We just returned from the first family reunion our family has ever done (besides random Christmas gatherings). We went to Nauvoo, IL where there are lots of historical sites from the church and its early settlement there. 
Jacob was wonderful for the whole trip and managed to sleep just when we needed him too during tours and carriage rides.
Mom made the grandkids pioneer clothes- aprons and bonnets for the girls and vests with cowboy hats for the boys. They looked really cute and this morning one of the first things the kids did when we got home was to dress up again!
Howdy Michael! Nothing like a Capri Sun for a weary pioneer.
Before the carriage ride, the kids could pet the enormous Belgian horses that pulled the carriage. Michael would pet the horse, then say "whoah" as if he couldn't believe he just did that and then go down the steps back to the ground. A few seconds later he would bolster up his courage again and go back and pet the horses and repeat the same process.
Josh and Jen helped hold Michael during the carriage ride around Nauvoo. The ride gave a great overview of the city and saved a lot of walking!
Nicole enjoyed the wind in her face and watching everyone and everything!
The carriage drivers were from Idaho and really knew their farming, horsing, and all that good cowboy stuff.
Along the ride, we went along the base of the hill that the Nauvoo temple is on. The temple is beautiful and surrounded by peaceful grounds.
Michael started going to sleep on Jen's lap- they were good!!
The horses were beautiful!
Nicole fell asleep on Grandpa's lap. The kids played themselves into the ground every single day!
In front of the Mississippi there is a statue of Joseph Smith with one arm around Brigham Young and the other pointing west.
After some tours we rested in the Womens Garden which has statues about the beauty of a woman's life (playing with children, reading scriptures, learning, etc) and the portrayals are really peaceful. We ate some lunch there and let the kids run around.
The kids loved a puppet show and play called "Just Plain Anna Amanda" and we ended up seeing it twice while we were there.
The second time we saw it was with Grandma and the kids were cute sitting by her.
Us with some of the cast.
Grandpa came with us the first day we were out and had a fun time chasing after my crazy kids :-) We enjoyed walking around and talking while the kids played.
Nicole at an outhouse she tried to get into. Thankfully, it was locked.
Behind the bakery there were these enormous millstones!
Michael off to play in the Pioneer Pastimes play area.
Nicole trying to play the classic ball and cup game.
Somehow someone got Michael to dress up and he looked SO cute as a little pioneer boy.
The kids loved playing a chinese checkers type game. Well, not playing it, but playing WITH it.
This game is played by trying to toss the bean bag out of one of the cans on the stick up high and then catching it with the other can on the stick.
Grandpa was very patient with Michael- you can imagine what happened several times with those many little balls!
Nicole walked up to the horse and wanted to ride just like she saw the carriage horses ride!
This game is played by moving the strings up and down really fast so the wooden gingerbread-looking man goes up to the top of the rope. There were several of these in a row so people could race and people of all ages enjoyed this game.
Next to the house we stayed in there was an enormous grassy field where we all played bocce ball, 500, football, frisbee, and a ton of other games. We also sat in the shade with the little ones and enjoyed watching others play. The weather was beautiful- in the 80s with a light cool breeze.
The house was directly across the street from the temple- I'm standing on the front steps to take this picture. We loved having the temple right there. There were no other houses around either so we felt like we were so lucky to be in such a beautiful spot.
At night there was the production "Sunset At the Mississippi" and the kids all got to be in a parade at the beginning. Michael is coloring his hat-which was HUGE on him-before they started.
Nicole, Kaitlin, and Kiersten coloring their hats.
Each of the kids also received a musical instrument- the girls loved their tambourines and flags.
They gave Michael drum sticks and he loved hitting them on just about everything but each other.
All lined up to go!
We toured a wainwright and wheelwright shop and learned how to make a wheel.
The Nauvoo band went around in a carriage and played songs to crowds and even once serenaded Josh and Jen all by themselves!
Caleb was a great target for the girls because he was sleeping downstairs.
The view from the wagon ride looking across the Mississippi.
Jim and I went with Jacob on the Wagon Ride while Mom watched the kids. The wagon went over much more bumpy terrain and through some forest- even over this stream! I had to nurse Jacob during this ride and gained a much greater appreciation for pioneer women!
Another time watching the Nauvoo Band with Jim.
Pioneer house we toured.
After a very long tour at the Joseph Smith Historic Sites we all sat in a grassy field and drank Nauvoo root beer. Kaitlin was sure that we were drinking something bad and Brandon did his best to assure her it was only root beer :-) I must say the picture does look pretty funny.
