Logan's 5th Birthday

Grandpa, Mom and I got back from our LDS Historic Tour around Lake Erie on Thursday night, October 2, just in time for Logan's 5th Birthday on Friday, October 3. I can't believe my baby Logan turned 5 years old. Wow! Has it really been five years?

So, Logan has had his birthday planned out for a few months now. He decided in July after seeing the preview for "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" during the "Wall-E" movie, that he wanted to see that movie on his birthday, especially after it stated ... "In theaters October 3". And he didn't forget! Logan hardly EVER forgets!! So, after the kids got home from school on Friday, we went to go see it. Afterwards, we decided to browse the Halloween store which was only a few doors down from the theater. Logan is getting less creeped out by scary and gory things, especially since last Halloween. We can tell that he's beginning to have the same fascination with scary things as Spencer does.

Anyways, after that, we went to McDonalds for his birthday dinner and home for cake and opening presents. He got everything he wanted, plus some. He loved everything so much that he couldn't decide what to play with first, so he just rotated through his presents all evening. What a great birthday for Logan, especially having his Grandma and Great-Grandpa there with him!

Logan in the car on his birthday

At the movies

Grandpa at the Halloween store

Logan with his cake and presents

Logan's first present was from Grandpa -- a cap rifle/pistol set

Cowboy Logan

It's a gunfight!

Next was a webkinz pug that he REALLY wanted!

He also got a Lego set

Logan also got a Nintendo DS. All the other kids in our family have their own DS, and he's been feeling left out for awhile now. He is very happy to finally have one too!

He got two Nintendo games from Grandma and Grandpa Williams. He is very excited!!

Logan with his presents

Logan playing with his Lego guys

Logan and Grandma Williams

Niagara Falls

The last two days of our trip (October 1 & 2) were spent at Niagara Falls. Neither my mother nor my grandfather had ever been to Niagara Falls. We explored the Canadian side and the American side of the Falls, and had a fabulous time. We drove home through Canada to complete our trip around Lake Erie.

On the Niagara Incline Railway (history about it HERE)

Canadian Horseshoe Falls
(and Maid of the Mist Boat)

The American Falls

Uh-Oh.... Whoops!

Grandpa and Julie went on the Maid of the Mist

Mom took a picture of our boat as she watched from above. We were in the very front at the top.

Grandpa under the Falls getting sprayed by the mist

Julie and Grandpa under Niagara

We went to a Niagara Falls Daredevil Gallery where we saw the world's largest collection of Niagara Falls history including the real artifacts and vessels used by 16 daredevils who have challenged the falls.

"Journey Behind the Falls" -- Mom and I in a tunnel underneath and behind Niagara Falls

Grandpa and I at the base of Niagara Falls

At night, the falls are hypnotically illuminated in alternating colors. Mom and I stood in the rain with our umbrellas for about an hour watching the colors change.

The next morning, we explored the American side of Niagara Falls. Here we are at the "Horseshoe Falls"

We saw many rainbows


On the bridge over "Bridal Veil Falls"
(a small, separate falls directly to the right of American Falls)

The three of us next to American Falls

On the "Three Sisters Islands" just upstream from Horseshoe Falls

Three Sisters Islands


The view from our hotel room. We could see Horseshoe Falls and all it's mist rising above.

Palmyra Historic Sites

We had a 4 hour drive the next day, September 30, to Palmyra, New York. There were scattered showers that day, but luckily it didn't rain while we were at the top of the Hill Cumorah or while we were in the Sacred Grove. It turned out to be a very nice, spiritual day. Even with the rain, the spirit was strong. I really enjoyed learning and being reminded of the wonderful church history in Palmyra.

The Hill Cumorah LDS Visitor Center

At the top of the Hill Cumorah.
In A.D. 421, Moroni, the last survivor of a great civilization that had inhabited the Americas since about 600 B.C., buried in this hill a set of gold plates on which was recorded the history of his people. In 1827, Moroni returned as an angel and delivered the plates to Joseph Smith, who translated them and published them as the Book of Mormon

The Hill Cumorah Monument at the top of the hill

As we sat at the top of the hill on the benches and enjoying the lovely fall colors and quiet, beautiful enviroment, it began to rain. We were glad that we brought our umbrellas to the top with us.

Walking back down the hill

The Palmyra LDS Temple

Joseph Smith, Sr., & his wife, Lucy Mack Smith, and their eight children lived in this log home between the years of 1818 - 1825. Joseph Smith, Jr. grew up as a young boy here and wondered which church was true. The sacred grove is behind this log home in the distance.

Inside the Smith log home

Walking down the path to the Sacred Grove.

In the spring of 1820, Joseph Smith, Jr. only 14 years old, entered this forest to kneel in prayer. The vision he beheld of God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, initiated the restoration to the earth of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Nine years later, in late June of 1829, Joseph Smith Jr. gathered a small group of his family and friends to a secluded spot in these woods and showed them the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. He allowed each of the eight participants to hold the ancient record, turn its pages and examine its characters. They prepared a written testimony, which is published in the Book of Mormon.

Grandpa and I inside the Sacred Grove

The "Grandin Print Shop", the Book of Mormon's first publication site. We took a very interesting and informative tour inside the building.

The Peter Whitmer Farm -- It was in this home that Joseph Smith Jr. and Oliver Cowdery completed the translation of the Book of Mormon. In the nearby woods an angel showed the gold plates to Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris and David Whitmer, in the company of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Also, on April 6, 1830, in this small log home, the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and five other men formally organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Kirtland Historic Sites

For Alex and Logan's birthdays this year, my mom and grandpa (her father) came to visit our family. Since their birthdays are 10 days apart and the kids are in school all day, I planned a short LDS historic trip for my mom, grandpa and I to go on, from Monday Sept. 29 - Thursday Oct. 2. My grandpa has never had the opportunity to visit Kirtland or Palmyra so I thought it would be a neat opportunity for him, especially since his great-great grandfather, Artimus Millett helped to design the Kirtland temple (see a small history here). Artimus Millett's watch has been passed down to my grandpa. Pretty neat. My grandpa really looked forward to going through the tour of the temple that day.

After Kirtland and Palmyra, we will go to Niagara Falls for a few days, and then home through Canada. Then we will have traveled all the way around Lake Erie.

Kirtland is only a short drive from our home in Michigan. We left on Monday morning, Sept. 29 for our 3 hour drive. We were able to see all of the historic sites that we wanted to before 6:00 pm. It was a really nice day. The only day that it was warm and didn't rain on our trip.

Grandpa and Julie after our tour of the Kirtland temple. The Community of Christ restored and beautified this sacred place and maintains it today as a historic site with guided tours.

The Kirtland temple. So magnificent and beautiful!

Julie on the bridge leading to the Whitney Store

The Ashery and the Sawmill just down the hill from the temple. The saints used these to help build the temple.

The Newel K. Whitney Store

Grandpa in the "School of the Prophets" -- one of the rooms above the Whitney Store

The Whitney home, where Emma Smith had her twins who shortly died after birth

We walked around a sandstone quarry only 2 miles down the road from the Kirtland temple. Here the Saints cut sandstone used in building the temple.

See the drill marks in the sandstone? What an awesome sight! A quiet witness of the Saints sacrifice and faith