Palmyra

A few hours into our 7-hour trip up to Palmyra we stopped for breakfast and found this furry thing stuck to my grill.  Gabe was so hungry he couldn't wait to get into the restaurant.

The beautiful Palmyra Temple

Gabe in front of the Palmyra Temple.  When we arrived at the temple it was pouring rain.  By the time I finished the session we were able to take all of these pictures.  It was perfect.

The reason I have such a big smile on my face is because just a few seconds before the picture I watched Gabe step in a huge puddle full of water.  It went all the way up his ankle.

We took a picture with the guy who knocked Lehi onto the ground.  At least he was friendly before the pageant started. 

We were part of history that night.  It was only the second time they have ever cancelled the pageant due to rain.  Actually, it wasn't just the rain that forced them to cancel the pageant.  There was a lot of lightning too, and with all those people standing out on a stage on the hillside, it wasn't the best thing to be doing during a lightning storm.

Mormon is a big guy.

Sunday morning we woke up early so we could be alone in the Sacred Grove.  It was really peaceful, and pretty cold too.

Sun coming through the Sacred Grove.

At the top of the Hill Cumorah

Margaret (taking the picture) made us a tasty breakfast of pancakes, potatoes, eggs, infidel meat (sausage), and orange juice.  She even got the eggs from the chickens behind the house.  Yummy!  We stayed at her home for the one night we had in Palmyra.  It's a little Bed & Breakfast only two miles from the temple.

A couple more pictures in the Sacred Grove

Me, Anna, Gabe, Afton, Stephanie, and Jeff

Pre and Post Skin Cancer

Post-surgery meal

750m Swim, 17.5 mile bike, 5k run

Mary, Cherie, and I took off on Friday down to Asheville, North Carolina, to participate in the Enka (Sprint) Triathlon. It was a fun weekend despite the thrashing I gave my body. I did not train for the event and I will never do that again (not training).

We started with a 750 meter swim in a beautiful lake. I was in the first of four waves. By the time I finished the swim, everyone but about five people had passed me. We're talking young teenage girls, old men, everyone! The swimming killed me. I should mention that I have had pretty bad back pain for over a month and I was getting a cold at the same time as the race (excuses, excuses).

After the swim I jumped on my (rental) road bike and headed out for the 17.5 miles through gorgeous North Carolina hills. I caught up with Mary and we chatted the rest of the way. The 5k run was the last part and I barely made it to the finish line. I was exhausted.

Trying on my swim gear.  They marked both of my arms (166), both of my thighs, and they put "30" on my right calf (supposedly my age).

I finished in 2 hours 25 minutes.  To give you an idea of how slow I must have been going, there was a man in the 70-74 age category who finished in 2 hours 20 minutes.

The lake we swam in

Me, Cherie, and Mary

Walking the bikes back to the car.  What a fun time!

Mary had to go further south for work, so Cherie and I drove over to the Biltmore Estate to check out the largest house in the United States.  I highly recommend it.  Gorgeous house, gorgeous gardens, lands, etc, etc.  Absolutely stunning.  They even had a bowling alley built in the basement. 

Mount Vernon

I met up with Liz, Amanda, and Amanda's brother (Richard) in Mount Vernon yesterday morning.  It was a gorgeous morning (which was a small miracle considering the crazy storms we get almost every day now).

It is "Necessary" that you read the "Necessary" picture.  Makes me laugh.

Conference Weekend

I flew back to Utah for General Conference this weekend and I've had a great time being back with family and friends, and being spiritually uplifted all weekend.

Friday morning Mom, Dad, and I drove up to the recently-dedicated Draper, Utah Temple and did a session there.  We left Provo with relatively clear, dry weather, and this (above) is what it looked like just 30 minutes up the road.  The Draper Temple looks more like a fortress than other Temples I've seen.  Very fitting for the times in which we live.  We need those fortresses more and more in the battle against evil.

Friday night Jessica and I accompanied Mom and Dad to Dad's mission reunion up in Salt Lake. Elder Scott was Dad's mission president WAY back then. :)  Elder Scott talked to us about the importance of Temple attendance and then we had a question and answer session.  It was really neat being in a setting like that so close to an apostle of the Lord.  

Most of the things he talked about (with regard to the Temple) were also mentioned in his conference talk about Temples, but did say something to the singles that he didn't mention in his talk.  He said that women who do not marry here on earth will have that opportunity (with many more choices) on the other side, but that he wasn't sure it was the same for men.  Men have a responsibility to marry here.  I looked around the room to see how many other single males he could be talking to.  There weren't many. :)

Elder Scott said that some men who dominate their wife here on earth might be surprised when she pauses and says in the next life that doing it on earth was enough, more than she could handle, and wouldn’t care to continue on into eternity. “Brethren,” Elder Scott said, “treat your wife so she shall want to continue with you in the next life.” He told us that the sealing ordinance is not enduring until after it is sealed by the holy spirit of promise. It requires that beyond the veil both individuals are worthy and want the sealing to be eternal.

While we were mingling afterward and munching on refreshments (empanadas, veggies, and fruits), I asked Elder Scott if he and the other brethren talk about the gospel in the Middle East.  He said they frequently do.  The Lord's gospel will spread throughout that region too, someday.

Taking notes during the conference talks

Mom gave Caleb a little activity to help him listen to the talks.  He was supposed to color the ties of the speakers the color of the tie they were wearing, but I forgot to tell him that.  He put Teddy Grahams, raisins, or peanuts on the words he heard during the talks.

What a great weekend!

General Conference

 

Conference activities for Caleb

Dad and Daniel taking notes

Elder Scott, Jessica, Daniel

Draper Temple