We decided to drive to the beautiful city of Reims on Saturday.  Reims is an ancient Roman city approximately 2 hours east of Paris.  

Reims is in the Champagne region of France, and the center of a wine growing distric.  The drive was beautiful.  It was such a treat to explore the countryside, it's rolling green hills, small villages speckled our way to Reims always with a church steeple protruding from each village. 

Our first stop was the famous "Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Reims."    It was built in 1007 and was heavily damaged after WWI but was lovingly restored in large part due to the funding of John D. Rockefeller.    

This is the view from the back of the church.  (Excuse all the scaffolding, resotration in the works).   The detail made my jaw drop.

I am always tickled when I am allowed to take pictures inside of a church.  This church felt cool upon entering, like most.  It did not echo nearly as loud as I anticipated.  There was a warmth about this church.

After our tour, we made a "bee line" to the nearest brasserie to get out of the cold.  The wind was stinging us as we ran to the restaurant.  Dan and I ordered a glass of Champagne since we were in "Champagne" country.  

And for all those asking to see a photograph of me, this ones for you......  A picture of me and "mini me".

After lunch we enjoyed a stroll around Reims with it's cobblestone streets and  neverending, overpriced champagne stores.  It's a fairly large city with 200,000 residents but it has a quaint vibe to it. 

Our "stroll" was cut short due to the freezing temperatures.  We found our way to the car and cranked up the heat and drove to the "Museum of Surrender".  A highlight for Dan who is a bit of a history buff.  The "Salle de Reddition" was once a schoolhouse near railroad tracks where the Germans surrendered to General Eisenhower on May 7, 1945.  Maps of the rail routes lined the walls of the rooms, exactly as they did on the day of surrender.

This was a photograph on the wall showing the military personnel and the German officers signing the surrender papers.

I felt a myriad of emotions throughout our visit.  I was moved by the bravery of the young soldiers, thinking of the sacrifice their families endured, so sad, so angry at times, so proud to be an American.  My feelings were all over the board. 

I can never, in a million years, know what it felt like to fight in this horrific war or what it must have been like for the innocent living in the war zone.  

I was so thankful fhat we took the time to honor the soldiers that fought for our freedom by visiting this important museum. 

Our drive home was beautiful.  The sun was setting, the clouds were in constant motion.  Sophie "coined" my feelings beautifully when she said "Mom, it's a heaven cloud". 

Can you see the rays of sunlight escaping from every direction?  I took this very personally.   God's artwork is amazing.

A perfect ending to a beautiful day spent in Reims with my family.  Life could not be sweeter.