Travis and I decided that a family tradition we would have would be to let our kids choose any temple in the country to visit, the year they turn 12, since that's the age they'd be able to start doing temple baptisms. A fun trip they get to do alone, with just the parents. Well, then Covid happened and we weren't allowed to go to temples outside our boundaries. So, finally, with Collin being 13, he got to do his trip! He chose his roots... Buffalo. The idea being, we could go to the Palmyra temple, see a Bills football game (the Bills are his favorite team), and visit where he was born! Naturally, I fully supported this plan. We haven't been back to Buffalo since we moved, 10 years ago, and I was so excited to be able to take him back there. I just felt a little sad to not have Weston with us. It felt wrong to not visit with BOTH of our children who were born there. Then, things got more complicated when I realized the Palmyra temple was closed for most of September and the Bills only had a few home games in the fall. I did NOT want to visit Buffalo in the winter. Plus, the Maid of the Mist would be closed and we wanted to visit Niagara and do that during our visit. It left us with ONE weekend option that the temple and Maid of the Mist were open and a Bills home game was happening. And for that game, guess who the Bills were playing? The Green Bay Packers. Weston was born on Super Bowl Sunday and the Packers won the day he was born. So they are his favorite team! It felt like a sign. I asked Collin if he'd be willing to let Weston come on his special trip. If he did, then the deal would be that Weston would have to let Collin come on HIS special trip when it was time. He was initially reluctant but agreed. I'm so glad it worked out this way! Getting to go back to Buffalo with both our boys was nothing short of nostalgic magic. I really can't put this trip into words but I'll try.
We flew out on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 1:45pm and got in at 10pm.
Boy does Buffalo love their Bills. Bills stuff was everywhere. Collin loves Josh Allen, their quarterback.
We stayed in a hotel right across from the airport. Even seeing the outside of the airport was nostalgic!
I surprised the boys with hats for their teams!
We started out Friday at the famous Paula's Donuts and ordered way too many. I was sad the location we used to go to by the school was shut down though.
You know you're in Canada country when you see Tim Hortons!
Our next stop was The University of Buffalo dental school! It's on the south campus. Best decision ever to come in the fall. We had the MOST PERFECT weather ever while we were here and surrounded by gorgeous fall trees and colors.
We hoped to wander around by ourselves, but we got stopped and assigned a dental student as our guide. Which actually ended up being great. He was super friendly and explained all the new changes and he and Travis made connections on staff and dental stuff. The trippiest part for me was walking down the stairs to the "break room" area where they had their lockers and would play foosball. Wish I had taken a picture.
There is a hallways with every class's picture on the wall. It was fun finding our favorites!
I had the idea to do a reenactment of a funny picture we had of Travis holding Collin outside the dental school. I had come one day to have lunch with him on his break. We found the exact spot and had Collin hop into Travis's arms, haha. Oh my gosh, we laughed so hard. It was perfect. Possibly the best part of the trip. Lots has changed in 12 years!
On to Niagara Falls! We passed the Duffs we went to a lot on Sheridan on Millersport.
Niagara Falls was only a 20-30 min. drive from where we lived and we went a lot. Never did I get tired of it. I remember the last time we went before we moved, driving away and still feeling overwhelmed by its magnificence. We parked nearby and walked in, easily getting tickets for Maid of the Mist.
American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls
Simply incredible! I forgot how much you get drenched! It's like entering a hurricane. We were on the top deck, by the railing and started screaming and laughing and running away when the water started pouring down on us!
Of course Weston billy goated up this hill.
Then we walked over Goat Island Bridge to see the Horseshoe Falls. They boys were FASCINATED by the squirrels and how close they would get. They chased them, called to them, tried to feed them. It was a hoot to watch. We were there to see the falls, but they will remember those dang squirrels more than anything, I'm sure.
We were ready for lunch! We drove back to Buffalo and went to the Wegmans I used to shop at on Dick Road. Just driving there had me feeling all the feels. No grocery pick up or delivery back in those days. I would go with a diaper bag stocked with snacks and toys and of course, dum dum suckers. I usually had about 15-20 min, before Collin was losing it. Always shopping with a screaming baby and toddler. At least I got to do it in the best grocery store ever. IYKYK. We still get excited when watching The Office and see Wegmans brand cereals in the break room.
