Last time I posted was Thanksgiving evening, and wow have we had miracles since then!
Friday after Thanksgiving we spent with Dad, B and all of us together, even J joined us for parts of the day. We drove through the Chesapeake Bay bridge across and under the Chesapeake Bay. That afternoon,not wanting to miss the Basketball Game, we drove out the bridge, spent a few hours at the bird sanctuary out there, asked a few questions, and then returned back over/under that 2nd most Wonderful Engineering Marvel of the World. Then we visited Jamestown where it all began in this country. This was the second spot where they landed and founded a town. It was a beautiful evening. They found the materials right there on the banks of the river they landed. Saturday we got a late start as D & B went to pick up a rental car so they could leave when it was time. After missing the b-ball game, Dad was nervous to get there in time, so they left just after 1:00 p.m. on that Saturday. Mom and I stayed and watched J play that night in New Port News. Struggle with the coach, talked with B most of the night, he wrote a letter the next morning.
Sunday - New Port news ward, very nice! They hold 40 day fasts for the missionary work in their ward. Have had 60 baptisms this year! Sunday School lesson taught by Bishop - amazing - poured water into a cup, overflowing and then pitchers full into a big bowl. The Lord won't send us more than we can handle. We have to make room, is our life so full that he can't sent us more, or is our life ready and open to the spirit, full of love ready to share with others like the basin. They talked about a 40 day fast for the home teaching/visiting teaching efforts in their ward. Amazing spirit in that ward! Combined RS/Priesthood was also fabulous! Sent J on his way back to Buena Vista. Rode with him for 45 minutes. Parting difficult, stressed by other expectations. We turned towards Washington DC. He drove 150 miles. We didn't make it too far. Finally room at Sleep in.
Monday - Dentist for C! Miracles we found someone good! Just a little cavity, Mom stressed about crowns, molds... Exaggerated. Just a cavity, taken care of before noon. Miracles. Thank you! Then drove into Washington D.C. Saw monuments again quickly. Miracles of parking right at the Air & Space Museum! Arrived about 3:30, museum closed at 5:00 - not enough time! Amazing, beautiful originals preserved. Tried to find National Cathedral - lost in embassy area around Rock Creek Park. Beautiful park nearly in the middle of town! Finally found DC temple in the dark, walked around. Beautiful stain glass windows! Moon beautiful that night. found discounts to room at the Marriot hotel: $80.00/room normally 289.00/night. Wow! NOT so impressed with the hotel, but it was nice of them to offer discounts to temple patrons.
Tuesday - Washington D.C. via the Metro! Rode longest escalator in the world - Wow! Miracles of Prompt tickets to Washington Monument elevator ride to the top - Many tender mercies!!! "Laus Deo" inscribed in top cap stone on East side! Beautiful! Began journey to Philadelphia, found beautiful Best Western 20 minutes outside of Philly. Tried to fix video machine, stopping at Radio Shack and Best Buy. Didn't get fixed!
Wednesday - Philadelphia! Independence Hall. Liberty Bell. Wow! Memory - Benjamin Franklin and George Washington like the rungs on the barrel. If they aren't there, then the whole continental congress fell apart! These two amazing gentlemen held the barrel together!
Drove on to New York City ;) Lighting of the Tree in Rockefeller square - tons of traffic! Not the day to drive the rig (Ford Excursion with two rocket boxes on the top making us really tall) into NY city! Pushed back into tunnel about 4:30, another tender mercy in disguise - Found Marriot hotel on Marriot Rewards Points in New Jersey just outside of the city. In room early ;) resting and preparing for fun in NY tomorrow!
Thursday - Rode the bus and then the subway into New York. Gentleman named Bill - angel to help Mom be calmed. Ground Zero & St. Paul's Cathedral. Wow! Yummy bagels for brunch, then pretzels as we rode the Stanton ferry out into the bay past Lady Liberty, Ellis Island & Train Station where my Farmor came through! I love you Farmor! Darling little Italian Nun on the ferry, hugged girls and thanked them for gift of Burt's Bee Lip Balm in a tin - there to remind me of Farmor! Tender Mercy! xoxoxo Ice Skating in Central Park - Totally Awesome! Hot dogs in Time Square. Rode the Farris Wheel in Toys R Us. Retired by 7:30 - in "the city that never sleeps!"
