Gettysburg

Last Saturday we were able to go up to Gettysburg with Chris's family.  Unfortunately I didn't take many pictures on this trip- there were so many things to see and do.  The Battle of Gettysburg took place on and around the 4th of July, so they put on a big reenactment over the weekend of the 4th.
We had perfect weather the entire time we were on vacation...except for Saturday.  It was hot and humid (and coming from someone who lives in Houston that means a lot!).  There was absolutely no clouds to block the sun, and no breeze so with little shade it was stifling.

this was adorable! Grandma Hawks gave each boy a dollar to put in the hat for the fife and drum players.  They went right up and put the money in.  Another lady thought they were so cute she gave them each a dollar to put in too.  When Chris tried to get a picture they both just sat down and finished watching the performance right there!

I don't know who liked the cannon better...

After watching the reenactment with the calvary we walked around the tents and saw the little shops.  Nathan loved the tent with all the toys and games from the Civil War Era.  We saw tents selling clothing, guns, instruments, hats, and various souvenirs. We then got to see the artillery demonstration which was really neat.

trying on some hats for sale.  They were $38 each so we decided even though they were cute we weren't going to get Nathan one :)

 Nathan loved all the horses that were around- he loved the calvary! He loved eating his hot dog for lunch and playing with his cousin Scott. We were all so hot (and the kids were super tired) so we decided to ditch the rest of the reenactment after lunch and head over to the museum.  The air conditioning was heavenly.

This guy was really scary.  For everyone else's pictures he was pointing his gun at their heads...creepy.

This is how I spent most of the afternoon- huddled under the umbrella so Abby would be out of the direct sun. On a side note- look at those adorably chunky legs! I love 'em!

This was how the boys were for a lot of the time.  If you can't tell, Nathan is asking Amy for "games" on her phone.  Grandma and Grandpa Bishop have definitely spoiled him with games on their iPads- he's addicted.  To bad we have regular old phones :)

 After exploring the Museum for a while we decided to head home around 6- our kids promptly both feel asleep before we had even left the parking lot.
I have been to Gettysburg a number of times before this, but this trip was Chris's first time and I'm so glad he got to experience a part of history that I love.  Sometimes I feel like my degree (History Teaching) doesn't come in handy like so many others, but experiences like this remind me that I did what I love . My favorite part about going to Gettysburg is standing in the open fields and in the cemetery looking at the many men who sacrificed there lives for freedom.  It was a wonderful way to remember the meaning and importance of Independence Day.