Our Trip

Mom has really wanted our family to go on a trip to Nauvoo.  This year she got us some rooms and planned a fun trip for all of us.  On Saturday me and the boys drove to Sanford and spent the night.  The next day we got up early and headed out following Clay and his family.  We got all the way to Kansas City, MO.  The boys rode most of the way in Uncle Clay's van watching movies and enjoying their cousins.  We had Kyler in mom's car with us.  

 The next day we visited a few different places.

 This is Liberty Jail where Joseph Smith and four others were put for 3 or 4 months during the winter months.  They stayed on the bottom level.  They told us that after it was not a jail anymore it was used as a ice house.  They were finally turned loose by the guards that held them because they knew that they were there unjustly.

 It had two door going into the jail and even the guards were locked in the jail.

 That is one of two windows looking into the 4 feet walls.  The windows were facing North and South so they never had any sunlight coming in.

 The celling was barley 6 feet so it was impossible for most of the men to stand up strait.

 All the Grand kids.

 We were going to take a nice picture of Mom with her grand kids but Kyler about broke his leg.  He was holding Olivia and fell in the cement and dropped her so needless to say it didn't work out.

 Next we went to Independence, MO.  It was where the pioneers lived for a time.  We got to see a small cabin that at times held up to seven families until they could build their homes.  We also saw a printing press where they printed the Doctrine and Covenants.  That was burned down by mobs the documents were saved by two little girls that hid in the corn fields.  After the mobs got really bad the pioneers where told to leave they asked for three months to get organized and things together then they asked for one month.  They were given 15 minutes to leave the town that they had lived.  There was an order to exterminate or run off any Mormon.

 They had a fun little play cabin.

 Kyle and JD finally holding baby Levi.

Kyle outside the Independence visitors center.

 



  

 

 The cows just trying to cool off.

We tried to find some little Amish town and never found it but we did see some neat places.  I love this picture of the wheat and old barn and house.

 The next day we made it to Nauvoo IL.  Clay, Robyn and their boys went to the Temple to do baptisms.  Me and the boys dropped Mom off and went and had breakfast then came back and took a few pictures.

 After the pioneers were kicked out of Nauvoo the temple was burned in 1999 they rebuilt it to the look the same as the first one.  It is beautiful.

 In front of it is the bronze of Joseph and his brother Hyrum.  It says something like these are the best people little do they know the troubles and heartache they will endure.

 That day we went to the Carthage Jail where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were shot and killed.

 The window that Joseph fell through when he was shot.

 This is the dungeon room.  It was cold and dark in there.  The jailer and his family lived in the jail and felt bad for Joseph and had him and the men that stayed with him down for dinner in their kitchen and even let them stay in their room where it was more comfortable.

 When the mobs came in shooting they shot John Taylor in the hip and chest.  The bullet hit his pocket watch in his chest but he was hurt pretty bad in his hip.  Another man brought him to this room and hid him under the straw mattresses.  He wasn't found and was able to get the help he needed.

 The Jailer's kitchen and downstairs of the jail.

 The bedroom was upstairs. 

 The four men that were in the room tried to hold the door to keep out the men.  A shot came through the door and hit Hyrum killing him.  The men came in and Joseph was by the window and got shot twice from the window then shot twice again from the men in the room making him fall out the window.  The mob ran out making sure he was dead.

 Just and old street in Carthage.

 Baby Levi.  He is such a good baby.  He just smiles and is always happy.  We love him!

 Joseph and his wife Emma and Olivia.

 Thad

 Mom and her boys and all the grand kids.

 That night we went to a fun little show.  The kids got to make hats and walk in a little parade. 

It was a really fun little show put on by the Missionaries the young and older ones.  There was some patriotic songs and some fun little skits.

 Then we went down the Mississippi River at sunset.  It was so pretty.

 The next morning the boys went swimming.  They had been waiting very patiently for it and had a good time.

 There was bagpipe players in town practicing for the pageant.

 JD, Ava and Kyle getting ready for the carriage ride through Old Nauvoo.

 It took us through all of the streets of Old Nauvoo and explained the different buildings.  It helped a lot when deciding what we wanted to see.  We still didn't get it all done.

 This is Parley Street.  It has several markers with different things the pioneers said as they were getting ready to leave.  They were made to leave in the winter.  The Mississippi River was frozen all the way across and they were able to make it. 

Our driver.

 The blacksmith shop.  The boys wanted to go there first.

 Olivia got a Root Beer at the Red Brick Store.

 She looks very classy.

 There was a place where the boys could play pioneer games and dress up.  They loved it and it was a good spot to rest and let them play for a while.

 

 

 

 

 Then that night we went to the pageant but before it started they have a fun little Country Fair where you can make things and play more games.

 The pageant.

 This is the Browning home.  The missionary took us through it real quick and showed us lots of guns that Browning and his son and grandson built.

 Then he showed us how they were made.

 The little boot repair shop.  It was a cute little building.

 It was sad to leave Nauvoo. We saw a lot but there was so much we didn't get to see.

 We decided to go down to Hannibal, where Mark Twain lived, and ride the river boat.

 When we got done there was a huge tug boat pushing barges full of coal down the river.

 The boys cooled off in a little splash pad.

That night we made it back to Topeka KS.  So we went to the zoo.  It was a little zoo but they had lots of fun things to do and see.

 

 You could hold the baby alligator for $5, we didn't do it.

 Thad, Ryan, Kyler, JD and Kyle.

 We got to feed the giraffes!  It was awesome!

 Bugs.

 We got in the car and drove and drove then Mom saw there was a Russell Stover's in Abilene KS.  So we stopped and got us some yummy ice cream and candy.

We made it all the way to Lamar CO. that night and then the rest of the way home the next day.  I am so happy that we were able to go on such a special trip.  It makes me proud of my heritage and it is always a special reminder of what our ancestors had to endure for what they believed to be true and good.