Nauvoo: Part 2

We finally made it to St. Louis and called my dad to come pick us up. They pulled up in a sweet ride. A big ol 12 passenger van. We therefore dubbed ourselves the Stomin' Mormons. We started on our way to Nauvoo. Poor Easton had about had it with traveling at that time, but he was still a good sport. We had a great experience at a local Walmart, sang Hannah Montana, oh wait, Abbey corrects me, that song is Miley Cyrus, we sang with Abbey at the top of our lungs, laughed our guts out and admired Dad navigating the huge white monster and finding  it necessary to honk randomly all the way to Nauvoo. We finally got there, we all stayed in a home their that we rented. It worked out quite nicely. The next morning we got ready to head to Carthage.  Here we are in the white bus, my dad at the bottom.

After getting harassed about doing his hair, this is what Randon came up with. Yes. Lovely. All day. We got to Carthage and went inside the visitors center for the little presentation when it started to rain. We ran inside Carthage jail, a little wet but that was okay. It was so neat to be there, I can't even describe it. I've always known Joseph's story, but we I realized a different side of the story, that while he was a great prophet, he was also a man, who had to say goodbye to his wife and children, his beloved people and city and ride to what he knew was his death.  We were able to sit as a family in the room where he was shot. This picture is outside of the room, taken through the bullet hole in the door that is still there, looking through at the window he fell out of when he was shot.

Our little family, outside of Carthage Jail.

 That night we went to "Sunset on the Mississippi", a little program that the missionaries put on. We stayed to watch the BYU folk dancers who were also there, but that was cut short when it started raining. Here is Easton as happy as ever even in the rain.

The next morning we were able to do a session in the Nauvoo temple. Randon and I, and my mom and dad went, and it was so amazing. Its such a little temple from what I'm used to, but it was so neat to see a replica of what the people of Nauvoo worked so hard for. Later that day we went to old Nauvoo where they have restored several of the old homes and shops have been restored. 

Very cool to see how prosperous and efficient those people were! It also broke my heart to see all they left behind to face the unknown of the west. I'm so glad we went, it strengthened my testimony and I learned a lot. Easton was such a good boy. Happy everywhere we went, even when wet. 

And thankfully we were able to fly home without incident. :)