Happy Weekend

This weekend was a great weekend filled with a mini vacation of seeing the Palmyra, New York Pagaent and then heading over to Niagra Falls. Although several factors worked against us overall it was a blast. First off early Friday morning Bella fell from the ceiling of the doorway, long story, and hurt/sprained her foot. It was black and blue and swollen. This is her foot this morning getting much better. In the middle of the bottom was the worst but it was the whole way to her next to last toe bruised. You can still see a little purple there.

Then the black and blue went the whole way through her foot to the top all around her toes. Ouch, it was the first time to date I considered X-rays, but you know me so I didn't in the end bother.

First we got to Palmyra at 9:30 in the morning. We went to see the temple quickly.

Then we headed over to the Smith Farm to view the homes and walk to the sacred grove. There were so many cool little facts but you have to visit to hear them for yourself.

Travis and I waiting to enter the next home. The kids wait too. What cuties! While there we ran into my brother Joseph and his family unexpectedly.

This was an out building on the property that once had the plates buried below the floor boards. Joseph Smith was impressed to move them for their safety and did to the hay in the rafters. Later in the day mobs came and tore up the floorboards and ramsacked the place and came up empty.

Our friend Brittni came along. She was a great help with the kids and carried Bella some of the time and any one of our other children almost all of the time.

Then it decided to have a torrential down pour midday. We took a break for lunch to wait out the thunderstorms. No luck. So we headed over to more buildings we wanted to see.

Wet but happy kids. Even waiting was fun when they were being cute.

This was the Grandin Printing press. My favorite tour location. Several times tears came to my eyes and the spirit was very strong there for me.

The front store room. I wish I had a room like that. I think this place touched my heart because of my love of books and strong feelings about words and their power to change lives and this was just a testament to that.

An original copy of the Book of Mormon. A copy like this was $1.50. The equivalent of two day's pay. I thought of our family and how much money our two day's pay was and would I be willing to pay that much for a copy of the Book of Mormon. It really shows the Lords' hand and power in the lives of every living person.

Later in the evening we headed over to the pagaent. We met up with my other brother Peter and his wife Ashley and family and brother Benj and Mindee and their family.

Benj and his youngest son Zach had just kissed. I love how excited he is post kiss from Dad.

Travis got a little bored waiting. Not really. He ran around with the kids -the two oldest girls actually- getting autographs from the actors before the show. He is such a rockstar.

Mindee very sexily waits for the performance to start. Seriously I have so much fun with these guys and the cousins entertain themselves for hours on end. Seriously from six to 9:30.

Sadly in the middle of the pagaent another thunderstorm blew in. They called the rest of the pagaent and the blankets I was going to use to sleep with that night ended up soaking wet.

That night I ended up sleeping in the car to keep warm. Seriously I had no blanket. Every hour or two I would wake up and turn the heat on full blast for ten minutes. Then I'd fall back asleep till it got cold enough to wake me up again.

The next morning we headed to Niagra Falls. This place is amazing. Spectacular, words cannot describe. We went on the Maid of the Mist boat tour which was great. You get soaked but the boat goes right into the falls.

All that I could think of was that for every foot of falls above the water there is an equal foot below water that is how much pressure there is. So the falls have about a 180 foot drop, and so they continue to push downward under the water for 180 feet before the water turns normal. I loved this place. Sometimes I think I should be pagaen for all my love and awe for nature.

Last we drove home. Everyone was pretty tired, somewhat restless, and cranky. But after only an hour of being home I was back to my happy self. I love my home. I love my family. I love seeing new things. This was such a good weekend. Can't wait to go back next year.