Gettysburg, PA

Last weekend, after leaving Hershey we stopped by the battlefield at Gettysburg on the way back home. We’d been there a few years ago, but they had built a brand new visitor’s center since then and it was pretty impressive. If you’ve followed this blog for any time then you know that we’ve visited pretty much every Civil War battlefield in the area, which has been a few. Gettysburg, being the most important battle in the war, is by far the best one to visit. Here you can see the High Water Mark of the Confederacy, a stone marker that displays where the war turned around, and the farthest point the rebellion made toward success and a new nation. Lee is still a hero in the south, sometimes referred to as Washington without the reward, but it was here that his army that had always fought outnumbered and against the odds, ran out of luck. It’s been almost 150 years, but it’s still powerful to stand here and see where so many people marched across these fields under fire, knowing they were going to die. If you ever get the chance, even if you don't have any interest in the Civil War, there are plenty of interesting stories and things to see here.


Maybe someday they'll want to visit this place again, or all of the other places we've taken them when they're too young to remember it. But when they're old enough to appreciate it, we won't be able to afford it.

Paul got this Bee hat thing at the Pennsylvania welcome center. I'm still not sure what the bee has to do with Pennsylvania, but here he is looking over the monument at Devil's Den, a bunch of large boulders where some heavy fighting took place.

A short distance from here General Pickett launched his infamous assault on the Union line across this field. When you see how far it is, you have to wonder whether you'd be able to do it. Almost a mile of open ground, under heavy artillary fire and bullets raining down.

This marker denotes where Lee rode out to meet his returning troops after the failed assault.

We had to inform this Southern boy that this is where the Confederacy ultimately lost the war. He didn't take it well. He still gets upset about his state's rights and the dirty Yankees interfering with his way of life.

Adam Michael, being a Northerner, was satisfied with the outcome. The Union was preserved!

We stopped to reflect with Honest Abe about the famous speech he gave here. I could have easily spent an entire day riding around and reading all of the signs, but a quick drive around the battlefield was all we had time for today. It was a beautiful evening though, perfect weather and all. And there's definitely some beautiful country up there, open fields and farm land. I'm sure we'll be back sometime, maybe when the boys really are old enough to be excited about it. If that's something they get excited about someday... but hey, I would be!

Mmm... Chocolate.

Becky convinced me last Sunday to take a drive up to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania near the capital city of Harrisburg (which I wouldn’t have known was the capital of PA), and to the town of Hershey. Back in the day, Mr. Hershey thought it would be a good idea to make chocolate out of cocoa beans like they were doing in Europe, and he built this factory in Pennsylvania and then built the town around it for all of his workers. It was similar to being near Disneyworld, where Disney owns everything and Mickey Mouse is everywhere. In Hershey, even the street lights are shaped like Hershey Kisses. The factory is still there, along with Hershey Park and Chocolate World, with a bunch of chocolate themed things to do. We took the free tour, and got some stuff in the gift shop. Paul enjoyed himself, Adam mostly just slept. As usual.

Inside they had a chocolate tasting tour, some 3D show, the "factory" tour (which wasn't the real factory, but still fun), and Paul got a chance to be a factory worker.

Everybody needs a little chocolate bar every now and then, like this!

Times are tough in this economy, we gotta put this kid to work. He looks thrilled about it. Now that he's got experience, we're filling out applications for him at Nike and Reebok working on the assembly line.

What Mom? What? How do you want me to pose? I already did what you wanted. I'm standing here. Just take the picture. Just take it and let's go.

Well, I guess you're never too young to have a chocolate Hershey bar.

Overall it was worth driving up for. I've gotta say the Coca-Cola plant in Atlanta was a bit more fun, since you actually got to see real Coke being made, but it also was $15 a piece, and this one was free (or at least the things we did were free). So we had a good time anyway. Now, if only I could find out where the Mountain Dew plant is...

The Indians win it!! Well, this one at least...

Last Sunday was a perfect day for a ballgame, 72 degrees, sunny, and beautiful… so we took the boys to their first major league baseball game! We made the drive up to Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, to see them take on… yes, the Cleveland Indians. Unfortunately, I should be doing my best to keep them from one day becoming Indians fans, and not pass on this curse that my father passed on to his sons, so I shouldn’t be taking them to these games. I should really just be buying them Yankees hats and save them the lifetime of disappointment that comes with cheering for any other baseball team.


Just hanging outside the gates waiting for game time, and Paul, as usual, running around and amusing himself.

It's no Indians jersey, but I guess it's all he's got.

And this is what dreams are made of. If nothing else, the ticket prices, the parking, the outrageous food prices... it's all worth it for that ballpark hot dog.