Friday - en route to Palmyra via Harmony - totally a miracle that we found the Harmony home! Baptism, Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood restored here! Guided by the Spirit to find it! Historical marker here, but not on the map! B had to use a bathroom, so we got off the freeway, and saw a little marker that said Joseph Smith lived a few miles East of here. Went to put our hand in the Susquehanna river, and enjoyed a beautiful ride about 3 miles up river, to cross a bridge and come down the other side. Found cemetery where Emma's parents are buried, as well as their first child. Beautiful monument constructed by the church explaining events. Area was VERY run down - the result of kicking the church out? Old trailer homes, beat up homes, not a beautiful place any longer! Traveled on to Peter Whitmer farm at sunset! Beautiful visitor center constructed there. Beautiful sunset! Church organized in this little building. Traveling on, found room in Beautiful Palmyra Inn owned by two LDS gentlemen from Utah. Beautiful place, good rates! Dinner in a little diner in Palmyra, tasted delicious, real food not just Wendy's!
Saturday - Palmyra. Beautiful Temple! Sacred Grove, Smith Log Home, Smith Frame Home - all to ourselves! Joseph Smith Sr. a cooper - barrel maker - reinforced my love for these old handcrafted works! Sacred Grove - Spent a beautiful hour in the grove with all my little ones talking about our relationship with God, knelt in prayer together out on the back of the grove. Beautiful memories! Mom went off and prayed by herself, finding us later. Hill Cumorrah - ran straight to the top of the hill! Dad served here for 12 months of his mission, W was in the pageant here a couple of years ago, Mom loved being there! Ancient record buried here, many battles fought on this land. Many good men, General Moroni, Helaman, Mormon, then Joseph Smith, then my Dad! Good Men! Mom spent alone time here. We visited the visitor center only briefly. Began drive towards Kirkland, Ohio. B felt impressed to check on us, and we were in a gas station trying to change the windshield wipers it began snowing a few miles back. We had gone grocery shopping for some food for Sunday - fast day the next day. Road was very slick. B found a room for us 2.8 miles away. We were grateful to find a place out of the storm. Snowing hard. I tucked my little ones in with the curtains pulled open, they watched it snow outside! Had to put the car in 4 wheel drive to park! Weather forecast for the next day was snow, but we woke in the morning to clear skies and dry roads! Miracles just for me! Thank you Father!
Sunday (December's Fast Sunday) - the hotel B found for us was some kind of water resort they gave two stranded women the rooms for $79 each because of the terrible storm! Thank you for tender mercies! This was the first time we saw other kids in the hotel, grateful mine behaved so much better! Got up and walked past breakfast - fasting - pleased that my children didn't complain, just agreed it was Fast Sunday and they could fast! More difficult knowing they wouldn't get another meal that day as it was Sunday and we wouldn't stop for a meal but eat the food we had purchased - lunch meat and a roll. We drove to Kirkland and arrived about 10:00 a.m - an hour before the visitor center opened, and an hour after the first ward. Walked around the reconstructed buildings, Newel K. Whitney Store, School of the Prophets, etc. Beautiful clear morning. Went to church at 11:30. Different ward, mostly converts and very young couples in Ohio to attend dental and law schools. Relief Society lesson on Loneliness. I related to feelings of young girls. Didn't really give answers, but just to realize that all felt lonely, and you're not alone. Spirit was not abundant, didn't relate to the Savior, but rather to personal stories, and it just didn't touch hearts - mine or Moms. Amazing difference from last week's ward!
Toured the visitor center - Elder Alleman in visitor center, given a time limit, shared amazing dates he knew by heart! Answered Mom's questions, and more, kids not really interested or following. Difficult double time expected and yet didn't tour the buildings. Just answered questions. Amazing details about appearances of God the Father and his Son in the area. Mom's quest. Wish we had walked through buildings. Back on the road! Drove well into the night. Finally stopped about 2:00 a.m.. Found hotel room and rested. All grateful for a bed.
Monday - Drove again beginning the day with something like 1200 miles to travel to Sandy, Utah. Drove all day. Made it to Winter Quarters mid afternoon. Windshield wiper fluid frozen. M stressed about cleaning window. Dumped coffee boiling water on it, washed the car with a self car wash, spraying around them, cleaning and heating. Finally sought out gentlemen in a shop and asked them to fix. Opened hood, and squirt it to show them, and it worked! Thanked them, and went on our way. Drove and drove and drove! Wanted to quit when snow was blowing in Wyoming, but M insisted we continue. Arrived at M's home about 3:30 a.m. Utah time. Dropped her and were grateful to be safe in our beautiful castle in SLC. Still not home, but a beautiful place! Many miracles this day!
Tuesday - slept in own beds. M came just after 8 to get her stuff from car. Kids loved shoveling snow and playing in snow. Visited Keri. Got on the road again late afternoon to come HOME! Grateful to make it about 9 that night. Beautiful Trip! Many beautiful memories! Grateful to be home! B had roses and egg nog shakes waiting for us in our beautiful castle! L was grateful to have noise in the house again! Beautiful reunion!
