Palmyra Sites

Brent kindly watched the kids so Reagan and I could take in a temple session. I checked the website beforehand and we arrived in time for the 7:30 AM session when the kids would still be sleeping. Turns out they typically have a session that early, except during pageant, because so many of the temple workers are out late. 

Not that Reagan nor I minded having extra time to chat and walk around the beautiful grounds! We took SO many pictures, which I will not post here, but I have to include these.

Reagan noticed a butterfly on the ground and she was concerned about it getting trampled so she crouched down, all in her skirt and high heels, to scoop that little guy up...

...gently carry him out of harms way...

...and help him onto a tree branch where he might be happier. That kind of move is SO Reagan! She had a million things going on in her life at the time and she stopped to help a helpless creature.

After our temple session, we took in the view out the clear window that faces the Sacred Grove (the one over my shoulder in this pic).

A temple worker told us this is the only temple with a direct view into another temple. That was pretty spectacular to think about.

By the time we finished up, it was almost lunch time and Brent was going a little nutty with the kids who had grown tired of the hotel pool. We brought some sustenance and dropped Brent off for his own well-deserved time at the temple. While he enjoyed some quiet contemplation, we headed into town to the EB Grandin Building. I love how there is a keystone above the door since we consider the Book or Mormon to be the keystone to our faith.

These are replica signature pages of the Book of Mormon. They were neatly folded in a special way that put them into order. Early missionaries were so eager to share the gospel, they would sometimes take a signature page before it had been compiled into a completed book.

We learned that in a print shop, the large letters are sorted into cases at the top and smaller letters are sorted into cases at the bottom which is why we call them "upper case" and "lower case" letters today.

During one of the tours, a sister missionary asked the girls if they would try to read the Book of Mormon every day and Liesel totally threw me under the bus. She replied that I hadn't held scripture study for a long time and the sister looked at me quizzically.

"It's summer." I said, "But we read the entire Book of Mormon cover to cover before each girl is baptized." She was duly impressed and I felt redeemed a bit. Here Ireland poses with a first edition Book of Mormon printed right there in that building.

There was a bookstore just down the street and I asked an employee about a place to get ice cream. He said if we didn't mind driving a bit, there was a place just a few miles out of town. Mr. Coolee's Ice Cream Shop had a very impressive selection and extremely generous portions.

We were so full of ice cream, no one was interested in eating for quite a while. Brent had finished his session at the temple so we picked him up and headed to the Smith Family Farm. When Whitney was a missionary, there was a bowl of beans on a table to add to the farmhouse feel. She often received questions about the significance of the beans (of which there was none), or people would play with them and it drove her nuts. Reagan and I really wanted to take a picture of us playing with the bowl of beans but there weren't any!!! Whitney laughed when we texted her this info and said it was probably for the best. Reagan took this picture of Brent and I inside the barn.

Another story Whitney shared is that Joseph Smith felt impressed to move the golden plates to the rafters instead of under the floorboards where they were usually kept while he was translating them. That night a mob tore through the place, including the floorboards, and all the while the plates were just above their heads.

The Sacred Grove is one of Brent's favorite places on earth and since it was the dead of summer. I was prepared with mosquito repellent to do battle. Turns out we didn't even need it, and under the canopy of trees it was relatively cool. We had a lovely little hike through the grove.

We stopped by the Visitor's Center but not in enough time to climb the Hill Cumorah before they had to deny access to prepare for that's night pageant. Someday I will visit the top, but so far this is the second time I have missed it!

It was still pretty sweet to see the Christus there and take in all those wonderful sites.

Maid of the Mist

Although we were able to catch the light show and fireworks the night before, I wanted something to really make our trip to Niagara Falls memorable. We made our way back into the States, navigated around construction sites to find on-street parking (no WAY was I going to pay $25 for an hour and a half!!!) and then walked to the loading dock. The girls were bummed about our Great Wolf Lodge experience coming to an end, they were tired and cranky from a frantic morning getting in every last water slide they could, and the heat sure didn't help any. I was worried the Maid of the Mist would be a bust and Brent would be annoyed at me for insisting we pay the money. 

