236 years ago this month the war that started this country began.  Of the two years of fighting, arguably the most historic of all the battles took place only 40 miles from our front door.  The Battle of Saratoga was the turning point of the war and led the British to give up on the colonies in order to fight larger battles with their European neighbors. 

I’ve always been a history buff so when my sister invited us to join her on a walk through the historic site, I was happy to take the opportunity.  I figured it was a nice sunny day and we hadn’t been outside much this entire weekend and we had a few hours free.  So, we bundled up and packed Ryan and Maddie for the trip.  When we arrived, nearly forty minutes late, Calyn and a few of her friends had started off on the main trail through the National Park. No worries though, we had plans to meet up.  What I hadn’t realized was that Ryan’s stroller (see earlier posts about the Disney Mobile) was in no condition for the trip.  I believe I had, first hand, experienced what it must have been like for the soldiers who’d been defending the heights on the field with cannon.  There were times when I had to pick Ryan and the stroller up to carry it over a large pool of water or a thick patch of ice and other times I had to push it up small mountains while leading the group through the trail.  It did give me a nice reminder of the sacrifices that those made before me.  I’d like to go back and really study the history behind the field.  I suspect though I may need to wait a few years to do that.