Friday after Thanksgiving we spent with Dad, B and all of us together, even J joined us for parts of the day. We drove through the Chesapeake Bay bridge across and under the Chesapeake Bay. That afternoon,not wanting to miss the Basketball Game, we drove out the bridge, spent a few hours at the bird sanctuary out there, asked a few questions, and then returned back over/under that 2nd most Wonderful Engineering Marvel of the World. Then we visited Jamestown where it all began in this country. This was the second spot where they landed and founded a town. It was a beautiful evening. They found the materials right there on the banks of the river they landed. Saturday we got a late start as D & B went to pick up a rental car so they could leave when it was time. After missing the b-ball game, Dad was nervous to get there in time, so they left just after 1:00 p.m. on that Saturday. Mom and I stayed and watched J play that night in New Port News. Struggle with the coach, talked with B most of the night, he wrote a letter the next morning.
Sunday - New Port news ward, very nice! They hold 40 day fasts for the missionary work in their ward. Have had 60 baptisms this year! Sunday School lesson taught by Bishop - amazing - poured water into a cup, overflowing and then pitchers full into a big bowl. The Lord won't send us more than we can handle. We have to make room, is our life so full that he can't sent us more, or is our life ready and open to the spirit, full of love ready to share with others like the basin. They talked about a 40 day fast for the home teaching/visiting teaching efforts in their ward. Amazing spirit in that ward! Combined RS/Priesthood was also fabulous! Sent J on his way back to Buena Vista. Rode with him for 45 minutes. Parting difficult, stressed by other expectations. We turned towards Washington DC. He drove 150 miles. We didn't make it too far. Finally room at Sleep in.
Monday - Dentist for C! Miracles we found someone good! Just a little cavity, Mom stressed about crowns, molds... Exaggerated. Just a cavity, taken care of before noon. Miracles. Thank you! Then drove into Washington D.C. Saw monuments again quickly. Miracles of parking right at the Air & Space Museum! Arrived about 3:30, museum closed at 5:00 - not enough time! Amazing, beautiful originals preserved. Tried to find National Cathedral - lost in embassy area around Rock Creek Park. Beautiful park nearly in the middle of town! Finally found DC temple in the dark, walked around. Beautiful stain glass windows! Moon beautiful that night. found discounts to room at the Marriot hotel: $80.00/room normally 289.00/night. Wow! NOT so impressed with the hotel, but it was nice of them to offer discounts to temple patrons.
Tuesday - Washington D.C. via the Metro! Rode longest escalator in the world - Wow! Miracles of Prompt tickets to Washington Monument elevator ride to the top - Many tender mercies!!! "Laus Deo" inscribed in top cap stone on East side! Beautiful! Began journey to Philadelphia, found beautiful Best Western 20 minutes outside of Philly. Tried to fix video machine, stopping at Radio Shack and Best Buy. Didn't get fixed!
Wednesday - Philadelphia! Independence Hall. Liberty Bell. Wow! Memory - Benjamin Franklin and George Washington like the rungs on the barrel. If they aren't there, then the whole continental congress fell apart! These two amazing gentlemen held the barrel together!
Drove on to New York City ;) Lighting of the Tree in Rockefeller square - tons of traffic! Not the day to drive the rig (Ford Excursion with two rocket boxes on the top making us really tall) into NY city! Pushed back into tunnel about 4:30, another tender mercy in disguise - Found Marriot hotel on Marriot Rewards Points in New Jersey just outside of the city. In room early ;) resting and preparing for fun in NY tomorrow!
Thursday - Rode the bus and then the subway into New York. Gentleman named Bill - angel to help Mom be calmed. Ground Zero & St. Paul's Cathedral. Wow! Yummy bagels for brunch, then pretzels as we rode the Stanton ferry out into the bay past Lady Liberty, Ellis Island & Train Station where my Farmor came through! I love you Farmor! Darling little Italian Nun on the ferry, hugged girls and thanked them for gift of Burt's Bee Lip Balm in a tin - there to remind me of Farmor! Tender Mercy! xoxoxo Ice Skating in Central Park - Totally Awesome! Hot dogs in Time Square. Rode the Farris Wheel in Toys R Us. Retired by 7:30 - in "the city that never sleeps!"
