The Rest

I know I have been really detailed on our trip, but it is something that I really want to have well documented. So if you are sick of reading about our trip, too bad, it's my blog! And I need to get caught up so that I don't feel like there is a major project every time I sit at the computer. So here is the rest of our trip.

We spent the night in Liberty and then the next day we drove to Independence Missouri. It was only about a half hour drive and I'm glad we did it. We all knew that there wasn't a ton to see there but it was worth it. We went to the lot that Joseph declared the spot of the temple that will be built in the later days. It was interesting to me to hear of the stories of things in this area. I'm so glad that I have a testimony of the The Church of Later-Day Saints and that it makes sense, the Temple Lot church and the Community of Christ churches have a lot of things that didn't make sense at all. And I don't understand how their members are okay with some of those things. And it was strange that they both use the Book of Mormon, and they have apostles and prophets but they don't have the Spirit. We even met one of their apostles.

Here we are at the temple lot.

This is the Community of Christ's temple. It was really quite comical to be that when we were in front of their temple I kind of have the feeling of "That's a strange building." And on the other hand when we were in front of the Nauvoo LDS Temple I got the feeling of "Wow that is so beautiful, amazing, and sering." Not at all the feeling with this upside down tornado looking thing. We went inside and then was really thinking it was weird when I saw pictures of women giving blessings, and crosses inside... STRANGE!

We went to a small deli and ate lunch, Baden evidently had frog legs. Isn't he so cute!

The next day we went to see where Jace works.

Jace took us to see the museum of Sam Walton. Wal-Mart isn't just a store out in Bentonville it's a culture. It was neat to see how Sam Walton started out, and what a humble and nice man he was.

The next day we went to their zoo, it's a bit different than what we have in Phoenix but it was sure fun! They had a lot of places where you could get right up close to the animals, this pig started walking toward Kya, she didn't like that much. I don't blame her if a huge thing that looked like this was about as tall as me I would run too!

She liked things a lot better behind a fence.

The goats kept eating our shorts.

The baby baboons that were really cute. Kya kept saying, "Look that monkey has a diaper on!" She thought that was pretty funny.

The 12 week old baboon tried to sit on Kya's lap... she didn't like that much. Like I said before she likes animals behind a fence.

The baby lion.

Then after we saw all the animals there was a part of the zoo that you stay in your car, that is the way to go... no walking with the AC on! It was like a safari and the animals would walk right up to your car.

Preston fed the bird, I was telling him, "We see this all the time on America's Funniest Videos and they NEVER turn out good!" But he did it anyway and I guess it wasn't too bad!

Then we came home and went swimming. The hose water was REALLY cold and Kya's swimsuit made her too cold I guess. She is a little funny about having her clothes wet so she swam naked!

Then we had a BBQ with the Gosney's. Jace and Karis's friends that live right around the corner.

The next day was Father's Day, Sunday. We got to got to Jace and Karis's new ward building that morning and then of course we did Father's Day gifts!

Roberta, and Jace both went in on a gift for us and surprised us with it! It's the same statue on Joseph and Hyrum that is at Carthage. Where we got Baden Hyrum from.

Then we went to the Gosney's for a BBQ. We ate some GOOD grub!

Then it was Monday time for good-byes! Cole was so sad to see "K-YA" go! We love you guys hope everything goes well with the twins!

Baden was surprisingly happy in the car by the end of our long trip!

We had such a good time seeing Jace, Karis and Cole. Then to be able to have spent time with Roberta and see Bert and Garna too, was just great! What a great experiance!

More Traveling

We spent the night in Amish country, that morning we went to the Amish stores and shops. I liked the wood furniture the best. We spent most of the morning looking around stores and shops, it was fun.

Cole and Kya playing at the hotel.

Then we drove to Adam-Ondi-ahman. So pretty and green there!

It was fun to learn a little bit more about this very spot.

Then it was off in the CAR AGAIN down to Liberty, the kids did great. Kya did very well but she had a movie to watch the whole time, but Baden didn't want to sit in his car seat ANYMORE!

Kya has her hand in the peanuts still, dead asleep!

This was our second tornado watch, it was crazy watching the clouds swirling right in front of us!

We went straight to Liberty Jail, it was different than I thought they had built a visitor center over the top of the jail. I know I have heard the stories but I didn't picture this. And to hear the specifics of how it was built put a new dynamic on the picture. The jail was built 2 feet under ground there was no ventilation where they were kept. The ceiling was too low for all but one of them. The only windows were very small and the walls were four feet wide so it was dark and cold and uncomfortable for about 4 1/2 months! They said later on the man that owned this after it wasn't a jail anymore said he used the basement as a ice box and would keep things cold til the middle of summer! I now really do understand how Joseph could have written section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenents: O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries? ... Remember thy suffering saints, O our God; and thy servants will rejoice in thy name forever. (D&C 121:1-2, 6)

It was so humbling to be there, and to think that such a great man could have gotten treated so poorly!

We stayed at a hotel in Liberty and Baden was SO happy to get out of his car seat!

Kya and Daddy had fun in the hall for a while bringing the bags in!

Nauvoo Day Four - 16th

We took our final morning in Nauvoo saying our good-byes, we went to the visitor's center and found Garna we said good-bye, then went down the "Trail of Hope," it used to be called the "Trail of Tears" but has since been renamed. This is the very street, that when the saints got pushed out of Nauvoo, they all lined up wagon after wagon along Parley Street to wait their turn to cross the COLD Mississippi River. Along the trail there are plaques that have various people's journal entries around that time.

