Cross Country Trip Field Notes: Day Three

Reminder to self: I NEED hotel-quality blackout curtains in every bedroom in my new home. I cannot recall the last time every member of the family slept until 9:45!

Today we managed to get a late breakfast and then find a church to attend just outside of Cleveland. The timing worked amazingly to let us do this and then get to the Kirtland Temple for a tour during their limited Sunday hours. Since we were just in Kirtland 16 months ago, we determined not to revisit the other sites, such as the Whitney Store and the Johnson Farm. We had a great experience at both last year, but got to the temple about 10 minutes too late for a tour. So, we made certain to arrive in time today.

The tour was interesting and informative, and it was amazing to just be there and reflect on all that had occurred within those walls. On the way out of Kirtland Jeffrey and I re-listened to a great talk by Elder Ballard on "What Came from Kirtland?" and again marveled at the significance of all that occurred there in the formation of the church. Elsie Jane was a little restless, but the other two girls were quite good. Our tour guide's perspective was a little different coming from the Community of Christ's perspective, but he was a graduate student of their religious history and knew a lot and was very respectful of our differences in belief and interpretation. We were grateful to have been there with him.

We fixed sandwiches in the car and plowed through with only one stop and a brief venture off the toll road for about a quarter mile up a random road into Sturgis, so that Jeffrey could officially say he had been to Michigan.

We made it to Uncle Nassir and Aunt Shamela's building by about 10 pm, where of course they were waiting to offer us their room, dinner, and anythingnelse we could wish for.