On Sunday the 27th we took a roadtrip to Nauvoo with Rob's family. They had enough of Minneapolis and needed to get to a smaller, less crowded city! Just kidding. We caravanned down with 4 cars and all our gear. It was about a 6 hour drive and Evan was really good. He took a long nap, watched a movie, read some books, and then we were there! I love this picture of him with his headphones on for his movie. 
We stopped in Iowa at Dairy Queen for lunch and Evan & Taylor were very amused by the rocks in the parking lot. Grandma Brenda had to play referee and make sure they didn't hit each other or the cars parked close by.
Rob and I have been to Nauvoo once before on our journey from Boston to SLC 2 years ago. We only had one day to spend there, so we were excited to go back and see more of Nauvoo. This is the house we stayed in. It is called the Riverview Retreat. It was 4 bedrooms and had recently been renovated. It was nice to have a lot of space since we had 10 adults and 3 kids with us!
The house overlooks the Mississippi River and we saw some gorgeous sunsets from the deck.
This swing was in the backyard. The adults and kids both loved it!
Jenny pushing Whitney on the huge tree swing.
There was definitely a special spirit in this temple. So many people sacrificed so much to build the original Nauvoo temple, only to have to leave it to travel west. A few years later it was set on fire and then a tornado destroyed most of what was left. I am sure that those people are so happy to be able to look down and see that the temple has been rebuilt in the same location and according to the original architectural drawings. This is the view of the temple you get as you drive into Nauvoo.
Here is a cool picture of the temple at night. On June 24, 1844, the Prophet Joseph Smith, his brother, Hyrum, and 17 other men, left Nauvoo for Carthage on what would be Joseph and Hyrum's final horse ride to answer charges against them for causing a riot. This statue in the foreground depicts the brothers beginning that fateful journey. .JPG)
After the temple and lunch, we all went to Carthage Jail together. Rob and I went to Carthage on our vacation 2 years ago and it is definitely something not to miss if in the area. The ground is so sacred and there is such a nice peaceful feeling there.
Rob and I in front of a statue of Joseph & Hyrum (Evan slept most of the time we were at Carthage).
This is the door to the bedroom where Joseph, Hyrum, John Taylor, and Williard Richards were staying in the jail. The four men tried to hold the door against the mob, but Hyrum was immediately shot and killed. The hole in the door shows where the bullet penetrated the door and then hit Hyrum. 
The mob forced the door open just as Joseph turned to leap out of the window, perhaps to distract attention from his friends. He was shot twice in the back and twice in the chest as he fell from the second-story window. John Taylor was shot four times but miraculously survived. Willard Richards escaped without even a hole in his clothing. 
Brenda and Vardell outside the jail on the ground where Joseph fell. The window he fell out of is the upstairs one in the picture.
With such a strong spirit at the jail and during the tour, it would be hard not to develop a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his divine mission. Carthage was so neat to visit again.
Heber C Kimball's Home. My favorite house in Nauvoo. Can you imagine leaving these beautiful homes behind that you worked so hard to build?
Brigham Young's HomeBrigham+home+on+Kimball+St.JPG)
After lunch we went on the Community of Christ's tour. They own the Nauvoo House, the Smith Homestead, the Mansion House, and the Red Brick Store. This is the back of the Nauvoo House. The original cornerstone was where the blue sign is. After's Joseph's death, Emma and her new husband Lewis Bidamon finished the house and took half of the main floor and made a second floor. They lived in the house and took in many boarders visiting Nauvoo..JPG)
View of the front and side of the Nauvoo House with Mississippi River in the distance. Emma called the house the Riverside Mansion.Nauvoo+House+location.JPG)
Whitney already tired and the tour had just began!
This is the Smith Homestead where Joseph and Emma lived with 4 of their children. They had many visitors so an addition was made to the home. Joseph III returned to the house in 1858 and lived there with his family. He made one more addition to the home. 
Smith Family Cemetery where Emma, Joseph, and Hyrum are buried.
The Mansion House was built by Joseph Smith to accommodate his growing family and the many visitors him and Emma took in. He also added a hotel wing that was later removed.
The Red Brick Store was a general store and a place for the Saints to pay their tithing. Many gathered in the large upper room for meetings or to visit Joseph in his office. The ladies first Relief Society met here. They sell items that were sold back in the 1840's. We had some tasty Root Beer and hard candies.
The Nauvoo Brass Band stopped outside the Red Brick Store and played some great music for our enjoyment. The horses decided this was their bathroom stop and the kids were very entertained!
Of course with Vardell on board, we had to take the tour of the Jonathan Browning Gunsmith shop..JPG)
We took a walk down Parley Street along the Trail of Hope. It has plaques with quotes from the Saints as they prepared to leave Nauvoo and head West.Parley+st+Trail+of+Hope+looking+E.JPG)
After a long but good day of touring Historic Nauvoo, we headed back to the house for some family fun & games.We stopped in Iowa at Dairy Queen for lunch and Evan & Taylor were very amused by the rocks in the parking lot. Grandma Brenda had to play referee and make sure they didn't hit each other or the cars parked close by.Rob and I have been to Nauvoo once before on our journey from Boston to SLC 2 years ago. We only had one day to spend there, so we were excited to go back and see more of Nauvoo. This is the house we stayed in. It is called the Riverview Retreat. It was 4 bedrooms and had recently been renovated. It was nice to have a lot of space since we had 10 adults and 3 kids with us!The house overlooks the Mississippi River and we saw some gorgeous sunsets from the deck.This swing was in the backyard. The adults and kids both loved it!Jenny pushing Whitney on the huge tree swing. DAY 1
Because of the kid situation, we split into two groups to attend the temple. Rob and I went with Vardell, Brenda, Jenny, & Eric on Monday.
