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.