I was ridiculously excited to get our ponchos! The people handing them out even laughed at me. We slipped them on a little too early, and the plastic covering combined with the heat had the little ones complaining even more.

Once we staked out our spot on the boat, and it pulled away, the air cooled and the kids calmed. Seeing the waterfalls up close was really powerful. As we headed to Horseshoe Falls, the mist was so heavy it felt like rain and the wind whipped up at the base of the falls. I had to put my camera away and just enjoy the moment, rather than capture it in pictures.

I'll never forget the random duck hanging out at the base of the falls. Even though there were turbulent waters all around him, he just bobbed up and down like it was no big deal, like this was his space, like he had all the time in the world.

Almost everyone threw their ponchos away but I was keeping ours!!! The girls were sure happy to slip them off though and feel the misty air again.

Going back up, we were assigned Elevator 2 so I told the girls to throw up the deuces and I'd take a picture. Sydney didn't quite know what that meant. 

Liesel wanted a picture with me at the top of the falls and Brent graciously took it for us where he could stand away from the edge. His fear of heights was tested during this trip.

Here is Ireland at a "Butt Depot" 

Liesel pointing out the Indian Chief walking person.

And I loved how the IHOP signs in Canada have a little maple leaf in the O. There were SO many of them in downtown Niagara Falls. We counted at least 6 and my niece pointed out Canada is also known for their maple syrup so it fits rather nicely. 

Great Wolf Lodge Niagara Falls

Before the girl's passports expire, I wanted to take advantage of them one last time. We opted for the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and tied in a stay at the Great Wolf Lodge since my sister Reagan had talked it up so much. 

Does anyone else get nervous while queuing up for border control? We have all our documents sorted and somehow I still find myself sweating like I've committed a felon or something. The agent was really nice and actually directed most of his questions towards the girls in terms of where we were going and for how long.

I believe there is a difference between a place that is "family friendly" which basically means travel friendly with a few things thrown in for kids and a place that has families in mind while it's being created. Great Wolf Lodge is definitely the latter.

The most genius part of the experience was the wrist bands. As you can see in the photo, everyone received one and they worked for all purchases and served as our room key as well. We never had worry we'd forgotten a card key or carry a wallet around because everything was charged to the room. In the waterpark, the wristband was also used to check out towels. We could exchange cold, wet towels for warm, dry ones at any time using the wristband. Sydney really got the hang of it and kind of loved having the power to scan and get something on her own.

We would have had fun on our own, but being there with Reagan and her family made it even better. Neither Brent nor I saw much of Liesel as she took off with Paisley the entire 3 days we were there.

Groups would combine and recombine as kids got tired of slides and wanted to hang out in the hot tub, or just nosh on some fries or just float in the lazy river. Brent took little ones so Reagan and I could chat in the grown ups only hot tub and sometimes Reagan and I gathered Brigitta and Rockwell for the smaller slides. It was so easy, and no one was ever left out or hurt, everyone had a blast.

See Sydney's smile? That's what she was like the entire time we were there! Pure joy.

Both of Reagan's girls had celebrated a birthday at a Great Wolf Lodge and so she used this opportunity to celebrate Rockwell's. Since Brigitta's birthday is just a couple of days later, we decided to tie it in as well. She received her own free set of wolf ears with a party hat and a token for a nice, big ice cream cone. 

A word about the wolf ears: while they weren't free, they also weren't so expensive that we felt gutted buying them for all the girls. Where Disneyland Mickey ears cost $15-$25, (then multiply that by FOUR!), the wolf ears were only $4. We felt like it was a reasonable price to pay for something that enhanced the girls experience during our stay. Again, not free but not breaking the bank either.

