Nauvoo and Nana

We had been counting down the days for Nana to come visit and it finally came last Saturday. After picking up Nana at the St. Louis airport, we drove another two hours to make our way toward Nauvoo. All of us were excited to see Nana and also to see historic Nauvoo. Ron served his mission in Illinois and spent some time in the the Nauvoo ward and I was excited to visit for the first time. Sunday morning we went to church. I loved the experience of hearing the missionaries tell of their time spent serving in Nauvoo.

We stopped by the temple and took a couple of pictures. (Hyrum and Joseph on their horses leaving for Carthage, looking back over their city.)

The Nauvoo Temple is beautiful. We counted nearly 100 stars on the exterior and thought we had done pretty good. But, we googled how many stars are on the temple and there are 399 stars. It is amazing to think of the sacrifice that was made to build the original temple structure. After seeing the temple, we made our way to Carthage and toured the jail where Joseph and Hyrum were killed. I expected to feel immense sadness, but was surprised that I felt hope and gratitude to a prophet and a brother who loved the Lord to do the service that was asked of them.
Back in Nauvoo, we saw a few of the restored buildings like Seventies Hall, the blacksmith shop, the Sarah Granger Kimball's home, the shoe shop, and then called it a day. All the kids were jealous because Casey got to keep the horseshoe from the blacksmith shop because his birthday was the closest.

One of my favorite tributes in Nauvoo is the Trail of Hope. Markers inscribed with journal entries lead the way to the point where the Saints left Nauvoo for the west. As you look back, the most prominent structure is the temple. I can't imagine the feelings of loss and sadness that I would have felt. I really don't think I could have done it.

On Monday, we toured more homes, the printing press, the gunsmith, and the brickyard. The kids loved the pioneer pastimes and experiencing some of the games and fun the pioneer kids had.

We all loved learning more about life in Nauvoo and our gratitude and awe increased for those who came became before. I am so glad that we were able to visit.

Missouriism

There are so many different things that Ron and I crack up about living here in Missouri. I decided I needed to start recording them so I don't forget. So the Missouriism for today is:

You don't prepay for breakfast/lunch at the school. Your kids go eat whenever they want and then the school bills you at the end of the month by sending the bill home with your kid. Come on, really?
And about breakfast while we are on the subject. Did RMRE have a breakfast option? I don't think so. Everyone here eats breakfast at school. (Gross) It is social/get into trouble/throw away 90% of the food on your tray hour. Believe me, I witnessed it first hand - and, of course, my kids are begging. Waaahhh.

Hours

Teddy is no longer allowed outside while Ron is mowing.
It took hours to turn that green dog back to white.

I spoke too soon

Yes, I shuddered. I really don't like snakes. Oh, but the kids were excited. Their only disappointment was that it had accidentally found its way in front of the tractor.

Wild Animals

It didn't take long for a trap to be set for wild animals. Although we have seen quite a bit of wildlife, nothing but caterpillars has been caught so far. Sightings include skunks, deer, turkeys, armadillos, turtles, and squirrels. Some close to the house and thankfully, some not so close.

First Day of School

I don't think it could have been much more different than our usual first day. On a cloudy, misty/rainy, 64 degree day, we sent the kids off to their first day of school here in WP. With all four at the same school for the first time, there was definitely some anxious excitement. Since Sam entered kindergarten, they were all used to friends waiting and walking and talking on the first day of school. We missed the ritual of walking which is not an option because school is 2 miles away on a narrow, barely car safe country road. But, except for needing help finding a locker, they all seemed to enter their classrooms with confidence. Casey walked right into his without looking back, Zach gave his teacher a hug, Maggie took control of her desk, and Sam high-fived a baseball buddy. I was so proud of their bravery. I personally was glad to have Jill there to bring home with me, and was missing the usual faces and friends to commiserate with. So, I can't wait to see how the first day went and hear all about the day. Luckily, I always forget how fast the day goes and now, it is time to go pick them up.

Lake Norfork

On Saturday, we went to Lake Norfork with a family in the ward. The kids were kind of excited, but none of them had ever been to a lake before. Not knowing what to expect, they were full of questions like, are there sharks or alligators, and they wanted to know if you actually get in the water and swim. The lake is a short 45 minute drive from our house and is one of the most beautiful lakes I have been to. It is surrounded by hills of green trees and the water is very warm. (A major plus for me.) After much coersion, Casey even rode the banana and ended up loving every minute. He says he is going back to swim at the lake for his birthday. *He doesn't quite understand that we don't have our own water vehicle. We ate tons of junk food and we all loved to swim and float. Jill especially liked the ease of floating with a life jacket on. All of the kids agreed that the lake was way more fun than they thought it would be and hopefully we can get back there someday to enjoy some more great family time.