spring break adventure

Over the Munchkins spring break I took the younger ones to see the San Gabriel Mission.
(Aimee was visiting Grandma that day.)
I guess they don't study missions anymore in school.
It seems like all they really have is math, english and geography.
So being the mom that I am, I felt that it is important to study your history and see how we have evolved. Also Michael made a scrapbook with the 100 pictures that we took to hopefully get some serious extra credit at school. :)
We really had a good time experiencing the mission and the kiddos want to visit more this summer. My husband wants to go too. He was bummed that he did not get to go.
Here are a few of the things that we saw.

This is the gate into the cemetery of the priests.
It is really beautiful.

This is the courtyard in the center of the mission.

This is by the sundial. The local Girl Scout troop restored the replicas of all the California missions and they are kept locked up here. This one was Becca's favorite.

A beautiful tile work of Jesus caring the cross to his crucifixion.

These were the statues in the middle of the priests graveyard.
Perfect theme for the Easter season.

These are a few of the graves in the graveyard.
The kids were impressed by the iron work.

Check out the size of this door!
It is huge!
Michael looks about as big as Belle by this door.

Then we had Becca by the kitchen door and this one is small.
Big difference.

This is a lovely walkway that we all thought was just gorgeous.
Wish we could have brought it home.

We saw so much more. It was so educational and fun. The Munchkins were not looking forward to the adventure but ended up really learning a lot. They came home and told Dad about tanning vats and how to make leather. They told him about how people cooked outside and the aqueducts. They showed him pictures of the old vestments that the priest wore and what the Indians around the mission lived in. They learned about how to make wine and how the mission was built. They checked out the old furniture and the old books. They learned tons and really said they had fun. This was a great day trip. We will definitely do this again.