Nauvoo at last!

We got up early and left for Nauvoo.  Due to me navigating, we missed the turn and had to reroute our trip.  When we go to the bridge we had to stop.  I was kinda glad we were a little late so we could see this.  The bridge had opened up to allow a big ship to come through. 

 It was a neat sight to see, especially for us folks who aren't used to seeing such big ships or rivers!  We were there for 45 minutes, and I don't know how long the cars in front of us had to wait. 


 Once we got to Nauvoo we headed to the visitor center to pick up our tickets I had reserved for the day and to see if they had any carriage or wagon rides available.  We were in luck.  They had just enough seats for our group of 11 that left in 10 minutes!The carriage ride was about 45 minutes.  It took us to a couple of places, including one called inspirational point and to a grove of trees that was a resemblance to the sacred grove Joseph Smith prayed in so many years ago.  The ride was neat.  The teamsters were so good and had great stories to tell.  They focused a lot on Joseph Smith and Emma, and you couldn't help but feel the spirit on this ride. 

After we finished our carriage ride, Clarence and I took our 3 eldest and headed to the temple to do baptisms.  This was kind of a big deal for me.  I now had 3 kids old enough to go to the temple, and Kaitlyn has been working endlessly on family search.  At the time she had located over 750 names that needed some kind of work.  She is 15, and I am grateful for her love of family history.

The temple was beautiful.  I could see why the church was so anxious to build a new temple that was a replica of the original one.  So much history here!  I was impressed with all the small details.  Clarissa said she loves this temple because of it's simplicity.  The saints went to great measures to make this temple as beautiful as it was. 

 

After the temple we went in search of our family.  Julie and my parents were at the park with Karly, and Eleanor and Eugene were at the visitor center watching a live performance.  We all met up at the visitor center to wait for the show to end.  I asked Julie where Karly was and she said she was with my parents.  About 30 minutes later we went to lunch.  Before I crossed the street I saw my parents.  Karly was not with them.  I asked them where she was and they said Julie had her.  I kinda panicked.  I started yelling, "where is Karly?  Where is my baby girl?"  I was in the middle of the street by then and I'm sure I caught more than a few glances from anyone within earshot.  My dad and Clarence ran back to the car and went the few blocks to where they had last seen her.  They found her there, in the care of the sister missionaries with a big bonnet and pioneer skirt on.  She was sad at first, but the missionaries told her we would be there soon, and she settled down and waited for us to return.  I guess a little girl asked her to play and she said, "Uh, not right now!"  I think she was a little traumatized.  I am ever grateful for those missionaries who kept her calm and happy.

 

After lunch we started touring some of the places in Nauvoo.  What a beautiful place!  I loved that at every stop we went to they made sure they left us with their testimony and a little gospel thought.  Today we visited the  Scovil Bakery at got a free cookie, the pPost Office, the Print Place, the store,  the Browning and Browing Gunshop, and the Stoddard Tin Shop.  It was so cool to see what kind of things the pioneers would shop for and the equipment they used to print, to bake, and to make beautiful works of art. 

They were so skilled in their areas!        
 I was also very impressed with the missionaries that gave so much dedication and their time to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone. 

 

It was hard to imagine that they did this all by hand and with no electricity!

  The printing press was really cool.  I couldn't grasp the concept of having to set each letter or word by hand and print off one page at a time.  Such patience!

 

The tin shop was intriguing.  They would make lanterns, pie plates, cups, kettles, and even assist in the making of the wheels in the covered wagons.  I never thought about that before.

 The Browning Home and Gunsmith shop was the highlight for Ethan.  He could spend hours in here.  In fact, over the next couple of days, he was a frequent visitor to this place.   The guns were so cool!  They did a demonstration on how a barrel of a gun would be made.  Their tools were fascinating to all of us. 

 Ethan paid particular attention to this gun.  How cool is this!  This was built by one of the Browning Brothers.

One thing I loved about Nauvoo is there endless photo opportunities.  We had to stop here for a spell to take a few of these.

 I think they liked the idea of us pulling them along  as they sit back and enjoy the ride.  Wait, isn't that what we as parents are already doing? 




I love this one with my mom and I.  Ethan in the wagon is priceless.

Our last place we visited for the day was the blacksmith.  I had been waiting all afternoon for this one.  I don't really know why, but I just knew it was a place I wanted to see.  I was not disappointed.  The shop was FULL of interesting stuff.  The wagon wheels, the metal tools, the horseshoes... it was as I had imagined it to be.  My kids thought this place was pretty cool too.

 After learning about how the wheels were made, we went into the workshop and learned how to make a horseshoe.  He talked about how the metal has to be heated to just the right temperature before it is able to be handled.  It was a great reminder of why we must go through the "refiner's fire" before we are able to taught and bent into shape.  He made a horseshoe and presented it to my mom since her birthday was coming up in a few days.
We also learned about the Prairie Diamond Ring, and we all got to take one home.              Evidently there was a beautiful girl that turned the heads of several boys in Nauvoo.  Her dad wouldn't let anyone marry her though unless they presented her with a diamond ring.  That kept a lot of them at bay, but the son the blacksmith go to thinking.  He happened upon a box of nails that were known as Diamond nails.  He  heated one up and made a ring with it.  Upon completion he presented this diamond ring to the girl's father and asked for her hand in marriage.  He thought about it and gave his consent.  It became known as the prairie diamond ring.