Friday - en route to Palmyra via Harmony - totally a miracle that we found the Harmony home! Baptism, Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood restored here! Guided by the Spirit to find it! Historical marker here, but not on the map! B had to use a bathroom, so we got off the freeway, and saw a little marker that said Joseph Smith lived a few miles East of here. Went to put our hand in the Susquehanna river, and enjoyed a beautiful ride about 3 miles up river, to cross a bridge and come down the other side. Found cemetery where Emma's parents are buried, as well as their first child. Beautiful monument constructed by the church explaining events. Area was VERY run down - the result of kicking the church out? Old trailer homes, beat up homes, not a beautiful place any longer! Traveled on to Peter Whitmer farm at sunset! Beautiful visitor center constructed there. Beautiful sunset! Church organized in this little building. Traveling on, found room in Beautiful Palmyra Inn owned by two LDS gentlemen from Utah. Beautiful place, good rates! Dinner in a little diner in Palmyra, tasted delicious, real food not just Wendy's!
Saturday - Palmyra. Beautiful Temple! Sacred Grove, Smith Log Home, Smith Frame Home - all to ourselves! Joseph Smith Sr. a cooper - barrel maker - reinforced my love for these old handcrafted works! Sacred Grove - Spent a beautiful hour in the grove with all my little ones talking about our relationship with God, knelt in prayer together out on the back of the grove. Beautiful memories! Mom went off and prayed by herself, finding us later. Hill Cumorrah - ran straight to the top of the hill! Dad served here for 12 months of his mission, W was in the pageant here a couple of years ago, Mom loved being there! Ancient record buried here, many battles fought on this land. Many good men, General Moroni, Helaman, Mormon, then Joseph Smith, then my Dad! Good Men! Mom spent alone time here. We visited the visitor center only briefly. Began drive towards Kirkland, Ohio. B felt impressed to check on us, and we were in a gas station trying to change the windshield wipers it began snowing a few miles back. We had gone grocery shopping for some food for Sunday - fast day the next day. Road was very slick. B found a room for us 2.8 miles away. We were grateful to find a place out of the storm. Snowing hard. I tucked my little ones in with the curtains pulled open, they watched it snow outside! Had to put the car in 4 wheel drive to park! Weather forecast for the next day was snow, but we woke in the morning to clear skies and dry roads! Miracles just for me! Thank you Father!
Sunday (December's Fast Sunday) - the hotel B found for us was some kind of water resort they gave two stranded women the rooms for $79 each because of the terrible storm! Thank you for tender mercies! This was the first time we saw other kids in the hotel, grateful mine behaved so much better! Got up and walked past breakfast - fasting - pleased that my children didn't complain, just agreed it was Fast Sunday and they could fast! More difficult knowing they wouldn't get another meal that day as it was Sunday and we wouldn't stop for a meal but eat the food we had purchased - lunch meat and a roll. We drove to Kirkland and arrived about 10:00 a.m - an hour before the visitor center opened, and an hour after the first ward. Walked around the reconstructed buildings, Newel K. Whitney Store, School of the Prophets, etc. Beautiful clear morning. Went to church at 11:30. Different ward, mostly converts and very young couples in Ohio to attend dental and law schools. Relief Society lesson on Loneliness. I related to feelings of young girls. Didn't really give answers, but just to realize that all felt lonely, and you're not alone. Spirit was not abundant, didn't relate to the Savior, but rather to personal stories, and it just didn't touch hearts - mine or Moms. Amazing difference from last week's ward!
Toured the visitor center - Elder Alleman in visitor center, given a time limit, shared amazing dates he knew by heart! Answered Mom's questions, and more, kids not really interested or following. Difficult double time expected and yet didn't tour the buildings. Just answered questions. Amazing details about appearances of God the Father and his Son in the area. Mom's quest. Wish we had walked through buildings. Back on the road! Drove well into the night. Finally stopped about 2:00 a.m.. Found hotel room and rested. All grateful for a bed.
Monday - Drove again beginning the day with something like 1200 miles to travel to Sandy, Utah. Drove all day. Made it to Winter Quarters mid afternoon. Windshield wiper fluid frozen. M stressed about cleaning window. Dumped coffee boiling water on it, washed the car with a self car wash, spraying around them, cleaning and heating. Finally sought out gentlemen in a shop and asked them to fix. Opened hood, and squirt it to show them, and it worked! Thanked them, and went on our way. Drove and drove and drove! Wanted to quit when snow was blowing in Wyoming, but M insisted we continue. Arrived at M's home about 3:30 a.m. Utah time. Dropped her and were grateful to be safe in our beautiful castle in SLC. Still not home, but a beautiful place! Many miracles this day!
Tuesday - slept in own beds. M came just after 8 to get her stuff from car. Kids loved shoveling snow and playing in snow. Visited Keri. Got on the road again late afternoon to come HOME! Grateful to make it about 9 that night. Beautiful Trip! Many beautiful memories! Grateful to be home! B had roses and egg nog shakes waiting for us in our beautiful castle! L was grateful to have noise in the house again! Beautiful reunion!