In our schooling we are studying the 1800s. It includes such events as the Oregon Trail and the opening of the Oregon Territory. The California Gold Rush and the 49ers. The kids finally understand the meaning to the name the San Francisco 49ers. Love how history has a place even in the present. So I was reading on the the blogs I look at and my friend had a posting about this Historical site. It looked really interesting and it seemed to fit right in with what we are studying. So we found a day that we didn't have other commitments and headed up to Canada. Armed with a permission slip from my husband I attempted to cross the border. Our site was an hour away if the border was good. The Canadian border guard asked where we were going and why. I was excited and launched into our history lessons and before I had more than 5 words out he was ushering us into the country. Boy, no appreciation of the past.

We arrived just as it was opening and they had us join a school group. That was perfect. It was a class of 4th graders from a Calvin Christian School in BC. One of the parents talked camera with me and another parent had homeschooled her 4 until this year. The kids were great and excited. The tour guide was always hurrying us up and then trying to explain some history with us. The kids loved her.

We wrote with fountain pens and sign our names to a contract. Isaac contracted to be a cooper. He knew what a cooper was I didn't (It is a barrel maker).

We walked through cabins of wood cutters, gold miners, and trappers and looked at the boats they used to transport bales of fur.

The kids carried bales of fur up and down a hill, put a house together with tong and groove boards, watched our tour guide be a blacksmith and work a piece of iron into a decorative element.

We went into the trading house and learned about the First Nation peoples and what they had to trade. We felt furs and identified fox, mink, coyote, bear, beaver, and rabbit pelts. Then a quick lunch and back to the tour. The kids and I walked across the street to this cute little coffee and tea shop bought some cookies, cocoa and latte so we could finish the tour with the same group.

After lunch we learned a little Canadian geography. My kids know nothing about the rivers and islands in Canada, but they learned.

Then we panned for gold where they caught the gold fever. Isaac found 8 nuggets, Lona found 6 and Job nothing. The water was cold but they had a hard time putting their pans away.

Into a cabin we all went to pretend to be from different countries. The kids who acted out the Chinese immigrants were hilarious. They understood a lot. They were here to find gold so they could give their child an education. They did an amazing job. And then we were done. We had learned so much. It was a blessing to be with this group of kids who were very willing to accept us into their group with them.

Finally after viewing a short film on our own we took off to have lunch (at 3:30 in the afternoon). Did I mention that Isaac and Job were up before I got up. I checked on them at 5 am and they both sat up and said, "Hi, Mom. We can't sleep." Why? It was a long day for them. We had Awana to go to that night too.

Job had a nap on the way to Ft. Langley and Lona fell asleep on the way home. When we got home we all jumped out and Lona woke up saying, "This house looks just like ours, can't we go home?" Oh, boy.

By the way before I had five sentences out about our field trip the border guard was waving us through. Maybe they don't like listening to moms go on and on about "boring" stuff.