There is a first time for everything.

This summer we decided to take advantage of living on the East Coast and see some of this part of the country. We took a few days driving with a few days of stopping and playing in between.


It was a wonderful vacation full of a lot of "firsts." I decided to blog some of those fun "firsts" that our family experienced during this vacation.

#1. It was our first time in many of the states we traveled through. Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Maryland. We loved searching for license plates on the trip. We saw every state, except for seven (Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming), we even saw a few extra (Washington D.C., Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Quebec). Ben had to circle the parking lot at the Sacred Grove to make sure we got all of the plates there (which is were we actually got a lot from out west) . . . isn't he the cutest?

#2. It was our frist time to the Sacred Grove.

It was a beautiful rainy day, and when the clouds parted and the sun shone down through the trees it was amazing.

The Palmyra temple is really close and can be seen along the walking path by the Smith Family Farmhouse.

#3. It was also our first time to the Hill Cumorah Pageant. It was a very memorable experience. Per my request we got KFC and got there plenty early to picnic and enjoy the ambiance. We met up with some of our friends from our ward and chatted with the cast members who were walking around in costumes. It was very cool. Michael loved Mormon's sword (a.k.a. the sword of Laban).

We also ran into Ben's cousin Natalie and her family (who lives in Buffalo, NY) and her parents who were visiting her. It was so fun to see them and "catch-up."


It was a great experience. I think we will try it again next year.


#3. It was our first time visiting my Uncle Dan and Aunt Susan in New Hampshire. I think after spending a few days there, our kids were ready to move in with them. The girls loved waking up every morning and picking raspberries for breakfast.

And we all loved the mornings of riding the zip line, shooting guns and bows, and playing in "The Magic Tree House."





They also took us on a hike up Mt. Kearsarge, which the kids loved. It was beautiful at the top, we could see in every direction. On the way up Michael and Uncle Dan scaled a rock face and took a "short cut." When they reached the top Michael couldn't quit smiling and said, "Now THIS is fun!"


#4. It was our first experience with fencing. Uncle Dan has all of the fun toys. This is Ben and Michael . . . we all had a blast doing it.



#5. We also drove to Sharon, Vermont - Joseph Smith's birthplace - which is only about 40 minutes from Dan and Susan's home. It was very pretty, and was fun to do on the same trip as Palmyra.

Michael is standing on the spot were the cabin in which Joseph Smith was born stood.

There is also a little pond on the property there in Sharon, VT that we decided to fish in. We caught two fish (one of which we took home and ate). It was very beautiful and peaceful. (In case it is hard to tell, Sarah is holding a fishing pole and sitting by her sweet and patient dad.)


#5. This was not really a "first" . . . but I still have to blog about it. We had a fun day at a lake by Dan and Susan's house. We took the kayaks. Michael and Emma were a lot more brave than I thought. Michael kayaked solo.

Emma went out swimming with Mary Alice (Dan and Susan's daughter) and their dog Mozart.

Sarah mostly liked hanging out on shore and blowing bubbles.

It was a wonderful trip. Our "firsts" were fabulous . . . now we can't wait to do them all a second time.