Upstate New York

This weekend we got an awesome opportunity to take a little trip to Upstate New York to look at all the Church sites, visit Grandpa Anderson and see Niagara Falls. It was a mad dash of a trip but we were so happy we got to do it. I am not sure how we fit it all into two days but we did it!

Day 1

Our First day in New York was a very beautiful day- sunny, warm and a perfect day to walk around outside. We got up early and went straight to the temple. We walked the grounds and took a lot of pictures. I was really taken with the open fields that surrounded the beautiful temple. I felt the spirit so strongly as I walked into the swaying tall grass with Libby.

I could have walked in this field all day. It had a peaceful feeling that made you want to sit down and linger there in the quiet.

Libby decided she really wanted to sit on the grass but after she realized it was very swampy she walked over to the sidewalk and said" oh that's better"

Libby and Her daddy ( and her chapstick in hand)

The Temple grounds were filled with beautiful flowers and Libby wanted to lean over and smell them all.

Next Stop- The Sacred Grove

The Sacred Grove is just down the street from the temple so after we finished at the temple we headed to the Joseph Smith House and the Sacred Grove. We lathered on the sunscreen and headed to the trail that leads through the Sacred Grove. The minute we entered the coolness of its shade we felt its power and reverence. Our little family walked through the trees and stopped a few times to just sit and think of the reality and significance of what happened there. Libby stopped to pick up every rock along the trail and, when we found a spot the we liked, Phil and I pulled out our Scriptures and read for awhile. Surrounded by my eternal family, I felt very blessed as I sat and thought about all the many blessing that I have been able to enjoy, in my life, thanks to the events that happened in that grove.

Next Stop- Joseph Smith Houses and Lunch!!!!

After the Sacred Grove we walked through the Smith Farm and looked at the homes where the family lived. We got to stand in the small upstairs bedroom where the angel Moroni came to Joseph Smith. We saw places where the actual golden plates had been hidden and translated. And after all the rich history ... we were hungry for lunch.

We met up with Grandpa at the local hangout spot - The Chill and Grill. It could have been that we were really hungry but it seemed that they had the best burgers and onion rings I had eaten in a long time.

The field Joseph walked through to get to the Sacred Grove

The view of The Grove from the back Porch

Front door of Smith Farm House.

Awesome view of the Temple from the Smith Farm grounds

Looking out at the same view Joseph would have seen while translating the Book of Mormon

This bedroom is where the golden plates where hidden when a mob came and searched the house. Two of Josephs sisters were asleep in the bed and hid the plates between them under the covers, the men came in and searched every nook and cranny but didn't think to look under their blankets and the plates remained safe.

LUNCH !!!!!!!

The Chill and Grill

Next Stop- Down town Palmyra

In downtown we saw the place where the Book of Mormon was first printed. We also took some pictures of a corner in the town that had four different church's on each corner. It really helped to better understand how many church's were in the area and how confused Joseph must have been. We went inside the Zion Episcopal church and took a quick tour and got to ring the church bells in the tower.

At the old printing press where the Book of Mormon was first published.

One of the many church's in downtown Palmyra founded in 1806

Inside the church seen above- Libby and I are pulling the bells in the bell tower.

Final stop for the night- The Hill Cumorah and The Pageant

We went early to the Hill so we could walk up to the top before the Pageant started. Immediately when you first walk up to the Hill I had a sense that this was not just any normal hill. It juts out of the ground at the most extreme and peculiar angle. It almost looked unnatural.

Philly on the top of The Hill Cumorah- below him are 9000 seats ready for the audience.

A statue of Moroni sits on top of The Hill with a picture of the 8 witnesses that saw the golden plates.

Mommy and Libby at the Hill Cumorah Pageant just waiting for the awesomness to start. Libby loved it - through the entire thing she kept yelling at the top of her lungs " Me dance on the castle too" The only way I could keep her quiet was to tell her that when the other dances were done we would dance on the " castle" so as soon as the Pageant ended we literally ran up to the stage so Libby could see it really up close and we danced together on the lawn. It was an awesome performance. We loved every minute of it - except for the fact that they cut out the part that Philly played the last time he was in the pageant - we were looking forward to seeing that.

It was a really really long day but we got to see so many amazing things we went to bed very tired but very happy.