Tyler Tx church where we helped decorate for Christmas.

Louisiana Water works Museum in Shreveport, La.  Good learning experience about the history of water management and how it is processed and delivered.

B52 at Air Force base in La.

Junior Rangers  – learning about the Acadians and their struggle and suffering.

J

Took in some really bad basketball – the New Orleans Pelicans.  However, had fun and the ticket prices were low!

Oak Alley Plantation – can see the Oaks behind us.  Good learning experiences about slaves, that time, and the civil war.

New Orleans Saints game – it was fun…they won!

Who took this pic?

National WWII Museum in New Orleans.  Best Museum we have seen thus far.  Very real…and humbling.

Louisiana Marsh!

Alligator! – tiny.

Jefferson Davis house – Biloxi, Ms.  Learning the perspective of the Confederacy at the time.

WWII submarine – Mobile, Al

Very fast spy plane! – In Mobile, Al Museum.

Civil Rights Memorial – humbling, deep, learning experience.  Such courage in the face of such hatred.

Attended the church in Montgomery that MLK Jr started his preaching for five years and became de facto leader of Civil Rights movement.

We drove for miles and miles to find any place to play outside of Montgomery Al.  Found one!  It was 35 degrees outside though!   What is wrong with us, who are we becoming!

Rosa Parks Museum, Montgomery Al….more humbling and inspiring learning…

More learning, church where sad bombing of young children took place in Birmingham Al.  Yet, the non-violent approach was still the response.  Such courage.

Another civil rights museum sponsored by Troy University.  Had an opportunity to speak with and learn from the director – in pic.

Learned monetary policy development and money management processes at Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta!  It was NOT as boring as that sentence sounds!  Kids asked lots of good questions as they have much of the journey.

MLK Jr. National site in Atlanta, Ga

Chuck Jr playing with new friends at church in Atlanta

First airplane ride back to Cali for Christmas!  Excited!

Some of our cool So Cal family!!

Night out with life long family Friends Marc and Veltina Mango!

On our way back to Atlanta!

Chuck Sr.

December, Christmas season.   My favorite season.  There truly is a more positive and loving spirit this time of the year, something I always yearn for.  This also was the most looked forward to area of the country for me personally, going through the South and understanding the culture and life there the past 200 years thru now.  The perspective, the misunderstandings, the way this translated to hate and hurt, and suffering, and sacrifice.  We learned this from visiting plantations in Louisiana and also learning about the Acadians and their path, to the home of the Confederacy president and learning his path in life, to then 10 days of immersion in the Civil Rights movement across the state of Alabama and onto Georgia.

Humbled….humbled…humbled…God has blessed me with the same ability to talk and walk as these men, why have I not YET done more in my life to impact others.  Not a guilt trip, just a motivator on what it still possible going forward.

Ended the month with the very rare and special opportunity to share Christmas in California with family and some friends we could connect with.  Very quick trip in and out of Atlanta to Cali and a huge blessing to give my Dad and my Father and Mother in law hugs – while sharing two wonderful Christmas’s the California way.  We even had a chance to attend Christmas Eve services with Rick Warren….how odd for us to be listening to his Purpose Driven Life series one day in Atlanta and the next day seeing him in church in So Cal.

Well, back to the trip – from Atlanta to Florida – much to see and experience along the way!

Gia

As you can probably tell, I love the details. It is all about the details. It is hard to capture so much and probably seems like I am mentioning everything in these summaries, but quite frankly I am not. We have experienced so much on this journey. Other volunteering opportunities, the amenities of the RV parks or lack of, all the wonderful people we have met, other places, and odd experiences we have shared as a family.

December is one of my favorite months of the year. The time when we celebrate Jesus’s birth. I love the lights, Christmas songs, and quiet time by the glistening tree wrapped up in a blanket by the fire. It is a time to be with friends and family. It is also a time to remember it is better to give than to receive; which should be true throughout the year.

After leaving Texas, we headed for Louisiana. We drove from Shreveport all the way down to New Orleans. Louisiana should be called the water state, there are marshes and swamps everywhere. I am surprised that the state doesn’t just float away. There was so much to see in the south, not to mention the great food I had never tried before. The people are so diverse, kind of like So. Cali. The accents, the history of the Acadian people that I had never heard before, etc.  I can’t wait to also visit the Acadian Park in Maine.

Also, while in the south, we visited Oak Alley Plantation, the French Quarter, a WWII museum, took a boat tour of a marsh, went to a New Orleans Pelicans game, visited the home of the Confederate president Jefferson Davis in Mississippi, walked Bellingrath Gardens decorated with Christmas lights in Mobile, toured the USS Alabama and a submarine in Mobile, Alabama, attended church in Montgomery where MLK first preached, and kicked off his leadership in the civil rights movement, visited four Civil Rights Museums (in Birmingham and Montgomery), and also toured a potato chip factory and visited a Hyundai car factory.

