We took our first family vacation (with just our little family, that is) last week during Casey's spring break. We went to Kirtland, OH, which is where the Latter-Day Saints built their first temple and where Joseph Smith received a lot of the revelations found in the Doctrine and Covenants. We drove up on Tuesday and got there around lunch time. We ate lunch, then visited the LDS visitors center. They offer tours of historic Kirtland, and it was very fun. I think my favorite part was the Newel .K. Whitney store.
Our tour guide couple was very sweet and took this picture for us. Owen was such a champ through all the tours, and charmed everyone by blowing them kisses.
Wednesday we visited the actual temple, which is now owned by the Community of Christ. While not exactly the spiritual highlight of the trip, it was a great experience. It was amazing to see this building that required so much sacrifice on the part of the early Saints to build. They also let us sing The Spirit of God in the main hall. That was very cool.
Us in front of the temple.
Casey's artistic photographs of the temple.
The cemetery next to the temple had some very old gravestones. This one is for the first wife of my Great-great-great grandfather, Parley P. Pratt. (Also, I have a really hard time with keeping my eyes open when the sun is bright. Sorry!)
And here's Owen, who, by the way, walks EVERYWHERE now.
So, there's our family vacation. I think it was a success!