Wegmans subs, we. have. missed. you. Their deli was awesome. Best subs ever.
Doug's favorite was the pecan pies so I had to get one of those.
Even their bathrooms are lovely.
Buffalo Bills errrrywhere.
We were introduced to sponge candy here! Delish!
Trav and I LOVED their vanilla, bakery muffins. Best cake ever. Nothing has changed. They're still amazing.
Then we drove to UB north campus where Travis graduated. Had to take a picture on the Buffalo, of course!
2012
2022
Collin really struggled getting on, haha. We were all entertained watching him try.
It was a short drive from there to Millard Fillmore Suburban hospital in Amherst.. where both boys were born!! Oh the feelings when we drove up! Life is so crazy. We had them both in the winter when it was unbelievably cold and snowy. Having babies away from "home" and family is hard. Having a colicky baby away from any help is next level hard. Those weren't easy times but we were excited to be growing our family. The days felt so long. I remember lying in bed in our Buffalo house and crying because I had to do it again tomorrow. How could I keep going?? And now, here we are, over a decade later, in beautiful weather, back where it started. On the "other" side. They may not be grown and out of the house but boy are we in a completely different stage of life. It felt so surreal to be here with them. My mama heart was bursting. I'm so glad we went through all that hard because it was 100 percent worth it. I love them and I love our life.
We were fitting in so much! We had some time to kill before dinner so we went to the Galleria Mall! This mall was very close to our house so we spent plenty of time here back in the day. I remember telling Rach and Doug we were pregnant with Collin walking into this mall to see The Joker. A bunch of us girls went shopping here during a staycation/girls trip right before graduation and moving and I bought a striped pink bag from Gap that I still own, haha. And I remember Traci Warcup telling us she bought a "maxi dress" and I had no idea what that was. Memories are weird! Anyway, the boys ended up seeing a movie I wasn't interested in so I went shopping! Novel. I never get to go shopping alone!
Weston always picking "berries" off random trees and asking if he can eat them!
FINALLY! The time had arrived! We ate at the Duffs on Dick Road.
Another reenactment was in line. We have joked about this picture a lot over the years. Collin would call Weston buckethead because of it. I even brought a tootsie roll wrapper to complete the scene.
I'm a wing person, but these wings really are where it's at. We order them extra crispy. No other wings compare!
The boys are converted to sponge candy!
Saturday morning we took a gorgeous drove to Palmyra! Hi toll booth! We haven't missed you.
We started with baptisms at the temple. I forget what it feels like to be at a small temple. Very quiet and lots of attention on you. Weston started out waiting in the car, playing on the ipad, but they had a waiting room so he came in to wait. The workers were very attentive to us and one of the temple presidency took us over to the stained glass window that looks out over the sacred grove. It's the only temple in the world with see through glass like that. President Hinkley requested it. It was a very chilly morning but we took the time to walk around and enjoy the grounds afterward.
Then we drove to the sacred grove. The visitor's center seemed to have changed a bit inside. Can't help but remember the time we had Collin here in a baby sling and he blew out his diaper.... bad. Trav and I had him naked in the parking lot on a grass median, poop everywhere, wipes thrown asunder, trying to clean him best we could. Once again... life is a bit easier this go around.
Two sisters took us on our own, private tour of the farmhouse and framehouse.
The room where the Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith.
The view from the path near the grove, to the temple.
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This little amphitheater is new! We were tired, so Trav and I laid down for a few minutes and let the boys explore. We had the whole forest to ourselves.
You always hope your kids will have "an experience" or at least feel something. I don't know if they did, but at least they got to see where the restoration of the gospel started. They now have a visual of where Joseph Smith saw God, the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Even as I started to type that I believe he did, tears filled my eyes. I have faith in that event that brought Christ's church back to the earth. It may seem far fetched. It may not make sense. But I believe if you have an open heart and a sincere to desire to know for yourself, you can ask God and the Holy Ghost will teach and testify to you of it's truth. This is the only way to know.
Just storing this away as a core memory.
We used to always go to Mark's Pizza when we were in Palmyra, and it's still around! But it burned down and had to move down the street a little. To be honest, it didn't taste like I remembered it. It was fine though.
