November 2019

November is always a busy month of birthdays and other celebrations. It was fun to throw a girls' night/baby shower for my friend Alyssa to celebrate her new little girl.

And it was fun to celebrate Logan's birthday for the third year in a row with a backyard bonfire.

I made this fun wall hanging to put in Logan's office for his birthday.

It was so fun to have Aubrey and her family come visit us. We all especially loved snuggling with baby Harper. And it was fun to celebrate Logan's birthday and a Thanksgiving preview with them.

Janie got to go on a field trip with QUEST. It was pretty chilly that morning, but maybe not quite as chilly as the clothing in the picture would suggest...

Janie got to participate in chorus this year. They competed in a Christmas competition at the mall and they were voted first place!

A silly activity at the church.

I got to visit Milo for Thanksgiving lunch at school.

When President Nelson challenged us to immerse ourselves in learning about the Restoration, one of the first things that came to my mind was my own testimony of Joseph Smith. That led me to think how much I'd like to visit the Sacred Grove. We looked into going and found that flights were pretty inexpensive and a short time later we planned our trip for the Thanksgiving break. It was a wonderful family trip, filled with amazing memories I hope we will always cherish. We flew into Albany, NY and were able to visit our friends the MacCallums there. It was such a fun reunion with them!

First things first, Carli and Logan went to the temple to participate in baptisms. Then we switched off and Logan and I were able to do sealings. It was a very special experience to be in the temple in which I was able to be part of the dedication by President Hinckley. I remembered many parts of the temple so clearly.

Then we visited the Smith log cabin and the Sacred Grove. It was a beautiful, only somewhat chilly day and we had the place almost completely to ourselves. We had wonderful guides who were so kind and patient with our family. And it was a beautiful, peaceful experience to walk through and pray together in the grove.

I loved this view of the temple from the Smith Farm. I wonder how the Smith family would feel knowing the temple was built there. 

Next we visited the Hill Cummorah.

We walked around the temple so that the younger kids could see it.

The last place we visited that day was the Grandin Printing Press where the Book of Mormon was first printed. Even though it was the end of the day and the kids were a little done, it was so interesting and we really loved it.

We ended the day with pizza for dinner.

The next day we spent at Niagara Falls. It was a very chilly day, but the falls were beautiful and impressive.

Tad looks a little like we all felt at this point of the day.

We stayed at an awesome home. Our host, Mary, was amazing and my kids have told me several times that they want to go back to Mary's house. She truly felt like part of the family. When she got into the hosting business she didn't realize that how big The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was and how many people visited her tiny little town. We really loved our stay with her.

Our last day we visited the Whitmer Farm on the way back to the airport. This was a tender experience as we realized this was really where the church began and many miracles occurred. We are grateful to be a part of this wonderful organization that is building the Lord's kingdom on the earth.

This beauty turned 12 while we were on our trip. We celebrated her before we left with a dinner at Del Sur. And she was excited to receive makeup and all things teenager.

I can hardly believe this boy turned 6!

I am amazed by the beauty of our backyard.

And Milo is amazed by the machinery in that same field. This man, Mr. Davy, noticed Milo intently watching this big tractor harvest the cotton and he pulled over to give him and Logan a ride. I think they both had the time of their lives up there.

Logan was very excited about getting his Christmas light display up this year. And I couldn't help but get a little teary eyed and a little homesick looking at it. He also made a beautiful wood Nativity scene.

I drive by this lake every morning on my way to take Carli to school. It looked so beautiful in its fall splendor.

Speaking of splendor, Logan somehow convinced me to join him on an escapade to Walmart on Thanksgiving night to buy this monster... It's pretty fun to have such a big screen.

Janie Lou had a blast at her friend's birthday bash.