On Sunday we toured Carthage where the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred with his brother Hyrum. The experience was sobering, especially to hear of how the prophet sealed his testimony with his blood when he could have easily escaped the unfair imprisonment and been safe from the mob that killed him.
Several quotes lined a pathway up to the jailhouse.
Joseph and Hyrum with the Carthage Jail in the background.
Touring the jail- this area was where the caretakers of the jail lived.
The cell where the men were kept for a little while.
This is the window where Joseph fell from when he was shot from the doorway.
The original door with the bullet holes shot through the door before the door was forced open.
Family picture with the statues of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum.
Nauvoo is a beautiful city and we found oursevles relaxing in the quaint atmosphere.
Outdoor pic of the blacksmith and wainwright shop.
Pastures for the horses used in the different rides.
Oxen for the ox rides.
Our last afternoon we walked the Trail of Hope where the pioneers were driven from Nauvoo down this road to where it ends at the Mississippi River where they went on a ferry across the river. The wagons lines this street in freezing February conditions as they left. There are signs with quotes from the pioneers along the pathway.
Mom pushed all the kids in the stroller so we didn't end up with kids in the ox field.
This plaque really made me sorrowful for the saints and their sacrifices to build a temple and be driven out shortly after it was completed. I read the placque about how the pioneers took a final look back at the temple and then looked back myself and saw the temple-beautiful and shining- resting on a hill in the distance.
A replica of a wagon on a ferry. I must say that looked pretty flimsy to cross the wide Mississippi!
The kids threw rocks in the river while we looked across towards the west, imagining the feelings the saints must have had as they faced the unknown.
Nicole loved playing with her cousins. At the house they played "Little Lion" and Kaitlin was "in charge." Kaitlin was the lion and she explained that if a hunter shot at her she would stop them because she had (and she showed me) strong and sharp teeth!! What a good daughter of a dentist!
Nicole liked the "little waves" and threw SO many rocks at Iowa! That last walk was a perfect way to end our reunion. There are tons of events I missed with my camera, simply because it was too fun. Especially all of the good food-each couple took turns preparing a dinner. When asked what our favorite part of vacation was, Jim mentioned the fridge. :-)
I didn't take too much video, but here's a few minutes of our fun!
Jacob was wonderful for the whole trip and managed to sleep just when we needed him too during tours and carriage rides.
Mom made the grandkids pioneer clothes- aprons and bonnets for the girls and vests with cowboy hats for the boys. They looked really cute and this morning one of the first things the kids did when we got home was to dress up again!
Howdy Michael! Nothing like a Capri Sun for a weary pioneer.
Before the carriage ride, the kids could pet the enormous Belgian horses that pulled the carriage. Michael would pet the horse, then say "whoah" as if he couldn't believe he just did that and then go down the steps back to the ground. A few seconds later he would bolster up his courage again and go back and pet the horses and repeat the same process.
Josh and Jen helped hold Michael during the carriage ride around Nauvoo. The ride gave a great overview of the city and saved a lot of walking!
Nicole enjoyed the wind in her face and watching everyone and everything!
The carriage drivers were from Idaho and really knew their farming, horsing, and all that good cowboy stuff.
Along the ride, we went along the base of the hill that the Nauvoo temple is on. The temple is beautiful and surrounded by peaceful grounds.
Michael started going to sleep on Jen's lap- they were good!!
The horses were beautiful!
Nicole fell asleep on Grandpa's lap. The kids played themselves into the ground every single day!
In front of the Mississippi there is a statue of Joseph Smith with one arm around Brigham Young and the other pointing west.
After some tours we rested in the Womens Garden which has statues about the beauty of a woman's life (playing with children, reading scriptures, learning, etc) and the portrayals are really peaceful. We ate some lunch there and let the kids run around.
The kids loved a puppet show and play called "Just Plain Anna Amanda" and we ended up seeing it twice while we were there.The second time we saw it was with Grandma and the kids were cute sitting by her.
Us with some of the cast.
Grandpa came with us the first day we were out and had a fun time chasing after my crazy kids :-) We enjoyed walking around and talking while the kids played.
Nicole at an outhouse she tried to get into. Thankfully, it was locked.
Behind the bakery there were these enormous millstones!
Michael off to play in the Pioneer Pastimes play area.
Nicole trying to play the classic ball and cup game.
Somehow someone got Michael to dress up and he looked SO cute as a little pioneer boy.
The kids loved playing a chinese checkers type game. Well, not playing it, but playing WITH it.