Then we took a tour of the original Book of Mormon publishing site.
Touching the original bricks.
Always amazes me to learn about the tediousness of setting type and creating a book back then.
I forgot they had so many original, well known paintings here.
On to the Hill Cumorah! We were disappointed to see the hill all grown over instead of being well manicured and green like it always used to be! We thought the boys would get to roll down it like they did as toddlers. I guess since they canceled the pageant the church has decided to let it go back to a more natural state. No rolling down that thing anymore unless you'd like to pick up a tick or splinter.
Just in case the plates are still around under a random rock, ya know.
We had done a lot and were tired but still had a couple hours I couldn't bear to waste. The Whitmer Farm was about 40 min. away. Why not?! We're here, right?
Best decision ever.
This tour turned out to be incredible. We got the most intuitive sister to do our tour. She was careful and thoughtful and truly had the Spirit with her as she shared stories and history with us. I guess it had been busy earlier, but it was about to close when we arrived and we had our own tour.
The church was organized here in 1830 with 6 members.
Joseph and Oliver completed translating the Book of Mormon here.
The Angel Moroni showed 3 witnesses the gold plates here.
Mary Whitmer was also shown the gold plates by an angel and is the only woman we know of who had this privilege.
On the 150th anniversary of the organization, in 1980, President Kimball held a session of general conference here and dedicated the reconstructed log home. Ther is a time capsule with items placed in it on April 6, 1980 that will be opened on April 6, 2030... in just 7 years... on the 200th anniversary. There is the dedicatory prayer of the three buildings on the Whitmer farm, copies of talks given that day, a souvenir program, copies of church magazines and auxillairy handbooks, photos taken and more.
We were with her less than an hour and I loved her already! I felt the Spirit so strongly here and I know that was thanks to her treating the topics and situation with such reverence.
The highlight was that we finished by watching the special video we saw in the Independence Visitor's Center last July!! It's called Growth of the Church and it is POWERFUL. I wish you could view it online but it is only in select visitor's centers. I was in tears again. What a way to end our day! My cup was overflowing. I'm so so grateful we went on this trip! Of all the things you can spend your money on.. these church history trips are so worthwhile!
We drove back to Buffalo wondering where we should eat. We landed on the Red Pepper! We used to like going here with the Shaheens and Shaws. It has not changed A BIT.
Same herbal tea. Same wonton chips dipped in sweet sauce. Same yummy orange chicken and heaping bowls of rice finished with fortune cookies. Plenty of bang for your buck!
Back to Wegmans for more sponge candy and ice cream to take back to the hotel.
Sunday morning we were SO excited to go back to our old ward!
We arrived to an empty parking lot. Wah wah wahhhh. It was stake conference.
Son of a
Biggest disappointment of the whole trip for sure. Ughh. I'm reliving the pain.
There was a black woman waiting by the doors that I talked to. She was traveling through, hoping to talk to the bishop to get some help buying a bus ticket. She was from Africa, tried to immigrate to Canada but had the wrong papers and was sent here. She was trying to get to Virginia where her mother's friend lived. At least that was her story. We called the bishop and agreed to drive her to the stake center in Amherst. But then Travis decided to just buy her bus ticket. The bus station was just around the corner so I dropped them both off and he went in with her while I circled the sketchy neighborhood. He also gave her money for food. He has such a good heart. I truly felt sorry for her. If she was telling the truth, I can't imagine being in that situation. Saving all your money to come where you think you can make a better life, but being turned away and having to start all over. I prayed so hard for her.
We weren't sure what to do but since we were in downtown, I thought it would be fun to go to the Buffalo Zoo! We used to have a membership here and I'd take the boys alllll the time. It's a small, cozy zoo and I love it.
Walking around was so trippy. I remembered all of it. The little play areas Collin spent hours on. The train. The monkey habitat. My heart was doing the squeezy, painful but not painful, nostalgic thing.
I loooove the houses in New York! They look like fancy cottages.
There was a really long wait for The Anchor Bar so we drove around Forrest Lawn Cemetery while we waited. I had friends who lived nearby who would run through here everyday. It's a really pretty cemetery with huge monuments and mausoleums.
Are you even a boy if you don't try to climb big things that look impossible? We meant no disrespect to the dead.
