Our Epic Road Trip - Nauvoo (Our Second Day)

Well, I'd like to say we all slept well during our stay at the Sanders House. And I think the boys did...but the girls' room upstairs never really cooled off, and boy was it warm! :) But our gracious host had left out a wonderful breakfast, and that helped to perk the girls and me right up. Warm waffles with fresh berries and cream will do that to a person.

We got to Old Nauvoo as early as we could, and we were ready to take advantage of every minute we had. We could only stay in Nauvoo until about 6:00 pm before we needed to make our way to St. Louis, where we had a hotel for the night. First on the list was to go to the Visitor's Center and get tickets for various activities and shows before they were gone for the day. While Danny handled that, Johnny humbly asked if he and I could go back to the Women's Garden and take our picture by the mother/son statue that we didn't get to take the day before. I was happy to oblige! We tried to re-enact it, and Johnny managed much better than I did!! Johnny can drive me absolutely nuts sometimes. But this boy is my buddy. My Mama's Boy. And I sense so much greatness and goodness in him! I couldn't love him more.

Danny was able to get us tickets for the carriage ride and the covered wagon ride, as well as for the show "The Promise" later that afternoon. We had a few minutes before we needed to be at the carriage ride, so we explored the Visitor's Center for a few minutes. I was struck by this sculpture of the First Vision. I love the loving and caring look on the faces of both the Father and the Son as they look at Joseph, and in turn the utter awe and amazement on Joseph's face. 

We found this drawing that depicts Joseph Smith addressing the Nauvoo Legion. The same painting was on the wall of the Sanders House, and for a very cool reason. You can see in the distance of this painting a prominent house on the hill. The Sanders House! Unfortunately the lighting don't cooperate so you can't see the actual house in the picture, but Claire's pointing at it. ;)

We were excited when it was finally time to get on the carriage for our ride through the Nauvoo countryside. We had the cutest senior missionaries taking us on our tour. They told us stories of the Saints as we drove through the countryside. They both did such a wonderful job of painting a picture of what it was like to be there in the 1840s. They also told us a lot about their companions...the team of horses pulling the carriage. And when I say these were horses, I'm sure there must a better word. They were the most magnificent animals!! I thought at first that they must be clydesdales, but without the hair covering their hooves. But they were a different breed (I can't remember the name now), bred by the Amish. They were so incredible, and kids had to get a picture when we got off. 

We went straight to the oxen ride after our carriage ride was over. Here we met with some more senior missionaries that told us about the oxen, and why it was that the Saints chose teams of oxen instead of teams of horses to cross the plains. Where it would cost at least $60 for a team of horses, and then another $100 or so for their harnesses and such, it only cost $25 for a team of oxen and another $5 for their yoke. But not only that, the Saints would have needed to haul grain to supplement the horses' diet while crossing the plains, which they didn't have the money to buy or room to haul. But the oxen could survive on what the plains provided. Also, oxen only walk about 2-3 miles per hour...about the walking pace of an adult. Horses, on the other hand, walk about 5-6 miles per hour. Using oxen allowed the Saints to use every inch of their small wagons to carry provisions while they walked alongside the wagon. We were also interested to learn that in order to drive a team of oxen you only needed to know four commands. They were so simple, young children could drive the oxen and often did so as their parents tended to other duties. It was fascinating!

Next up was our covered wagon ride through Old Nauvoo. As we approached where we were supposed to stand in line, we noticed that they were letting the kids pet the horses. I may or may not have shoved ahead of my kids to get the chance to meet these horses! :) I'm mostly joking. But seriously, these horses! I was absolutely in love with them!! They were gentle giants, letting the children (and me!) put them and cuddle them and love on them. No kidding, I could have spent the rest of my day right there loving those horses and been just fine! But alas, we had a covered wagon ride to take!! It was really cool to ride through Old Nauvoo and hear more stories, again seeing the city as they Saints saw it in their day. My favorite part was stopping to see the temple on the hill. Every story these wonderful missionaries told us all communicated the love these Saints had for their temple. How intensely they wanted the privilege of the blessings found there. And it made me wonder if I hold the temple in the same regard. If I cherish my temple blessings as much as those Saints did. Would I sacrifice everything to qualify for those blessings, and would I follow the prophet of the Lord if called to and leave everything I loved behind? I hope to be as obedient and Christ-like as the Saints we heard so much about.

