Nauvoo Part 3

DAY 6

We started our last, full day in Nauvoo at the Temple City tour. The same couple missionaries took us through several houses over the course of about an hour. Today the crowds finally seemed to pick up. We were surprised that it didn't feel that busy the other two days. 

 

 One of the most surprising facts I learned was that the term "oxen" is not a specific type of animal! It's just regular cattle. What oxen refers to is it's job. If cattle are used as draft animals they are now referred to as oxen. Ha!  They also have 4 stomachs! We had ourselves a nice, wagon ride all to ourselves. 

At the school house we learned that they would spell phonetically. So "shouse" would be shoes. 

I was really intrigued by Lucy Mack Smith's home. It was an original. You can tell because the foundation is limestone. She was only 4ft. 11in. The Book of Abraham was translated in Nauvoo. You could pay 25 cents to see the Dead Sea scrolls in Lucy's parlor.

    

We had lunch at The Red Front which was the yummiest food we had in Nauvoo! It's a winner and so reasonably priced. Not to mention it had "the brick" ice cream dessert that instantly became my new, best friend. Mint chip was the best flavor.

Throughout the day the missionaries would do little skits and songs at different locations around town.

We went to the Cultural Hall to hear the missionaries sing and Olive and Tanner went on stage afterward to sing "I Will Be What I Believe". It was adorable and got some claps from people who had stayed behind. 

Ever wondered where the term "potty" came from?! Oh, from the pot kept under the bed for people to use in the night when they didn't want to use the outhouse. 

This was called a Weasel wheel. And when the thread pops, it's full. Hence the lyric, pop goes the weasel!

This was the Seventies Hall. Upstairs they had old artifacts and family history files where we both found ancestors on record!

We ended the tours by walking down the Trail of Tears and reading all the placards. We both had ancestors with plaques! Lousia's cracks me up! She was a feminist for sure!

The kids enjoyed throwing rocks into the Mississippi. It's hard to wrap your mind around the fact that these events actually happened. They were forced out of their homes and traveled west, in horrible conditions and often without spouses, losing children and family members along the way. Their faith is so inspiring to me. Because of their sacrifices, I have the most amazing life. I hope that I can be as faithful and valiant as they were. 

Simeon Dunn is a many great-grandpa of mine. His house isn't used for tours but it is still here! I recently read his life story and if I remember right, he lost 4 wives. And he was never married to more than one at a time. They just kept dying. He had heard about the prophet and walked 500 miles to meet him before moving his family to Nauvoo. 

Back to the Country Fair! There is so much to do here! We got our pioneer pictures taken, ran into friends from our old stake and the boys got to play with Rowan. We had great seats for the British Pageant, which is about the converts who joined the church in England, then came west. 

My favorite part was at the very end when all the missionaries came out and sang Called to Serve. So powerful! 

DAY 7

On our last day, we packed up the house and stopped at the Sarah Granger Kimball home. It was the last one we hadn't seen yet. Tanner was pretty done with tours by now, but the kids had held up really well for the trip! They hadn't known what to expect, but after the first day, Collin declared this is way better than what he thought it would be like.

It was interesting to drive a slightly different route back to Kansas City. 

I wanted to stop at the Amish town so I found a restaurant that had good reviews. We were starving when we pulled up and I quickly realized my mistake. The place was a dump. Old and so dirty... carpet that looked like it belonged at the Golden Corral. We all walked in and I wanted to walk right out, but every head had turned to stare at us and you could have heard a pin drop. I felt trapped. We were seated at a big, round table and I tentatively picked up a menu. What do we do??! The kids had to go to the bathroom and that alone made me panic. There were no other options nearby and everyone was so hungry. Out of sheer paralyzation we ordered. I glanced back at the kitchen with a queasy stomach. Is e-coli worth it just not to offend people?? Now, for the shock of my lifetime. Plates of food appeared that looked good! How?! The food seemed fresh, normal... I mean I didn't even see one flea. So it was a magical kitchen. I tested fate and ordered the pie and it was so good! God was blessing us for honoring the pioneers. ;)

I remembered visiting an Amish store with my grandparents... a quaint, country store with handmade items and quilts. That's what I was on the search for. Instead, I found a smelly, warehouse type place with bulk food and sticky floors. Sigh. Amish country, you are sad!

Apparently there is a monument for Haun's Mill but from what I read, the road is rough and you shouldn't try to drive to it if it's been rainy. Which it had been. So, instead, there is another monument at a park in Breckenridge... about 10 miles from the actual site of Haun's Mill. This story always chilled me, hearing it growing up. Now, I will probably only remember that this is where I put a blanket down to rest, while the kids played on the park, only to discover a terrible smell and an enormous pile of dog doodoo right next to me. Ugh. I guess it pairs well with the story.

We had a little bit of time to kill before our flight so back to the giant animal park we went!

Nothing like expensive airport food for dinner to close out a trip! We really had such a wonderful time and I felt distinctly that Heavenly Father had blessed us. It couldn't have gone better. For the most part, the kids got along, we made wonderful memories and bonded, learning about the beginnings of the church. My heart was at peace and so, so grateful for this experience!