The Billings temple in the middle of the night

The end of November the Billings temple was open for a day a night and day without closing to celebrate 20 years of having a temple in Billings.  Matthew, Dallin, MaryAnne, Neil and I went to the temple on Friday evening.  We left Powell about 8:00 and got to the temple a little before 10:00.  When we got there the parking lot was clear full and cars were parked on the street leading up to the temple.  We decided to run to Winn Co to do a little shopping first.  When we got back to the temple it was at least as busy as before if not busier.  We went in to do baptisms and had to wait for a little while.  The locker rooms are small and had a hard time accommodating so many people.  When I sat down by Matthew he pointed out a young man from Sheridan who had served in the New Mexico Farmington Mission.  They were never companions, but had been in the same district.  Matthew baptized me, MaryAnne and Dallin for 2 names each and then Neil baptized Matthew. It was a wonderful experience to be together in the temple in the middle of the night.  When we were leaving the temple about midnight it was still a hoping place.  Kids were lined up waiting to come in to the baptistry and adults were line up to go in and do work as well. From what we heard it stayed busy the whole night.  I wasn't too sure I could stay awake doing temple work in the middle of the night, but  MaryAnne really wanted to be at the temple in the middle of the night.  Hopefully, it was an experience the kids will always remember.

Leaving the temple about midnight

Real live Marshall at the Library

October was fire safety month.  Aaron was super excited when he heard that his favorite Paw Patrol character, Marshall, was coming to the library.  We went and waited in a short line so Aaron could give Marshall a high five.  He wasn't really so sure about actually sitting by Marshall.  He was excited to show Marshall his own little Marshall, but we had to take Sky instead because we couldn't find Aaron's Marshall when it was time to go.

An amazing adventure

In the summer my mom and dad sent an email saying they were going to go on an adventure to see Rebecca and Justin in Philadelphia. They invited Neil and me to go along. Neil knew he couldn't miss two weeks of school in September and October. I asked if I could bring Aaron and come along.  They said they would love to have Aaron and I come along.  I started to have second thoughts about being gone for so long. When it was time to buy football tickets I still wasn't quite sure I could make it work so I told them to buy tickets just for them and not for us.  I just kept thinking about the trip and had the feeling that I really should go.  I really wanted to go and see Rebecca and Justin and I didn't know if I would have very many opportunities to go to Philadelphia.  The more I thought about it the more I felt I needed to go.  Neil and I talked about it. He said he would support me in going.  I knew it was going to be a lot of work for him to stay home and take care of everything here. I am so grateful that he was willing and supportive. I helped the kids plan two meals each and got what I could ready for them.

I called my mom and told her I had decided to bring Aaron and come. My mom and Dad called BYU and got Aaron and I tickets with theirs for the football game.  I was so excited to spend the time with my mom and dad and Aaron. I was also excited to see Rebecca and Justin.  I was so excited for the trip.


After church Neil and Emma drove me and Aaron to Rawlins to meet up with Mom and Dad on Sunday, September 22nd.  We met and visited for a few minutes and then Neil and Emma headed back to Powell.  We headed on down the road and stayed in Nebraska just across the border from Wyoming.

We arrived in Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon. It was so fun to see where Rebecca and Justin live.  Surprising them was wonderful!!  I loved seeing Rebecca's reaction when she saw me and Aaron at her house.  It was perfect!

Seeing Rebecca and Justin and having time to visit with them was so wonderful. I loved seeing Aaron make friends with them again. After we were home from our trip I was helping Aaron say his prayers one night.  He stopped in the middle and said, "Don't forget Rebecca and Justin." It was so sweet. I am glad he had the chance to see them again and make friends.  Rebecca and Justin worked hard at being his friend.  It was fun to see Rebecca sit on the floor and play with his Revolutionary war soldiers.  She also enjoyed showing him the ship at the Navy yard and taking him for a walk in the nature perserve across from their house.  Aaron had fun throwing rocks in the water at the Navy yard with Rebecca.

We had a great time sightseeing in Philadelphia on Thursday.  We saw the Liberty Bell and walked past Independence Hall. Philadelphia has a lot of really neat sights to see.  It was a warm day and it seemed to wear all of us out.  The traffic is a little crazy and I was grateful I wasn't driving.  It was wonderful to be there with my home and dad.

We went back to Rebecca and Justin's apartment a little before they were home from work.  We all took a nap in the car while waiting for them to come home.  It was a nice break for a bit.  Aaron really needed a nap for a bit. When Rebecca and Justin got home we went for a walk in the nature perserve across from their apartment. It was a beautiful evening to see nature.  After the walk we went to the Navy yard for dinner.  It was fun to see where Justin works. The ships in the Navy yard were huge. It was getting dark so I didn't get any good pictures of the Navy yard.  Rebecca and Aaron threw rocks in the water. After a little bit, a security guard came over and told us it wasn't safe to be that close to the edge of the water. He also told us that it was fine to take pictures of the ships but it wasn't allowed to do it on federal land.  I guess we were being watched while we were there because I had tried to take pictures. It was getting dark so the pictures weren't any good.

