livinghistory – Page 3 – Redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures

Gold Star Spouses Day is observed every year on April 5. It is a way to honor and grieve with the families of lost or wounded military service members. It was once known as Gold Star Wives Day, but has now become inclusive of all family members — male or female — who have lost loved ones through service in the military. This day lets these families know that we remember their sacrifice, and honor their loss and that they are loved ❤️

A little history ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Gold Star initiative was started during World War One, where families would hang service flags with blue stars for their loved ones that were serving in the military . They were displayed in a front window and there was usually one for each family member that was serving. If the family member died, the stars would be replaced by gold stars as a public display of the price the family has paid for freedom.

In 1945 , First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt established the Golden Star Wives Association and was one of its founding members.Not long after it was formed , the government approved the Golden Star Lapel Button which was presented to spouses and families of those who have lost a member through military service.

Countless men and women dedicate their lives to serving our country every day. Their families make that commitment as well. Imagine saying goodbye to a loved one with no certainty of their return. This is what military families have to go through every time their loved one is called for duty. Wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters of our heroes are left here to keep daily life as normal as they can so when their loved ones return they can step right back into their life here.

In our American Girl Doll History Class this year, we learned about Molly McIntire . She is a historical American Girl Doll and her story takes place at the end of WW2.

In her story, her dad is serving in the war and her mom is working at the Red Cross.

Her neighbor , Mrs.Gilford , is helping Mollys family out during this time. Mrs. Gilford has her only son serving in the military.

There is a part in the movie where Mollys mom comes home and is making a casserole to take to a friend in their community and Molly asks her why she is home .We find out that the casserole is for Mrs.Gilford and that her son has died .

The video clip is below and is worth watching .. this was such a hard moment ⭐️ start about 2 min in .

American Girl does a terrific job in the books describing this time in history.

If you know someone who has lost a loved one in active duty , reach out to them and let them know that they are loved and being prayed for today .

If you don’t know someone, then pray for the families that have lost loved ones ❤️

And if you are a family member that has lost a loved one .. I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss. I am praying for you and your family today to have peace and moments of joy as you remember your loved one. I’m also so thankful for your family’s sacrifice that we as a country have freedom because of those sacrifices ❤️

Gathered thoughts, washington Dc

Happy International Women’s Day

March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures

On our recent visit to Washington DC we took a picture of this memorial of those women that served in the Vietnam War. Today seems to be the perfect day to celebrate them . May we always remember❤️

I am so thankful for the Women who have left a legacy of honor . Those that have sacrificed their safety and taken jobs to protect our country. Those that have been the anchor beside their husband. Those that are daily doing their best to be the very best they can be.

Here’s to you sweet sister whoever and wherever you are. You are unique and there is no one else like you. Happy International Women’s Day❤️

family adventures, Review, travel

Family Tour of the USS MIDWAY

February 5, 2023March 2, 2023 redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures

One of our first places on our must see list in SanDiego,Ca was the Uss Midway . The Naval Aircraft carrier is bigger then life and is located in downtown San Diego at the Navy pier.

Finding parking was not the easiest . The parking in the Uss Midway parking lot is small but very affordable ( around 10$ a day) but hard to find. Thankfully we were able to drive around the block and find an open lot to park. The cost was around 30$ for the day .

Once parked, we looked for a Starbucks to grab coffee since it was almost Tea Time . Thankfully, right on our walking path to the pier there was a Starbucks . Yay!

The walk on the waterfront is beautiful! Just walking to the Uss Midway was a treat. It felt like a warm summer day at Christmas 🎄

The cost of the Uss Midway for our family of 5 was around 115$. More then we would normally pay for a Museum but now that we have done it .. we would do it again. It was well worth the money. Just to note ..active Military and law enforcement/ firefighters are free admission ….love this!

Upon boarding the ship, you are offered an audio device to wear around your neck or to use your own device. This allows you to hear more hands on experiences as well as sounds to bring the displays alive .