Something interesting is how they shoed oxen.  I guess that oxen can't stand on 3 legs without falling over.  Their solution was to put them in these shoots and using a system of ropes and levers, hoist up 1 leg at a time to put the shoes on.  I guess they could be a bit unruly as well.







Lastly, but certainly not leastly, we went to the dress rehearsal for the British Pageant.

We were told it wouldn't be as crowded, and they were right.  We got there about 10 minutes before it started and were able to get pretty close seats.  I loved this performance.  The main characters in the cast were from England.  To get into the pageant you must apply and get accepted, then pay your own way and cover all of your expenses while you stay in Nauvoo for the 2 to 3 weeks.  If you are a main character you stay the whole month for the pageant.  That is dedication! 
The performance is about the early saints that were in England who were converted.  There were thousands of them in a short amount of time.  They had been prepared and were waiting for this gospel truth.  So many of them made the journey to America to be with the saints.  A highlight for me were the pagpipers.  They were very good.  Every day we could hear them around Nauvoo as they played at various locations.  This group was responsible for the beginning of the pageant each night.  A beautiful sound!  It was a great performance.

It was a fun filled day, and we spent every minute we possibly could here in Nauvoo.  Tomorrow promises to be a packed day as well.

Winter Quarters, Omaha Temple, Kanesville Tabernacle

On Sunday we woke up early and went to church in Omaha.  It was a nice and friendly ward, and it was fun to see Ethan pass the sacrament with the other deacons.  

After church we drove the short distance to the Temple.  What a beautiful place!  This temple was dedicated in 2001.  It is built right next to the old cemetery where saints were buried that passed away in Winter Quarters.   As with other sites we visited, I felt like we were standing on holy ground.  To be in a place the saints had gathered and to pay tribute them is a wonderful thing.

As you can tell, my kidos loved the rolling hills that the temple was built on. 

After visiting the temple we went across the street to the Winter Quarter Visitor Center.   My two oldest, as well as Clarence and I, had the opportunity to participate on a youth Trek.  It was an amazing experience, and I wanted to make sure that my kids had the opportunity to visit a place dedicated to the pioneers to made the trek from Nauvoo to the Salt Lake valley.

Imagine our surprise when we found this treasure waiting for us in this historic place.  This is a mortar cup brought from one of our relatives, Jens Hansen, all the way from Denmark.  I am grateful that someone had this little piece of history and was willing to donate it for others to see. 

There were so many neat things to see and do at this place.  I only wish we had more time.

We learned about some of the hardships that were faced by the pioneers as they left Nauvoo.  What they thought would take 2 months, took nearly 4 1/2 months to cover.  Bad weather made travel difficult.  As rain set in and the ground thawed, the mud became their biggest obstacle.  The wagons would sink all the way to the bottom of the cart.  The pioneers had to spend a lot of time digging themselves out of the mud only to slip in once again in another one.  One journal entry read  something like "Today we didn't have nearly as many puddles to go through.  Just one that was 4 miles long."   100 miles how far they made it the first month.  A distance that should have taken them 10 days to cover.  I was humbled by their hardships, and I grew to appreciate their struggles a little more.

Winter Quarters and Council Bluffs were built in a short amount of time that became home to the saints as they left Nauvoo and prepared for their final trek to Salt Lake. On the Iowa side the established a "Great Encampment".  By winter, some 2,500 saints would be settled into make-do shelters along the Missouri River.  Thousands more fanned out from the Grand Encampments, ultimately establishing over 90 cluster settlements within a 40 mile radius of Council Bluffs.  
Winter Quarters consisted on about 540 cabins, dugouts, and shanties, home to nearly 4,000 people. What an undertaking this had to have been!  More than 700 died from various elements that included exposure, malnutrition, TB, scurvy, malaria, and  pneumonia in the winter and spring from 1846-47

Another idea of what Winter Quarters  looked like. 

Our next stop was across the Missouri River to Council Bluffs.  Although not the original one, this is a replica of the Kanesville Tabernacle.  When the saints left Nauvoo, they didn't have a prophet to lead them since Joseph Smith was killed.  For 3 1/2  years the 12 apostles were leading the church.  In December of 1847 the apostles were directed to once again reorganize the church and call Brigham Young as the 2nd prophet of the church.  Since there wasn't a building big enough to do this, Kanesville Tabernacle was built in just 2 1/2 weeks with the help of 200 men to hold a special conference for this purpose. What dedication they had! The building was approx. 60 x 40.  This was the largest cabin they had ever made. The building was dedicated on the 24th of December, and, in a crowded room of over 1,000, Brigham Young was sustained as the prophet on December 27th.   The building was used for a couple more years for various events, but soon had to be torn down since some of the wood was rotting.  The purpose was filled, and the good wood was used for other things.

