Palmyra, NY

Over the weekend Jason and I, along with our law school buddies, rented a mini van and drove upstate to Palmyra to see the Hill Cumorah Pagent and all the church history sites. We started out bright and early and drove straight to the Peter Whitmer farm, after checking out the sites we grabbed some lunch and drove up to Rochester to check in to our hotel. After such a long drive we all decided we needed a little dip in the pool, including Beckett. It was his first time in the pool and I don't know who had more fun ... Beckett or Jason.

Our next stop was the Smith Farm and the Sacred Grove. I've been here before and it's amazing how each time you go you instantly feel the spirit when you walk into that home. It's crazy to walk up the narrow little staircase and see the little beds where they slept and to know you're standing in the exact room where angel Moroni appeared to Joseph. And of course the Sacred Grove is just as amazing. It was raining and it was so peaceful to walk through the grove quietly and just listen to the rain while feeling the spirit. Wondering where is was that Heavenly Father appeared. It was such a spiritual experience and I'm so glad Jason was able to experience it.

The Smith Home



The Sacred Grove

After seeing the sites we decided to stake our claim at the pagent. It was so nice to be surrounded by Mormons again, in away it felt like we were in Utah again. It was pathetic but just seeing Utah license plates excited us. My favorite part was when I got to see my sweet little grandma, she and her friend were on a church history tour and we arranged to find each other at the pagent. It was so fun seeing her out here in New York and just being able to give her a hug and visit for a minute. The rain continued off and on through out the pagent, but the production was wonderful. It takes place on the actual hill and there are so many actors with amazing costumes.


The next morning we slept in (well, I slept in while Jason soaked in the hot tub) had a nice breakfast and then we hit the road again. The traffic was a little crazy and it took longer then we expected to get home but Jason and I weren't complaining because we got to entertain Beckett (more like he entertained us). It was a wonderful trip and we're so glad Chris and Dawnell came with Beckett, he was definitely the highlight of the trip.

Mr. Cool

Welcome to Miami

Because we work so hard at KPMG we were given a five day weekend for the 4th of July, so Jason and I decided to make the most of it with a little getaway to Florida. After a late arrival we went to bed anxious for a day of fun in the sun. It was so nice to walk across the street to the beach each morning where we just lounged out and relaxed. Little did we know that the first of July was the start of Hurricane season in July, so each day we woke up to a beautiful morning and then at about two in the afternoon we would have to run back to our room while it poured for an hour and then ... out came the sun again.

The next day we decided to rent a scooter so we could check out the sights of south beach. Luckily Jason was able to speak Spanish or we would have been in trouble. We walked in and told the lady we were interested in renting a scooter and wanted to know how much it would be to rent it for a few hours. After trying to answer us with some broken English Jason decided it might be easier to just speak in Spanish. It was so fun to see all of their reactions when he began speaking to them, and it was interesting to see just how much more willing they were to help us when he spoke to them in Spanish. The scooter was a great way to see the sights despite getting a flat tire and running out of gas. After our adventurous day we ended the night with some wonderful stone crab at Joe's.



Our favorite day was the day we went snorkeling in Key Largo. We woke up early that morning and headed down to the dive shop to prepare for our trip. The first time I went snorkeling I had a hard time and kept freaking out, so I was a little nervous going into it. After an amazing boat ride through Key Largo we arrived at our diving destination. After jumping in I was okay with the fact that I had fish swimming all around me and actually enjoyed myself. We saw several tropical fish along with a couple of nerf sharks that made it very exciting and was a perfect ending to a wonderful trip. While we loved Miami, I think it's a place that now that we've been there and seen all there is to see, we probably won't be going back.


Our future summer home in the Keys

Our limo ride to dinner


The Versace Mansion

Salisbury, Ct

So Jason finally handed over the computer so I have a minute to catch up. A couple of weekends ago Jason and I, along with some of his law school friends, stayed at the dean of the law schools "summer" home. A couple of months ago the law school held an auction where they were able to bid on the dean's summer home for a weekend and won!!

We left after work on Friday and it was so nice to get away from the city. Jason couldn't believe how rural the towns were outside of the city. He's always said he would like to live in Connecticut and now that he's seen it, he's set on it. He was like a little kid at Disneyland, staring out the window the entire ride. After two and a half hours we arrived, come time find out it wasn't just their summer home, but their guest house next to their summer home where we'd be staying.

The next morning we woke to the chirping of birds and for the first time in a long time we were able to enjoy the quiet morning. We woke up before everyone else and checked out what was in store for the day. First things first Jason was out with the skimmer in the pool preparing for his morning swim. Not only did they have a pool but they also had a full size tennis court where we all got a little morning work out.

The rest of the day was spent basking in the sun by the pool and a little game of baseball. That night we all took a little hike through the forest that led to a beautiful vista with the perfect view of the rolling hills and trees. At the edge there was a fire pit where we got to roast our first (and probably last) marshmallows of the season. When we finally made our trek back to the house we all got a little nervous when two of the guys found ticks. Luckily I was the only girl that wore make-up and had tweezers to save the day.

The next morning was so relaxing just lounging by the pool and enjoying each others company. Although I have to say it got a little old listening to all their law school jokes. (leave it up to law students to make humor out of torts and property laws) Despite the dry jokes it was fun to get to know some of his law school friends and so nice to get away for a relaxing weekend.

The Main House

The pool with the tennis courts in the back

The Guest House (doesn't it look like a scene from Anne of Green Gables?)

The View of the Vista

Another shot of the backyard