ND Trip

Day 1

Wake up EARLY and head to the airport with Matt's parents.  Go through the naked screening machines.  Board the airplane and wait for take-off.  Watch as we fly over the gorgeous, snow-capped mountains - leaving the beautiful Utah.

Three hours later we land at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport, pick up the rental car, and drive the two hours to South Bend.  We arrive at the hotel and unpack, head to lunch, then head to Notre Dame.  We show ourselves around the Law School and the ND Bookstore.  Do a bit of shopping and head back to the hotel for the night.  Matt and his dad may or may not have watched a few episodes of Swamp People. :)

Mom and Dad on the Airplane

Matt and I looking exhausted...  we were.

The cute squirrel that greeted us on Notre Dame's campus.  He was SO tame.  There are a lot of these on the campus and the students frequently hand feed them.

The entry to the ND bookstore.

I thought this tree on campus was really cool.  People tie ribbons on the branches in memory of someone they know who died of cancer.  The different colors of ribbons represent different types of cancer.

Matt and I in front of the law school.  All the building there are so beautiful... more pictures to come.

Matt and his dad in front of the law school.  It was so amazing to have his parents there with us, especially since his dad is an attorney and had lots of great insights into this new adventure.

The arch and walk way connecting to the two sections of the law school; new and old.  They have done a really great job of making the new and old buildings match.  During the original planning they weren't going to have the large arch in the center leading to the stadium, but the ND fans through a fit because it is tradition for the marching band to play on the steps of the architecture building and then march into the stadium along this walkway.  So they spent a few million more to build this arch over the walkway for the marching band on game days.  They are big on tradition.  ;)

Matt in front of the law school - he'll be spending MANY hours here during the next three years.

Matt and his dad in front of the older section of the law school with the golden dome in the background.

View of the arches over the law school walk way.

One of the smaller classrooms in the law school.

One of the many rows of books in the law library.  SO many books!

The golden dome through the  blossoming trees.

Day 2

 Wake up and head to the law school for the law school tour.  Visit with the admissions director, attend a class (Civil Procedure), go to lunch with a law student (also a Mormon from Utah!), tour the law school.  We didn't take any pictures because we were in a large group and it was during finals so I didn't get any good pictures of the gorgeous library.  Maybe when we live there I can make up for it. :)

We then start our hunt for apartments, which ends extremely quickly because we love the first ones we see.  Thank you Internet.  We also knew that there were several LDS law students living at these apartments.  We looked at one other place, just to make sure we really loved it, and it just made us more sure.

I love how many trees and pond there are in Indiana.  It's so green and pretty.  Dad says there are snapping turtles in the ponds by our apartments... I won't going anywhere near them.


Day 3

Wake up and head to Notre Dame for the campus tour.  The campus is incredible.  The pictures don't even do it justice.  It was so interesting to learn all about the University's history and the different buildings.  After the campus tour we go to the bookstore to look around for a bit and buy some ND gear.  Then we head to the Amish town - just 30 minutes from South Bend.  There are some really fun shops and it is interesting to see all the Amish people in their buggies. :)  There is an "Amish" girl on a cell phone... we get suspicious that perhaps a lot of the people there are "fake" Amish people.  That night we have very loud neighbors in the hotel room linked to ours.  We soon smell marijuana coming from under their door.  It's 3 am.  The police come and search their room and we finally get to sleep around 4 am.


The Basilica of the Sacred Heart

Paintings in The Basilica of the Sacred Heart

Stain Glass Windows in The Basilica of the Sacred Heart

The Golden Dome

The Golden Dome from the inside looking up

Clark Memorial Fountain

Touch Down Jesus - this is actually the Hesburgh Library, but it towers over one of the end zones in the ND Stadium.

One more of Matt and I in front of the Law School

I think the cardinal is the Indiana State Bird??  Matt's dad was determined to see one while we were there.  When we saw this one we had a to take a picture.  This isn't a good picture, but they are so beautiful.

A buggy in the Amish town

Dad and Mom in front of the buggy in the Amish town

Matt and I in front of one of the shops

Amish laundry :)

Day 4

Wake up early after our horrible sleep the night before and head to Kirtland, OH.  It takes 4 hours to drive there and we drive through some of Matt's mission.  We stop for lunch and visit the Kirtland Temple and the church historical sights.  It is so interesting to meet people from the Community of Christ (formerly the RLDS church).  We sing "The Spirit of God" in the Kirtland temple and the spirit is strong.  We enjoy visiting the Whitney Store and other historical sights.  Kirtland was a part of Matt's mission so we enjoy visiting with the sister missionaries about the area, etc.  We stop for dinner and drive back through Matt's mission.  He shows us some of the scary places he tracked and lived in downtown Cleveland.  Luckily it is still light out, or we might not live to tell the story.

Matt the morning after being kept up until 4 am

The beautiful Kirtland temple - it is amazing to think of all the sacrifices that early church members made to build this beautiful temple.

Matt and I at the Kirtland Temple

Mom and Dad at the Kirtland Temple

Gorgeous blossoms on the Kirtland Temple grounds

Me, Matt, Mom, and Dad at the Whitney Store

The Whitney Home

Another historical home

The Whitney Store

The Saw Mill

The Ashery



Day 5

We wake up early again and head to the airport to fly home.  We are exhausted when we arrive at home after spending approximately 10 hours in the car and on the plane to get home.  We sleep for hours... resting up for our anniversary which fell on Day 6...