Time is quickly ticking and in just a few weeks we will be heading back to Honduras to start our next term. Before we leave we wanted to get away and so something special with Hannah's family. So we decided to spend a few days in Columbus, Ohio. We heard the zoo there has been rated #1 in the country for the last two years. It is definitely one of the nicest zoos we have ever seen. A great place!

Our gang ready to explore the amazing zoo!

Daniel was excited to see the wetlands.

Joseph crawled out of a prairie dog hole and was almost eaten by a wolf!

The petting zoo was a lot of fun. Plenty of goats and sheep.

God's beautiful creation.

I think the petting zoo was Daniel's favorite part of the whole place. He loved it!

We took a train ride around the North American section of the zoo. We saw some moose along the ride as we headed into the Klondike.

Cute little Skyler enjoying the view of the fish in the Polar Bear's pond.

Look at all those fish!!

 



How did Joseph get to the North Pole? That kid is always getting into trouble.

These beavers were doing flips and showing off in the water. They were a blast!

I don't remember the name of this bird but we loved it's awesome colors.

Chillin' with the King of the Jungle.

Hey mom, look, it's Barbara Manatee.

I don't think I would trust this guide driving our Safari.

A little china man with his rickshaw.

We had an apesolutely wonderful time!

 

Today was historical. After five grandsons, there is now a granddaughter! Leila has totally changed the dynamic of the family. We are so happy!! I just hope she survives life with all these boys.

Ron telling everybody that Liz and the baby are ok.

Aunt Hannah is as proud as a peacock!

Joseph doesn't know what to do with a girl cousin. But he is so happy



In our travels this summer we have been so blessed to meet some of God's precious family. Glenn Hostetter and his family are one of those families. He is faithful to write and let us know that they are praying for us. He loves having missionaries in his home any time he can. We were privileged to be invited to their house for a wonderful Pennsylvania Dutch meal. Great memories!!

We took two days to visit the Big Apple. It was nice to change pace a little. Joseph had never seen the Statue of Liberty and he was really looking forward to it. Here is a little bit of our trip.

Dan Dan chilling on the ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty.

Still thankful for our freedom. Though it seems to be eroding more and more each day, thank God for the freedom we still have.

We stopped by Staten Island and took a stroll on the boardwalk. There were lots of guys fishing. It was just a neat place to hang out.

It's always interesting to see the different vendors and entertainers on the streets. There were some really amazing artists in Times Square.

Times Square!

Here is a little tidbit that I learned. Did you know it is incorrect to say Grand Central Station? It is not a station it is a terminal. The largest train terminal in the United States. Don't call it Grand Central Station call it Grand Central Terminal.

The view from the top of the Empire State Building! Getting to the top was a feat in itself. The elevator went so high so fast my ears popped!

Little Italy!

We stopped and ate lunch at what looked like a Mafia meeting place. The restaurant served amazing food. This was my personal pizza, it was heavenly. Hannah got lasagna and she said it was the best lasagna she has ever eaten! An unforgettable experience.

It felt like we were really in Europe somewhere. Such a great place.

You really need to experience the sights and smells of Chinatown. Very unique.

One of the highlights for me was our visit to the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier. It saw action in both World War II and in Vietnam.

NASA's space shuttle "Enterprise" is housed on the Intrepid.

One of Joseph's favorite things about the whole trip was when he was asked to be an assistant during a science demonstration. Now he thinks he wants to be a scientist.