Since we stayed at in Canada, all the pricing was in Canadian dollars. With the exchange rate, it felt like everything was 25% off, which was just dreamy. We also found that gratuity was included for breakfast so again, we weren't fumbling for a wallet to grab some cash for tip. Although the breakfast meal plan felt pricey, in the end it was worth it. There was quite a spread with lots of healthy options. They had an omelet station where you could request your own, have them make up the omelet of the day fresh, or just ask them to prepare eggs however you'd like. There were lots of protein options which was fantastic for kids who have been extremely physically active.

  The waffles had wolf paw prints on them. How cute is that? 

Also noteworthy is that Brent spotted Iron Chef Geoeffrey Zakarian and his wife in the lobby.

When he checked in, Brent was told that while checkout was at 11:00 am on our departure day, our water park wristbands were good until close at 9:00 pm. We ended up packing a small bag of clothes to change into and (of course!) there were family changing rooms right there in the water park! It just felt like whoever designed this place had really thought of everything.

There was a dance party every night but for one night we signed the girls up for the "pajama party". For 2 1/2 hours the girls got to do crafts, get their face painted, go to story time, etc while Brent and I had a proper date. We chatted in the grown up only hot tub and did slides and just spent time together without little ones to worry about. It was divine to have that time to ourselves to connect in the middle of this family vacation.

 I know I've been talking up our experience at the Great Wolf Lodge so I feel the need to give a balanced review and point out that they do not carry Liesel name magnets in the gift shop...

...which was HUGELY disappointing!

Hill Cumorah Pageant

How cute are these cousins? 

For me the best part of the Hill Cumorah Pageant was mixing with the participants beforehand. Right before we met Joseph Smith, Ireland was whining and I said, "You're about to meet the prophet, lighten up!" and Reagan burst out laughing. For the most part, I think I'm pretty hilarious but I'm only truly assured I'm a riot when I'm around my own family members, who are a hoot themselves.

When we'd approach the actors and ask who they were, they'd get a gleam in their eye and start giving hints until one of the little ones guessed it. This one was present at the birth of Christ, and he came from afar, and he brought a gift... A WISE MAN!!!

This man's son was Nephi, and he found a ball of curious workmanship outside his tent one day... LEHI!

The pageant is pretty spectacular with a huge stage, pyrotechnics and waterfalls.

Personally, my favorite scenes are the one where Nephi builds a boat and the one with King Noah. We had just finished reading the Book of Mormon a few months ago to prepare Ireland for her baptism so the whole pageant was a beautiful recap.

Brent and I had warned the girls about the protesters on their bullhorns so they would be prepared. Afterwards, we could not find where we had parked and trying to find a Honda Pilot among a sea of Honda Pilots was nigh impossible. The panic button on my key chain wasn't yielding any clues so we had to wander around for a bit. The girls were growing tired of the insults being hurled at us when at long last we found the car! The only problem is Brent had taken off to find the car, so then we had to find Brent.

The older girls loved the pageant so much, they went the next night as well! IN THE RAIN!!! Good thing we had those Maid of the Mist ponchos!

A Beautiful Mind

My friend Lindsey sent me this poem about ADHD just a couple days before I snapped this photo of Liesel. She's supposed to be cleaning and organizing her desk, and there she is in the middle of the chaos, playing with a fidget spinner. Normally I'd be go out of my skull and jump down her throat but this made me take a second before gently getting her back on track.

Take my hand and come with me,

I want to teach you and ADHD.

I nee you to know, I want to explain,

I have a very different brain.

Sights, sounds and thoughts collide.

What to do first? I can't decide.

Please understand I'm not to blame,

I just can't process things the same.

I try to behave, I want to be good,

But sometimes forget to do as I should.

Walk with me and wear my shoes,

You'll see it's not the way I'd choose.

I do know what I'm supposed to do,

But my brain is slow getting the message through.

I rarely think before I talk,

I often run when I should walk.

It's hard to get my school work done,

My thoughts are outside having fun.

I never know just where to start,

I think with my feelings and see with my hear.

Take my hand and stand by me,

I can't help letting my feelings show.

Sometimes I'm angry, jealous or sad.

I feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and mad.

I can't concentrate and I lose all my stuff.

I try really hard but it's never enough.