This was all of our first times inside the Nauvoo temple. Rob & I had seen the outside on our prior trip, but were unable to do a session due to Evan being 6 months old and we had no one with us to watch him. The temple is incredible inside. It is definitely the prettiest temple I have been in. The wood work is amazing and it has beautiful staircases. Even the locker rooms are really nice and pretty!
There was definitely a special spirit in this temple. So many people sacrificed so much to build the original Nauvoo temple, only to have to leave it to travel west. A few years later it was set on fire and then a tornado destroyed most of what was left. I am sure that those people are so happy to be able to look down and see that the temple has been rebuilt in the same location and according to the original architectural drawings. This is the view of the temple you get as you drive into Nauvoo.Here is a cool picture of the temple at night. On June 24, 1844, the Prophet Joseph Smith, his brother, Hyrum, and 17 other men, left Nauvoo for Carthage on what would be Joseph and Hyrum's final horse ride to answer charges against them for causing a riot. This statue in the foreground depicts the brothers beginning that fateful journey. After the temple and lunch, we all went to Carthage Jail together. Rob and I went to Carthage on our vacation 2 years ago and it is definitely something not to miss if in the area. The ground is so sacred and there is such a nice peaceful feeling there.Rob and I in front of a statue of Joseph & Hyrum (Evan slept most of the time we were at Carthage).This is the door to the bedroom where Joseph, Hyrum, John Taylor, and Williard Richards were staying in the jail. The four men tried to hold the door against the mob, but Hyrum was immediately shot and killed. The hole in the door shows where the bullet penetrated the door and then hit Hyrum. The mob forced the door open just as Joseph turned to leap out of the window, perhaps to distract attention from his friends. He was shot twice in the back and twice in the chest as he fell from the second-story window. John Taylor was shot four times but miraculously survived. Willard Richards escaped without even a hole in his clothing. Brenda and Vardell outside the jail on the ground where Joseph fell. The window he fell out of is the upstairs one in the picture.With such a strong spirit at the jail and during the tour, it would be hard not to develop a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his divine mission. Carthage was so neat to visit again.On the way back to Nauvoo we stopped at a few Taylor family gravesites. It was quite the journey and the kids (including me, Rob, Jenny, Eric, Steph, & Brian!) were getting tired and hungry. So we headed back home to make dinner while Brenda, Vardell, Aaron, & Teresa went to check out the pioneer cemetary.
This sign talks about one of Rob's ancestors, William W. Taylor, who lived in Green Plains, Illinois and joined the church in 1831.
This cemetery is the resting place for another Taylor ancestor, Matthew Ellison. This monument was built later by relatives..JPG)
Here are the original headstones of Matthew Ellison and his wife Jane.
There is nothing like using an ancestor's headstone to assist in a bowel movement! Way to go Evan!
That evening Steph, Whitney, Brenda, and I attended "Sunset on the Mississippi" performance put on by the missionaries and senior missionaries. Whitney even got to participate in the parade!
DAY 2
While Steph, Brian, Aaron, and Teresa attended the temple, the rest of us went on a wagon ride around Historic Nauvoo. This is something Rob and I did last time we were in Nauvoo and it gives you a good overview of Nauvoo and some history. Then you can pick a few houses or businesses to tour that you are interested in.
Brigham Young's HomeAfter lunch we went on the Community of Christ's tour. They own the Nauvoo House, the Smith Homestead, the Mansion House, and the Red Brick Store. This is the back of the Nauvoo House. The original cornerstone was where the blue sign is. After's Joseph's death, Emma and her new husband Lewis Bidamon finished the house and took half of the main floor and made a second floor. They lived in the house and took in many boarders visiting Nauvoo.View of the front and side of the Nauvoo House with Mississippi River in the distance. Emma called the house the Riverside Mansion.Whitney already tired and the tour had just began!This is the Smith Homestead where Joseph and Emma lived with 4 of their children. They had many visitors so an addition was made to the home. Joseph III returned to the house in 1858 and lived there with his family. He made one more addition to the home. The Mansion House was built by Joseph Smith to accommodate his growing family and the many visitors him and Emma took in. He also added a hotel wing that was later removed.The Nauvoo Brass Band stopped outside the Red Brick Store and played some great music for our enjoyment. The horses decided this was their bathroom stop and the kids were very entertained!Of course with Vardell on board, we had to take the tour of the Jonathan Browning Gunsmith shop.We took a walk down Parley Street along the Trail of Hope. It has plaques with quotes from the Saints as they prepared to leave Nauvoo and head West..JPG)
Of course we played "pounce" and had some fierce games!.JPG)
Taylor, Whitney, and Evan snuggling on the chair.
Evan trying to give Taylor some "cousin love" aka a little push here and there when he found the chance..JPG)
Evan was so exhausted and fell asleep cuddling with Whitney. It was close to midnight!
The next morning was our day to leave Nauvoo. Of course we had to stop by the fudge shop on our way out of town to get some treats for our roadtrip. Grandma Brenda made sure all the kids were nice and sugared up before we strapped them in the car!
We had a fabulous Nauvoo vacation and were so happy that the whole family could be there together.
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