The first day we left by ten and drove the 5 1/2 hours to Kirtland, Ohio. Austin had only been potty trained for less than a week and so we stopped at a rest station every two hours. He did great! We would run laps and do jumping jacks each time to keep our blood flowing or play tag, etc. It was the perfect driving day as luckily our kids played with their 'fire bags' and read books or napped the entire time. It was awesome! Poor Christian had to deal with hard boiled eggs for breakfast and lukewarm cheese wrapped up in tortillas for lunch, but that just made camping food that much yummier later on! We rolled into town just in time to meet up with Laura and "Nashy-Nash" and our friends the Parkinsons for the last tour of the Kirtland temple. This was the first temple built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but it is no longer owned by the church. It was still neat to take the tour. It was amazing to me how empty it felt. That night we drove up to Lake Erie and camped out for the night! On our way there we stopped at Subway (since our kids became animals) and took our first poop stop. The boys each took 15 minutes easily and as we left the restaurant the employees gave us some dirty looks (the first I've had since high school!) Luckily we didn't have to deal with that at the campsite!
The boys were SO excited to see Nashy-Nash!
The next morning we packed up and swam in Lake Erie--it was beautiful! Really, it seemed like the ocean with all the waves and sand. The boys loved it! After a quick rinse off we went to finish our tours at Kirtland. We stopped at the Isaac Morely farm and hiked up a trail. We learned that this was one place where the Savior appeared and where Joseph Smith prophesied that the church would fill the world. It was amazing to me how strong the spirit was here in a grove of trees and how empty the temple had felt the previous day. This was my favorite place of the day. We ate lunch (prior to our tour) and then headed off to see Historic Kirtland. Here we got to see the school of the Prophets where the Word of Wisdom was revealed and many also saw Jesus Christ. It was such a neat experience! Unfortunately Austin started throwing fits about this time so we missed the last half of the tour. From here we drove to Lake Seneca and pulled in around 9:30 pm. Luckily the elderly couple missionaries who ran the camp drove their tractor out to the campsite and helped us set up our tent! That's just what kind of people they were--the kindest I've ever met!
The boys were pretty disappointed the McDonalds we stopped at for dinner did not have a playplace. However, they were quite easily appeased with some ice cream :)
Wednesday morning we woke up and went swimming in Seneca Lake. It was a little chilly and had moss covered rocks at the bottom. Luckily for us, the Breinholtzes not only helped us set up our tents, but gave us access to the canoes, kayaks, and paddleboats. They even went the extra mile and found baby sized life jackets for us. They were amazing! The boys LOVED paddling around on the paddleboats and I forgot how romantic riding in a canoe with Christian is. He's amazing! There were all these ants living in the canoe and Christian went to great lengths to rinse it out over and over again until we were all safe :) About an hour later our friends showed up and we all jumped off the dock and into the water (One couple at a time) and it was so much fun! After that we headed to the shower facility that brother Breinholtz built from scratch a month before and headed to Watkins Glen, NY!
At Watkins Glen, we parked by a lovely old-school park and had hot dogs from a stand. Austin was so exhausted he fell right asleep on me and didn't wake up for a good half hour! Tyson and Christian gobbled up their hot dogs and I got a super delish BLT from a hole in the wall place next to the park where we all had ice cream. After playing at the park for an hour we headed over to get tickets to drive on the race track. Since this vacation was mostly full of things I like to do, I was glad we had found one thing Christian wanted to do! We drove for quite a ways outside of this tiny town and were stunned to see the HUGE stands out in the middle of nowhere. The track itself was quite impressive! Dallin agreed to ride with Christian since I refused and we had fun watching them race on the track. They started in last and ended in fourth--not too bad!
Eating hot dogs in New York!
The men prepared for their drive!
The three mile track
The kids waiting for the end of each lap when they could get a treat!
After that, we headed to the store to find stuff for dinner. Our boys were once again breaking down. They were perfect except for when we tried to go too long without eating (sound like anyone you might know?--ME!!). So we left early with our yogurts and bread to head home. On our way, we stumbled upon the most beautiful cherry tree orchard! It was stunning! The owners said to taste each tree before picking since they all tasted different. When it was time to go, they weighed the cherries and said 2.5 pounds for $4.00. I gave them five since I was so happy and impressed with the experience. They then proceeded to dump in two additional pounds of cherries their daughter had picked and sent us on our way. It was such a delicious surprise! (Especially since they are still $5/lb here in Lexington!)
When we got to the camp the Parkinsons had made a delicious dinner of hamburgers and we all enjoyed the cherries! It was amazing! (Plus, the sunset on the lake was spectacular!)
The next day, everyone obliged me and we headed back to Watkins Glen. I had really wanted to spend more time at the State park than one day would have allowed and I'm SO glad we did! The Watkins Glen Gorge is incredible! There were 19 waterfalls over the course of a mile and a half hike! It took us about 2 1/2 hours and it was amazing! Unfortunately, I left the camera in the car. I was so disappointed! Luckily, the Parkinsons had their camera. Once again, it was amazing. We stopped near the top to eat our sandwiches and put our feet in the river. My feet had swollen up to the point they hardly fit in my shoes anymore and this was the perfect way to get the swelling to go down! It felt absolutely wonderful!