We learned so much about Civil Rights, so many ordinary people sacrificed themselves to do what was right. To treat others the way we would want to be treated.

Oh yeah, and the food. The gumbo, jumbalaya, crayfish enchiladas, po’ boy sandwiches, fried green tomatoes, and beignets, too good!!! We have tried to encourage our children to try new foods.

Finally, in late December we had the blessing of flying out of Atlanta, Georgia to California to be with family and friends during this special time of year. It was nice to be able to celebrate Christmas in Mission Viejo at my wonderful brother Ray’s and his lovely wife Courtney’s house, and also celebrate the following Sunday at my amazing daughter Melissa and her thoughtful husband Chris in Rancho Cucamonga. We were showed so much love and Cali hospitality.  Go Hyles, Weber, and Scholz families!!!

Our children also got to see some friends from Western Christian and Chuck and I were able to visit with friends. We all enjoyed seeing and visiting with everyone. I even got to have dinner at BJ’S brewery restaurant with two of my very good friends of about 15 years Sue, and Jenel. We did miss seeing some friend’s, but it is busy this time of year.  I would like to personally give a shout out to the ones I missed, hugs to you! I wanted to drive up to Ridgecrest and Randsburg, but we only had a few days, before back to Atlanta to continue our journey!

It has been an AMAZING four months, I look forward to the next eight. Let go…let God! Love you!!

FaithJean

We started December with water-filled Louisiana, in the city of Shreveport. One of the things we did in Shreveport was see a waterworks museum. This was one of my favorite museums we’ve visited so far. While in Shreveport we also drove into Arkansas and took a picture. After Shreveport, we went to New Orleans. When we were in New Orleans we went to a lot of places, but my top 3 favorites was the Saints vs. Panthers game that I went to with Daddy, I love spending time with him one on one! My second favorite was the Pelicans vs. Thunder basketball game that we went to as a family. And the third was the WWII Museum. All these places were amazing, and a fun experience. After New Orleans, we went to Biloxi, Mississippi and while we were there we saw Jefferson Davis’s house. When we went there I learned a lot more about him that I never knew. Then we went to Alabama.

In Mobile, we saw an amazing battleship called the USS Alabama. It was huge, just like the beautiful light display in Bellingrath gardens. In Montgomery and Birmingham, we learned a lot about the Civil Rights Movement and that time. I learned how brutally people were treated during this time. Those people had a lot of strength, and they got that strength from Jesus. They had joy even during these horrible times, which is amazing! All those remarkable people died for equality. And we also attended services at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church; where Martin Luther King Jr. preached. The people were very welcoming, and the preacher preached with passion. I liked going there. Alabama is full of rich history, and the memories of historically brave people, who died for a cause. When we went to the Civil Rights Memorial, we all typed our name on the Wall of Tolerance, and took a pledge that we would stand up for what’s right and just. I learned so much in Alabama.

Now we are in Atlanta, Georgia. The day after we came to Atlanta we went to the Federal Reserve Bank, it is 1 of 12 in the United States. It was so cool to see how all the banks get their money and the processes and decisions the Federal Reserve makes to keep the economy balanced. I really enjoyed going there. Also that day we went to CNN studios. Our tour guide was excellent, and in the tour we went up this really long, freestanding elevator. One of the things I learned is how hard people work to do these shows. One lady starts work at 2:30 a.m., for a show that starts at 6 a.m. and ends at 10 a.m. The studios are also smaller than they look on t.v. I liked touring the CNN studios. That night we went to Dave and Buster’s in Atlanta. That was really fun, and as a whole we earned over 1000 coupons. We went to Dave and Buster’s in California a lot. The next day we went to see MLKJ’s house, and the reflecting pool where he and his wife are buried. The reflecting pool is very peaceful. MLKJs’ house is very nice. We also saw the church he went to until he was 12. Martin Luther King Jr. was such a remarkable man, with amazing God-given gifts. That night we went to a cool theater, which was a restaurant and a theater. We saw the movie Frozen. It was one of my favorite movies ever. It had good Christian values, was funny, and had a great, wholesome, ending. The next day was the 23^rd of December, and we flew back to California for the Christmas season. We dropped our pets off at a wonderful resort. We had been praying and looking for a resort to keep both our pets at. And God answered our prayers. A wonderful lady took my Ginni in, and Angel would have a good time at their pet resort. I was a little bit worried about Ginni but I knew Angel would be fine. I’m going to miss them both. Now I’m writing this on the plane. I like flying, and it’s pitch black outside. I’m so thankful God has blessed us with family and friends to come back to for the celebration of Jesus’s birth. Thank you God, for everything you’ve given me. When we flew we met up with our beautiful, funny, and loving family and friends. I missed them sooooooo much. When we got there I fell in love with California again. I’m so glad we flew back and it was a wonderful christmas! Thank you Uncle Ray, Aunt Courtney, and family for letting us stay it your house, and for hosting Christmas and Christmas Eve. And thanks Melissa for hosting the Weber fam Christmas. I liked having New Year’s Eve  in Atlanta, Georgia, in a brand new place. THANK YOU GOD for a great and surprising year. More surprises await as we continue our JESUS JOURNEY INTO 2014!!!!!!!

