"There's no place like home"

I couldn't find my ruby red slippers so this is how we got home from our memorable summer in Connecticut...

The Sacred Grove, Palmyra, New York

"...I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me." (Joseph Smith-History 1:16)

The Hill Cumorah, Palmyra, New York

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Kirtland, Ohio

This is the room and the actual table that Joseph Smith transcribed the Golden Plates into what is known today as the Book of Mormon.

The Kirtland Temple

We're going swimming at our last hotel - Cheyenne, Wyoming. We're almost home!

So our journey home was incredible and we were so grateful for the time we had as a family. As we visited each of the LDS church history sites, we found our testimonies renewed of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it was restored. We loved every minute of it!

In memory of...

I received an email from my Mom that I just checked last night about flying the American flag today in memory of those who died from the September 11 attacks. I am sad to say that we don't have our flag yet (we couldn't find one yesterday), but hope this kind of makes up for it. So this flag is flying on our behalf - to remember those who unfairly lost their lives and to the loved ones who suffered those losses.

I am so grateful to live in this country. I am grateful for the freedoms we enjoy and even more grateful for those who fight for those freedoms that we may continue to enjoy them each day. It kind of sucks that we live in a world of war, but I guess it just reminds me that Man is not perfect and desires worldly things. I'm grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ alive in my life and for the knowledge of His plan - that I may be united with my family in the eternities - and that death is not the end. I love my Savior and I know we can live with Him someday.

So tired...

The good news? We're home!! Yeah! The summer is over and we get to have our Daddy back! The bad news? Keira and I both got sick. My first experience with a sick child. It has made me so sad because she is so sad and uncomfortable. For some reason, I always get sick when I move to different climates. It's not allergies - it's more like a cold. The worst part is that Keira got it. I don't know if we got it at the same time or passed it to each other or what, but poor Rick is just so worn out trying to unpack and take care of us.


I was up with her once last night and apparently slept through the second time because I woke up to this faint crying and Rick wasn't in bed next to me. I only registered that for a second before I zonked out again. Then I woke up around 7:15 to feed her and Rick was sleeping on the couch. When she was ready to go down again half an hour later (she's been sleeping a ton - hopefully she'll get better sooner) I went back into the family room and Rick wasn't there. He's so quiet! Just moving from place to place without making any noise. What a wonderful husband I have. Poor guy is so worn out.

This is our bedroom's current status. It's going to be the last room to unpack. If you can't tell, that's 4 full suitcases (2 in the back, 2 in the front) untouched. We've still got a lot of unpacking to do.