On Sunday night we got to Nauvoo, IL. We got in pretty late but the grandparents were still up and so excited to see us! It was great being able to hang out with them and chat with them again. I cannot wait for them to get home, but I know they are where they need to be right now. And I am truly grateful to them for serving a mission. I know that my husband and I have sure been blessed by it!
The grandparents house is right next to the Mississippi. It was so wonderful to be that close. The sunsets were gorgeous and great for my photography! Ha ha. It was beautiful to see the sun setting and glowing so pretty across the water. And down by the Mississippi it was so peaceful to hear the water hitting against some rocks and logs. Just a pretty sight all the way around. They sure did get lucky on where they are living.
They also live close to the Temple Quarry. Which if you don't know what that is, it's where the temple workers who were building the Nauvoo LDS Temple got the limestone from. It was neat to be able to see that.
This is where they got the limestone from but of course there wasn't water there at the time. It is such a beautiful place. It is surrounded by a billion trees and bushes. Just made it feel special and so peaceful. (Nauvoo is really green though!)
This is also at the Temple Quarry spot. And of course we had to get a pretty epic picture. Thanks MOM & JAMES!!
This is at some stone bridge place. It is just a beautiful spot. It is so green around the area and wonderful for photography. Thanks Grandma for taking me to this wonderful place. It was nice to visit for a little bit. I just love the sound of water and I love being able to take beautiful pictures.
A few of us headed out with Grandma to go see Morley's settlement. This is such a special place because James' family and my family both had ancestors who helped settle this area.
You can learn a little bit more about Morley's Settlement here: Morley's Settlement
Neat story about my family being here. I had no idea that I had any family that would be in Nauvoo or around Nauvoo. So when we went to the Seventies Hall I decided I would look just to see. And I found THREE ancestors! (I will be blogging about this later though..) And I found out that one of my ancestors was part of the Morley Settlement. So it was neat to be able to go and see where it would of been. (Morley's Settlement got burned down completely.)
And here is what Morley's Settlement looks like today. Farmland. Ha ha. I really wish I knew what it looked like back then and how big it truly was. It is a very beautiful place here and I am so blessed that I was able to go and see it. I felt so close to my family and it was just a neat experience.
On Wednesday (I think..) we went to dinner at this delicious buffet! It was some of the best food I have ever ate. I was so stuffed after. They had all sorts of meats, potatoes, salads and breads.It was a very cute place to go to also. Although the women's restroom was a little creepy and very pink!
One of the places we toured was the Brick Yard. It was neat to go there and see how they made the brick to go on the home. We even got our very own brick to take home!
James and I got up early one morning and went to visit Grandpa and oxen. (Who are lazy by the way..) We were able to go on a ride. I wouldn't want to go on a long journey in a wagon pulled by oxen that for sure! It was not a smooth ride at all. So I can't imagine being one of the pioneers that was sick and had to ride in the wagon. I now understand why most of them walked. I am so grateful to all those pioneers though! Man they were TOUGH!
The grandparents are apart of a wonderful show called Rondevu. They are so cute! They did a wonderful job. It was great to see their special spirits and their great talent. Man can these two act and sing! Well done. They had me very impressed. They sure know how to bring in a special spirit.
This is just another picture from Rondevu. It was one of the cutest parts. I also found out that it's one of Grandma's favorite parts!!
We were able to walk around and see the Smith Family cemetery. It was a very peaceful place to be able to feel so close to them. Especially Joseph Smith. It helped to grow my testimony very much. I know that he is and was a true prophet. And that what he saw and what he did was really the truth. I am so thankful to him and his brother for everything they did for me and for everyone. I'm glad that they brought this church back and got it on the earth for me to enjoy. I am eternally grateful to them.
We were also able to see the graves of Lucy Mack Smith & Joseph Smith SR. They two helped build my testimony and gave me such a peaceful and special spirit.
We were able to go and visit Carthage. That was a neat experience. I have never felt the spirit so strongly before. I felt so close to Joseph Smith and I felt gratitude but also sorrow. Once again I was SO thankful for all he went through and for all that he did for me. It was such a very special sacred place.
I was blessed to be able to take this picture. It will forever be near and dear to my heart. I took it through the bullet hole in the door that points to the window that Joseph Smith fell through. It makes me smile because it is all dark and gloomy around but the window is so beautiful and bright. It helps build my testimony because it makes me think that there is always a light ahead of a dark road. And it makes me feel like it is my Heavenly Father reaching out to me with his light. It helped me to also know that what Joseph did was true and the right thing.
The Nauvoo Temple is so GORGEOUS! We were blessed enough to be able to go on the inside and do some temple work. It was so neat to be able to see everything that this Temple had to offer and all the neat things they had inside. It was such a wonderful experience and I felt so close to all my family and those I was doing the work for. I am so glad that we had a day to go here and relax and feel the spirit. I just love temples so much.
There were so many fun and spiritual experience in Nauvoo. I only posted about a few of them but I highly recommend if you get the chance to please go visit Nauvoo! They have a little bit of everything for everyone! I was so blessed to be able to go to this sacred special place and even more blessed to be there while the grandparents are serving their mission. I love Nauvoo so much and will forever remember the feelings and thoughts I had while there. I hope I can someday return.