More of Nauvoo

 

When you go to Nauvoo you need to take a wagon ride to see the town, so that's what we did!

 

We got out first thing in the morning which was good because it is the middle of summer and we are next to the Mississippi so it get's pretty hot and humid later in the day.

 

The missionary man here took our picture and them gave me a pamphlet on Family Relations, maybe he thought I was a single grandparent, I don't know.  It was a fun ride and then Grandma and Grandpa went to the temple and we did some more sight seeing and show seeing.

 

We went into the visitor center and Jack and Sofia loved the statues.

 

I think Sofia ran to the statues every time we came in this building.  It was very cool inside, (literally) and it felt good to get out of the heat.

 

Sofia of course had to take my picture.

 

This is the statue that Sofia loved the most and would always run to it to touch Joseph Smith.

 

She loved who he was talking with as well.  I love this picture, it looks like she is listening as well.

 

We then went to the Anna Amanda Show!  This is one of my favorite shows and the kids loved it and wanted to go again!

 

At the first they have all of these interactive songs and activities and as you can tell, they loved it!

 

At the end of the show they picked some one from the audience to come up on stage and guess who was picked? Yep, it was Jaedon and Anna Amanda wanted to tell him that everyone is important and that he should always remember that he is important too!

 

It was a fun show and the performing missionaries were fun to watch.

 

We then went to the pioneer games and this is a little log cabin with all sorts of things to play with.

 

Liv loved this little house.

 

Jack loved the wooden toys.

 

Sof loved the dolls and the dress up!

 

Doesn't she look like a sweet pioneer girl!

 

Oh, and here is our pioneer boy.

 

It's a pretty fun place.

 

Liv making her dinner.

 

hold on!

 

We did go and see the pioneer cemetery, I think this was the only picture I got, Jack loved getting out and crawling around the head stones, it is a very quiet peaceful place.

 

The night of the pageant we played games and found lots of fun activities to go to.

 

Sof and Live coloring their pioneer children, They made dolls, whirl y gigs  and just had fun until it got dark.

 

I didn't get any pictures of the pageant, I think Mel did, but it was well done and fun to watch, we then went up the road and went to bed in our pioneer house. I love Nauvoo!!!

Nauvoo

 

Love this cute little model.

Before I start telling more about our trip, I just want to express gratefulness that I am so blessed.  Sometimes things happen in your life and you wonder why and what could have happened. On Saturday we were moving Caitlin to a home in Ogden and we  were finished with the move but still had to come back to the rental in Logan to put a washer and dryer back in the spot that we had taken Caitlin's washer and dryer from.  We, meaning Ryan and I  had the washer in the back of the horse trailer and we had a dolly so we thought that instead of calling someone to come and help that we could just move it up the stairs ourselves.  (first mistake.)  It went well, (well,meaning, we struggled step by step to get it up to the top.) We were at the last step, Ryan was above pulling the dolly and I was below pushing the washer at each step, then as I was pushing I felt the washer slip and it had come off of the dolly and was coming down the stairs at me.  I saw Ryan's face and his eyes were wide with terror as I realized he didn't have the washer any more and it was coming down the stairs at me. Later, Ryan expressed to me,why I didn't just start running down the stairs, I don't know I guess I thought I could save it from  falling.  I still had a hold of the bottom of it and put my shoulders and head down to try and stop it and stop it I did, with my head!  It came down about 4-5 stairs and the washer hit me full force on the top of my head.  I felt like I was going to black out, but my hands were still stuck under the bottom of the washer. My head felt like it was going to explode but I was worried about pinching my fingers and Ryan came down and got the washer off of my hands and then I kind of just collapsed on the stairs. My head was killing me and my neck kind of hurt and then  Ryan said that blood was running down my face.  I had my sunglasses on top of my head and the washer had broken them and the nose grips had made punch holes in my head.  I sat there for a minute and realized I wouldn't be able to help him get the washer up or down the stairs, and knew I needed to get to my phone in the car to call for  help. I left Ryan holding the washer on the stairs and called Isaac first but didn't get an answer, (it was his birthday and they were out celebrating.) I then called Mac and he said he would be right there. I went back to try and help Ryan, ( I wasn't much help, I felt like I just wanted to close my eyes and go to sleep.)  Mac and Jess, came and Mac and Ryan got the washer up the stairs and Jess washed the blood off my face and tried to find the cuts through my matted hair.  I didn't think it was too bad because I knew it didn't take much to make the scalp bleed pretty good.  The punch holes were just oozing by that point so I figured they would heal in my hair okay.  Ryan finished loading up what was left to go to the DI and as I sat there, or lied there on the couch I realized that I could have been hurt much worse, ( I could have broken my neck!!!)  I was blessed and I am so grateful that I wasn't hurt worse,( because I was trying to stop a falling washer!) Some times we do stupid things and this was definitely up there with one of the stupidest. So even with my stupidity I was still blessed and I was spared. I think of this now, I made it home and left my matted blood hair until the next morning thinking it would close by the morning, which it did.  I went to church, did my primary chorister duties, came home, went and celebrated Isaac's birthday, got up this morning and went to work, (had a little neck pain, but nothing much and am here and ready to go to bed.)  Isn't that kind of a miracle?  I think so and I just want to thank Him for all that I have been blessed with and as I look at these pictures in this post I am extremely grateful for all that I am blessed with.  With that said, I will show you the rest of some of the pics of our trip to Nauvoo.