Until next time,

FaithJean Weber 🙂

Grace

The last place we visited in Texas was Tyler! We saw a cool zoo!  We also helped a church get their decorations up for Christmas!  We also celebrated Thanksgiving with other family that was in Tyler!  Next we went to Louisiana!  We went to Shreveport first!  There we went to a water Museum where we saw old water pressure equipment!  We also went to a Science Museum where we learned when they made kites!  Next we went to this place where we learned about the Acadians.  They were captured by the English, but they got free!

Next we went to New Orleans!  We went to the World War II Museum!  It was really cool!  Then we went to Alabama!  In Alabama we went to Mobile!  In Mobile we went to the USS Alabama, we went in a real ship they used in WWII and a submarine!  Next we went to Montgomery, the capitol.  In Montgomery we went to the civil rights museum.  There were many people that you didn’t know and you learn about them in that museum.  We also went to a Rosa Parks Museum where you learned about what happened to her.  There were also the Freedom Riders, black and white.  Next we went to a Chip Factory, cool, then another Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham and then a car factory, which was also cool.  Finally, we saw a time machine that taught us information about slavery up to Rosa Parks and the boycotts.  It was weird.

Next we went to Atlanta, Georgia!  In Georgia we went to the Federal Reserve Bank and the CNN Museum.  We also went to our first out of town place we used to go to in California, D&B’s, and we won something like 1,00 tickets!  Next we went to a movie where they served food and then later we cleaned and worked on essays (WWII, Civil Rights, and Federal Reserve Bank) and this blog stuff.  Finally, we went to church and got stuff ready for our five-hour airplane ride. We spent Christmas Eve and Day with many of our family and four days later on the 29^th we spent just a Weber Christmas, well, also some Hyles and Scholz.

Hope

Dear Friends and Family,

We have entered a new state! Shreveport, Louisiana! They have a lot of casinos there! All of them were on water! That was cool! We went to our next! We weren’t there long! But we did learn about the Acadians! I have never heard of them before! We are now below sea level in New Orleans, Louisiana! We did a lot there! My favorite thing we did was probably a New Orleans’s pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game! That was cool! My daddy surprised us! It was also cool to learn more about Hurricane Katrina! They should have built better levees! We also saw this cool Catholic Church!

We have entered a new state! Alabama! When we were in Mobile, Alabama, we got to go inside a real ship and submarine they used in World War 2! On our way to Montgomery, Alabama, we got to learn more about Jefferson Davis and the Civil War! He doesn’t seem like a mean guy. Also, in Montgomery we learned a lot about the Civil Rights Movement. It was really interesting. I like learning about that kind of stuff. People can be really mean. We then went to Atlanta, Georgia. The first day there we went to a Federal Reserve Bank and learned how money gets made. Lots of money! We then got to go to a David Buster’s for the first time in another state! It was fun!

Then we got to go California! The only part was that I wouldn’t get to see our dog, Angel! We then got to go on our first plain ride together! It was awesome! That night my Aunt Courtney and Uncle Ray picked us up from the airport. Christmas was almost here because Christmas Eve was the next day! It was nice to see familiar faces. Christmas day is here! Jesus’s birthday! I got to see even more familiar faces that day! For most of the rest of the nights we were in California we stayed in a Embassy Suites but the rest of the other nights Grace, FaithJean, Chuck, and I stayed at my sister’s house while my parents got alone time. I had a great time at my sister’s house.  We also had another Christmas with the rest of my family. When we flew back we had an early flight. We had to wake up at 3:00 in the morning! I was tired. When we got back to Atlanta we stayed at another Embassy Suites! We stayed up late that night because of New Year’s! Boy, did I sleep well that night! It feels like yesterday when we were leaving Upland, California.

With Love, Hope

Chuck Jr.

First, was Shreveport, it was very nice and I liked it because it was the first city we saw in Louisiana. Second, was New Orleans, it was very big and I liked learning about Hurricane Katrina and how they do things below sea level. Third, was Alabama. I liked to see how it compared to the song Sweet Home Alabama and I got to see what Grace’s state report was about.  I also liked to learn about Rosa Parks.  Fourth, was another stop in Alabama, Mobile.  I liked the battleship and submarine we saw.  Fifth, was Atlanta, then we flew back and had fun then came back.  I liked learning about the confederacy stone carvings at Stone Mountain.