Ten Things We Loved About Nauvoo, Part One

We always do a "Top Ten" from our trips, but it seems wrong to do that with this trip as everything was quite wonderful! So, here are ten things we loved about our trip to Nauvoo, in no particular order!

#10 - Pioneer Pastimes

Not only are their lots of things to see in Nauvoo, there are lots of of things to do as well. One of our favorites was hanging out at Pioneer Pastimes. After we FINALLY got a picture of all the "kids" on stilts at one time,

they decided to have a race.
The boys quickly took the lead,

but I have to say that Camille never gave up! She kept on going till she reached the finished line, even though everyone else was long gone!

And who knew that some wooden teddy bears and two pieces of rope could be so much fun?

All the families that are preparing for the next week's pagent gather at the pagent site about an hour before it starts and teach you how to play period games. Camille tried everything, but in light of her recent struggles in the stilt race, she spent quite a bit of time with these kiddos...

who gave her some great tips on how to use these...

#9 - Hands-On Fun

Everyone told us that Nauvoo would be super crowded during the pagent, but it wasn't! We spent the better part of one morning enjoying the Family Living Center -and we had the whole place to ourselves. We learned how to weave rugs on a loom,
and we got to make a rope!

and may I just say... my children have made rope-making skills!

#8 - The Tours

We saw Joseph and Emma's home,

the Mansion House,

and the Red Brick Store,

where Camille did her best "Future Relief Society Teacher" impression in this famous room.

But our favorite tours were the ones where we learned about the saints... about their hard work,

about their sorrows (baby's gravesite),

about the stories behind the things we say ("sleep tight"),

about their businesses,

and their ingenuity (combination cradle and butter churner).

The gun shop and the history of Jonathan Browning was fascinating and a highlight for Brad and the boys,

and we all learned how to make our own wagon.

#7 - Nauvoo's Cultural Life

We enjoyed lots of plays while we were in Nauvoo, and we definitely had our favorites! Our award for best song goes to "Just Plain Anna Amanda" which Camille loved and the rest of us couldn't get out of our heads for the rest of the week!

Our award for best moment goes to this scene from "Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo" because before it started Adam said this play couldn't be as good as the last one because none of those old missionaries would be shimmying up the poles...guess he was wrong!

Our award for best skit goes to these guys at "Sunset on the Mississippi" who performed the famous "audition" skit. They were hilarious!

And best music goes to the fabulous Nauvoo Brass Band - especially the entertaining girl on the flute and the best percussionist we've ever heard - Elder Busath from Elk Grove.

#6 - Wide Open Spaces
One of the first things we noticed (and loved) about Nauvoo was all the wide open space. The historical part of town is set up just as it was then, with no more than four little houses on each acre lot, and no fences! Lots of room to roam - and to play frisbee!

I think the boys had this thing with them everywhere we went, and they made the most of it. And we had the BEST weather while we were there - a little muggy in the mornings, but nice afternoons and cool and breezy evenings!
To be continued in part two...

Ten Things We Loved About Nauvoo, Part Two

I just can't resist... here are our top 5 -

#5 - Carriage Ride

The very first thing we did on our first morning in Nauvoo was take the carriage ride, and we loved it so much. Adam and Camille loved the horses, and we all loved the stories about the Prophet-including how he would come here to "Inspiration Point" overlooking the great Mississippi when he needed time to be alone,
and about how hard the saints worked to get Nauvoo inhabitible, including cutting into the limestone so the water could drain from their swampy land.

#4 - The Nauvoo Temple Pagent

It was wonderful.

#3 - Trail of Hope

I loved every bit of the pagent, but I loved the Trail of Hope even more. The actors from the pagent stand along the trail, and as groups pass by they tell their stories - stories of grief, hard work, sadness, and joy. Jane Manning was one of my favorites...
along with Eliza Leavitt who made me love the song "Come, Let Us Anew"
We were in the first group (thanks Dave & Katie for saving us a spot) and the morning was quiet and peaceful and deeply spiritual. We learned that very few of the saints took their wagons over the river by barge - most of them simply walked across the great Mississippi because it was completely frozen over when they crossed in the dead of winter.
Here we are on the edge of the Mississippi-I've always wanted to see this river, and let me tell you... it didn't dissapoint!

Skipping rocks...

#2 - Carthage
Carthage was amazing. I have to say, one thing the church does very well is landscaping! The first thing I noticed about this place was how lovely it is, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the "Garden Missionaries"

Aren't these borders amazing!

Did you know that Carthage was a family home? We learned all about how kind this family was to Joseph and the others,

saw this bullet hole,

and realized that it was only because the father of the home let these great men stay in his bedroom that they weren't all killed.

I can't think of any window in the world with more significance to me...

Adam, Camille, Joseph, Hyrum, and Matthew...

#1 - The Temple

Without a doubt, my favorite part of our trip - and worth the trip all on its own. Brad and I spent one whole morning here - doing work and getting a wonderful tour from my brother-in-law's wife (Thanks, Bonnie). In the afternoon she took Camille out shopping while the kids (and Brad and I) did baptisms.

Best. Part. Of. Our. Trip!

I love being in any temple, but the spirit of the sacrifice of those saints is so strong in this temple that you almost feel like you can reach right out and touch it. I love this place! All in all, a lovely trip.... so glad we went!

St. Louis, Missouri

This summer we took a trip to Nauvoo that started in St. Louis, Missouri. After a long, 3-part airplane ride, Brad & the boys went to a Cardinals baseball game.

Thankfully, their favorite player - Albert Pujols -had just come back from an injury and hit a home run in the bottom of the 9th that won the game (and landed two seats away from the boys who had their own very brief and very annonymous appearance on Sports Center's Top Ten)!

They had the time of their lives - a great game at a fabulous stadium with some of the game's most devoted fans. (I think they were just about the only ones there not wearing red... we should have planned better!)

The next morning we all went to the famous St. Louis arch. We had all seen pictures of it before, but had no idea how huge it was... (see how tiny we are standing there!)

or that you could actually go up insideof it! (see that row of tiny windows near the top???)

They have these tiny little elevators that our family barely fit inside! Brad's a bit claustrophobic - and terribly afraid of heights - so he asked us to sing him a lullaby on the way up to the top. We thought "Rock-a-bye Baby" was appropriate! {Nothing like a song about a little baby falling out of a tree to help you get over your fears, honey!} Once you get to the top, they have an observation area so you can look down at the tiny world below you... and, no - Brad didn't look!

Adam took lots of pictures, but these two of the reflection of the arch and the baseball park were two of my favorites.

The next morning on our way out of town we stopped by the St. Louis temple - so beautiful!

And we're off - Nauvoo or bust!