Searching for Soldiers

As if house hunting adventures weren't enough for our busy crew, we decided to take advantage of some sight-seeing opportunities by spending a few hours in Gettysburg, PA while waiting to view our last home of the day.

I have always enjoyed history but I will warn you... touring battlefields is probably a lot more enjoyable and thought-provoking when not accompanied by a screaming two year old.

Christopher was ready to be done and Dean was searching for the elusive soldiers. Maybe we should have clarified that visiting a battlefield did not mean he was going to actually see any fighting. He was not too disappointed, however, because he DID get to see some pretty awesome heavy artillery.

We were on a tight schedule and because we were traveling with unaccommodating little boys, we opted not to do any official tours. This was a bad idea. I highly recommend that if you have the opportunity to visit Gettysburg that you take advantage of the bus tours. Finding things on your own is confusing at best and left this six month pregnant mommy worn out from walking down endless paths to statues without explanations. We could have used a tour guide instead of the cranky toddler.

However, despite our battlefield ignorance we managed to find some awe-inspiring sights that allowed us at least a small piece of history in the midst of our busy hunting day.

Searching for soldiers was not nearly as difficult as searching for the perfect house but it was certainly more beautiful and inspirational. Though it was odd for this southern girl to be north of the mason-dixon line!

I am excited at the opportunities that await our family in this part of Maryland. We will be close to many historical and educational places and I look forward to educating our children about our nations's rich and sometimes torrid past.

History is interesting in that you almost never come empty when you go searching for it. And as I sat on the lawn of the Gettysburg National Cemetery with my four year old son talking about the graves we were sitting behind... I smiled when he said "these people all died for our country". May my Dean Kelly begin to develop a respect and admiration for our military and our nation.

Ah, adventures... always exciting and sometimes inspirationally moving.

Can't beat that!