Palmyra

A few weeks ago we went to Palmyra. We stayed at the Palmyra Inn so John and I could take turns going to temple sessions and have a place to be with the kids. We got there in the evening. The next morning I got up early and went to a session. While I was there, John took the kids down to breakfast and then to the large hot tub. It was too much for Maggie, but she pretended to like it for a minute. (The kids are too little to be in it for long, I know. There was no pool, so they all had to try it for a bit.) A woman in the ward who was also there said that she was so impressed with how sweet and patient John was as he got the kids' breakfasts. When I got back, I packed things up while John went to the ward session. The kids and I waited by the temple for him to get out. They rolled down a nearby hill with a ward friend.

After that, we went to Joseph Smith's boyhood cabin, the larger house the Smiths built, and the Sacred Grove. It was absolutely amazing to me to think that I was standing in spots where some of the most important events in history happened. I have always wanted to go to the Church history sites. I told the kids I had waited my whole life to go to the Sacred Grove, and they already get to see it.

Joseph once buried the gold plates under these bricks to protect them:

This is the spot where Martin Harris told Joseph that the manuscripts were lost:

Someday, I'd like to go through the Sacred Grove alone. I was so glad the kids could be there, but it wasn't a quiet, contemplative experience. :) But they did seem to understand a great deal and they asked some good questions.

We were hoping to go to all of the local church sites, but the kids were tired out. We went up Hill Cumorah and then we called it a day.

The drive to Palmyra and back is beautiful. There are many, many vineyards and pretty `old homes along the way. We drove along the edge of one of the finger lakes for miles. I can't remember which one. It was a memorable trip.`