Memories with Dad

My daddy dearest visited us in State College, PA on Tuesday, Oct 29th.

He dressed up and trick-or-treated. What a trooper! A storm trooper that is. :D The kids had a blast and he actually enjoyed wearing the costume. So cute. :)

We drove to the Johnson home, Hiram, OH, Nov 4, 2013. Actually I drove. I drove the whole time. I don't drive. It was a different experience and I thank the heavens I didn't fall asleep and kill us both!

 This is the School of the Prophets, second story of the Johnson home. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ visited Joseph Smith and Sydney Rigdon in that room. There was an awesome spirit there on that hallowed ground.

Touching where Joseph Smith had preached each Sunday during the year he'd lived there. Front porch of the John Johnson home, Hiram, OH.

 Joseph Smith went to Hiram and walked straight into this store and said something like, "You prayed me here, Brother Whitney. What do you need of me?"

 Above the store, Emma and Joseph's dining table.

 Sidney Rigdon's marking in the Bible while making corrections. Pretty cool.

Kirtland, OH temple. Nov 4, 2013. It was closed, but was still cool to see, even in the dark...

 I was sad to see it cracking in parts. I laid my hands on the surface, wanting to touch where so many early saints had worked and sacrificed so much to build a temple to their God. It was bigger than I'd thought. What a sacrifice!

 That evening we drove to Columbus, OH and ate at Texas Roadhouse. We shared a rack of ribs--my favorite! My dad is about to blow his straw in my face...'cause that's how we roll.

My dad writing in his journal. Such a good example. :)

 A huge rose garden in Columbus, OH. Nov 5, 2013. Yes I positioned my dad and made him pose for pictures. :)

 The rose garden wasn't in season, but the area was still pretty.

 Afterward we did a session in the Columbus, OH temple. It was so small, yet still the house of the Lord. :)

 Taking a walk with Grandpa on such a beautiful Fall day, Nov 6.

 I <3 elijah.="" p="">

 My dad had as much fun playing in the leaves as Elijah did.

I rest my case. :) 

Elijah insisted on helping Grandpa take the garbage out.

 Walking down to the boats to explore Penns Cave, Nov 8, 2013.

Entering the cave.  do-do-do-do! do-do-do-do!

The caves were beautiful. I could've stayed down there for hours.

 Pennsylvania Military Museum. Nov 8. They had cool cannons and tanks scattered around outside...

 And inside. Cannons from WW I, WW II, and Civil War eras.

 They had cool footage of the Navy guys doing their thing in the early 1900's.

 The stickers say, "Please don't touch torpedo". Elijah bonked his head on it. I think he broke the rules.

National Cemetery, Gettysburg, PA. Nov 10. It was sobering to see so many names on so many graves.

 On top of a lookout tower. Gettysburg, PA. It was freezing cold!

The Pennsylvania Monument. There are monuments for each state that had soldiers fighting in Gettysburg. This one is the biggest.

Nov 11. Intercourse, PA, "Amish country"

 We took a buggy ride on these bad boys.

 Beautiful countryside. There were farmers harvesting cornstalks using horses, it was hard to get pictures!

Our driver was none other than "Big Steve" from Amish Mafia. I've never seen the show, but he was pretty darn cool. He bought me chocolate chip cookies and offered to dress me as an Amish woman so I could be on the show. (He was filming the next day.) He said he'd never had to use his fists to protect anyone, but would if he had to, even for a "public woman" like me. He cracked jokes, was bad-A and all around cool and down to earth. A lot more liberal than I thought Amish were supposed to be (his arm is tight around me here). ha! :) A highlight of the trip, for sure.

I am so grateful my dad came to visit us! He originally came to help me with the kids because Alan was going to be gone. Alan didn't end up leaving, however, and had a work schedule with random days off so we could enjoy these awesome trips together. To building memories! :)