Guatemala Day 3

On our third day, we went on a tour of the lake with our parents. We went out on a chartered boat, and visited three of the cities around Lake Atitlan: San Juan, San Pedro, and Santiago.

San Juan was very artsy. We stopped by several art galleries, and walked by shops. It was a beautiful city.

By San Juan is the Mayan Nose. Can you see it?

San Pedro is known more as a hippy town. We went to the top of a hill to get to a huge Baptist church. It was very beautiful, and had fantastic views of the surrounding areas.

Last we went to Santiago. We were a little short on time since it looked like a storm was brewing. We went to the large Catholic church there. This church had some tragic moments during the the massacures during the 80's and 90's. I could see the Mayans seeking sancuary on the church grounds.

Then we went to lunch. This is what happens if you order a fruit plate in Guatemala:

On our way back to Panajachel it started to rain, and it came down hard for a while. Kinda fun during a boat ride!

Guatemala Day 1

It wasn't until after we purchased our tickets, drove up north, flew out of Salt Lake, had dinner with Allie in LA, and were waiting for our flight out of LAX that it kinda hit me that we were leaving the country. It was probably when we were waiting at the terminal and the flight people were speaking Spanish....and I came to terms with the fact that Erin fluently speaks English....yeah.

Thankfully we flew safely (despite not being able to sleep - thanks to a live snoring saw), got through customs (and got my first official stamp in my passport!), and the family picked us up in a shuttle. We first stopped in Antigua to see some of the sights.

We started at a hotel that also had a museum. There were some tombs and art from when the Spanish were in Guatemala.

The hotel also had a collection of Mayan art:

After Antigua, we stopped to see some ancient Mayan ruins. They weren't as large as Tikal, but it was fun to envision who used to live there, and admire their choice of location. It was very beautiful and green:

Our favorite "sacrificial picture":

We may or may not have been a little loopy after our day....it was a fantastic way to start our touring. It was really nice to be with family.

Chicago Trip - Nauvoo, Carthage, and Lincoln

Driving to and from St. Louis and Chicago, we made a few stops to see the sights along the way.

First stop, Nauvoo!

This was probably the coldest we were the whole trip. I'm not sure you can tell what the temperature is outside, but it's cold!

 We went back the next day and it wasn't as cold. Still beautiful!

The missionaries were really excited to see us there. The only visitors probably all week! The first night we went to the Extravaganza (a performance the senior couples put on), the missionaries invited us to go, and we ended up being the only ones in the audience. At first it was awkward, but it became a special, intimate experience. The missionaries were really, really cute!

We walked down Parley Street on the Trail of Hope. We kept turning back to see the temple, and it wasn't too hard to get a glimpse of what the pioneers went through when they were kicked out. It was just as cold and bleak. Look how frozen the Mississippi it:

 Next stop, Carthage!

We got to head over to Carthage to see the old jail there. When we walked in the Visitor Center, we recognized some of the missionaries there. They were so excited to see us again. One of the sisters said, "Moab, right??" We made a little family while we were there.

It was a special experience going to Carthage Jail. Since no one else was there, we got to take our time and enjoy the Spirit that was there. Sean and I had never been to Carthage, and it was worth the trip to see where Joseph and Hyrum Smith gave their lives. 

Last stop, Springfield, IL!

One last stop we made was were President Lincoln lived. There was a really nice museum and library to visit. Definitely worth the stop if you're in the neighborhood. It was hard not to appreciate the 16th President more. We enjoyed learning more about him, and love the legacy he left us.

 

Christmas Fun

It was a special Christmas for a few reasons. We got to spend a lot of time with family. That was the priority of our Christmas this year. Get as much family time as possible.

I got to take pictures in the snow with this cute family! It was cold but everyone was a good sport. Thanks guys!

This isn't uncommon to try at a Gowen gathering. In some way or other.

Christmas morning started over at the Smiths....

