Day 4 on the Potomac

So yesterday we all (17 of us) piled in the cars and drove to Antietam National Battlefield. It was absolutely beautiful. It was a horrific story about the bloodiest day in American history - 23,000 men died in one day. But despite that history, the park is absolutely breathtaking. Here are some pictures from the day.


Here are John and Sean right before take-off....not quite so breathtaking...but i promise....the scenery will be...



This here is a sight to behold. This is the generational Smith Man Profile. Keep an eye out for it....you're sure to see it if you pay attention.




This was our first stop - an old church that was the home of six families at the time of the battle. It was a beautiful building.




Me and Mich at the church




Shan and me doing our best impression of a model pose. Shannon's got it down pretty good I think.




My man.




Shannon the Lovely.




Meagan and Liz




Michelle. Please tell her she's beautiful in this picture - she doesn't seem to believe me.




A monument to the Philadelphia Brigade.




Cannon.




A field of corn.




The landscapes were absolutely breathtaking.




Sean. Mary, this one's for you :)




A winding road.




Studying a plaque at one of the stops.




I loved this tower. We climbed to the top of it, which provided an incredible view.




The Leaches.




The Smiths.




Mr. Leach and Erin walking out of the tower.




Sean and Mr. Leach walking down towards the bridge.




This here was Burnside Bridge. The confederate army of about 400 held back the Union army of a few thousand for about 3 hours, inflincting serious casualties in the process.






It was a fun trip - we all had a great time. Even the little kds enjoyed it I think, though granted they were rather bored by the end :)

Well, to start off some humorous moments from yesterday, here is a picture of Chris in his Abe Lincoln get-up, as promised.


He has worn this since he got it. To add to the hilarity, please try to imagine the following scenario:
Last night, after dinner, Michelle and I were upstairs in the loft, when we heard from below an argument ensue between Chris and Dan. It started out innocently enough, but quickly escalated as child disagreements often do. The subject of their argument was humorous enough (we will not disclose it here, but just trust me, it was both ironic and funny). Chris raced up the stairs, and the hilarity reached a new level when he appeared in front of us, clearly distressed, but also decked out in his Abe Lincoln top hat and beard. Michelle and I tried to contain ourselves, knowing that laughing would not be the best course of action given the circumstances, but I regret to say that we failed miserably. The mental image of Chris engaged in a heated and passionate debate, while dressed as he was, was simply too much to resist. We love our Christopher "Abe" Smith :)

Also related to the Abe Lincoln disguise comes a story of dear Amy :) She was in our car riding home from Antietam with us, John and Sean. Before we had left to go home, she and Chris and Dan had bought some souveniers at the gift shop. Chris got his Abe outfit, Dan got some army men and other such paraphanalia, and Amy proceeded to show us her trinkets. After showing off her Union army hat, and some other miscellaneous items, she then produced a copy of the Gettysburg Address. Upon showing this to Sean, Mike piped up and remarked, "Wow, Amy - you guys sure wasted a lot of Dad's money today." And after a muffled guffaw, through smiling teeth, she said, "I know!" :) And Amy has graciously given me permission to share this story with you all - she is a very good sport :)

Some other moments?
Well, I can't speak straight, and when asking for help for clean-up after dinner, I asked for the "pinions" to show themselves. What are pinions you ask? Clearly I was trying to say either Peons or Minions, but came out with that creative jumble. I'm getting to be as bad as John (you can consult him later for his many word-inventions from the most recent New Orleans trip :)
Also, Dan and Chris have informed Mike and me that they are tired of hearing us call each other "love." This is too much "ushy-gushy" for them, and in Dan's own words, "I think I'm gonna be sick...." Mike has assured them that they will not always feel this way towards girls.

I intend to run those steps again today....I think Michelle is going to join me as well.
See you later!