Once you walk into the ship , it is a visual overload. There is so much to see! Not quite sure where to start, we did the typical right to left plan.

One of the displays that we really enjoyed upon entering was being able to hear the biography of different heroes of the Midway.

One of our favorite finds was the used bookstore hidden behind a display. There were so many unique books in here! There were used and new books and some that can only be found there so it was so hard to choose!

We then climbed stairs to explore ( you will climb LOTS of stairs) . There was something to see everywhere we went. Amazing! Even our littles were so engaged in all the displays . Something about walking through a living history museum like the Uss Midway that is so exciting . Just being there makes it all come to life!

There were so many interactive displays that our whole family was able to try . So cool!!

We then headed to pick up our Uss Midway junior pilot activity sheet for the littles to earn their pilot wings. Kelly was great in helping us get started! Tip: This should be your first stop when you enter ship.

Another thing we loved about the Midway was most of the crew were volunteers! There were so many that had served in the Navy on other ships or in some way that just taking the time to thank them for the service and hear little tidbits of what they experienced was so much more then any history book could offer. Priceless❤️

We then headed to the flight deck to do the island tour and oh my was it amazing! Definitely want to experience this if you are going to visit.

The boss and mini chairs were fun to get pics in❤️

There is so much history here as you tour. You can’t help but learn a little while having fun.

On the flight deck there were so many helicopters and planes that we were able to walk in or sit in. The littles enjoyed being able to look at their own pace and explore.

Embracing Peace ~The Kissing Statue

This was a replica of the famous Life magazine photograph in 1945 . It is quite stunning to see in person❤️

It was fun to see the NCIS room on the Uss Midway. It’s one of our favorite shows to watch the reruns of so that was pretty cool.

Our time on the Midway was Amazing! If you are in San Diego then it’s a must on your adventure plans .

Hotel, pnw, Review, travel

McMenamins Elk Lodge

October 5, 2022October 4, 2022 redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures

Our stay at McMenamins in Tacoma was quite the adventure . Think Adult scavenger hunt mixed with college bar scene , throw on some steampunk decor and a history museum and that would give you some insight to what we experienced .

First a bit of the history …

The building itself is a 1916 Elks Temple that was designed by É. Frère Champney, a graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and has since been restored . There are 7 floors packed with history including a hidden 5th floor . There are 5 bars ,The Tasting Room & brewery, The Spanish Bar and Ballroom,Doc’s ,The Old Hangout, McMenamins Pub and a secret Speakeasy bar if you can find it called ,The Vault.

The 45 guest rooms are named after a person or group of people that had some connection to the building or to the Tacoma area.

The diversity of the rooms is amazing. There is so much history in just the names.

We stayed in the Lea McMillan room 204 . In the room, there is posted his history with the Elks Lodge. We learned he loved handball and would sneak into the Lodge with his friends to play . He then served in the military and when he returned in 1961 He applied to be a member so he could play handball but leaving out his Native heritage. At that time , People of color were not allowed to join. That was corrected in 1976 . He may have been the first member of color to be a member of the Elks Lodge. So fascinating !

There is also a hidden hallway with graffiti that was originally in the building when it was bought and restored .

There is so much visually to take in as you explore the hotel. You can’t possibly see every detail the first time.

It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

American Girl Doll, homeschooling

Maryellen~American Girl Doll History

March 24, 2022April 10, 2024 redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures

Last year we learned about Maryellen @americangirlbrand in our American Girl Doll History class.

There were so many things happening in the world during Maryellen’s life .She grew up in the time following WW2, she was a polio survivor , there was a space race and Cold War happening ..so many big things and changes.We had lots of fun discussion.

For our craft, the girls made these super simple poodle skirts .They coordinated with their dolls and with just a bit of hot glue looked awesome! Check here for full tutorial

http://www.obseussed.com/2011/05/make-no-sew-poodle-skirt.html