The Fruit of Our Life: Williamsburg Retreat (week one)

This year we were fortunate enough to go to the MOMYS (Mother's Of Many Young Siblings) Williamsburg retreat. We got to meet lots of new families that were just like us. We also learned a lot about early American history by taking tours, doing fun activities and other things involving colonial life.

We are very thankful to live only forty-five minutes away from the retreat. While most other families lived significantly farther away.

After dad and mom checked in we headed to our room. After unloading our vehicles the little kids went outside on the deck to play around.

While Carter, Hannah, and Elijah were out playing, Bradley was up stairs rigging up a toy alarm system. :)

Elijah having fun playing with Duplos.

While we were at Williamsburg we took an evening to go burn off some energy at the playground.

So cute. :)

Bradley and Carter swinging on the rope swing.

Hannah walking on the suspension bridge.

~Sunday~

The Resort that we were staying at had a pool which we were very grateful to be able to use.

Elijah really liked the pool.

~Wednesday~

On Wednesday we went to Jamestown. We got to see all sorts of things from the Indian Village to the Jamestown Settlement.

This is one of the several huts in the Indian Village.

When we went inside the huts we were very fascinated not only with the construction, but also how well they functioned. Along with the huts we saw all sorts of interesting tools, furniture, furs, and baskets.

Carter is holding one of the arrows the Indians would have used for hunting.

Carter holding a map of the Virginia colonies.

We also got to see one of the canoes that the Indians used. One of the things the Indians were good at was harnessing the power of fire to work for them. This canoe was made with fire by carefully burning up the inside of the tree then chiseling out the remaining wood.

The long walls surrounding the Jamestown settlement really captivate just how much work it took to build the settlement.

This is a picture of the lookout tower near the entrance of the settlement.

We really enjoyed seeing the musket firing demonstration, and learning about all the different parts that are critical to making the gun work.

These are the cannons that were being displayed near the armory in the settlement.

Here are a few of the helmets and vests the soldiers used.

One of my most favorite parts of Jamestown was all the muskets, rifles, swords, knives, and tools in the armory.

Carter and Bradley really liked trying on the metal helmets and vests.

After going to the armory we saw the old governors home.

After living in his home for awhile the governor decided to have a bigger, better house built for him. This is a replica of what his new house would have looked like.

The governors dresser along with his body armor.

After we saw the governors new home we went to my favorite part of Jamestown, the Church.

The Church's walls were made using a fascinating method called "waddle and daub". This is a display of the weaving pattern used in that method.

Here is the actual walls of the Church.

The roof trusses inside the Church looked amazing!

The Church's Creed, and the Ten Commandments.

I took this picture based on the front cover of the album "The Altar and the Door" by Casting Crowns.

Which reminds me of one of my most favorite songs by them.

Later Wednesday night we got ready and went to the All Together Get Together (ATGT).

Hannah is so cute in her colonial outfit!

We are so fortunate to have sweet little Elijah!

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 127:3

At the ATGT we got to do some colonial style dancing, and meet the rest of the families at the retreat that we didn't have a chance to meet yet.

Mom and Dad having fun dancing.

Even I did some dancing! I was a little nervous at first but quickly got over it and really had a lot of fun!

Elijah with one of his new buddies.

~Friday~

On Friday we went to the Yorktown Victory Center.

On the pathway to the Yorktown Victory Center museum we stopped to look at the plaques.

Learning the life of a soldier.

One particularly interesting part of Yorktown was the doctors tent. In the doctors tent there were many little tools and jars of medicine. We learned about what it was like to be a wounded soldier and how they attempted to heal you. The more we listened, the more we realized that it was really no fun at all going to the doctors tent! :)

This is a picture of the Colonel's desk inside his tent.

Here is a picture of the Colonel's bed, and dresser along with his uniform, and the rest of his belongings.

After we saw the tents we went over to see a mortar launcher being fired. The mortar launcher let off a lot of smoke and within a few seconds after firing the smoke was so thick that many of us couldn't even see one another!

George Washington explaining to Carter his most recent plans! :)

After seeing George Washington we went to see inside a wealthy farmer's home.

At the farmer's home we got to watch the cook prepare a meal.

Outside we saw the farmer's herb garden and field.

~Saturday~

On Friday night dad went home to go to work and he took the big van so that mom didn't have to drive it.
The original plan was to load up the big van with enough stuff so that we could fit all the rest of the stuff in the blue van easily. But apparently we miscalculated exactly how much stuff we still had.