Valley Forge

After spending 2 1/2 hrs at the prison, we drove the 20 mins to Valley Forge, where Washington and his troops wintered during the American Revolution. It is actually a sad story, some 2000 soldiers died there without a single shot being fired, from starvation, disease and harsh weather. It was HOT when we got there, we were under a heat advisory for the day, so we didn't do as much hiking/walking around as we would've liked. I'm feel more like Elinore these days, where I melt in direct sunlight. I seem to be constantly searching for a tiny patch of shade. It was a beautiful National Park and we hope to go back in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. It is 3500 acres with various monuments and sites on a loop. Mike got pretty into the history of the place and jumped in the bunks of one of the soldiers cabins. A triple bunk that housed 12 men, almost as bad as coffin-racks on naval ships.

We saw Washington's headquarters, which we learned was a rental, nothing was acquired by force. The house smelled like Gram's house, with all the antiques and the old timber. Our last stop in the park was Washington Memorial Chapel. It was a gorgeous church with old hand-carved pews and fancy woodwork. There was a gallery off the sanctuary that housed a replica Liberty Bell dedicated to the Daughters of the Revolution. The grounds were beautiful and I'm sure weddings there would be pretty spectacular. We got some really nice pictures of each other, though I'm realizing now, we need to be better about getting pictures together. Part of this is my fault because I'm paranoid about my camera being stolen.

We spent our drive home discussing our 1st year together, recalling our favorite memories from our wedding. I feel very lucky to be so happy and to have found someone I can share my life with. We've adjusted to life together very well, though we still struggle somewhat with finding the balance between work and home. We're very excited to be starting a family. It is amazing how time seems to have flown by, yet stand still. So much has happened since last July. We're really excited for Rocky Mt and cannot wait to see everyone. This baby is quite a world traveler already!