Northern States Road Trip (Day 10 - Springfield)

 Today we drove to Springfield, Illinois and visited the Lincoln Museum.

 I played with Douglas for a bit while Sam enjoyed some peaceful wandering about the museum.  Here I am trying to get him to put his face in the hole.  He kept putting his arms through instead.

I finally succeeded!  Little Abe.

 I built and I built.  Douglas destroyed and destroyed.

Frederick Douglass

Goofing off

 One of the anti-Lincoln political cartoons.  The third person behind Lincoln is saying, "I want religion abolished and the book of Mormon made the standard of morality."

America

 The old Illinois State Capitol

 The Lincoln House

 The current Illinois State Capitol

 Stephen A. Douglas

 Illinois State Capitol

 Lincoln's Tomb

 Oh Abe, I know what it feels like to have a different-colored nose.

 "Mom, can we sing a song?"

"Sure, son.  Ready?  Sarasponda, sarasponda, sarasponda ret set set..."

We finished the day early.  Hallelujah!  Early sleep.

Northern States Road Trip (Days 8 and 9 - Call me Babe Ruth)

Yesterday:

We visited Marianne and Kevin (and children) for a couple of days in Amish country.  Here I am with William.

Marianne and I walked some laps around their property on a cool, misty morning.

Matthew and William cooking up pancakes.

I flipped a few as well, and then we topped the pancakes with delicious maple syrup straight from their maple trees.  Mmmm.

Later that afternoon we all gathered around a fire in the woods to enjoy roasted corn, homemade potato salad, hot dogs, and watermelon.  Anna drove out with her cute little baby to join us.

I can still taste that corn!  Yum.

Douglas enjoying some time on the trampoline.

In the evening a group of neighbors (Amish, Mormons, and Mormish) gathered for a Family Home Evening.  We began with a song from the Amish hymnal.  The words are as follows:

HOW BEAUTIFUL HEAVEN MUST BE

We read of a place that’s called heaven,

It’s made for the pure and the free;

These truths in God’s word He has given,

How beautiful heaven must be.

Chorus:

How beautiful heaven must be

Sweet home of the happy and free;

Fair haven of rest for the weary,

How beautiful heaven must be.

In heaven no drooping nor pining,

No wishing for elsewhere to be;

God’s light is forever, there shining,

How beautiful heaven must be.

[Chorus]

The angels so sweetly are singing,

Up there by the beautiful sea;

Sweet chords from their gold harps are ringing,

How beautiful heaven must be.

[Chorus]

I shared some experiences from my travels overseas.

And then it was time for baseball.  And oh what fun we had!

The two teams gathered for a photo before we became opponents on the field of battl........baseball.

"Here it comes!  Here it comes!"

"I'm going to SMASH this thing!"  This might have been when I popped the ball straight up in the air and got out. :)

"Oh no!"  Sam just hit one of our own players.

Sam did a fine job pitching for our team.

Time lapse video of our game.

Okay, it's too dark to continue.  Bring it in!

What a great day.  Thank you, Kevin and Marianne (and children......and neighbors!) for being such amazing hosts.  Twas a short visit, but very memorable.

Today:

 We drove to the Indianapolis Indiana Temple.

 I have now served (initiatory work, endowments, sealings, and/or baptisms for the dead) in every currently-operating LDS temple in the United States (a total of 73 temples, if I am counting correctly).  I had the thought that because today is the first day of operation for the Indianapolis Temple, there is a chance that I am the only person in the Church (right now) who has done work in all of the temples in the United States......unless Brother Goulding was here today. :)  Check out this article Sam sent to me:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865634877/84-year-old-man-travels-to-77-LDS-temples-after-wifes-death.html?pg=1

 Another photo bomb!

 "It wasn't me.  He did it."

 Temple?  What temple?  I see only water to play in.

 Beautiful temple