CLEVELAND ROCKS! (ohio not utah)

This last week My family and I went to Cleveland Ohio to see the places that Courtney has been for the past 2 years. It was really interesting to see how things can change even when it's across the country. So to tell this story we must start at the beginning. and i'm sorry this is a really long blog i understand if you don't make it through the whole thing.

September 8Th 2008: My alarm went off at 5:00 AM! it was so early and i still had some things to do before we felt at 6:00 AM. We made our way up to Salt Lake (most of us sleeping on the way up) Our plane left at 10:00 am so we got to the Airport at 8:00 for check in. Well things started to get crazy already. our tickets didn't register the first time so we had to ask for help. but my mom didn't want to ask for help. (yes my mom didn't want to ask) so my dad came back in from parking the car and took over thank goodness. we all made it through check out just fine. we Chilled for about 20 min. Got something to eat and took a chill pill before getting on the plane. We boarded the Plane and flew to Cleveland (surprising i know) i was so excited the flight movie was Kong Fu Panda! i love that movie it is so funny. our plane landed in Cleveland and we were so excited to get off the "tube with wings." Our Bags came promptly off the plane and we were on our way to get a "rent-a-car." We were so stocked about our new ride. It was a Suburban with a DVD player and XM radio and enough room for all eight of us. (my mom and dad. my grandma and grandpa ivory. kacylia, me, karina, and Courtney.) We drove till 8:00 that night and made it a little outside of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

September 9th: We were up at 7:00 the next day. We went to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was really cool to see were the Civil war was Fought and were THOUSANDS of men died for a greater cause. .:: Side note: my dad and I are really into the history stuff and we USE to watch all the war movies when i was younger (Jr. high age. when i use to want to be history teacher. don't ask i wasn't think that much then.)::. We then went to Washington DC and saw the Temple. It was really pretty and really big. It was so cool, when your driving on the free way and going towards the temple it just appears and the road looks like it is going right to it. with all the trees around it the temple is really pretty. it took us forever to find a hotel but we finally found one. Kacylia and i were in bed by like 10:00 (poor mike didn't have to much fun with me going to bed at 8 o'clock Utah time)

September 10th: Once again we had an early day. we were out of the Hotel by 8:00 and to the Metro station by 8:30 ish. That was an interesting experience. The Metro is kind of like the trax we have in Utah but more like a subway. We had to wait till 9:30 for our Tickets to work and by that time my mom was getting very protective of her kids. We had a good discussion about how we should act and how need not to be judgemental because we don't know what many people have been through. We hit a lot of sites in just a few hours and all our feet and legs were killing us at the end of the day. We never knew my dad would be able to take off and walk like that after what he has gone through. We went to Arlington, The National Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Air and Space museum, the Natural History Museum and the Holocaust Museum. they were all really cool. I really wanted to go to the American History Museum and the White house but the White house was to far to walk and the American History Museum was closed. we got to see the War Monuments at night was really cool. By the time we got back on the Metro we were all starting to fall asleep. (wink wink CC) We made it back to the Hotel and were all out by the time our heads hit the pillow.

September 11th: 7:00 am came way to fast and we were all out of there by 8:00 and on our way back to the temple to take some quick pictures. We went to Baltimore and Fort McHenry. That was really cool. We got to be were the Star Spangle Banner was written. .:: funny story: while we were at Gettysburg my mom asked "was the star Spangle Banner written here?" i looked at her (with all my history background.. haha) i said "Mom the National Anthem was written after the War of 1812 by Frances Scott Key while he was on a Trues Ship." i did sound kind of snub when i said it so felt bad. but just so you all know the National Anthem was Written by Frances Scott Key after a battle in the War of 1812.:: We Made our way to the Susquehanna River where the Priesthood was restored. That was really cool. (i had a really nice pic but i hit the wrong button on my camera and all my pics disappeared. so i lost all my pics up till after the sacred Grove.) We then went to Philly.it was really cool also. we say the liberty bell and Independence Hall. (and were National Treasure was Filmed). By the way Philly is really scary. You know on Rocky 1 when he is running through the streets its no made up story the streets are really that bad. (and i didn't get to run up the library stairs that he did .. we didn't have time to go find them. We stayed a little ways out side of Binghamton NY.

