Spring Baseball Fever

We traveled to Iowa with Nathan for work and stopped at a baseball game along the way.

The Quad Cities River Bandits.

The boys both got Minecraft T-shirts for their birthdays.

This day gave us our first relief from a long cold winter.

The sunshine was welcomed and a little unexpected, I hadn't begun to pack sunscreen yet and so we all got a little sunburn. 

This was our second game of the season. We joined the Romans in Midland to watch The Great Lake Loons play.
Elliot thought it would be funny to wear all of his minor league baseball gear.  He is wearing his Whitecap shirts our team here in Grand Rapids, a River Bandit claw something he purchased at the Iowa game, and a Loons hat. 

The Loons mascots were very interactive and a lot of fun to be around. Jane got a card signed by both of them.

The girls tried very hard to get Louie the Loon to help them start a wave. The crowd was sparse and it wasn't easy, but he rallied everyone and got them to do it. 

The girls got their face on the big screen twice. 

A fun night and a win for the Loons. 

Henry Ford and Greenfield

One of our top items on our summer to do list was visit the Henry Ford and Greenfield Village.

We were able to share this trip with the Romans.

Nathan and I both have visited the museum and village as kids, and once for our anniversary.

Jane took a quiz what kind of car are you?

She came up with the the Commuta:

This was built as a result of the 70's oil crisis.

Elliot liked making paper airplanes at the Wright Brother's section. They have some of the original material used from the first plane in flight along with the recreation of the plane.

The collection at the Henry Ford is extensive, including the chair Lincoln was shot in, Rosa Park's bus, and Presidential cars.  It could also be called the Thomas Edison museum with all of the information and artifacts it contains of the inventor. We didn't get a chance to see it, but they even have Edison's last breath. 

Dad and Elliot constructing their car ideas.
I didn't quite get Nathan in the shot, photography 101, don't cut-off people's heads.

 The Dymaxian house.  The link gives all the information about it. A round shaped home that uses, what at the time were considered modern innovations. A family did live in the house for 20 years, adding onto it over the years.

This section of the museum had scenes from different eras. Jane and Elliot sitting in front of the radio, like kids in the 1940's might have done.

The kids got their own models made of the Wienermobile.

Greenfield Village

The highlights for the girls was going to school.

We experienced what school life was like in 1867. 
Boys and girls sat on separate sides of the room. 
 The teacher asked real questions and you had to stand up and give your name.  The Roman girls and Jane answered everything right.  She prodded answers from the adults and I gave the capital of Pennsylvania and then I was asked to spell it,  I didn't think that was quite fair, but thankfully I got it right.

Laura Ingalls Wilder told about her life on the prairie right before she became a teacher.

Old fashion games

Emma was quite good at the stilts

There was a baseball game that was played according to the rules in the 1800's.

I don't think Addidas was standard issue in the 1800's.

Events were being held to commemorate the 200 anniversary of the war of 1812.  

The kids joined the army. They first had to enlist, then go see the doctor. One of his questions was if you ever had small-pox. 
Then they marched, it was quite warm that day and it was a bit of work for the kids to learn how to hold their weapons and march.

Jane's occupation-actress,
Moriah's-artist

We got a visit from the Krohns.  They then joined us on Sunday afternoon at the village.

 I am glad we were able to share this  special trip,with great family and friends.