But no hot dog for Adam Michael, or at least not yet. He was great the whole game, but I doubt he'll have any memories of it, since he slept the entire time.


I think they call these the nose bleeds. But the country band Alabama said there's nothing like the view from the cheap seats! We could kind of see the players from up here!

Overall, it was a great time! Paul's favorite was the Oriole's mascot, who did the usual mascot thing, running around and falling down. I was of course happy to see the Indians win, even if the Orioles happen to be the worst team in the league right now, but hey, a win is a win. We'll have to try to go to another game again this summer, always a good time.

The Sellers Boys

Just wanted to post a few pictures that Becky took this last week around the house of the Sellers boys. It appears in the photo at the top of the blog that Paul has inherited my skin, while Adam may have gotten lucky and gotten his mothers. If it stays that way, then Paul has a long road of burning and peeling ahead of him, while Adam will be tan the first time someone even mentions Summer. But maybe Paul will get lucky and have the Unbehend hair, whereas Adam will start losing his at 20 (or the day he gets married, like what happened to his dad). Only time will tell for these kids.

A special thanks to Adam's Great-Aunt Anna for making this quilt he's laying on! He seems to be enjoying it... but what better gift for a boy who's favorite hobby is sleeping in a blanket??

And then there's Paul. Hold still for just two seconds. Just two seconds for a picture, Paul. Just for a single second, stop moving. Please? Forget it.

All is well for these boys. Just enjoying the arrival of warm weather. Time flies by faster than we realize it. Adam is already five weeks old and growing by the minute!

And again... another new cousin!

We just wanted to take a second to congratulate Uncle Chris and Aunt Kelly on the arrival of Paul and Adam’s newest cousin. Sophie Marie Clayburn was born a few days ago, May 5, 2010 and (to the best of my knowledge) weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces, and was 21 inches long. Her big sister Brooke will be two years old this July, so it’s going to be a busy house around there in the years to come with those girls! Best of luck to them!

Ah yes... Uncle Andy

Last weekend, Uncle Andy and Aunt Theresa showed up after a long drive from Clarksville, TN where he is currently stationed in the Army. He ships out later this month to spend a year in Afghanistan, so it was awesome that they were able to visit for a few days. We’re very grateful for the wonderful things that Andy was able to teach Paul while he was here, and we can only imagine what Paul would learn if he spent more time with him. Such valuable things like how to fist bomb and blow it up, and how to tell the world about Uncle Ted’s alleged bowel control problems. I thought it was funny. Uncle Ted was not amused.


Hanging out in Dupont Circle in downtown DC. Paul had him running a few circles around this fountain. Just a few.

Andy actually holding the younger nephew for a minute, and Paul not wanting to cooperate for a photo.

Two Uncles and Two Nephews.

Surviving the humidity. It was pretty muggy on this day, even without much sunlight.

Paul paused for a minute to check on his little brother.

It's difficult to get a family photo when one of your children tends to never close his mouth.

Just Dad and the boys.

Take the photo just like this...

So we're thankful they made the trip and we wish him well on his journey to the middle east. We'll tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree and Uncle Ted will keep a shotgun behind the door for him in the merry month of May. I'm sure the time will pass quickly, and Paul and Adam will look forward to seeing him again before we know it.

April fades away...

Well it’s been a while, so I need to catch up. The last few weeks have been kind of busy, pretty much since Adam was born. But now that the visitors have cleared out, it’s back to normal, or as normal as it can be with a newborn in the house. But we had some good times in April. Granny G was here for most of it, and we were able to go out and around a few times. Here are a few pics to prove it.

We went back up to the National Arboretum to check out the trees and plants. There were also some giant Japanese Carp, otherwise called Koi, and Paul thoroughly enjoyed throwing them food. But he made is grandmother slightly nervous when he got a little aggressive with his Koi feeding and got dangerously close to toppling into the water. Thankfully he stayed dry.

Mom and her boys stopped along the bridge to check out the giant frogs in the swamp. Paul wouldn't stand on the other side next to the rail, for fear of one of the frogs jumping out to eat him. Always a legitimate concern.

Always with a blunt object trying to poke or wack somebody. I had to carry him to the tree after I told him to watch out for snakes.

Anytime there's water to be found, Paul is usually getting into it, or trying to splash himself or anyone else with it. Uncle Ted is often a victim.

And here are the boys taking a break along the path with Granny G. They had a good time with her while she was here, and we even got a lot of work around the house done. She's probably back visiting here Granddaughters in Idaho at the moment, but I'm sure it won't be long before she's planning her next trip out here!