Off to the Temple in Bern, Switzerland

May 9th and 10th, 2014

This past weekend we had a Relief Society Sisters Temple Trip. It was a really nice trip. We traveled to Bern Switzerland and did one session on Friday evening, enjoyed our friends being sealed to their adopted daughter, and then spent the evening on a walking tour of old Bern. We walked all through town, saw the original home of Lindt chocolates, saw the bears, and ate dinner at the Altes Tramdepot restaurant overlooking the bears and the River Aare. We did another session on Saturday morning before heading for home. On the way home we stopped in the lakeside town of Lugano, Switzerland. The two photos on the bottom are from Lugano.

Flowers for the Fallen

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These are photos of us placing flowers on the graves at the American Cemetery at Normandy. It was a super special experience. I am so glad my boys are part of such a great organization! I am so proud of them. These are the names of the men who my boys chose to honor. Elbert M. Beasley Jr., Leon F. McGonigle, Miles P. Kaltwasser, and James C. Childress.

A True Hero

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This is Wiley. He is a WWII Veteran who joined us on Sunday for our special ceremony. Even though he was in a wheelchair he stood for the raising of the flag, the singing of America the Beautiful, and the presentation of the flowers. After the ceremony I took the boys up to meet him, thank him, and shake his hand. He was so cute! His escort told him he would take him back inside after he talked to all his "fans". So cute!!

The American Cemetery at Normandy

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Sunday morning we headed to the American Cemetery at Normandy. It was a cold, rainy morning when we headed out. After standing in the rain for quite some time, the sun finally broke through and we had a nice time touring the cemetery.

Bond, James Bond

I just thought this was pretty cool!!

Jamboree Campfire

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The Jamboree hosted a campfire on the beach, a wonderful multi-media presentation complete with fly-over, and dinner on Saturday night. While the boys were waiting for the presentation to begin they started trading patches and neckerchiefs. A french scout approached Henry and they traded neckerchiefs. So cool!! Dinner was super yummy and it was so nice to have a hot meal after two days of packed food.

The 360 Museum

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We visited a really wonderful museum called the 360 Museum. It has one of those theaters in the round. There are nine screens around the circular room and you stand in the middle of the room. It was very emotional to see some of the footage. Men were shot as they walked onto the shore. Seeing them fall like that made everything we were experiencing so much more real. I kept wondering about the young mens' mothers. How did they raise these young men to be willing to risk everything for the freedom of a people they had never met on a shore so far from home? It made me want to  recommit to teaching my boys the things they need to know to grow up to be real men of honor, bravery, and valor. 

Pegasus Bridge

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We visited the first bridge and building liberated from the Nazis. The bridge was renamed the Pegasus Bridge after the mascot of the British forces who liberated it. This cafe has such an amazing history. At the time of German occupation, German soldiers often frequented this small cafe. They often shared critical, strategic, information never knowing the owners of the restaurant, the Gondrees, not only spoke German, but were part of the French Resistance! In the two photos of the river, you can see a large building a little ways down. This was a maternity hospital and also a front for the French Resistance. Mrs. Gondrees would deliver two things to the hospital...bread and information!! Amazing! The Gondrees had a daughter who was five during the liberation. She still owns the cafe and hosts an annual reunion of those who liberated her family from the Nazis!