Part 7 Palmyra, NY

So the trip continues.....

After a long but pretty drive across New York and paying toll road after toll road, we made it to Palmyra. We ended up in Palmyra the Saturday-Monday of General Conference. We were hoping that as we drove on Saturday that we would get Conference on the radio but we never could find it. So we missed it. Thank goodness for the Ensign!!!

Probably in the top five of trip was Sunday where we were the only ones in the Sacred Grove. We walked and pondered and for the most part were silent for about 2 hours. It was a perfect day. So on to the pictures :) Have I told you how beautiful the colors were!!!

Pathway in the Sacred Grove

More of the Sacred Grove

Mom and Dad on the Smith Farm

Smith Farm

From Sacred Grove looking towards Palmyra Temple

Both above and below is from the temple looking out towards the Sacred Grove.

Beautiful stain glass windows of the temple

Hill Cumorah

Color on Hill Cumorah

Fuzzy Caterpillar
The last couple of pictures is the amazing view from our hotel room.

Next stop is Niagara Falls!!

Part 6 plus Christmas and Thanksgiving

So I have been told that I have failed to update everyone on my life while I have posting stuff from my trip. So here it goes. I am working close to 50 hours a week but I am trying different things to try to get back to around 40 hours because I am tired of working a long week. We are back to trying to hire some people but interviews are not going well. I don't understand why people show up in jeans and expect an interview to go great. So still looking.

For Thanksgiving and part of Christmas I spent it with the Powell's. It was a lot of fun. We had a white christmas with about 10 inches on the ground Christmas night. I also played with John, Pam and the kids for Christmas. Though I have to admit that it is still weird when I don't make it to GJ for the holidays. It almost feels like they actually never happened.

I also did a webcam with Carrie and the kids. So I went outside to show Justin what snow looks like and my favorite part was when Kaylynn was telling and showing me about her presents and Carrie went to add something and Kaylynn turned around and said "SHHHH MOM I am talking to Aunt Crystal." Love it!!!

For the New Year I went over to Amy's house and she kicked her kids off the Wii so the adults could play. It was fun to hang out with her family and I learned how to play rockband. I am a good guitar player but not a drummer or singer.

So back to the trip that happened in October.

We are now in Boston. Here is the highlights.

Close up of Boston from a Harbor Cruise. The Harbor Cruise was my 2nd favorite thing in Boston. It was fun to be out on the water and learn how Boston was the placed to be back when the country was just starting.

Fun picture of the Flag with Boston in the background

Almost out of the harbor

The USS Constitution or also well known as "Old Ironsides"

Samuel Adams

Part of his statue says he was incorruptible and fearless. I think he had to be in order to play his part in the revolution.

Paul Revere and Church behind him that held the signal for the revolution

Boston Temple

So this was my favorite part of Boston. I have wanted to go there since it was dedicated and that it was also temple 100. Because of the tolls in Boston we had to pay around 6 dollars in tolls but it was worth driving around Boston to go.

This it was it looked like when we went in....

This is what it looked like when we came out!
Beautiful! Nothing more to say except we are headed to Palmyra next!!!

Happy 2009!!!

Part 5

Dad wanted to go see this submarine museum which was his only decision that we allowed him. I have to admit that it was pretty cool. So here we are in Groton, CT. The USS Nautilus was the first nuclear submarine. It was also the first sub to go under the ice cap of the North Pole.

The coolest thing was that as we were touring the sub an Italian sub was being towed into the harbor. The tour guide said the Italian sub is considered a "baby sub" because it is on the smaller size.

Next stop Plymouth

The Mayflower

The view from Plymouth Rock looking toward the harbor

Next stop Hull, MA

View of Boston from Hull, MA

Atlantic Ocean

Part 4

Another Day Another Adventure

We were leaving Washington DC and on our way out of town I was able to get this picture of the DC temple. Next stop Gettysburg!!

Before we get to the history I have to show off the colors

Now on to the history. I think this picture of a cannon is a good representation of the battle the took place.
We arrived in Gettysburg in the morning and the fog was still burning off the fields. I have just always imagined that is how it took place. It made for a very cool scene.
Throughout the entire park there is monument after monument for the people who fought. Most of the monument represent each state that had soldiers fighting those 3 days. This happens to honor the 11th Mississippi Infantry regiment.
This monument is in honor of the soldiers from Virginia. The man on the horse is Robert E Lee, and the soldiers under him represent those that left civil jobs to fight for the confederate army.
A closer look at Robert E Lee. Those who know me, know I am not a history person, but one person I enjoy learning about is Lee because he was well known and respected before the war and yet he lost everything because he chose to fight with his home state of Virginia instead of taking the job offered by the North.
Original building during the war. The hole is from a cannon ball.

It has been said that this valley looked like a river of blood.

Then to end the day I was able to catch this butterfly as we headed out of town.