We began thinking about this trip over a year ago. My oldest sister currently lives in Connecticut and she is so sweet to come visit us each year. We knew we wanted to be able to visit her one day as well. After chatting about it we decided to go sooner rather then later since the family is only going to get bigger as the years go on. :) June of 2019 was the date chosen and we all began to plan and save for the trip.
In 2018 all of my sisters and I were pregnant together. Thankfully all little babies were born happy and healthy before the trip. Between all 4 sisters there are 11 grandkids. Addie is the oldest grandchild and was 7 when we went on the trip. But thankfully all the babies behaved themselves and we had a great time.
Also a little fyi... We did not bring our cute foster kiddos on this trip with us. For multiple reasons (already booked the flights, the challenge of 8 kids on a plane, they would have missed visits with their family, cost, etc.) BUT we missed them while we were gone and are happy to be home with them again!
Our trip started on June 18th at 11:30 pm. The actual family reunion wouldn't start until later in the week, but we wanted to do some extra sight seeing in New York. We figured, if we were traveling clear across the country with 5 kids we better see as much as we could. My parents were kind enough to join us on the airplane and extra days in New York. So with their help we were almost at a 1-1 ratio which was quite heavenly considering our ratio at home these days is 8-1 or at the very least 8-2. Alright, back to that 11:30 pm flight departure. The kids were super tired, and excited all at the same time. Thankfully it was the perfect combination. They explored the airport excitedly with McKay while we waited for our flight and then they crashed in their seats once we boarded the plane. No medication was needed to help them sleep. haha! Our first flight was about 4 hrs and they slept the whole time. Then they whined/slept during the layover at 4:30 am and then they slept through the second short flight to Buffalo, New York.
Once in New York the fun didn't stop. We grabbed our rental cars and headed straight to Niagara Falls. I didn't know what we would think of the falls and wondered whether we would think they were worth the trip. But the views were breath taking and the boat tour was a huge highlight for the kids. There were no lines that day and we were able to see everything that we wanted to see. We were happy that we visited them. My favorite view while we were there was on the bridge overlooking the river and falls. You were up so high and really able to get a good view of the US side of the falls and the Canada side. The kids giggled their whole way through the boat tour and loved being sprayed by the mist. It was a fun adventure for them and a great way to start the trip.
After Niagara Falls we drove a few hours to our hotel in Palmyra, New York. We were all exhausted by this point. We grabbed some pizza and then everyone was asleep by 7:30 that night and we ALL slept for 13 hrs straight. That night of sleep was heavenly.
Thursday morning we woke up to pouring down rain. I was worried the rain might ruin our Palmyra experience, but thankfully it was only sprinkling by the time we were heading out to the sights. We started out at the Joseph Smith farm and saw both houses that he lived in. I really love history about the early farmers and settlers. I enjoyed the stories they told and seeing the houses in real life. McKay loved seeing the room where the Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith. It was a really small space that he slept in with several of his brothers. After the farm we headed out on the trail through the sacred grove.
How do you have a good experience in the sacred grove with 5 small children? Well it can be done. We were not the quietest group as we traveled through the woods but thankfully my kids were peaceful and happy. They enjoyed the walk through nature and we were able to have a small spiritual thought during our walk. I was grateful to feel the spirit and had to literally pinch myself that we were actually in the sacred grove. What a dream come true.
Following the Sacred Grove we headed over to the Hill Cumorah. The pageant was not starting for a few weeks so we were some of the only ones there. We walked through the visitors center and then hiked up the hill. My mom and I commented that while it was cool to think that Joseph Smith had been there it was even more cool to think about the Lamanites and Nephites being there. Forever grateful for the Book of Mormon and the knowledge and truth that it has brought to the earth.
After visiting the sights we grabbed some lunch and headed to Larissa's house in Connecticut. We got there around dinner time and picked up some yummy barbecue on our way there. We had to try a few of their favorite restaurants while we were in town. Such a fun experience to see Larissa's house and neighborhood in person. We can now visualize everything better when we are marco poloing (definitely not a word)
The next day the family reunion began! Post to come...
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