Ohio visit

Ever since we got married, Brian has been talking about taking a trip to Ohio to see the ancestral Hadley farm. With Kristen and Darren's wedding taking place in PA, we decided to leave a few days early so we could spend some time in Ohio. During his preparations, Brian got in touch with a cousin of his dad's who now lives and takes care of the Hadley farm. They graciously hosted Brian, James, John and I for two nights and took us to all the important sites in and around Wilmington. We had a wonderful time getting to know Christine and her husband Gene. They took us to the cemetery and showed us where all of Brian's ancestors are buried. We also got to see the Friends of Springfield Meeting House (Quaker). After that we headed to the Hadley farm which Christine and her sisters care for. It is a state historical site and is very much like a museum/heritage center. We got to see some great old farm equipment in the barn and lots of old photos, clothes, and other household items the Hadleys of old used in their everyday lives. This was actually the home that Christine and her sisters grew up in. It was so great to see actual photos of Brian's ancestors as well as the clothes they wore and the tools they used to run their farm. Once we finished up there, it was time for lunch so we headed into town to eat and then toured Wilmington College where Christine was on the board for several years. Again, we got to learn more about the Quaker religion and about the Hadley family. Once we finished up there, we went to visit one of Christine's sisters who lives in the house that Grandpa Hadley grew up in!! It was so need to be sitting in the same house he lived in before moving to Arizona. Brian even got to take home a brick from the basement. After a lovely visit with her, it was time to get cleaned up and head to Christine's other sister's house for dinner. Again, we had a wonderful visit and had a great time getting to know them. They have all had such interesting lives and it was great to meet them. I know we are looking forward to another visit in a few years once Jude and Jonah are old enough to appreciate the history.