Washington To Washington Day 6-11

 Olathe! Daniel's Hometown. This was a nice break from the long drives and a wonderful place to recharge while we visited with family. Ron graciously allowed us to stay while we went exploring. It was nice to visit with Joseph and Heather. Joseph had grown the most impressive beard! 

Our first adventure was to see the local sights in MO. The visitor center at Liberty Jail has a lot to see.

 

    It is hard to describe the feeling you get when you enter the room where the jail sits. Seeing it in its open state shows its complete lack of empathy for the poor souls unfortunate enough to lodge there. It's daunting and yet the spirit is so strong as well. You know that this is a sacred space. For all its dark shadows and rough edges, this is where the most comforting scripture I have ever read was penned: "Remember thy suffering saints, O our God; and thy servants will rejoice in thy name forever. My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands." D&C 121:6-9

The front door.

It's hard to see in the picture, but if you looked through the bars you could see the painting of Christ.

After Liberty Jail we visited Far West and Adam-omdi-Ahman.

These spiny trees fascinate me. I have only seen them here at Far West.

We tried very hard to get a picture of this praying mantis, but it was too fast.

The Deseret Book has a little store at Far West now. We got some popsicles and checked out their replica cabin.

    Adam-ondi-Ahman has three viewpoints, Spring Hill, and 2 overlooks. We drove to each site and walked around a bit. There are plenty of walking trails, but we were tired so we didn't do much in the way of hiking. 

   Charles and I sang the hymn, Adam-ondi-Ahman while looking over the valley. The kids did not like the fact that Charles would randomly sing this hymn for the rest of our trip, but I liked it!

   The following day we went up to Omaha to visit the Mormon Visitor Center there. Council Bluffs was under renovation, so we didn't get to see it. (This will be the start of a recurring scene.) The kids had a grand time though. The sister missionary who led us was so sweet.

Playing a fun game. Devon kept cheating by running up and putting the rings on the hooks.

The handcart was a big hit.

The temple was across the road and had a cemetery on the property where all the saints who died there during the exodus from Nauvoo were laid.

The kids challenged Grandpa to chess.

  The following day the Blacks came to visit and we went to the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm Historic Site. This is in Olathe and very informative. They have loads of hands-on stuff so it's great for kids. This was the first time many from our group and it did not disappoint. 

   The cold house had this turkey hanging in it and Henry would run inside and scream then run out and immediately repeat the process.

The kids were asked to round up the chickens, so of course they just chased them around.

We got to feed the pigs!

The tour guide let Charles play the piano!

  On Sunday after church, we drove over to see the Kansas City temple. The last time I was here Charles was a baby and it was still unfinished. I had tried to get the kids in for a baptism trip with their cousins, but it was booked solid, unfortunately. It is beautiful and we had a great time walking the grounds. Then I had to take Emily to the chapel next door to use the bathroom. From the way the members guided us, they must be used to visitors to the temple stopping by. It was funny.

After a good night's rest, we packed up and headed to St. Charles.