 

Here are the cute little pioneer children, ( they made these braids at the booths, which there were many, before the Nauvoo pageant.)

 

another picture of the cellar.

 

a picture at the blacksmith shop, where we got our prairie diamonds!

 

Liv and Sof with their diamonds.

 

We then went later to the Relief Society garden,  Sof was having a hard time here, ( I think she was tired)

 

The sculptures here are amazing and so beautiful.

 

Here is Sof when she had her little break down in the garden. ( Can you see what the name of this sculpture is?  I don't think Sof was feeling it,)

 

Yep, that was what she was NOT feeling.

 

Jack was happy though.

 

Grandpa looks tired.

 

Sof, did take this picture of me though, that made her a little more happy.

 

Funny Grandpa.

 

Sof, thinks this is her's.

 

See it's hers.

 

This is Liv's

 

Cute Olivia.

 

The Oxen were out shading under the trees.

 

This is Sunset by the Mississippi, the last time we came it was actually down by the Mississippi, they moved it up by the visitor's center.  It is still one of my favorite shows.

 

I especially love this part where they play all of the military fight songs and those that served in the audience are to stand and be recognized.  It always makes me so proud and grateful for my Dad when he stands and sometimes brings a tear to my eye for all those that fight for our country and my behalf.

Way to go Dad! I love you!!

3rd day of trip

 

On the third day which was Monday we drove to Nauvoo, Illinois and after the drive we made it to our destination and we were so excited to stay in this historic home in Nauvoo! I will give you a tour because the house was pretty fantastic! This is one of the bedrooms and this is where Grandpa and Grandma Shaw stayed.

 

There were many antiques in the house.(because the house itself is an antique) and they were beautiful.

 

This part of the house was added on, this bathroom was huge and there is a huge walk in shower behind me.

 

This is the bedroom where Mel and I stayed with Sof and Jack.

 

kind of cool huh!

 

There were pictures of Joseph Smith and the temple in our room and one night Sof pointed to the temple picture and told me that was where she was going to live. I said , "oh yeah" and she said, "yeah we are going to buy it and live there." she is so cute.

 

even the hardware was pretty cool.

 

this was the other bathroom and there is a big jetted tub and walk in shower as well in this one.

 

This was one of the parlors, there was one on each side of the front door coming in.

 

This is coming down the hall from the front door and even the flowers are fresh live flowers. ( love that touch)

 

Here is the other parlor with Jack trying to get into the cupboards.

 

This was the dining room and every morning we would come down stairs to the table beautifully set for our breakfast.

 

This was in the kitchen and Sof was in her picture taking mode again.

 

yep, here is the photographer.

 

this was the side porch.

 

this is where we usually came in the door.

 

This is the front door.

 

and here is this grand house.  I am sure it was quite grand in it's day and a miracle that it survived until now.

 

Sof behind the camera again.

 

another Sof picture.

 

and another one.

 

the window seat in the upstairs hall way.

 

The bedroom.

 

another antique. (no, not Jack!)

 

the bathroom.

 

This was quite an interesting fact about this house, it was the only house in Nauvoo that had an outside and an inside entrance to the cellar.  Thus it was a place the Joseph Smith actually hid from the mob.

 

Here is the inside of the basement and those are the stairs coming down from the outside cellar entrance, the door was closed and locked keeping any one from following him in.

 

We then went and visited Sof's beautiful house.

 

It is such a beautiful temple.

 

Sof the photo taker.

 

the front door of Sof's house.

 

a close up of Sof's front door.

 

Sof taking pictures of this man.

 

I love to see the temple, I'll go inside some day!

 

You can see the photographer on this one, it was Jaedon.

 

Joseph and Hyrum at sunset.  It was pretty cool when we went across the street to view these, the bagpipes started playing in the back ground.

 

taking a closer look.

 

These two loved remembering their time in Nauvoo.

 

Liv, the photographer.

 

The temple at sunset.

Yes, Nauvoo, is the happiest place on earth.