Chincoteague Vacation - Part 2

Chincoteague VA
August 20-21st

One of the things that I looked forward to most about our trip to Chincoteague was renting bikes. The idea of the girls exploring together and the family all enjoying some time outside breathing the ocean air in a nature preserve was drawing me. We found a bike rental that was close to the entrance of the National refugee and we tried out a few bike options, before deciding on: a tandem, a bike with a trailer, and 3 singles. We stored out gear in baskets and got to peddling. Bridget needed the tandem since she doesn't know how to ride a bike confidently so she paired with me and Jim would pull Hanna.

We biked into the refugee and then to the Assateague light house. The biking was a blast and the breeze was delicious. Bridget and I synced up on the tandem pretty quickly. Our merry band was loud, as usual. There was signing and laughing, with a few screams and near misses. It was a short hike to the lighthouse and then so many stairs. I mean sooo many stairs. Rachael stopped along the way to enjoy photo friendly windows and lighting. We all made it, but Jim joked with the ranger at the top checking to see if they had a defibrillator. (of course they did). The ranger took our picture, we soaked in the views and the bright air before making our way back down.

We got back to out bikes and then biked one of the wildlife loops around Snow Goose Pool. It was a wide open trail and as it got warmer we gravitated to the shady spots. Out of the blue Jim started reciting poetry (from the Hobbit) and Rachael joined in with her own pieces. The rest of us marveled at this spoken word back and forth as we weaved our way along the path. It was delightful.

There was some huffing and puffing as we biked that last leg. We slowed down a little. Jim needed to pick up speed for the long slow incline over the bridge and our waning energy and a narrower path did not support this well. But we all made it back to the bike depot satisfied with our adventure.

We relaxed that afternoon and after dinner hit one of the local mini golf courses. Big girls on the hard course, Jim Hanna and I within sight on the easier course.

The next day we hit the beach again. Boogie boards got into the action and we built big sandcastles. Rachael discovered that just below the surface there were many little crabs and over and over again they could be found and then they would rebury themselves. Some of them were absolutely tiny and fascinating. The wonder of tides was lost on Johanna this day. She was very disgruntled about the tide undoing our castle work and looked for someone to blame. We worked through it and found joy digging and playing again. The family worked together to turn Megan into a mermaid before we called it a day.

The beach is set apart from the town of Chincoteague but the drive through the refuge is so pleasant that it is one of the best parts of the location. Every drive we saw wildlife and many times ponies, not to mention beautiful marshes and pine forest.

We stopped into the Tom's Cove nature center most days that we went to the ocean, and we talked with the rangers. We found out that we were allowed to have a fire on the beach if we had the right containers and disposed of the chared remains.  That night we grabbed some snacks and chairs and a tiny charcoal grill from the house and went to the beach. There was beautiful sunset as we approached and an intimidating lightening storm out over the ocean. God's creation was revealing His splendor.  

Jim started a fabulous fire and we settled in to take in our surroundings. The sky right over head was clear and the milky way stretched out overhead. We could see so many stars. Rachael is our resident astronomer but Emma's regular "Hey Rachael, What is that star?" was unanswerable due to the shear magnitude of celestial bodies. Johanna wasn't a fan of the lightening but throwing the worst tasting cheese balls into the fire was a great distraction. It got dark fast once the sun went down and we packed up before the park closed.  On our way back across the refuge, Jim turned the headlights off for a second. I think we all stopped breathing for a moment.  I was petrified by this, but Johanna thought it was hysterical. 

It was another great day together

Chincoteague Vacation- Part 1

Chincoteague VA
August 18-20, 2019

This year our family decided that we wanted to go to the beach again, so we looked at towns that would give us a laid back option that wasn't to far away. We decided on Chincoteague Island VA and found a house to rent. The timing of our trip would need to squeeze in between Emma's work, Rachael's freshman commuter retreat, and Mary and Ed's 25th Anniversary Celebration. This squeeze meant we'd arrive a day late and leave a day early but still have time to relax and enjoy vacation.

The house we rented was right off Main Street in Chincoteague. It was a family home with many historical details. There were many antique games and books throughout the house and some original "Misty of Chincoteague" touches. The third floor was a converted space with sloped ceilings and antique furniture. There were 3 beds up there, and it slept 5. Megan and Bridget claimed that space and Emma would join them when she arrived a day later. Johanna got set up in the Snoopy room, next to large bedroom that Rachael claimed. Jim and I had the large master bedroom.

Everyone was comfortable and the main living space was easy to relax in with a big sectional sofa and gigantic circle chair that spun. The big kitchen and dining room quickly filled with our food provisions and beach supplies and we then set out to explore the area.

It was an easy drive to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refugee and the Assateague Island National Seashore. On our first drive through the refugee we saw the wild horses. It really was impressive and added extra enjoyment to our day on the beach. The actual sand area was pretty narrow as it ran for a long way between the ocean and the bay. We easily relaxed on the sand within close proximity to the waves. There were a good number of people there but it wasn't at all crowed. I am always glad to be able to see all of the family at the same time. The girls got out boogie boards and rode the waves, taking breaks for lunch, snacks and digging in the sand.