After the hike, we split and our family drove down to Kueka lake (the hidden gem) of the finger lakes. It looked pretty much identical to Seneca lake but there was less algea on the rocks. I'm glad Christian drove all the way down there just because I had dreams of how beautiful it would be! We played on this amazing playground, went swimming and fed the ducks. After that, it started raining so we headed out to 'simply the best' pizza place around. Oh how I'm a sucker for marketing! At least it was warm food and the kids were happy!
Sunday morning we got up and got dressed and had the kids in the car by 8:00 am so we could get to church in Palmyra by nine. Unfortunately, the keys got locked inside of the Parkinson's car! Karyann was amazing and found a stick which she used to pry open the top of the car, then she used a marshmallow roasting stick to press the unlock button. After trying and trying, they said a fervent prayer. Miraculously, it worked! We even made it in time for the Sacrament! That was a modern day miracle!
After church we drove by the temple. The temple is a sacred place where we are so blessed. The feeling just on the grounds, even with screaming kids, was amazing. I'm so glad we went!
From here we went to the homestead where Joseph Smith, Jr (the prophet of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ) lived when he saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. It is such a sacred place.
We were able to walk in the grove of trees where Joseph Smith prayed to know which church was right. He was merely 14 years old and he received his answer in a vision from God. He was told that none of them were right. He later translated the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ and received the priesthood (power from God to do His work on the earth) from John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John. Through this restoration, Christ's church is back on the earth just as it was organized in Christ's time, with apostles and prophets and baptism and the sacrament. We receive direction from our prophet today and can know if this is true through prayer. I have prayed several times and in living the principles of the gospel, I know for sure that this is true. It's amazing to me that God's power is on the earth again. I love Him and am grateful for the sacrifice of His Son. I hope I can always be known as a true Christian by those who know me and by those who don't. I truly love God's son.
Next we drove up to the Hill Cumorah, where Joseph Smith received the gold plates which were later translated into the Book of Mormon. We ate tacos and enjoyed yet another spectacular sunset! We are so blessed! I truly know this church is true and I could feel it in my heart again and again throughout this day. I also know that you don't have to visit these places to know that it is true. What a blessing it is that anyone, anywhere can ask God and receive a witness of their own. I know God lives and loves us-each of us, today.
Monday, we woke up and drove to Niagara Falls. Although I had been here before, I had forgotten how touristy the whole town feels! It was still amazing!
We went early hoping we could get tickets for the Maid of the Mist. There was absolutely no wait so we went right on!
It was Canada day and we did cross the border momentarily :) It was quite the adventure for our kids!
My boys in their ponchos!
Coming home to a cool, clean house was so wonderful! I love our home here in Kentucky and I loved going on this trip! Thank you Christian for making it a dream vacation come true! I love you!
The boys were pretty disappointed the McDonalds we stopped at for dinner did not have a playplace. However, they were quite easily appeased with some ice cream :)
Wednesday morning we woke up and went swimming in Seneca Lake. It was a little chilly and had moss covered rocks at the bottom. Luckily for us, the Breinholtzes not only helped us set up our tents, but gave us access to the canoes, kayaks, and paddleboats. They even went the extra mile and found baby sized life jackets for us. They were amazing! The boys LOVED paddling around on the paddleboats and I forgot how romantic riding in a canoe with Christian is. He's amazing! There were all these ants living in the canoe and Christian went to great lengths to rinse it out over and over again until we were all safe :) About an hour later our friends showed up and we all jumped off the dock and into the water (One couple at a time) and it was so much fun! After that we headed to the shower facility that brother Breinholtz built from scratch a month before and headed to Watkins Glen, NY!
At Watkins Glen, we parked by a lovely old-school park and had hot dogs from a stand. Austin was so exhausted he fell right asleep on me and didn't wake up for a good half hour! Tyson and Christian gobbled up their hot dogs and I got a super delish BLT from a hole in the wall place next to the park where we all had ice cream. After playing at the park for an hour we headed over to get tickets to drive on the race track. Since this vacation was mostly full of things I like to do, I was glad we had found one thing Christian wanted to do! We drove for quite a ways outside of this tiny town and were stunned to see the HUGE stands out in the middle of nowhere. The track itself was quite impressive! Dallin agreed to ride with Christian since I refused and we had fun watching them race on the track. They started in last and ended in fourth--not too bad!
Eating hot dogs in New York!
The men prepared for their drive!
The three mile track
The kids waiting for the end of each lap when they could get a treat!
After that, we headed to the store to find stuff for dinner. Our boys were once again breaking down. They were perfect except for when we tried to go too long without eating (sound like anyone you might know?--ME!!). So we left early with our yogurts and bread to head home. On our way, we stumbled upon the most beautiful cherry tree orchard! It was stunning! The owners said to taste each tree before picking since they all tasted different. When it was time to go, they weighed the cherries and said 2.5 pounds for $4.00. I gave them five since I was so happy and impressed with the experience. They then proceeded to dump in two additional pounds of cherries their daughter had picked and sent us on our way. It was such a delicious surprise! (Especially since they are still $5/lb here in Lexington!)