It make you really feel for them. I can't imagine getting shoved out of MY home that I built, leaving the land that I cleared, leaving a sacred building that took so long to finish that I worked so hard on. On top of whatever other circumstances each was under, whether it was that of old age, with child, with two or three small ones that don't walk well, or widowed the list could go on and on.

It makes me realize how strong their testimonies had to have been! Because if it were me and I didn't know for a FACT that the Church was true there is NO way I would let someone push me out of my home in the middle of February! It would have been so easy to say Easy... don't push me out I don't really believe this stuff. It's like in Horton Hears a Who, he says "I'll have have to say is it's not true, and all of this will go away." It makes me wonder how many of the saints now a days would react to something as big as being push out of their house, when it seems like such trivial things that make some of us as Latter Day Saints fall.

To be out in the freezing cold, having not enough to keep warm, being hungry, having kids being hungry and cold, not knowing the destination, or how long the journey will be, and just trusting the Lord. Those saint that went through all of that are all my hero's!

I thought it was great that we left this part for the very end our trip, it gave it a little more to look back on the temple and say good-bye to this beautiful place!

After we got all the way done with the trail, Bert showed up and stayed and talked with us for a long while. I really enjoyed spending time with them, I can't convey in writing how strongly I could feel the Spirit of what they were doing and of how much of a testimony they had. I really enjoyed hearing Bert's thoughts and testimony of Joseph Smith. It strengthened my own by hearing his. He had so many neat things, and experiences to share with us, it was so great that he was able to come by and say good-bye.

He had given Baden a new nick-name while we were there, he called him "Little Yoda." I told him he had about the same ears as Baden so we started calling Bert Big Yoda. They were so fun, glad we got to see them while they were there! We love you Bert and Garna!

Our last little bit in Nauvoo right at the Mississippi River.

Then we took off for Jacksonville to Amish country. It was different than I thought it would be evidently some are not so strict there so they were on cell phones and riding in cars and such. I thought I would have kind of a culture shock but there were A LOT of normal people and the Amish just seemed to dress different and that speak Dutch.

Nauvoo Day Three - 15th

On Monday we were able through hook ups, to be able to get a babysitter for all the kids and then be able to attend the temple all together. The feeling and Spirit that was with us that day was so peaceful and great! Just knowing that I was going to step foot in that beautiful House of the Lord was amazing to me and I was on the edge of tears just being on the front step let along walking inside the front door. It was gorgeous inside and so neat to see it with my own eyes. Most of the floors were wood and I had never noticed before the symbolism of coming in the temple in my Sunday, yet worldly clothes, and feeling that that didn't really belong. My high heals were very loud and I tried with every step to quiet the loud clomping that I was making. It wasn't until I had changed my clothes that the peace came, then I belonged.

To be in that sacred house and to think of everything that went along with it was amazing! Realizing that the saints build this long ago and to see how much work would have had to go in to it. To see the detail that was put in to it, what a sacrifice one had to have made. I tried to think "How did this curtain get here?" Was it sacrificed from a window they would have covered in their home or did they spend and take extra care to make it special. I really tried to just drink it all in and think in very specific terms. And then of course those feelings of how strong their testimonies had to have been to give and sacrifice and work SO HARD on this temple. They HAD to have known the gosple was true, and that they weren't just building a building they were building a temple where they were going to be able to receive such high blessings. I know that the saints did have that testimony because I felt it by just being there. It was truly so beautiful and I was in awe the whole time we were there I wanted to just stay forever.

Preston and I were lucky and we were able to be in one room all by ourselves and it was just an overpowering feeling. The beauty of the paintings and the work that went in to every detail in each room and to think of those saints that had done it all before was incredible! I will never forget the Spirit that was there. It made me want to be so much better than I am and that I have the Divine support to do so.

Attending the Nauvoo Temple was by FAR the best part about the trip. If you weren't planning on going to this beautiful place I hope you feel differently now! If you don't have a temple recommend yet get to a point where you can have it, and get here! If you have one... get here!

It makes me want to cry thinking of how hard the saints worked on completing this great temple knowing what special ordinances take place here and have to leave it all behind.

While we were in the temple we ran into a sealer that worked in the AZ Temple, Steve Stapley and his wife they are on a mission working in the Nauvoo Temple now. It was kind of a coincidence we ran into him a while ago in the AZ temple doing sealings and then to run into him there was fun. He is also related too so we had fun, he also was able to show us a few other rooms we wouldn't have been able to see so that was extra special. We took he and his wife out to lunch and we really had a good time with them!

We got to do some shopping for a bit and then we hit some more of the historical buildings, Preston and I were able to see the John Browning Guns, which was so interesting to me. Basically he and his dad invented a lot of guns way before their time and we still use them! Preston added this: I remember last time we where in Nauvoo and were doing the Browning residence portion of the tour that someone in the group responded to the comment that the Elder made that, “Obviously the Browning Family was inspired to produce these firearms ahead of their time.” The person asked the question something like, “Why would the Lord inspire someone to create firearms?” And the Elders answer was that the Browning’s developments were used by the United States Armed Forces to uphold and protect the very freedoms we value. So through the inspiration to one family (father and son) the Lord provided the most updated means to protect our country.

We then went to the tin house and the bakery.

That night Elder and Sister Randall were in another play and Bert was the main narrator and Garna played the piano, what talent they've got!