Next we were on to the Family Living Center. There we watched a sister missionary operate the looms that were used to make rugs and such. I wish we could have purchased one! But apparently only those that have served in Nauvoo get to do that. :) Then the kids helped to make a rope! While they were helping, the senior missionary explained how our families are like ropes. And that together we are stronger than we are apart. It was a really neat object lesson, and the kids were stoked when they got to keep their rope!

On our way to our next stop, the Brick Shop, we stopped by the Scovil Bakery and got our gingersnap cookie and learned about the amazing entrepreneur who established not only the bakery but the Nauvoo Cultural Hall next door. We also passed a group of YPMs (young performing missionaries) and listened to them sing. All the kids want to serve as YPMs now. :)

The brick yard was another must-stop on the blogs that I read. We were the only ones in our tour, which was kind of neat. We learned about the unique conditions in Nauvoo that made for really good bricks, and the process that went into making the bricks. The senior missionary also taught about how  if there are any impurities in the brick, it is evident by imperfections in the finished brick. We are like bricks, but we have a loving Savior that atoned for our "impurities" and can fix any imperfections in us if we allow Him. Then Sophie got to pick a brick for our family to keep, and Danny and I were so happy to see that our brick had a little imperfection. It's a great way to remember the lesson we learned about the Atonement at the Nauvoo brick yard.

Our next stop was to the Land and Records Office. No, we didn't stop to have lunch. Lunch is for people who have more time in Nauvoo, obviously. :) We figured we'd make sandwiches in the car after the show we were scheduled for at the Visitor's Center...we only had a few minutes at the Land and Records Office before we were supposed to be there for that anyway. Danny was able to work with a sister missionary to find the files for all his family that lived in Nauvoo, but particularly the records for Anson Call. We found on the map where his land was, and we planned to stop there before we left.

The weather was gorgeous all day...not too hot, with a cool breeze. We were really very comfortable! But that doesn't mean it wasn't nice to sit in an air-conditioned theater for a while. :) I'm not sure what we were expecting, but Danny and I shared a surprised look when they told us the show, "The Promise", would last approximately 1 hour 45 minutes. Yikes! Who needed lunch anyway? :) The show was well worth it. And part of the cast was a friend of Danny's sister Katie, an elder from our lovely Syracuse! So we took a picture for his mom, too. :) I just love this church!

At this point, we only had a couple hours left in Nauvoo...so we all grabbed a snack from the car and kept on going! But the biggest and the littlest crashed for a bit while we waited for the demonstration at the blacksmith. We learned (well, those of us that were awake learned) about the jobs that the blacksmiths had, especially when it came to parts for the wagons needed to make the trek west. Then we watched our senior missionary make a mini horseshoe...and then we got to keep one for our family! After the horseshoe, he made what was called a "prairie diamond ring". When a couple fell in love but couldn't afford a diamond, the would go to the blacksmith and he would shape a ring from a horseshoe nail, the top of which had a diamond shape. Each member of our family got to pick a ring as well. I was so impressed that everything we were enjoying in Nauvoo was free, especially because it was an experience I would have happily paid for.

Next we set out to find Anson Call's land, which as it turned out was rather close to the blacksmith. We found it at Kimball and Granger, and the land is undeveloped right now. But it was still really neat to think that Danny's ancestors had a home there.

But the coolest thing about finding where Anson Call lived was realizing that he lived right across the street from Brigham Young! So far, we hadn't had time to go through any of the homes...but we HAD to go through Brigham Young's house! It was incredible. He was quite the carpenter, and a few of the pieces of furniture that he made were in the house. A lot of important church meetings were held in his home as well. 