We definitely are loyal to Duffs but we figured taking to them the Anchor Bar wouldn't hurt. It was SWARMING with Packers and Bills fans. I had originally been a little nervous that Weston would get harassed wearing his Packers sweatshirt everywhere, but it was actually the opposite. He got cheers and fist bumps everywhere we went. Lots of "Go Pack Go!" The city was swarming with Greenbay fans.
The new ebony and ivory haha.
The wings were so subpar compared to Duffs but the beef on weck was actually really good.
Driving downtown looked very much the same as I remembered. Lots of rundown buildings, dirty sidewalks and streets and garbage. But also a few, new cool murals!
After lunch we went back to our hotel to change and watch the Primary Program on zoom. I was so sad to miss this!! It would have been Weston's last one. Grateful for grandparents and Aunt Aubrey that came to support!
Then it was time to finally visit our old house! Be still my heart! Driving back to our neighborhood was so weird. I just do not have the words. It was like going back to visit a dream. It's only been 10 years but it already feels like another lifetime. I love our neighborhood so much. The houses are so cute and the tree lined streets looked exactly the same. First we drove by the Shaws and Cardon's old houses. Ahhhh the memories! So many walks to each other's houses. So many backyard BBQ's together. My heart was getting squeezed to death.
I had coordinated with our neighbors, the Gilliams, to visit. As we walked up, the owner of our old house were outside doing some repair work. The same people we sold it to still live there! Celeste said they are nice but not especially friendly. I had mentioned I hoped to ask if we could look inside but they acted like that would be a bad idea. I was really bummed about that. It would have been so fun to look around!
This funeral home was right behind our street. Isn't the name a crack up?!
So we just took pictures outside. Here are some before and afters!
The Gilliams invited us in and we sat in their living room and caught up. They are the nicest people!! Celeste is a chatterbox. We reminisced about the time I locked Collin in the car and Ernest helped pick the lock and get him out. They always brought over elaborate Easter baskets for the boys and we still have some of Jalen's race cars that they gave to us when he outgrew them. They had twins, Jala and Jalen, who were around 8-12 when we lived there. Now they're adults! Jalen was actually there and came out to say hi for a minute. Celeste kept trying to give the boys soda and candy and was being so friendly. We probably stayed about an hour before we needed to get going. It was SO fun getting to see them.
Time for the Bills game!!! We stopped at Wegmans first to get subs to take with us for dinner. Man I'm craving a sub now!
The stadium is about 30 minutes south in Orchard Park. It wasn't too bad getting there and parking in some person's yard like everyone else was doing. The tailgating was going strong. I don't really care one ounce for football but the excitement was in the air and I was excited! It was my first time at an NFL game! I had contemplated not going because the tickets were so expensive but I'm glad I did.
Walking into the stadium and down to our seats was pretty cool! We had great seats. Figured this was a one and done sort of deal so we splurged. Who needs a retirement? The boys were stoked and spent the pre-game time standing as close as they could get to the field, watching the players practice. They were hoping a player would come over to sign something. No such luck, unfortunately. Collin's idol is Josh Allen and Weston's is Aaron Rogers.
Travis and I got decked out in Bills stuff we found at Wegmans haha.
Some big shot walked up. We heard he was a wrestler of some sort. Whoooo knows.
It was fun watching the teams take the field! The Bills ended up winning but the Packers made at least one touchdown. I felt a little bad for Weston. We were definitely outnumbered by very loud, very proud Bills fans. Lots of singing after the Bills would score. The game started at 8pm and ended close to 11am. Then we waited at least an hour in our car before traffic let up enough that we could get out. I think we crawled into our beds around 2am and had a nice 3 hour nap before having to get up and head to the airport.
This will go down as one of my very favorite trips. It was so fun to be able to focus on the boys and show them where their life started! I will always treasure our years in Buffalo. So many hard moments, but the good WAY outshines the bad. We needed those years together. We were so young, just figuring things out. We struggled and I often felt like we were just scraping by, but our friends and the church sustained us. Oh, and my bunco group and book club and Bachelor watching group and Crystal beach trips and Duffs and lots of awesome visitors and constant church history tours! It was a party. And I got to do it with my best friend!
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