 

 

After learning more about the Saints we went into the tabernacle.  There wasn't a lot to see here, but we were able to appreciate the magnitude of what the saints were able to accomplish in a short time.  There was an old piano and Organ on display.  We were asked if anyone knew how to play the organ, and we all told them that Eugene did.  Our tour guide invited him onto the "stage" and play a song or two.  This organ was 127 years old.  What a treat!  It was a special experience for all of us.

After spending more time than we thought we would, we left this place with anticipation to learn more about these brave men and women who suffered and went through so much for their beliefs. They were faithful and obedient people.  I am grateful for their example and their courage.

We drove into the night to Ft. Madison, which is right outside of Nauvoo.   As we drove we were discussing some of the things we saw and felt.   Soon we started noticing the little flickers of light in the darkness.  Fireflies.  What a fun thing to see!  I showed them to our kids, and for the next couple of hours we were blessed to see them everywhere flying around into the darkness.  It was amazing to think that something so little could bring so much joy.  I'm sure there's an object lesson in there to use for later times.

We arrived in Fort Madison around midnight.  Tired and ready for bed, we all felt blessed for our Sabbath Day.  I am grateful we made this trip with not only my family, but with both sets of grandparents and an aunt.  What a special experience this has been!

Nauvoo Trip Friday and Saturday

Day 1 and 2

 

After returning home from another FUN yet exhausting week at Girls Camp, we jumped in the car and headed for Nauvoo.  We were home for about an hour when we loaded the car and took off.  Crazy, YES!

We left Joseph City around 2 or so and headed to Kansas.  It should have taken us 16 hours, but traveling with kids always adds a couple of hours.  We made it to Pratt, KS early in the morning and met my parents and Clarence's parents along with Julie.  They had left earlier in the day and slept in a hotel there.  Clarence, Ethan, and my dad left and headed to our property in Kansas.  The rest of us got a couple of hours of sleep before heading out again. 

Around noon we made it to the Kansas property, located about 20 miles north of Iola.  Clarence showed the family the property, and we took extra precaution to spray ourselves down with DEET spray and wrap tape or soft wire around our ankles to prevent bites from chiggers and ticks.  We walked down to the pond and enjoyed the beautiful land.  On our walk back we found a patch of black raspberries or blackberries.  They were so sweet and delicious, and we filled our cups full along with our stomachs.  I wish we could have stayed and picked more berries.  They were a tasty treat! 

We started once again on our journey, our goal was to make it to Bellevue, which is right outside of Omaha for the night.  We had a couple of stops planned, so we had to hurry. 

Our first stop was to Independence, Missouri.  They have a visitor center there, and it was a great way to kick off our church history trip. 

Not the best picture of the good looking crew, but up to this point we have been traveling for about 18 hours.  Here we watched a movie about Joseph Smith and got to see replicas of the log cabins the pioneers would have built. 

 The kids were a little restless, but we did get to hear some good stories and learn some cool things.  I was just enthralled with the whole idea of being in a place where our prophet, Joseph Smith once lived.

Of course they weren't too unruly to make sure I got some pictures of them.

 Our next stop was Liberty Jail.  There was a different spirit here.  The kids felt it too, and they were more reverent and respectful for this part.  Clarissa was in heaven.  She loves church history, and we decided since she was going to be a senior and this was our last summer with her, we would make this trip.  We thought she would enjoy it, and we were not disappointed.  We entered Liberty jail when they were about to close, but they let us in and were very kind and accommodating to us. 

This is a picture of the layout of Liberty Jail.  It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be.

 You can see that there wasn't even enough room for them to stand up in.  For 4 months they were here.  Given the time of year I would imagine it was bitter cold there.  Lots of prayers were uttered in these walls and faith was strengthened.  These were great men.  The spirit was string here, and I did shed a tear or two for these men.

 After leaving Liberty Jail and getting a bite to eat we were once again on the road.  It was late, and as I was sitting in the car I felt an intense itching on my feet.  Chiggers.  I had taken every precaution, but I still managed to get nailed.  This picture doesn't do it justice, but there are more than 60 on one foot and leg and 30 ish on the other.  I am grateful that it was me and not my kids.  Ethan also got a couple of ticks, and Clarence had a few chiggers himself.  Dang bugs!

 Finally about 2 AM (Nebraska time) we arrived at our hotel.  Needless to say we were all a bit exhausted and ready for a break from the car.  According to MapQuest we had come nearly 1300 miles and been driving for almost 21 hours.  We had to stop several times along the way also because Eleanor and Eugene's car was acting up and had to "rest" to reset the codes every so often.  It made for some frazzled nerves on Julie's part (she was the main driver) and stress levels high as we weren't sure if the car would leave us stranded.  But with prayer and faith, we made it.  We were planning on attending church at 9, but since we had such a late arrival we opted to go to the 11 church instead.  What a long day.