This game is played by trying to toss the bean bag out of one of the cans on the stick up high and then catching it with the other can on the stick.
Grandpa was very patient with Michael- you can imagine what happened several times with those many little balls!
Nicole walked up to the horse and wanted to ride just like she saw the carriage horses ride!
This game is played by moving the strings up and down really fast so the wooden gingerbread-looking man goes up to the top of the rope. There were several of these in a row so people could race and people of all ages enjoyed this game.
Next to the house we stayed in there was an enormous grassy field where we all played bocce ball, 500, football, frisbee, and a ton of other games. We also sat in the shade with the little ones and enjoyed watching others play. The weather was beautiful- in the 80s with a light cool breeze.
The house was directly across the street from the temple- I'm standing on the front steps to take this picture. We loved having the temple right there. There were no other houses around either so we felt like we were so lucky to be in such a beautiful spot.
At night there was the production "Sunset At the Mississippi" and the kids all got to be in a parade at the beginning. Michael is coloring his hat-which was HUGE on him-before they started.
Nicole, Kaitlin, and Kiersten coloring their hats.
Each of the kids also received a musical instrument- the girls loved their tambourines and flags.
They gave Michael drum sticks and he loved hitting them on just about everything but each other.
All lined up to go!
We toured a wainwright and wheelwright shop and learned how to make a wheel.
The Nauvoo band went around in a carriage and played songs to crowds and even once serenaded Josh and Jen all by themselves!
Caleb was a great target for the girls because he was sleeping downstairs.
The view from the wagon ride looking across the Mississippi.
Jim and I went with Jacob on the Wagon Ride while Mom watched the kids. The wagon went over much more bumpy terrain and through some forest- even over this stream! I had to nurse Jacob during this ride and gained a much greater appreciation for pioneer women!
Another time watching the Nauvoo Band with Jim.
Pioneer house we toured.
After a very long tour at the Joseph Smith Historic Sites we all sat in a grassy field and drank Nauvoo root beer. Kaitlin was sure that we were drinking something bad and Brandon did his best to assure her it was only root beer :-) I must say the picture does look pretty funny.
On Sunday we toured Carthage where the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred with his brother Hyrum. The experience was sobering, especially to hear of how the prophet sealed his testimony with his blood when he could have easily escaped the unfair imprisonment and been safe from the mob that killed him.
Several quotes lined a pathway up to the jailhouse.
Joseph and Hyrum with the Carthage Jail in the background.
Touring the jail- this area was where the caretakers of the jail lived.
The cell where the men were kept for a little while.
This is the window where Joseph fell from when he was shot from the doorway.
The original door with the bullet holes shot through the door before the door was forced open.
Family picture with the statues of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum.
Nauvoo is a beautiful city and we found oursevles relaxing in the quaint atmosphere.
Outdoor pic of the blacksmith and wainwright shop.
Pastures for the horses used in the different rides.
Oxen for the ox rides.
Our last afternoon we walked the Trail of Hope where the pioneers were driven from Nauvoo down this road to where it ends at the Mississippi River where they went on a ferry across the river. The wagons lines this street in freezing February conditions as they left. There are signs with quotes from the pioneers along the pathway.
Mom pushed all the kids in the stroller so we didn't end up with kids in the ox field.
This plaque really made me sorrowful for the saints and their sacrifices to build a temple and be driven out shortly after it was completed. I read the placque about how the pioneers took a final look back at the temple and then looked back myself and saw the temple-beautiful and shining- resting on a hill in the distance.
A replica of a wagon on a ferry. I must say that looked pretty flimsy to cross the wide Mississippi!
The kids threw rocks in the river while we looked across towards the west, imagining the feelings the saints must have had as they faced the unknown.
Nicole loved playing with her cousins. At the house they played "Little Lion" and Kaitlin was "in charge." Kaitlin was the lion and she explained that if a hunter shot at her she would stop them because she had (and she showed me) strong and sharp teeth!! What a good daughter of a dentist!
Nicole liked the "little waves" and threw SO many rocks at Iowa! That last walk was a perfect way to end our reunion. There are tons of events I missed with my camera, simply because it was too fun. Especially all of the good food-each couple took turns preparing a dinner. When asked what our favorite part of vacation was, Jim mentioned the fridge. :-)I didn't take too much video, but here's a few minutes of our fun!
2 comments:
It looks fabulous!
Looks like you guys had a great trip. What a fun place. Thanks for writing about it so we could join in the fun too!
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