Palmyra, New York

I grew up going to the Hill Cumorah Pageant nearly every summer and it was always a family vacation surrounded by high anticipation.  Not that it's in an incredible location-Palymra, New York is Podunk, USA. And not that the weather is beautiful-without fail, it is muggy, hot, sweaty weather. Somehow, in spite of this, it is still an incredible, beautiful, fun and exciting trip to make as a family.  I LOVE the Pageant. Everything from the costumes and effects, the narrator's voice, the message and story of the Book of Mormon, the families that participate, and our family setting up camp on the opposite hill with blankets and pizza and twizzlers...... I LOVE IT.  I'm happy to report that my little family loved it all just as well.

Our first stop upon arrival was the Sacred Grove, a forest where God and Jesus Christ appeared to a boy named Joseph Smith (in our faith, this event is known as the beginning of the Restoration).  It's a beautiful forest and we went in search of the oldest tree, our favorite trees, and while so doing the kids found a "pirate ship" tree stump. The Grove is one of my most favorite places, but remember how it's always hot and muggy in New York July? Sweat drenched and red-faced, we emerged ready for ice cream. A lot of ice cream.

{the boys and their favorite tree}

{it's a 100 year old pirate ship}

{the name Sawyer means: and he shall find frogs wherever he goes}

Luckily Palmyra has a place just for that, a place which we have frequented for generations, the Chill and Grill. It has some of the largest portions of ice cream ever, nearly to the point of being ridiculous. But, ya know, since it's ice cream, it's not. A kiddie size is 3 scoops of ice cream, and I think a large is like 8?!?! It becomes necessary, though to eat that much (as previously discussed, in sweaty detail, it is HOT).

Finally we made it to the Hill to set up camp and wait for dark for the Pageant to start. While we waited we played with cousins and friends from our church flying styrofoam airplanes, blowing bubbles, playing "soccer," chasing each other with swords, and milling about with the cast looking for Sawyer's favorite Book of Mormon characters.

{enthralled}

The morning following the pageant we went out to Fayette, New York to attend church and visit the Peter Whitmer farm; which is where the first meetings of our church were organized and held. We went to church in a beautiful, historic chapel, that is literally a right turn past the middle of nowhere. That's not so surprising of upstate New York, and especially of a location that was once a farm and is still surrounded by farms. Driving up to the church was something like corn field, dilapidated town, corn field, farmhouse, falling apart barn, dirt road, corn field, more fields, ghost town, fields, fields, trees, then big beautiful white church. Also, peace. It is so incredibly peaceful.