Amazing ...

Today we went to see the Lincoln Memorial. I was amazed by the sheer size of this building. The pictures of the structure don't come close to just how incredible it is. I walked into the memorial and looked up to see Lincoln sitting firmly on his seat of stone. Overlooking the capitol of the U.S., he is a symbolic representation of the strength of America. Lincoln's stature says that he will not be moved, destroyed, changed, or weakened. Just like America itself. Through sun, rain, snow, and storm, he will be there, always protecting the country. Like our soldiers who fight and die for us. We are proud of both, and they build equally strong the halls of stone of America, that are sturdy and will never crumble or fall. 
                -Emily R

Lunch Lady's

Vietnam Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Arlington

The sudden feeling of overwhelming sadness comes over me as I realize each of these graves represents a person.  Named or not these people had a family. These people were important to somebody. These people were somebody's whole world. My mind seems to open up and I can almost sense everything widening. My outlook on life changes drastically as I think about the people who devoted their lives to this. These people fought and died for us. A few minutes before I had been living my life, laughing, smiling, talking to friends and people I love but as this "weight" sits upon me while standing in the Arlington National Cemetery,  conflicting feelings and emotions mixing in my brain, I realize the importance of this moment. 

-Zoe

The Streets of Philadelphia

Today on April 18 of 2015 we went to Philadelphia. We saw a presentation on the history of the U.S. Constitution inside the museum. We then had lunch.  While Grant, and Cory and I had left over sandwiches and very many apples we took them with us around the streets. Grant, Cory, Emily, Amanda, Autumn, and Sage saw a disabled homeless man. Grant, Cory, and I offered him a sandwich and he accepted our offer.  He smiled and it looked like we had just made his day.
"Thank you so much!" He said with a smile on his face. "God bless you." The feeling of knowing what we did just made me happy. It was terrible to see him looking so sad but I'm so glad I got to see him look so happy. That even brighten up my own day to smile so brightly.

Isaac

Inspired

Today was a fascinating day. It was not so much emotional, but more inspiring . It was a day of progress, of history, of strength. We toured Philadelphia, PA and saw Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and other artifacts of that sort. For some, these things are mere items, something to look at, maybe learn a few facts from. But to me, they were something more. They told a story. A story of power and perseverance. It told a tale of a group of people who were strong enough to say that this was not what they wanted, and that they needed a change. It told of a new culture, rising up from the ashes of a system that didn’t work for all, to grow into a government that would. Freedom grew overtime. It was planted in the ideas of the people who wanted a new government, it grew roots in a new dream, and it flowered and bloomed into an amazing country that achieved more than anyone could ever have expected. This is what I saw and learned today. I will remember always seeing the things that were rooted in the foundation of a better America.

           

-Emily R