New York City

Welcome to the New York City 8th Grade Class Trip...Enjoy!!




Lower Manhattan from the Empire State Building's 86th Floor

Upper Manhattan and a look at Central Park...we would actually walk all the way there from the Empire State Building....a good 25 some block walk.

You can see the Statue of Liberty out in the distance. We'll visit there tomorrow.

Walked by Radio City Hall on our way to dinner at the ESPN zone in Time Square.

The kids in Times Square after dinner.

A look from my hotel room, which was only four blocks from the Empire State Building. Good night.

Early morning and on to the World Trade Center site. This was the metal cross they took from the wreckage and made into something to look at.


This is in one of the buildings of the World Trade Towers. This one was damaged, but has been repaired since and looks beautiful inside. You can go to the windows in the background and look out at the Trade Towers site.

This is Trinity Church. It was the only building to survive without any damage from the Trade Towers, which is unreal since it was literally right across the street from them. It only had one tree that fell during 9/11. It became the site where all the firefighters/police/helpers would go in the weeks after 9/11 and receive care and food. This is also the only building to survive the Great fire of New York back in history and was also were George Washington was inaugurated as our first President.

Stopped by the Brooklyn Bridge on our way to Chinatown for lunch.


Mom, this is the courthouse steps for Law and Order....thought you would like to see it.

Shopping in Chinatown after Lunch

Onto Battery Park to catch our ferry to Liberty Island where we got off and got a closer look at the Statue. If anyone gets a chance, you have to stop at this island. There is nothing like being so close to it.

Then we caught the ferry again to head over to Ellis Island. Here is a display of baggage that never made it to the owners.

This is the Registry Hall where everyone would come when they got off the boats and wait to go through all the exams and whatnot. At times this room would hold thousands of people all crammed in waiting. No joke. I didn't believe it until a ranger had to verify it for me. It's hard to imagine. And it was hotter then all get out in there. I couldn't imagine it with people packed in.

As soon as we got off the ferry we took the subway back to our hotel where we got dinner, changed, and then were off again to our broadway show at the New Amsterdam Theatre....Mary Poppins. It was great!! Les Hambridge couldn't stop talking about it and I recommend it to anyone.

The next morning it was time to say farewell to New York. Two final pictures from our hotel room. Goodbye.

Warehouse Teeth

Some members of ours, here at church, have a warehouse in downtown D.C. that they are trying to clean out. I guess the company that was renting from them can't pay the rent, so everything in the warehouse belongs to this church couple. They are older and want to get rid of everything, so it's come and take what you want. So today I went over there and came away with my find of the day. Some teeth. I figured my students would love looking at it on my desk. Smile!

Pink Belts Find A Home

If the boys forget to wear a belt to school, they now have an opinion of getting a dress code slip or wearing a girls pink, jeweled heart belt. Dawit, one of my eighth graders, decided the pink belt was his ticket out. I just couldn't resist getting some pictures from him. And he did wear the belt proudly...to the giggles of all the girls and Miss Reed.

That's me!

The first graders just finished an assignment in which each student was given a teacher to draw. Then they were to add a sentence to the bottom about how the particular teacher was a blessing. Davi got me and here is his picture of me. The eighth graders and I have now determined that I am part duck with very small close eyes. I saw right away that I had webbed feet, however later I was corrected when I told Davi that I liked my feet in the picture and he said they weren't feet, they were my shoes...high-heeled shoes. I had to laugh.

Oh, and I'm a blessing because I sit with the first graders at Chapel. How cute is that.

Shenandoah Valley Youth Retreat

Welcome to our home for the retreat. Huge place inside and the bathrooms were great!

The girls investigating our new home the night we arrived.






Having some fun at the ping pong table, which was a hit.




Group picture at the creek bridge.




The lake with the Shenandoah Hills in the background. The hills were beautiful, especially at sunset. Emily and Michael liked the lake.





The boys just had to do a dock pose for me.




The kids were very excited when Teresa and I pointed out wild onions growing on the hillside to them. Soon all the kids (and leaders) were on their knees digging up the onions for each other. It kept us busy for a good hour. The smell of them took me back to Grandpa and Grandma Schmidt's garden.






Ending our trip with a huge bonfire, skits that the kids did for each other, silly songs, and toasting it all with crispy marshmallows.

Doors

Got to love my apartment building. The cracked glass decoration on the doors is just so lovely. Gives the place a real charm!

Happy Easter!

This cross was in the church during all of Lent. It has a purple cloth wrapped around it and people would pin their prays to it. Then on Good Friday it was wrapped entirely in wire...and then today, there were flowers in the narthex, in these big baskets. Everyone took the flowers they wanted and then they would walk to the front of the church and stick the flowers into the wire and the end result was our Easter Cross. Very beautiful.

Good Friday

On this Good Friday it seems fitting to say a final goodbye to Grandpa Reed's microwave. It looks kind of lonely there. Say bye-bye.

Easter Breakfast

Here is the Congregation Easter Breakfast Sign Up Board that I created for the Christian Service Board I'm on. I thought it looked very Spring like.

Adviser

I forgot to mention that I also received a pin and keychain at the NJHS induction ceremony because I'm the new adviser. I received mine from the principal though. Here they are....oh boy.

NJHS

Here are some pictures from the National Junior Honor's Society Induction Day. The first picture is all my old and new members. The second is the picture of my five current officers and the third is of the cake that I had to write the words on because all decorators in DC seem to have Tuesday's off. I had a horrible time trying to write the letters.

SPRING ARRIVES

Luck of the Irish

Our Youth Group Auction was yesterday. It's theme was the Irish Comedy Club. Dinner, entertainment and the silent auction made for a fun evening. Here are a few pictures of the fellowship hall decorated for dinner and the stage set for our comedy entertainment later in the evening.

New Microwave

Out with the Old and in with the New. After having Grandpa Reed's old microwave for a few months I relized it wasn't up to micro potential. So, thanks to Mom tipping me off to a great sale, I went and bought myself a new Kenmore microwave. Looks great and works even better. Hallelujah!!

Moving

Today was spent helping Josh (7th grade) and Sarah Klug (3rd Grade) and their two little boys move into their new home. Actually, they are just renting the place on a month to month bases, but it is a much better deal compared to the apartment they were living in. The outside might look older but the whole inside is remodeled and gorgeous. And the backyard has a deck that we have all claimed will be the spot for our next barbeque. We had a great day for moving with temperatures hitting the 60's.

Thumb work

One of my eighth grade girls nearly grossed me out today when she showed my how far she could bend back her thumb...just naturally. Gosh...almost gives me the shivers!