Kirtland Temple Grounds in Kirtland, OH
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In 2009 Russ decided we needed to take our grandchildren on a church history trip to Kirtland, OH, and Palmyra, New York. We put that plan into place and took grandchildren Trey & Allie Sexton and Carter & Jared Langford in April of 2009.
We just got back from our second trip. This time we took seven grandchildren: Emma & Ben Cruze, Tanner, Connor, & Sydney Sexton, and Jonah and Silas Barber. This required renting a 15-passenger van in order to hold the nine people and all our luggage.
We were blessed with beautiful weather in the 70’s and it only rained once, while we were sleeping. We had no van trouble and nobody got sick. It was just about as perfect as it could be.
The pictures tell the story best. In Kirtland we toured the church history sites including the Whitney Store and the Kirtland Temple. After Kirtland, we took a day to see the Niagara Falls and walk across the bridge near the falls to Canada. We particularly enjoyed the IMAX film about the myths and history of the falls. To get the children across the border, we had to have either a passport or an original birth certificate, and also a letter from their parents giving us permission to take their children into another country. All very official. I’m not sure the children even understood the seriousness of this.
Last on our list was visiting the many wonderful Church History sites in Palmyra, New York. We visited the Hill Cumorah, the Smith family cabin and home, the Sacred Grove, and the E.B. Grandin building where the Book of Mormon was first published. The Sacred Grove was the highlight of our visit and we all enjoyed its special spirit.
When all was said and done and we were safely home, we looked back and were amazed at how well the children did—traveling 1,700 miles in four days and going on tour after tour, watching film after film, and getting very little sleep. Thank you, grandchildren. You’re priceless. Thank you, parents, for trusting us with your children.
Silas, Ben, Jonah, Tanner, Connor, Sydney, Emma - Kirtland Temple
Our rented 15-passenger van - One of our hotel rooms in Kirtland (Connor, Jonah, Tanner)
Russ and Sharlene in Translation Room above the Whitney Store -where grandchildren are seen
Connor, Emma, & Tanner in the USA - Sydney, Jonah, Ben, & Silas in Canada
Running into Canada
Learning how the Book of Mormon was printed at E.B. Grandin
Hill Cumorah Angel Moroni Monument - Grandchildren in the Sacred Grove
Tanner, Emma, Silas, Jonah, Connor, Sydney, & Ben in Sacred Grove
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If you'd like to visit some of these places, here are some resources:
Kirtland Temple, owned by the Community of Christ Church: http://www.kirtlandtemple.org/
Palmyra sites: http://www.hillcumorah.org/
http://www.visitpalmyrany.com/
Niagara Falls: http://www.niagarafallsusa.org/
http://www.niagara-usa.com/