We left Philadelphia on Friday morning to head back to Toledo, Ohio.  I was excited to go to the football game. It had been a long time since I had been to a road game. It was a fun environment.  The game didn't end the way I wanted it to, but I loved the experience.  Aaron loved watching Cosmo. He wanted him to come and give him a high five. I also thought it was cute when I was talking to Aaron about the game. He said, "I liked the game, but they didn't let me play." I didn't know he thought he was going to get to play.  Our seats were really close to the field. It was so fun to be at the game.

Who knew that Toledo was so close to Holland?

Aaron went swimming with Grandpa after the game. I loved seeing Aaron make friends with Grandpa and Grandma on our trip. It was an added blessing to the trip.  I was so grateful that he had the opportunity to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma.  Aaron always rode behind Grandma and I was behind Grandpa. One day asked Aaron if he had a good trip with Grandma. He said, "Yes. Did you have a good trip with Grandpa?"  It was really cute.

On Sunday we drove to Kirtland, Ohio. It was neat to see the Kirtland temple with my mom and dad.  We walked around the temple grounds and talked about the early Saints and their dedication to the Lord. It is amazing to see the temple that they built with the Lord's help.  

After leaving Kirtland we drove on down the road to see Niagara Falls. I love going to Niagara Falls. It is so beautiful.  I find it interesting that you can tell which boat is from the USA and which if from Canada by the color of the rain ponchos.  

After seeing Niagara Falls we drove on to Palmyra.  We actually drove right past the Hill Cumorah but it was dark and we didn't realize it at the time.  The only place we could find in Palmyra to eat was an Asian restaurant. Aaron was tired and a bit grumpy but it was fun to be in Palmyra.

Monday morning we went to the Palmyra temple, the Sacred Grove, the Hill Cumorah and the Grandin Bookstore.  It was such a special experience to get to go the Sacred Grove with my parents. I loved going there with Neil and the kids while we lived in Virginia and was excited to go again. My mom has wanted to visit the Sacred Grove for a long time and it was wonderful to get to be there with my parents.  I think it was so sweet and amazing that my dad made sure that everything she wanted to see was possible.  We went to the temple first and looked out over the Sacred Grove from the temple grounds.  

I loved the feeling of peace in the Sacred Grove.  We were about the only ones there the day we were there. It was amazing to feel the spirit there.  I was talking with Aaron about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ coming there to talk with Joseph Smith. He said that Jesus wasn't there when we were there.  It was cute. I told him that the Holy Ghost was there.  I loved walking quietly behind and watching my parents enjoy the Sacred Grove together.  They have walked hand in hand through life's adventures.  It was a special experience for me.

I loved this view of the temple from the Sacred Grove. I don't remember seeing it like this the first time I was there.

Aaron loved climbing up and down these stairs with Grandpa.  He was having fun counting stairs.

The fall colors at the Hill Cumorah were beautiful.  I didn't remember there being so many stairs to climb to get to the monument. When we finally got to the top I realized that when I was there before we drove to the top instead of climbing the stairs.

We toured the Grandin Bookstore where the Book of Mormon was printed. It was interesting to hear the stories again of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.  I love this picture of my parents that I took before they knew I was ready to take it.  It is one of my favorites from the trip.

From Palmyra, we drove on to Vermont.  We were excited to be leaf peepers. I have wanted to see the fall leaves in New England for a long time.  It was fun to finally have the chance.  We stayed at a small place called the Autumn Inn in Bennington, Vermont.  We enjoyed dinner at a fun little Italian place.  They had wooden food for the kids to play with. When our dinner came (which was really delicious) I grabbed the parmesan cheese to hand around. The waiter said that I might want to get the real parmesan cheese and not the shaker full of plastic balls  that went with the play food.  I felt pretty silly, but maybe I wasn't the first person to do that. In Wyoming we have statues of painted buffalo around, in Vermont they had painted Moose.  Aaron like this Moose at the restaurant.

We drove through Bennington. It was a fun little town. There was a monument to the Battle of Bennington from the Revolutionary war.  We saw several covered bridges. It was really neat to see them. I like covered bridges. It was fun to see some even though we didn't drive over them.  

The Silk Road Covered Bridge

The Paper Mill Covered Bridge and Falls

We drove up through Vermont looking at leaves. They were beautiful!! I didn't get any really great pictures, but Rebecca and Justin went a week after us and they took some really good pictures so I am posting some of their pictures.  The fall leaves really are amazing in New England!

After leaf peeping we turned for the direction of home.  We had an amazing adventure together. I am so grateful for the experience that Aaron and I got to share with Grandpa and Grandma. Thanks for letting us tag along on your grand adventure.  Aaron was an amazing traveler with his cool kid glasses and his own dvd player.  He did a great job.