Taste of my Church History Tour

Well, I've been back for a week from my trip and I am finally getting around to adding an entry about it! My mom and I left on Tuesday, October 9th and got back late Wednesday, October 17th.

The church history tour took us everywhere! Palmyra, New York area, Niagara Falls, Kirtland, Ohio area, Independence, Missouri and surroundings, Nauvoo, Illinois and then finally Carthage Jail in Carthage, Illinois.

My favorite part would have to be Nauvoo - we had a chance to attend a temple session at the beautiful Nauvoo Temple and then walk all over historic Nauvoo. And there was so much to see and do! Mom and I got the famous and cute Old Nauvoo bricks and then we also got some prairie diamonds at the blacksmith shop (which are really just horse-shoe nails rounded to fit like a ring). But the close second favorite place was the Joseph Smith, Sr. farm. I loved it. I loved the Sacred Grove. It's crazy to think that I am related to them - through Hyrum Smith!

I think the best part about the whole trip is this: That it strengthened my testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The entire tour was a witness to his life, work and calling. He truly was a prophet of God! He endured so much, struggled, and sacrificed so much for the benefit of the church. I know he translated the Book of Mormon only by the gift and power of God. Doctrine & Covenants 135 sums it best:

Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!

Hence my current favorite purchase of the Joseph Smith statuette - to remind me of my testimony of his calling as a Prophet of God. To learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints click here.

Here are some pics of the trip - just to wet your appetite.

At the Hill Cumorah, New York

The Sacred Grove, near Palmyra, New York

The Sacred Grove, near Palmyra, New York

Joseph Smith, Sr. Log Home, near Palmyra, New York

Peter Whitmer Farm, near Fayette, New York. Where the church was organized on April 6, 1830.

Niagara Falls

Newell K. Whitney Store, Kirtland, Ohio

John Johnson Farm, Hiram, Ohio

Kirtland Ohio Temple

Liberty Jail, Liberty, Missouri

Far West Missouri Temple Lot

Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Missouri

Nauvoo Illinois Temple

Outside the Brigham Young home, Nauvoo, Illinois

Carthage Jail, Carthage, Illinois. Where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred June 27, 1844.

First Snow in the Valley!

It snowed huge, awesome snowflakes tonight!!!! Hooray!!!

2nd Annual Fall Colors & Dutch Oven Dessert

This year was much colder than last year! We had a very cold weekend and it snowed!! Yay! We went up to the same place as we did last year - in Rock Canyon. There was maybe 2 inches of snow on the ground (and the roads - made for some fun driving) but no worries, it was melting and there was a path cleared for us to walk on.

This year, we were smarter: we brought camping chairs and two Dutch ovens.

New friends joined us - Camille, Lindsey and me - this year: Nate and Jon, Rob, Jen, and Cary. This year we made a super yummy Caramel Pudding Cake and an Upside Down Pineapple Cake. I think the Caramel Pudding Cake was the best! Enjoy the beautiful pics!

Tour of My Place

And here is the entry you have all been looking forward to! The tour of my new place. Finally! I had a little trouble figuring out the video portion of my camera. I needed to make sure the video was less than 100 MB before I could upload it and I finally figured out a way to make the video compact enough to upload it, although it does take a toll on the quality. Enjoy the tour!

Moonlight Lift Ride

This past Wednesday evening, some friends and I got together and rode the lift at Sundance Resort. There was a full moon and lots of fun laughs. Lindsey made some super yummy apple cider and ginger cookies. The ride just got me and Jen excited for the ski season!
Friday night, we even saw our first ski film by Teton Gravity Research. But the venue was awful! We went to Harry O's in Park City for the premiere which is a bar/dance club. We expected the smoking and drinking to be happening around us, but not the lack of seating! There was only a few seating areas and they were all reserved for the sponsors and athletes. Dumb! So we had to stand through a rough hour of an awful band and then an hour and a half of the film. Yes, TGR does show their film elsewhere with better seating, but I will be gone for most of them - on my Church History tour! Oh well.

Wordless Wednesday - My Treadmill

The Seattle Summary

So I am back from Seattle! Mike (and Nate) showed me a great time! Super fun. Chatting late into the night the first night - catching up, curbing a big nasty prank that would have been pulled on me too, the city (Pike's Street Marketplace, THE best ever REI (what dreams are made of), the Space Needle, and a delectable dinner at Ivars), breakfast and hiking near Issaquah on Saturday - watching the hang-gliders and para-gliders launch from the top of our hike (the hike was 1.6 miles and 2,000 feet elevation gain), breakfast with Ruth Ann on Sunday and then church in the local singles ward. Fun filled weekend! Thank again Mike!! Enjoy the pics.