September 12th: My dad has this thing for early mornings. We were up at 7 once again and on the road by 8. (i thought a VACATION was when you got to sleep in but not by my dads standards.) We went to Fayette, NY and saw the Peter Whitmar Farm. This is where the Church was Restored. It was really cool to see the places we have read about so many times. we went to the Smith Family Farm. That was AMAZING!!! we had wonderful sister missionaries giving us the tour and i fell in love with this gospel all over again. We could feel the spirit so strong that you just wanted to sit and soak it all in. Their homes are built so amazingly its crazy the work and heart they put in them. we Walked to the Sacred Grove and felt such a strong spirit that reassured us that this is the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. (but i did delete all my pics which was really sad cause i had some good ones of my brother and sisters sleeping.) We also went to the Hill cumorah which was cool and what a hike. We had our last tour at the EB Grandin Print Shop. This is where the Book of Mormon was printed. it was really cool. That night was stayed in the Palmyra Inn. Its a really nice place. I suggest it to you all. .:: funny story: the night we stayed there we had a Family suite so we had a room for my mom and dad and a room for my grandparents and then the kids stayed on the floor cause the hide-a-beds were lame. my siblings and i were all sleeping. Then all of a sudden Karina sits up in bed and says "Rissa i need the towel we need to clean Abby up." i looked at her and she is Sleeping. I played with this for a min. and wouldn't give her the blanket or "towel." she kept say "Rissa Abby is so dirty she needs a bath and i need to dry her with this towel." I said "Karina this isn't a towel it's a blanket." she said to me Very annoyed like " Rissa what are talking about its a towel and Abby needs at be cleaned up." i gave her a the Blanket and tried not to laugh. she then acted like she was cleaning a dog and whipping it off. later that night i woke up again and the blanket was in a ball between her legs. it was really funny.::

September 13th: we Made our way to Niagra Falls. Wow what a story here. So we deciede we wanted to go on the Canada side to see the falls. So we drive to the boarder and start going thourgh everthing check. well the Gaurde dude wasn't very nice. He asked if we had pass ports or Birth Cirtificates. well we didn't plan on going to that side so we didn't have them and all the info said that we didn't need them. He asked if we were US citizins. Courntey was driving and he doesn't really look American. So the guy didn't believe us. we had to go into this check thing and show our id and answer all these questions. We made it through and went to see the falls. on the way back we went through the same thing all over again. but my dad was driving so we all didn't have to get out and have everything checked. Courtney wasn't to happy about it though so... yeah. We went to Kirtland and had another wonderful Tour by the sister missionaries. Then we went backt to Cleveland where we had courtney drive us around so we could see the streets that he tracted. We then went to a Cleveland Indians Game. they lost but we had good seats. so it was ok. we didn't get back till mid night ish.

September 14th: We went to church with the Spanish Ward. it was really interesting. My brother translated sacrament meeting for us which was cool. My sisters and i went to the younger Sunday school and i had to help the girl with her english which was hard, but it was really cool cause we still understood what the lesson was about. No one there new how to play the piano so at the end of class they wanted to sing i suggested i play. i'll tell ya what the music doesn't translate exatcly so it was different. needless to say though they were all impressed with my mild piano skills. young womens was cool. and we all understood and new how to help each other out. the them was cool to hear in spanish. after church we went to a mexican resturant and ate some of the most amazing mexican food i have ever had. We then went to Kirtland where we had a wonderful tour by the sister missionaries. We then made it back to visit a family courtney tought and we sat and talked for a while and had cookies and milk with them. We got back to the hotel around 11 ish

September 15th: We went back to Kirtland and tried to go to the temple but it was was closed down becuase of the weather. We also went to the John Johnson farm which was really cool (D&C 76 was givin here) i love that house. We went Back to Cleveland did some shopping and eating and visited one last family that courtney tought. then went to the air port. Our plane left at 4:45 and we landed in Utah at 7:00 Utah time. on the plane courtney and i did sudoku and i beat him 3 times in a row. i was proud of myself but that wont last long he will catch on and stomp on me. But now it is good to be home and be where i now my way. ha ha...

if you made it good job i will add pics when i don't have to study so much.