Nauvoo (part 2)

Emma, Joseph, and Hyrum Smith's Final resting place.  These three people are amazing in everything that they did and endured.  I can't wait to meet them some day.

Mansion House

This is the Exodus Monument.  All the names on the walls are the names of those who left Nauvoo for the Rocky Mountains but never lived to see them.  We saw a few Wood's, Jensen's, Peck's, May's.  I am not sure if we are related or not.

Eyes Westward

Joseph Smith and Brigham Young looking West across the Mississippi River

A wagon on a flat ferry.  Can you imagine floating across the river on this?

The Road to Zion

The Mississippi River

The boys near the site where the Saints departed Nauvoo.  The boys can now say that they have been in the Mississippi River. 

This is the quarry where the Saints and temple workers cut the stone to build the temple.

Temple Quarry Overlook

The boys were sleeping in the car so Ryan and I took turns going and looking out over the temple quarry.  After we were done there I decided that I wanted to walk through the "Monument to Women".  I am glad that I went by myself.  It gave me a chance to walk slow and to ponder about being a woman and all that it entails.

When the boys woke up we ate dinner and then headed to the Nauvoo Pageant to participate in some of the activities that we missed the previous night. 

Nathanial pulling a handcart

Christopher pulling the bigger, heavier handcart.

Ryan pulling our family (so that we could say Emily rode in a handcart)

The boys found this game and loved it.  There are 2 strings laced through the arms of a wooden bear and there is a race to get the bear to the top fastest by alternating pulling the strings (left, right, left, right)

Nathanial in the outfield during a game of stick ball

Later that night we went to a show called "Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo".  It was put on by Senior Missionaries and it was HILARIOUS!!!  It was a wonderful show! After the show we headed back to our camp.  We were smart this time and smashed all the mosquitoes in the tent before we went to bed. Unfortunately, it still was not a restful night due to the fact that it was sweltering HOT and that the raccoons came back while we were gone and found our pancake mix and spilled it on the ground so all night they were outside our tent fighting over it.  

July 28, 2011: The next morning I woke up early to get tickets for us to take a horse drawn wagon ride through old Nauvoo. The ticket counter opens at 7:30 AM so I was there around 7:20 and there was a long line. Luckily I was able to get tickets for the wagon ride that I wanted.  

Once I had the tickets I headed over to the Nauvoo LDS Temple to do initiatories. I have not done initiatories since mine.  It was a wonderful experience.  I was so nervous when I went through the first times that it was nice to be able to relax and really listen to the blessings that are promised in the initiatory. 

After I finished at the temple I went back to the camp to get Ryan and the kids so that we could go on our wagon ride.  The boys were so excited.  While we were waiting the boys petted the horses.  One of the Senior Missionaries came over to give the horses water and the horse splashed Nathanial.  He thought that it was funny.

While we were waiting for the tour to start there was a lady waiting for her husband to see if he could get tickets for the ride. When she spoke I though that her voice sounded familiar, but I wasn't sure. One of the Senior Missionary drivers told her that if he made it back in time that they could just get on.  It was time to start the tour and he wasn't back yet.  I saw him coming across the parking lot, so I told the driver that he was coming.  They were able to join us on our tour.  Well the lady ended up sitting next to me and I kept looking at her thinking, "she looks so familiar".  I thought that she was from the General Relief Society Presidency or the General Primary!  It was Silvia H Allred, First Counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency.

Nauvoo Temple from the wagon

Lyon Drug and Variety Store

The Mississippi River, the plants grow in 1-2 feet of water so it isn't very deep.

Nathanial wanted to take a picture of this butterfly

Nater wanted a picture by the "new" horses after we got back from our tour

After the wagon ride we headed to "Zion's Mercantile" for lunch.  It was really good!  "Zion Mercantile" has LDS owners and it shows.  It is a little shop and restaurant.  They have a nice dining room in the basement that has several tables, relaxing-uplifting music playing, and the walls were covered with pictures of the temple, Joseph Smith, and Jesus Christ.
After lunch Ryan went to the temple to do initiatories.  While Ryan was at the Temple I took the kids to walk around the Temple grounds before we headed to the Temple Receiving Center.  I think that the Temple Receiving Center is a great idea.  It is a building where you can come in your street clothes and change into your dress clothes.  There are lockers to keep your clothes in while you are at the Temple.  There is also a large area for kids.  They have a TV that they can watch Church movies and a closet full of toys for kids to play with (of course an adult has to stay with them).  The boys had a fun time playing while Ryan was at the temple.  The Senior Missionaries "ooh"ed and "aah"ed over Emily.   

After Ryan was finished in the temple we walked across the street to see "The Last Ride"

Our family in front of the Nauvoo, IL LDS Temple

There were a few other shops that we wanted to see before we headed home.

a printing press

We went to the Jonathan Browning Home and Gun Shop. This is the original Browning of Browning Guns. It was really cool to see how he made guns and all of the work that went into a single gun barrel. I guess he had like a year long wait list to get a Browning Gun because they were so accurate. Not to mention he invented a way to have multiple preloaded cartridges all ready to go attached to the gun so a person could have multiple shots. Needless to say Browning revolutionized guns and one that he invented was even used in WWII.

This gun was used in WWII

You could tell that this missionary was happy to be assigned to give tours of the gun shop.

During our trip when Christopher would get tired he would just fall asleep while Ryan or I would hold him.  We are so very thankful for this!

Down these stairs is well that was used as a refrigerator.

Talk about multi-tasking: cream goes in the big rectangular box, a baby and cradle goes on top, sit in the chair and knit while rocking the baby and making butter

The Tin Shop

Mouse Trap

This is an old-fashioned mouse trap.  A bucket was filled with water with a long round stick with a flat board was placed on top with a piece of cheese on the end.  A long flat stick was then placed against the side of the bucket.  The mouse would run up the long stick, reach out to the smaller board with the cheese on it and would fall into the bucket of water due to the round stick rolling.

Demonstrating how to make a tin pan

The Schoolhouse

In the back of the house was the classroom.

Nathanial was an excellent student

The Schoolhouse

The Post Office and General Store: The post office also doubled as a general store.

mailboxes

After we were done touring we went back to "Zion's Mercantile" to purchase a few souvenirs.  Outside the shop was this sun stone.  It is believed to be from the time when the Saints were building the temple.  They made several of these for the temple but some of them were flawed so they were not used.  

It looks like Nathanial is holding Emily's face :)

I am very thankful for the opportunity that we had to go to Nauvoo, IL.  Even though it was hot and humid and mosquito infested.  I had a wonderful time.  I am very thankful for all the sacrifices that the early Saints made in order to further the work.  They faced numerous persecutions and hard times.  Without them we would not be here today and we would not have the Restored Gospel in our lives, I am forever indebted to them.