But probably my favorite part of the house was the set of dishes on the kitchen table. They were able to find a stash of broken dishes in the root cellar, and a master potter offered to piece a set together. It was a labor of love, and they were able to get a whole set of dishes put together. What was really neat was that as your went around the table, the fist plate (pictures in the bottom left corner) had very obvious cracks where it was glued together. But as you moved toward the right they became closer and closer to perfect, until at the head of the table you had a perfect replica without a single visible crack. Apparently each firing would reduce the appearance of the repairs. The sister missionary giving us our tour again likened this to the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Through him, our cracks and imperfections can be removed. And a lot of times it takes multiple repairs. :) I loved the analogy, and the beauty of the dishes...cracks or no cracks.

No matter how fast we moved and how many meals we skipped, time betrayed us and it was time to make our way to St. Louis. But we still had a couple more things to do before we left. We hadn't yet gone to the temple grounds to see the temple, and I wasn't leaving until we had spent some time there! We had seen the temple quite a bit from the distance, but my goodness it was even more beautiful up close. And to think that this was as close to a replica of the original temple as they could manage. I only wish we could have gone inside and done a session! Next time...

West of the temple, across the street, was a statue of Joseph and Hyrum depicting them leaving Nauvoo for the last time on their way to Carthage. It was the perfect way to end our visit...bringing us full circle from our time in Carthage the day before. We were the only ones there, and the spirit was strong and peaceful. We spent time gazing over the Mississippi, and soaking up the amazing spirit of Nauvoo. Oh, how we wished we didn't have to leave!

But alas, we had to go. Only one more stop remained, and that was frozen custard at Annie's for Claire's birthday treat. We were told we couldn't leave town without trying it, and it was definitely delicious!! Happy Birthday to our Claire Bear on Clairemorial Day!

And with that, we left Nauvoo behind to continue on our epic road trip. Our time there exceeded our expectations. The weather ended up being amazing, we didn't deal with any bugs, and there were hardly any people! It was amazing. I had no idea how much I would fall in love with Nauvoo, and it ignited a desire to learn more about the early Saints. I've never had much of a desire...again, because they weren't my family. But my time in Nauvoo changed that. Danny would say that was a miracle. :) 

We can't wait to come back and spend more time Nauvoo! 

Our Epic Road Trip - Nauvoo (Our First Day)

We woke up bright and early and left Burlington, Iowa to head to church in Nauvoo. Thanks to Waze, we ended up with a rather scenic hour-long drive (which could have been closer to 20 minutes). But it really was beautiful, and we finally got our first really good look at the Mississippi when we crossed over into Illinois. We also got to see the Nauvoo Temple on the hill overlooking the river, and it was just gorgeous.

We made it in time for 9:30 am church, along with 850 or so other Saints. I've never seen so many people in a Sacrament Meeting!! They actually had two Sacrament preparation tables to accommodate the masses. The meeting was wonderful. The band Gentri had apparently been in Nauvoo for the weekend doing a performance, and a couple of the members were in the congregation. The bishop decided to deviate from the program and ask them to perform their fireside performance on the fly! And they accepted! Well, it ended up only being the low tenor and the pianist, so when he got up he had to change the number since he didn't have the range to perform the one the bishop had requested. Instead he decided to sing "How Great Thou Art"...and he did a beautiful job. It brought both Danny and I to tears, and it felt like a little hug from Luke. Definitely a tender mercy, and an answer to prayer that we would feel Luke near us and know he was aware of us.

After church was over, it was time for lunch. This had been a sticking point in our plans as we prepared for the trip. There are no fast food restaurants in Nauvoo...or anywhere really very close. Nauvoo is kind of our in the middle of no where. We couldn't check into our bed and breakfast until 3:00 pm. We had originally tried to figure out if we could pack a picnic lunch and then find a way to also have a picnic-isn dinner...but we couldn't get the logistics to work very well. The only restaurant available was the Hotel Nauvoo, which had a buffet during the day on Sunday. Figuring that basically every tourist from church would have to go there to eat lunch, we expected a restaurant packed to the brim with Mormons in church dress. Surely the atmosphere would be such that we would feel okay having to pay for a meal on Sunday. 

