Sunday in Carthage, Nauvoo and Omaha

We went to church with Grammy in Keokuk, Iowa and then said our goodbyes.  She left there to go home to Papa.  She had already been gone over 2 weeks and they were eager to be back together.

We headed off to Carthage, Illinois to see Carthage Jail where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred.  The visitors center wasn't open yet, but there were some ladies there playing Amazing Grace on the bagpipes and drum.  It was lightly sprinkling and everything looked fresh and beautiful.  We weren't there long, but it was sweet and touching experience.

Then we went to the Nauvoo Visitors Center and walked around and visited the Women's Garden.  The statues are beautiful@

The Nauvoo Temple in daylight

Everything is so green and full of flowers.  I guess that's what happens when you have rain and flowing water.  Humidity happens too, YUCK!

We learned candle making, pottery, rope making etc.  The senior missionaries were all so wonderful and loving.

Drew loved everything that looked like a weapon.  He's such a boy!

We took a spin in the dance hall.

We got molasses cookies at the bakery.

Learned how to work make things at the tin shop.

Visited the blacksmith / gun maker

Luckily there is glass between Drew's hand and the guns.

We got to see the bridge in action as we left.  There was a huge river barge passing through so we got to wait over the river. 

Tim snapped this one for me of Sara and the twins napping. It was a little cozy in the Prius with 5 of us.

We drove by the Winter Quarters Temple when we got to Omaha.  There was a fireworks show going on at the park just behind it.  It was beautiful!

Saturday - Lake Erie, Burlington Iowa Chinese Buffet and the Nauvoo temple!

We were all tired, but we had to stop and see Lake Erie since we were only minutes away. It was pretty impressive.

The shore where we were was 15 meters deep right at the edge.  

The twins checking out the pier

Grammy searching for souvenir drift wood.

We looked all over but couldn't find the Klippels anywhere in Cleveland.

After lots of driving, we hunted down a Chinese buffet for dinner.

Tim's pretty food.  Grammy was so sweet to treat us to this yummy dinner. It was our last night together.  She was heading home and we were continuing on to Utah.

Fortunes or statements??? Mostly statements.  So lame!

Andrew showing us the Mississippi River

We arrived just in time to hear the church bells.  It is the only temple with bells. It was beautiful!

My adorable Mommy!

The river was beautiful.  You can't tell in the picture, but it was raining on us, so they canceled the fireworks show. They were going to have their show on the 2nd of July instead of the 4th.

Friday at Kirtland

The drive to Kirtland was beautiful. 

Historic Kirtland was awesome! Especially with Sister Saunders and Sister Harrison. They had beautiful testimonies and tenderness as well as spunk.

Joseph and Emma's sitting room upstairs in the Whitney Store.  The room just behind it is the School of the Prophets.  It's pretty amazing to think of all the blessings that were restored to us through revelations given in Kirtland. Let's just say I got teary more than a few times. The testimonies shared were beautiful.

At the Kirtland Temple Visitor's Center they show a film with some of the background of the building process and hardships of the town.  After the film the curtains opened and revealed the temple through a huge window. It was a pretty cool effect!

The temple is a lot bigger than it looks.  The windows are 12 feet tall, so if you imagine stacking two men in each window it gives a better perspective of the size.

I just liked this one.

Sister Saunders on the left and then Sister Harrison just to the right.

Putting away the umbrella fort. Surprisingly they said no one had every built one in the Johnson Inn before. Andrew is such a pioneer that way. 

These two were trouble!

Goodbyes!

After an amazing almost 2 weeks we had to say goodbye.  I wish I could have packed them up and moved them back to Surprise.  They are missed so much!!!

Also, at this point in our trip, Molly and Megan had not been with us in Maryland for several days.  They were in Surprise with our little girls playing!