That afternoon Emma arrived. She had to borrow a friends car because her Jetta was acting up again. We were so glad to have her with us. The sisters took turns pileing on the circle chair as I read them Misty of Chincoteague and we snacked.

Mary and Ed's 25th Anniversary

August 17, 2019
Mary and Ed Kurek's 25th Wedding Anniversary

It was a privilege to celebrate a beautiful testimony to the Sacrament of Marriage.

Our gift to Mary and Ed for their 25th Anniversary was to make decorations and set up the reception for their celebration. We gathered supplies, added spray paint and glitter, some cutting, folding and  and gluing and we gave the party a lovely atmosphere to celebrate their vows, commitment, and the fruits of their marriage. I gave the dress that I wore as a bridesmaid in their wedding to Teresa so she could wear it to the celebration. They brought out the wedding photo albums for everyone to look through, and remember the beginning of their journey as husband and wife.

We had Mass together at Our Lady of Victory, where the Kureks sang for Mass and then went to Hindley Hall for a dinner reception. Ed finally got his Tastey Cake cake that he had requested for the wedding. 

May God bless them always and keep them covered with His Grace.

Emma's new Apartment

August 2019

With Senior year of college about to begin, Emma's lease was up and she decided that it was time for a new place and new roommates. 4 friends will share a 2 bedroom/ 2 bath apartment but the best part is that it is really close to work and campus and the campus shuttle stops nearby. Her new lease started 2 weeks before her old lease so it gave her some time to get all of her stuff over. 

Moving requires a crew, so Papa, the sisters, and I went up on a Saturday and spent the day working on moving the bigger pieces. We made a few trips from her old to her new apartment and got the big stuff done. The one big thing we weren't moving was a bed. The bed she had been using belonged to Mary Ellen, her old roommate, so Emma was in search of a new bed. 

We grabbed lunch at Panera in-between loads. And although Emma still had many small items to pack and move, we were proud of a hard days work. The search for a bed stayed with me, so I decided to do some online searching and I found a few second hand options. Within a few days I secured one, and Jim and I picked it up and got it loaded into the van. Then on Sunday, the girls (this time including Rachael, who had been working the previous weekend) joined me to meet Emma and deliver her bed.

It didn't take us long to get the bed up the stairs and set up in Emma's room. 

Knowing that she had a good place to sleep let me sleep well that night.

Emmitsburg Trip

August 14, 2019
Emmitsburg, MD
The Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

I admit I spend too much time on Facebook, but in this instance it proved fruitful. I saw that the Shrine was offering living history tours over the summer and a pilgrimage was born. My mother was drawn to Elizabeth Ann Seton and had great respect for her being a mother of five and being dedicated to charitable Works of Mercy. Mom went to Seton High School in Baltimore City, and experienced the forwarding of her cause to Sainthood.  I was named after Elizabeth Ann Seton, whose canonization came two years after my birth. The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is located in Emmistburg, Maryland just an hour away and somehow I had never been. The timing seemed overdue.

We checked Jim's schedule and we found a day they were offering the tours. We were especially interested in the tour because Johanna (and really all of us) find them engaging and are an accessible way to experience a historical site. The day of our visit was beautiful weather, Jim, Hanna, Bridget and I approached the visitor center and checked in for our tour. We had some time before the tour so we explored the grounds on our own and watched an introductory movie about her life.

Our tour started with the historical Stone house where Seton first began her work in Emmitsburg. The tiny room used as a chapel gave a sense of the simplicity and devotion to the house. The Stone house had received a number of additions over the years and functioned as the sister's laundry for many years. Johanna listened actively and asked questions, Bridget listened and soaked things in.

Chapel of the Stone House

Next we walked over to the White House which they turned into the school and dormitory for most of it's existence. Our guide was a historical reenactor, playing Catherine, Elizabeth's daughter, and the timing was after Seton's death when Catherine came back to Emmitsburg for a time of discernment. Here is where Catherine told many stories of her mother and living and growing up here. Another reenactor was the Mother Superior who took over after Seton's death and it was an engaging way to learn about the life of Seton and of the building's legacy.

The tour ended with the graveyard and the headstones of generations of sisters who lived and worked in Emmitsburg. Bridget said her favorite part was climbing up the few stairs of the grotto to look out over the cemetery. Afterward we discovered that they had a scavenger hunt through the museum on dry erase clip boards and that was Johanna's favorite part. We also discovered that they had a patch program that required a series of activities most of which we had already done.

From the steps of the Grotto

Our last stop was to the Basilica, where we prayed a novena prayer and appreciated the church's beauty of mosaics and stained glass. We offered prayers at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton's tomb and enjoyed the quiet. Before we left we reviewed the patch list and checked the last few things off so we could earn the patch and head out.

Windows depicting Our Lady's Seven Sorrows

Windows depicting the Corporal Works of Mercy

Touring museums and religious sites isn't really Jim's chosen way to spend his day, although he did enjoy it. We sweetened the day a little by stopping in Frederick, MD on the way home, walking the town and visiting one of the craft brewpubs he had been wanting to try. We enjoyed a nice dinner, talked of our day, and Jim tasted a few beers before we headed back home.

It was a blessing to spend the day surrounded by the life and work and faith and example of our first American born Saint.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pray for Us