Turns out, not so much. I have no idea what everyone else did for lunch, but not many went to Hotel Nauvoo. It attracted more of the biker crowd, honestly. Older people smoking in groups on the lawn outside the restaurant. It was kind of loud and dark in the restaurant. Danny and I regretted our decision pretty quickly, but we were kind of stuck at that point. So we ate. Now, the food was actually really good...and we could eat our fill knowing that we would only be having sandwiches and chips for dinner. The kids especially loved the buffet. So no, it wasn't what we were expecting. And yes, we wish we had made a different choice. But...it was still an experience!! And a good lunch. :)

After lunch, we made our way to Carthage Jail. It was only about 20 minute from Nauvoo. With it being Sunday, we thought it would be a perfect time to visit and a way to keep (or re-invite!) the Spirit to be with us on the Sabbath. The weather was absolutely perfect. And the spirit of that place was palpable. We were on the lookout for a sister missionary who is the niece of my dear friend Beth. We found her and her companion, and after visiting for a few minutes we were sure to get a picture that I could send to her mom. :)

We spent a few minutes in the visitor's center waiting for our tour to start. When it was our turn, we were shown into a small theater in the visitor's center where we watched a short movie. It was an excerpt from a talk by Elder Holland about the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum. How the way they died was a testament to who they were and what they believed. He testified of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, and the validity of the Restoration. Interspersed with clips of Elder Holland's address were scenes from other church films depicting the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum. It was a very powerful experience for me, and the Spirit witnessed once again to my heart that Joseph Smith is indeed a prophet of God. 

After that, we entered the jail. Our senior missionary guides explained how things were in the jail at the time of the martyrdom. How the jailer and his family lived in the jail, and that they were so impressed with Joseph, Hyrum, and the men that were with them that when the threats began they gave up their room to them thinking the men would be safer there. We went through the dungeon room, and spent a few minutes there before making our way up the stairs to the bedroom. We saw the bullet hole in the door that took Hyrum's life. We sat in that room and listened to journal accounts of that day. We listened to a portion of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief". And the spirit was so strong. I struggled to keep my emotions in check, as I could feel the death of those great men. Their spirit has stayed in that room, and have made it a hallowed place. We had to leave all too soon, and as we made our way outside I continued to struggle with my emotions. As we walked outside and I turned to look at the window from which Joseph fell, I was overcome with the feeling that this was the place where my Joseph Smith died. MY prophet. I've always had a testimony of Joseph Smith. But on this summer day, at Carthage Jail, I realized that everything I have and everything I hold dear...including my hope of an eternal family...is because of Joseph Smith. My Joseph Smith. I don't have a family line that links me to that great man, but we share a kinship in this great gospel. And as I realized this my tears fell freely in gratitude for all he did for me. Our afternoon in Carthage is surely one of the highlights of our vacation for me. And I'm so grateful for my sweet husband who wrestled Joey the whole time and allowed me the quiet experiences I had there. 

We went back to Nauvoo once we were done at Carthage, and it was time to check into our bed and breakfast! We figured we'd do that, change out of our Sunday clothes, and then go explore Old Nauvoo for a bit and enjoy our picnic dinner. We had seen a picture of the outside of the B&B on the website we used to book it, but we were still totally impressed when we pulled up. This was a period home! It was built during the saint's time in Nauvoo, and Wilford Woodruff and Brigham Young even taught in the parlor! There is a legend that Joseph Smith was hidden in the basement at one point, and for that reason alone the owners have never done anything to the basement. They are still the way they were when Joseph may have touched them. :) The floors and window wells are all original, and the home was breathtakingly gorgeous. Staying the night there was going to be a treat!

It was already pretty late on Sunday, so the Visitor's Center was just closing as we got there. Danny was able to run in and snag a map for us though. We decided since we were there we would check out the Garden of Women first. I was particularly excited to see this garden, since I had read a lot about it on various blogs about Nauvoo. And it didn't disappoint. It was gorgeous! The garden itself was beautiful, and the sculptures were breathtaking. I particularly loved the one of Emma and Joseph, especially having just come from Carthage.