I worry a lot about getting things wrong, 

Everything I do takes twice as long.

Everyday is exhausting for me...

Looking through the fog of ADHD.

I'm often so misunderstood,

I would change in a heartbeat if I could.

Take my hand and listen to me,

I want to share a secret about ADHD.

I want you to know there is more to me.

I'm not defined by it, you see.

I'm sensitive, kind and lots of fun. 

I'm blamed for things I haven't done.

I'm the loyalist friend you'll ever know,

I just need a chance to let it show.

Just forget about the ADHD.

I have real feelings just like you.

The love in my hear is just as true.

I may have a brain that can never rest,

But please understand I'm trying my best.

I want you to know, I need you to see,

I'm more than the label, I am still me!!!

~Author Unknown

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

I was rather excited for this trip downtown because I had a whole day planned out in my mind. We'd take the train to Brent's office, have lunch from the food truck line by the river, check out the Chicago Federal Reserve, and then hang out at Daley Plaza. It seemed so perfect. When I bought my ticket, the woman working the register said the girls didn't need tickets because they were so cute. We were off to a good start. 

Then the girls decided to act like total heathens on the train. 

Of course they wanted to sit on the upper deck, but then they kept wanting to change seats or make them face different directions, or fight over who could see the window, or complain about who they were sitting by or just generally make noise. I received a firing squad of dirty looks from the regular passengers who clearly did not think the girls were so cute.

And of course they were hyper! They couldn't keep their voices quiet and I just about died when Liesel decided to loudly play Would You Rather and began saying, "Would you rather be a BLACK person in a WHITE neighborhood or..." before I hissed her into silence. I found myself grasping at how to explain that is not an appropriate question to ask ever, much less a train headed into Chicago. Ugh, that train ride was misery and one I will not repeat for a couple of years at least.

Thankfully, Brent was happy to take over so I could eat my lunch in relative peace and quiet. Man those girls adore him! He'd gotten everyone settled but Sydney and as he headed back to the truck line with her skipping alongside him, I swear everyone in the plaza stopped and watched the two of them. A woman who didn't speak very good English came over to talk to us about the girls and what a blessing they are. She has 4 daughters herself and she just gushed over their blue eyes.

Refueled and re-energized, we parted ways as I took the girls a few blocks away to the Chicago Federal Reserve. It's free so I just had to show my ID and as I did so, Brigitta asked the security guard if there were bags of money inside. He smiled a wry smile and said that indeed there were!

 The girls did the money dance in front of the cube of 1 million dollars.

It's interesting how fleeting that much money can be.

Ireland got pretty good at identifying fake bills.

 We were able to see money close up and read the writing hidden in the images.

The girls snagged bags of shredded bills that have been taken out of circulation. Brigitta was thrilled to get her "bag of money" and immediately decided it was going to become a little pillow. I'm not sure how I feel about that... my daughter wanting to sleep on a pile of money... hmmmm.

For now, she just relaxed on $5000 worth of coins.

I have to say Liesel looks pretty cute on a $100. We don't get many happy smiles on our currency, eh?

We had our picture taken and printed (for FREE!) with this suitcase of $1,000,000. I told the girls to act like they had won it in a game show and then everyone in line behind us did the same pose. This is petty, but it bugs me when people blatantly steal my picture pose ideas.

I waited until the line died down to get this one of me stealing the suitcase of money. I didn't want anyone stealing my stealing photo!

Despite its small size, we ended up spending a couple of hours at this museum and the girls were bummed to leave. The thing about taking a train is you have to keep to a schedule and I really wanted to let the girls slide down the Picasso at Daley Plaza.

The only problem is that the Picasso is made of metal so on a hot, sunny day, it isn't the most inviting slide. Instead, we took advantage of another line of food trucks and bought cupcakes, ice cream cones and some pink lemonade. The girls kicked off their shoes and cooled their feet in the fountain.

We saw Brent one more time en route to the train and made the trip home. Maybe we won't repeat this trip in the near future, but we will definitely repeat it... eventually!