Our Visit to Kirtland, OH and Palmyra, NY

Our family vacation earlier this month took us to the East Coast. It was blissful. It was surreal. It was emotional. It was inspirational. It was a blessing in all its opportunities. I never imagined I would be able to enjoy such visions as the ones we found through Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Our first two stops took us to LDS Church History sites in Kirtland, OH and Palmyra, NY. Kirtland offered more than I had expected. It offered the original buildings and detailed histories of the early Saints there, as well as, a picturesque landscape to rest our eyes on. On our way from Kirtland to Palmyra, we stopped a short time in Erie, Pennsylvania to visit my first lighthouse. It was a beauty!!

While in Palmyra we visited the Hill Cumorah, the Book of Mormon Publication site, the Sacred Grove and the Smith Farm. Oh, and Mark's Pizzaria!! And they gave us shirts 'cause are kids were so good, well... and our son is named Mark... teehee.)

There were so many beautiful sites, visions, people, and emotions meeting us with each new day. I am not exactly sure how to organize my thoughts and feelings from all that we saw. And even while we were there, I told Paul that it hadn't hit me yet that I was actually in these places, on these hallowed grounds. Even as we came home... it hadn't sunk in. Only now does the weight, beauty, and vision of these places hit me with such awe, gratitude and inspiration.

I have always known that what I believe is true. Only now... I have visions of places and people, sounds and feelings from those sacred places, and memories that will continue to inspire my faith in Jesus Christ. It isn't easy to put into words what makes our faith so powerful, and its vision so beautiful. But I will endeavor to try as I share these mere snapshots of our trip.

More soon...

Kirtland Temple. The first LDS temple.

The Newl K Whitney store was the first store in the Kirtland area. Joseph and Emma Smith lived in rooms of the store while the Saints lived in Ohio and built a temple here. Many early revelations received for the church were received here.

The sites of the Sawmill and Ashery used in building the Kirtland Temple. (If you can see the distant treeline through the foreground trees, as you follow this treeline to the left, it leads up a hill where the Kirtland Temple stands.)

Erie, Pennsylvania

Sacred Grove, Palmyra, NY

Sacred Grove

Sacred Grove

Smith Farm and Sacred Grove

The B's of Homeschooling...

Okay, so it has been a little more than a few days since I have come back. 'Side-tracked' is my alias... just so you know. Anyhow.

On with the ABC's of homeschooling. Now with the B's there is one entry... it is simple and profound at the same time. And still, it can be a blessing and a curse all in the same pod.

Books.

Let me say first, if I could I would single-handedly support my husband's job at Amazon.com with a constant stream of UPS visits to my doorstep and a warm cozy spot on the couch to share with our trio... ALL.DAY.LONG.

Did I mention I like books?

Well, in our home and our studies, I have always hoped books and reading came as natural as bread and water. That learning would be a lifelong pursuit, and an unconditional love in our lives. Thats a bit hopeful... but it happens, in handfuls here and there. And it lifts me up and seems to add a spirit to our home that makes me want to hang a bell above the front porch and ring it every morning and night. But as each thing runs a cycle, so does our binging on books. This is due to one fact... having a sufficient library. And that, we DO NOT have here. I definitely think a library could make or break a homeschooling family or community. Books are not only a form of research, and reading, but a pasttime, a hobby, a discovery of worlds, histories, and people. As well as, studies in the sciences, mathematics, and poetry. Without the resources of a good library I fear a child's visions of the world can be limited. Suffice it to say, I will share with you here a brief list of some books we have enjoyed...


-Little House on the Prairie including,

• Little House in the Big Woods
• Little House on the Prairie
• Farmer Boy
• On the Banks of Plum Creek
• By the Shores of Silver Lake
• The Long Winter (Fall 2010)

-Magic Tree House Series






































































-Frog & Toad Easy Reader Books
-Stuart Little
-Charlotte's Web
-The Chocolate Touch

-Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Series










































































-Dr Seuss Readers
-Little Bear Series
-The Gilgamesh Trilogy

• Gilgamesh the King
• The Revenge of Ishtar
• The Last Quest of Gilgamesh

-The Animal Fair
-Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm
-A Child's Garden of Verses
-The Secret Garden
-Great Illustrated Classics (from thrift stores)

• Jounrey to the Center of the Earth
• King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

-Owl at Home
-Mouse Tales
-Mouse Soup
-Best Friends for Francis, Bread and Jam for Francis, A Bargain for Francis 

-Usborne First Encyclopedias





































































These are some of the books we have enjoyed reading aloud together, studying, perusing, and thankfully, reading independently. There is an unrivaled joy that comes from watching your child learn how to read, and knowing that you are a part of that as a parent each day. I am thankful for the blessing, opportunity, and privilege to be a part of my children's learning each day. I hope you are able to find and experience such joy.

I will be back with more...