This was a choice time. Grandpa received a book from his grandchildren honoring the life and memories of his wife Velva Lee.

And Christmas ended over at the Gowens.....

It was a lovely Christmas. Merry Christmas to all!!!

Thoughts for Thursday - Memories

Last night for Young Women's, we visited a woman in our ward. She is 91 years old, has difficulty seeing, hearing, and moving, and recently buried one of her sons.

Lu was so happy to have visitors. She talked to us for a while, told us her life history, and focused on faith promoting stories. It was amazing.

One thing I loved about her storytelling was the way she would emphasize a bottom line from the story: "family always needs to be close"

"you need to obey the law"

 "that's why the priesthood is important"

 "you need to have faith to get you through"

"when things aren't going well, the Lord has a reason"

 "that's how things were done back then"

"if you're ever having thoughts of suicide, talk to an old person - they will get you through to tomorrow"

One of my favorite stories from the evening was when she told about an eye surgery her son needed. They were living in a small town at the time, so when here son had an accident at the pool she packed up the kiddos and drove to Salt Lake. When the doctor in Salt Lake saw the boy's eyes, he ordered them to take the first flight out to a specialist in California. At the time, Lu had three sisters living in Salt Lake so she was able to rely on them help make preparations. One sister got the plane tickets, and the other two helped her get a permanent so she was ready to travel.

Everything worked out for her son; miracles happened. My favorite part was when she talked about needing to get a permanent before leaving on the airplane. It certainly was a different time.

It was nice spending time with Lu last night. Her stories were entertaining and inspiring. Hearing her talk helped me take a step back and truly appreciate all the goodness around me.

DC Day 7

NEW YORK!!!

Day 7 we took a bus up to New York City. With transportation and timing, we had limited time in the city. We had to make the most of it! Time to see our whirlwind trip. (Please note, we had our carry-ons and bags the entire day.)

We started with seeing Porgy and Bess on Broadway. AMAZING! It definitely deserved all the Tony's it won this year.

Japanese food! Not quite genuine, but Sean was excited.

Times Square

 So much history here!

I had my carry-on in one hand and the camera in the other. I was constantly taking pictures while walking. (I didn't quite feel like I could stop and take a picture every time I wanted to, since there were so many pedestrians.)

Whew! We hurried back to our bus and made it back to our same hotel in Alexandra at 1:30am.

DC Day 6

We woke up and made our way to Arlington Cemetary. It was a humbling and reverent place:

Up on the hill, you could see the main monuments on the Mall.

 

We headed back to Virginia to be with the Poultons and Shakespears before the St. George party had to head to the airport. No pictures to document the rest of Day 6, but it was nice relaxing and spending time with family.

DC Day 5

Happy Independence Day!!!!

Sean and I went off on our own to see more sights on the Mall. Brad dropped us off at the Metro so we could make it there. Again, lots of pictures. It is time to get comfy...

Metro.

No, we did not plan on matching. (It is normally something we try to avoid.)

We were handed this flyer as soon as we got to the Mall: The British are Coming!!

Other side of the White House.

The fellow on the left was rallying about the use of pot. Awesome.

Parades, patriotic buildings, and patriotic shanties!

Mr. Lincoln

See my red face? Yes, it was that hot: 103 + humidity.

Korean War Memorial.

WWII Memorial.

These plates were all around the flag pole.

Washington Monument.

National Archives. Two and a half hour wait to see some amazing documents. No cameras were allowed, so here is our waiting in all it's glory! Worth it? YES!

Stopped at hotel to sit and cool down. Two shower heads?? Yes.

Hordes of people!! Went through security check to get onto the Mall, and picked a spot under the Washington Monument.

The fireworks did not disappoint! They started after a concert, and music played the whole time. Happy Birthday!!

Shock and awe.

Walk back to the Metro. Capitol Building.

We finally had dinner at 12:30am. Thank you Metro for still running that late. And thank you IHOP for being open and right next to the hotel.