed Dalis and I growling at the camera. This is all part of our adventure, and there will be plusses and minuses. This was definitely a minus!

Liberty Bell, Independence Hall... Rocky?

The Capitol

The Capitol: by Emma

On Thursday, we went to have a tour of the capitol building. We received tickets from the Washington Congressman, Jay Inslee, which allowed us to go to the House of Representatives and the Senate. Both the flags were flying over the building, so we knew that both the House and the Senate were in session. We divided into two groups with two different tour guides. During the tour, a Congressman from New York came over to my group and asked us if we had any questions. It was fun to talk to a Congressman and learn about his job. After the tour, we made our way toward the Senate. We found seats looking down into the room. After listening and sitting for awhile, guess who we saw…? Sen. John McCain and Sen. John Kerry, among lots of others, like our own Senator, Maria Cantwell. It was really cool to see all the famous people just feet away from us. After watching to the Senators argue for a long time, we decided to leave. It was a memorable experience that we won’t forget quickly.

Know What? Money Really Doesn't Grow On Trees!

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing: By Will

Hi Guys, it’s Will. After a great sleep, a subway ride, and the White House tour, our class headed to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, a factory making American Dollar Bills. We entered through security and into the large building, where money making machines and crews work 24 hours per day making money. The making of money begins when blank paper (actually cloth, containing 75% cotton and 25% linen) enters a machine and a water mark is printed, a small face that is really hard for counterfeiters to fake. These water-marked sheets of cloth are then sent through many more stages where every time they become more and more like paper money. Finally the bills are packaged and sent into stacking columns where they will be sent to where you and your parents may receive them. After, we left for the Washington Monument where we traveled into an elevator carrying us to 555 ft., an amazing view of beautiful Washington DC. This monument is dedicated to the George Washington, our first president.

Star Spangled Banner

Hello, this is Makenzie, reporting from Washington D.C. Wednesday morning we got up early and went to Ash Wednesday Mass, which was a new experience for most of our classmates. After that, we all walked leisurely to the metro and caught a subway into the city. When we entered the Smithsonian Museum of American History, in front of us was a giant abstract flag leading into the exhibit. {This exhibit tells the story of the original “Star Spangled Banner,” the original American flag which flew over Ft. McHenry in Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812. Francis Scott Key was an American, taken prisoner of the British, who could see the American fort and its flag during the battle. The original flag, the one that actually survived the battle is on display there.} When we entered, there was the history of our country right in front of us. We read about the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and many other miserable wars which lead on for years. Then there was Abraham Lincoln, leading our country and keeping us together as a nation. The tour guide was talking about restoring our original flag, which was three stories high. Then as we turned the corner, there was silence. In front of us was our Star Spangled Banner, and the words of our National Anthem:

“O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hailed, at the twilight’s last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars though the perilous fight, o’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming, and the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof though the night that our flag was still there? Oh say, does that star spangled banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?”

If you ever visit Washington D.C., you have to see this humbling experience at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

Thursday, February 26th: White House! Capitol! Monuments! Oh My!!