Fall Break!

 Sometimes one must throw caution to the wind, forget all responsibilities, and chart one's own course. This is harder for a mother of eight to do, but sometimes even those kinds need to be a little spontaneous. That undaunted urge was exactly what led Lia to take a lucky five--and only five--of her children on a whirlwind flight across the country to see her grandmother, her uncle, and a select smattering of church history sites for fall break, completely undaunted by small considerations like cost, wisdom, or tickets to the coveted BYU-Utah football game. *hehehe*

As a very quick, verbal recap:

Tuesday: They flew. Gabriel was thrilled to ride on his first four airplanes (each flight had a connection), and everyone was helpful and happy, even making it through a screenless first flight. They spent the night in a Marriott near the airport supplied by Justin's parents. Thank you, Bruce and Patti!

Wednesday: They drove to Tonawanda and became reacquainted with Grandma JoAnn, or, in some cases, met her for the first time. They also met her cats, who have free reign of the home, and were also invited to change plans and stay for the duration of the trip at Uncle Kevin's home, just a few blocks over. With a bed for everyone and generally beautiful space, this was a welcome invitation. 

Having overheard on the airplane about Bar-Bill's, a restaurant in the ancestral town of East Aurora, where many Buffalo Bills players live, the family set out to test its wares. Kevin announced that Grandma was paying and ordered all the local favorites on the menu--pizza rolls, beef on Weck, Buffalo Wings, etc. It was delicious.

Thursday Lia took the kids to Palmyra to see the Sacred Grove, the Hill Cumorah, E.B. Grandin Print Shop, and the Smith Homestead. A highlight was Abdiel's doing the baptism in the Palmyra temple for a Suttner relative who died in Buffalo at age 15 after being struck by lightning. They also saw Alvin Smith's grave and the Martin Harris farm, stopped in at a local church bake sale on the corner with four churches, and went apple picking at an orchard on the way home. 

That evening Lia's cousin (and the kids' second cousin?), Ryan, came over and everyone ate pizza and Christal's amazing chicken and dumplings; some played Code Names and some watched movies; and Lia made an apple crisp with the New York apples the kids had picked. A good time was had by all.

Friday, Kevin showed the kids a good time taking everyone to Niagara Falls and watching Miriam while everyone else went on the Maid of the Mist. Everyone was screaming with delight at the mist and the wind and the ride. The unseasonably warm October made it the perfect setting: no lines, hardly anyone with whom to share the boat, front-row seats. A trip to both the ocean aquarium and the freshwater aquarium followed. Back at home, Abdiel and Gabriel stayed home and watched a game with Kevin while Lia and the girls bought flowers to take to Aunt Debbie and Buffalo Bills swag from the local goodwill. 

Saturday we bid farewell and traveled to Canton, OH to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Abdiel left more confident than ever that he can make it in the NFL. That evening we watched the BYU-Utah game from the comfort of a Marriott Residence Inn Suite, again provided by Bruce and Patti. Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa! 

Sunday we attended the Kirtland ward and then toured Historic Kirtland and the Kirtland Temple, the first time since it changed ownership back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Gwyn had the special privilege of unlocking the temple. It was moving to be in the School of the Prophets, especially with Justin's recent work on that topic, and Lia was sure to direct the senior missionaries giving the tour to his University Conference address. It was also moving to sing "The Spirit of God" where that sacred hymn first debuted. They got the acoustics right in that space. 

Things closed early on Sunday, so after a rousing round of Time's Up, everyone went to bed in anticipation of final touring and a departure back to Utah the next day. Monday everyone worked together to get the hotel packed up and lunch and dinner packed, then the crew set out to see the Joseph and Emma Smith home, have a picnic at Isaac Morley's Farm, and tour the John Johnson home. Abdiel got to stand on the very steps from which Joseph Smith preached.

The flight home was uneventful, except for Gabriel. On a two hour flight, he managed to watch portions of no fewer than eleven different movies. To say he was like a kid in a candy shop would not be an overstatement. In fact, when asked about his favorite parts of the trip even weeks later, Gabriel has answered, "watching movies on the plane," even more often than "seeing Niagara Falls." C'est la vie.