Nauvoo

Before coming to Utah we spent a couple of days in Nauvoo. It was really cool to be able to learn and see where and how the early saints lived and also learn about them leaving Nauvoo. There were so many places to visit that there was no way we could see it all in two days, but we definitely had a ton of fun and had some favorites. We started with a wagon ride through Historic Nauvoo.

The Mississippi River. I was surprised at how huge it was. John and I each threw a rock into the river just to say that we had.

The kiddo's didn't love going through the old buildings, except for the bakery. Lantz loved it because the missionary gave him probably five cookies, while everyone else only got one or two! There was a place with dress-ups and pioneer toys that all three loved. Since Ashley had already been to Nauvoo, she stayed with the kids while John and I walked down Parley St. and tried to visit a few of the buildings. We went to the Seventies Hall (the first MTC) and the missionaries made us take pictures of each other making a speech. We also went to the blacksmith shop and decided it was so cool that we had to take everyone else there the next day. Here are some pictures of the crazies playing like the pioneers did!

All Makelle talked about wanting to see was Carthage Jail. She told us all about how Joseph Smith was killed there. The pictures show the room where Joseph Smith was shot, and the window that he fell through.

After a long day of walking around, the kids were ready for swimming at the hotel, dinner, and an early bedtime. John stayed with them and Ashley and I went to a show put on by the young performing missionaries and the senior missionaries called "Sunset on the Mississippi". It was a variety show with singing and jokes and was great. That was followed by a performance from Vocal Point, a BYU acapella group, and we were so impressed with each that we decided the whole family was staying up late and coming the next night.

The second day in Nauvoo was much like the first, we went to the Blacksmith shop where we watched a demonstration of a horseshoe being made (Zak got to keep it) and we each got a horseshoe nail ring. We also went on an oxen ride and got to touch the oxen.

The boys are always up for a picture, Makelle wasn't so sure!

The kids played some more at the play area and then we finished the afternoon at the brick shop where we learned how to make bricks and got a souvenir Nauvoo brick to bring home.

While the kids and Ashley were swimming again, John and I went on the Joseph Smith Sites tour. It is the part of Nauvoo that belongs to the Community of Christ church instead of the LDS church. The experience was a lot different than the rest of the trip, but very cool. They wouldn't allow any picture taking inside of the buildings, but I did get a picture of where Joseph, Emma, and Hyrum Smith are buried.

We went to three shows in the evening, the first was a play about the pioneers called "High Hopes and River Boats". Zak took his sweatshirt in for a pillow, just in case he was bored! As long as the whale crackers were being passed around the kids did great. We also went back for "Sunset on the Mississippi" and Vocal point. John enjoyed them so much that he was tempted to stay for another day just to see them again!

On the way to the shows, we stopped at the temple for some pictures. The Nauvoo temple is beautiful. It is amazing that people can build something like that now not to mention a hundred years ago. It is easy to see that the Lord had a hand in building the temple, twice.

We had a great time in Nauvoo and wished that we could have stayed for longer. I also wish that I would have taken more pictures. I am so glad that John and Ashley decided to add it onto the beginning of the trip so that I could go with them!