Nauvoo Day #2

These horses names are Bill and Bob

After the storm the night before, the kids slept in until about 8:30! The boys are always up by 7am. I went for a three mile run through Nauvoo (another great way to see Nauvoo), then Jeremy went for a run. After breakfast, we said goodbye temporarily to Nana and Pappy as they left for her cousin's home. We spent the morning going on a wonderful carriage ride through these beautiful fields in Nauvoo and hearing stories of faithful saints and of our sweet prophet, Joseph Smith.      
We all felt the spirit very strongly on this carriage ride. We stopped in a little spot called Dan Jone's Hollow that was named by the missionaries and sang I am  Child of God. Very tender. The Lord loves each of us and blesses us with people in our lives to help us get through the hard times and to have find enjoyment with. Joseph Smith was blessed with these wonderful people in his life, including his older brother Hyrum. I hope my boys and my girls can love each other like Hyrum and Joseph did. I know I am so grateful for my brothers and sisters. I don't know what I'd do without them. I truly hope my kids will remember this trip and the way they felt as they learned more about this era in church history.

 

After the carriage ride, we hopped into the RV and drove down to the river on Parley St where we saw the monument to the saints who left Nauvoo, but didn't make it all the way to the Salt Lake Valley. I can't believe they only had three weeks to prepare in the middle of winter. What faith they had. And trust in God that "all is well."

Our "prairie" diamonds from the Blacksmith

We stopped in at a little cafe that served waffles with frozen custard on them. They were so yummy!

Pioneer Monument at the end of Parley Street

  

The Blacksmith was a dentist by trade and showed us how to make a tiny little horseshoe that he gave to Cozette. Wyatt was in the oxen stock. Apparently, when you try to shoe oxen, they will lay down and make it highly difficult to put shoes on them.

On to Carthage. The most spiritual place yet...

We were able to get one of the last tours of the day since all the missionaries were attending a special meeting with Elder Ballard. Our sweet sister that took us through Carthage Jail had such a strong testimony and sweet spirit about her. I don't know how people got out of their without feeling the love of our Heavenly Father and feeling like He truly is in the details of our lives. I'm so glad we didn't miss Carthage. I have been to all these sites before, but it's been a long time. I didn't really think about the affect they would have on me but also on Jeremy who has never been to them. He got up today, on Fast Sunday, and bore his sweet testimony of the prophet Joseph in the little branch we attended here in Detroit. I was very touched and thankful to see this growth in him (not that there needed to be a change). He is a good tender man. I'm so thankful that he would even want to be on a three week trip with his family. We are so lucky and blessed to have a wonderful man leading our home.

Our little family at Carthage

   

I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet. We have a true prophet who leads us today, Thomas S. Monson. He is the prophet not just for our church, but for the world. I hope people who read this will find these things out for themselves. If they pray and ask, they can know of the truth. That is how I learned for myself.