When we got to the camp the Parkinsons had made a delicious dinner of hamburgers and we all enjoyed the cherries! It was amazing! (Plus, the sunset on the lake was spectacular!)
The next day, everyone obliged me and we headed back to Watkins Glen. I had really wanted to spend more time at the State park than one day would have allowed and I'm SO glad we did! The Watkins Glen Gorge is incredible! There were 19 waterfalls over the course of a mile and a half hike! It took us about 2 1/2 hours and it was amazing! Unfortunately, I left the camera in the car. I was so disappointed! Luckily, the Parkinsons had their camera. Once again, it was amazing. We stopped near the top to eat our sandwiches and put our feet in the river. My feet had swollen up to the point they hardly fit in my shoes anymore and this was the perfect way to get the swelling to go down! It felt absolutely wonderful!
Friday morning was our 'free day.' We were going to spend the whole day at Keuka Lake but seeing as it was basically the same as Seneca Lake (barring access to the water stuff) we decided to stay where we were! We woke up that morning and went swimming/kayaking in the lake! I got to hold the sweet baby girl for the first hour and it was so peaceful and just the break I needed! Austin just threw rocks into the water and then we had kayak races. By the time we were done, it was raining and I was really cold and tired from having kids jump to me from the dock and putting them back. The boys melted down and I carried them up the hill to the showers (maybe a bit overdoing it) while Christian put the kayaks away. By the time he got to the camp the boys were still screaming since they didn't want to get dressed. I was SO grateful he was there to take over! I got a nice hot shower and suddenly everything was alright again!
Next we got all of our dirty clothes together and we drove to town (about ten minutes away). We did all of the laundry while the kids read books to each other. It was awesome! Finally, with everything clean, we headed home for Spaghetti and garlic bread cooked in the fire. We were given some yummy produce from the garden and we roasted marshmallows and had smores. It was a beautiful evening!
Saturday morning we woke up and headed out to do some raspberry picking! The boys did a fantastic job not eating any until they were weighed and paid for! As soon as we had them paid for, though, they were gone! I've never seen Austin eat anything so fast in his life! He gobbled them right up (with our help, of course) and then it started pouring buckets of rain! We dashed to our car and decided to check out the Peter Whitmer farm which was right down the road. I'm so glad we did! This was the place where the Church of Jesus Christ was restored! It was so neat to hear of the miracles and events which happened here!
We fit so many in this small container the bottom layer was oozing from the pressure! It tasted so good!
After our tour, (which we took twice since there was a huge group of people there on a bus tour and we didn't want to be rushed) it stopped raining and we were able to eat at the tables right outside on the lawn. Just as we were finishing up, it started to rain again, so we headed to the grocery store to stock up for the last time. Then we went to this incredible park and made tacos on the pier. It was so beautiful (especially the sunset that followed)! There was a Mennonite reunion going on at the campsite so we were to be away from the camp for the day. They were so genuine and kind as we were coming and going and one little ten year old was giving cousins rides on a homemade train that worked like a car! It was pretty cool!
Sunday morning we got up and got dressed and had the kids in the car by 8:00 am so we could get to church in Palmyra by nine. Unfortunately, the keys got locked inside of the Parkinson's car! Karyann was amazing and found a stick which she used to pry open the top of the car, then she used a marshmallow roasting stick to press the unlock button. After trying and trying, they said a fervent prayer. Miraculously, it worked! We even made it in time for the Sacrament! That was a modern day miracle!
After church we drove by the temple. The temple is a sacred place where we are so blessed. The feeling just on the grounds, even with screaming kids, was amazing. I'm so glad we went!
We prayed as a family in the Sacred Grove
It was so peaceful here!
From here we went to the Grandin Print shop where the first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon were printed and bound. The effort it took to just make the first 16 pages for one book was incredible! So many people couldn't afford a book and so missionaries would go out with just the first 16 pages. Many people were converted just based on this much of the book. I felt the need to recommit to my study of the Book of Mormon. People gave up everything with just part of the truth. I have the whole truth, easily accessible all of the time. Why don't I use it?
From here we stopped at the Erie Canal.
My boys in their ponchos!
The American Falls
Horseshoe Falls
Afterwards we ate our lunch on some rocks--bagels and cream cheese!
The boys loved chasing the squirrels and climbing all over the rocks. I was a bit worried they'd fall in so hopefully that didn't dampen their experience too much!
Here they are eating cinnamon bears (something not to be found in Texas!)
We were hoping to stay all day and into the night to watch the lighting of the falls and the fireworks. However, I became REALLY tired and hungry so we headed towards our hotel. We ate one last meal with the Parkinsons (Wendy's) and then split. It was so nice to stay in a hotel purely so we didn't have to set up the tent in the dark! Thank you Christian for doing all of the work every day!
The next morning we swam, ate bagels in the car, shopped the outlets, played at a park and made it home by 2:00 am.
