One Super-Awesome Weekend!

This weekend we celebrated our annual Lepkuchen Day Open House, which was a wonderful success! We had neighbors and guests over while we baked our annual massive amounts of delicious lepkuchen, and it was a great time - even with three kidlets to look after! 

And I should say.... I really enjoyed Lepkuchen Day, even though the number of lepkuchen I got to eat was a big ZERO! Honestly, it wasn't too hard. I'm getting used to it. I think this must be how it is to have food allergies. Yes, it's a pain, but either I'm getting accustomed to the life or I'm losing those sugar cravings that they say eventually leave when one is off of sugar long enough. The smell was wonderful, though!

As usual, we completely forgot to take pictures, so here are a few after-the-fact! (Local friends - next year, remind us to take pictures!)

"There are certain things that are nice to know, especially when the world seems to go not well - the King is coming, my family loves me, and at Christmas there are Lepkuchen." 

The last batch! 

The end result, minus those that were already eaten! 

Glazing! 

On Sunday, we went to the American Heritage Festival hosted by We Make History. Oh my goodness, it was so awesome! Loved it!! The Festival instantly became an annual tradition, and we're looking forward to next year.

Here are some of the things that we got to see:

- A Civil War battle reenactment

- A Revolutionary War battle reenactment, complete with canon!

- A working blacksmith forge

- A mountain man lean-to

- Battle camps for all sides of above-mentioned wars

- Candle-making (dipped and molds), and the kids got to make their own dipped candles

- Period music performances (colonial and Civil War)

- Period dress fashion show

- Numerous booths with fashions, tools, etc.

- Lots of reenactment actors who would answer questions, both in-person and as history buffs 

- Abraham Lincoln!

- A church service in the style of George Whitefield

On this occasion, we didn't just forget to take pictures, we forgot the camera/phone completely! So here are a couple of friends' pictures: 

The man himself! 

Marching out to do battle with those uppity rebels.  

And the candle that the 6yo got to make:

Real-live beeswax candle, in our oh-so-stylish holder! 

We had so much fun! And now, back to what I should be doing! Love you all, and have a very happy Thanksgiving!

To that end, I will finish with George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation! (I love how much we're learning in our homeschooling! I'd never even heard of this before!!)

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness: 

"Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us. 

"And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best." 

 Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789

Amen! Happy Thanksgiving!

p.s. The cricket who refused to die has, alas, died. DH and I are sorry - he was a bonny little fellow! The 6yo is convinced that he is just hibernating, and we are for now allowing this pleasant fiction to continue - neither of us has the stomach to face the orgy of childhood grief over a lost pet (again).