The sculptures depict the different stages of a woman's life, and the different roles and gifts that women have. It was so neat to see a whole garden dedicated to being a woman, and reminded me of the incredible role it is to be a daughter of God. We even had a little fun with Joey and one of the statues... :)

Johnny had been having a tough day. I think the lack of sleep was catching up with him, but he needed a serious attitude adjustment. In the Garden of Women there was one statue of a mother and her son, and I wanted to pose with Johnny by it for a picture. But he refused, so we moved on. He was still being an ultimate pill during our picnic dinner, and eventually I lost my patience and told him he had lost the privilege of being with our family for our fun Nauvoo picnic if he was going to be so unhappy. I sent him out into the meadow to be alone, and then of course took a picture of him sulking. :)

We continued our dinner, and after a few minutes John approached me with a fist full of, well, we'll call them wildflowers even though I'm pretty sure they were just weeds. :) He said he was sorry, and that he realized that his bad attitude was ruining the day. Danny and I were so proud of his apology, that for once came without arguments or explanations or justifications! And we were all so happy to have our Johnny join us again.

Now, the most important part of our Sunday in Nauvoo was that it was Claire's 10th birthday!! We packed some of her presents with us so she could open presents from Sophie, Johnny, and Joey on her actual birthday. Everyone was excited to have her open presents...except maybe for Joey, which kept picking up her presents and throwing them as far as he could. That boy! Claire got some rock candy suckers, a beading set, and a fashion design kit that could be used in the car. We love our Claire Bear, and Danny and I can hardly believe she's been in our life for a whole decade now. We literally couldn't imagine our family without her. :)

Once we were done with dinner the kids were adamant that we go see the Mississippi River. It worked out perfectly, since the Trail of Hope down Parley's Street was the best access to the river and we wanted to do that too. Danny was anxious to find his family names on the memorial by the river, and it was neat for me to see my children find the names of their ancestors. Again, it was the same feeling I had in Carthage. I've always been bothered by my lack of pioneer ancestry, but watching my children find their family names made me realize that those were my family names now. I guess you could say I've been grafted in! 

The Mississippi River. Oh my goodness, I had no idea rivers were so big! The water looked seriously dirty, but it was still gorgeous. We let the kid play on the bank for a few minutes, and then I just had to get a picture with all our feet in the Mighty Mississippi! Well, almost all of us. Danny was busy reading plaques. :)

Since we were at the bottom of Parley's Street, we ended up going backwards and heading up the street...towards town. Opposite of the saints on their exodus out of the city. They put all their possessions in these wagons and left the beautiful city they loved, heading into the unknown with untold difficulties waiting for them. As we walked the street and read the plaques containing journal accounts, I could feel those saints waiting for hours on Parley's Street for their turn to cross the river. It was almost like time was layers in this special city. There were many modern conveniences, and the Church has done an incredible job with it. But you can feel the history on every inch of it. You can feel the lives lived there, the love of God and of family that built that beautiful city from a swamp land. I could see the hoop skirts swishing on the dirt roads, and the children running around. The sound of wooden wagons, and looks of longing back at a temple they had given everything for. I could see it all in my minds' eye...only it was more than that. It was more...palpable. It was an incredible experience for me, and again made me feel like I was a part of this story. Because I am. If it hadn't been for the sacrifice and faith of those early Saints, I would not have the blessings I have in my life. I am so grateful for their legacy, and hope to carry it forward into the generations that will follow me. Reading all of the journal entries posted throughout the city rekindled in me my desire to continue to write our family history. I hope I can follow their great example in at least that one thing.

After our time on Parley's Street, we drove through town on our way back to the Sanders House. Once there, we basically got ready for bed. We had one more day left in Nauvoo, and we knew we would want an early start so we could see and do as much as we could. We had two rooms and a bathroom to ourselves, but the rooms were on separate levels. Danny and I weren't comfortable sleeping a level away from our children, especially with other guests in the house. So it ended up being a girls sleepover and a boys sleepover! We found monogram robes in the girls room...so the girls had to get the full B&B treatment! :)