Nauvoo Trip

Hello all! Yes, we are back after a wonderful vacation to Nauvoo, IL. My mom, stepdad Kent, sister Heather and her husband Yury, brother Coulter & sister Rachel all were in attendance. We stayed in a house right on the side of the Mississippi River just a few miles south of Nauvoo. It was really nice--it had a kitchen and plenty of space...however, it only had 1 bathroom. Try imagining how that went with 9 people!!! (That was the only not-so-great aspect of the trip)

We arrived in Nauvoo on thursday night and relaxed/unpacked. On friday we went to Nauvoo and went to see several of the sights there, including a wagon ride which took us on a tour of many of the houses of former pioneers. The spirit in Nauvoo is very sweet. I felt part of those pioneers when I learned what they went through. We owe them so much. On saturday it rained, which affected how much we were able to see. We went to see Carthage Jail and also watched the new "Joseph Smith, Prophet Of The Restoration" video in Nauvoo. What a remarkable film. It is very moving, I highly recommend it. Despite the rain, Tyler, Yury, & Coulter were determined to build a fire outside and we made smores. On Sunday, we went to sacrament in the Nauvoo Missionaries' ward. It was so wonderful. I felt the spirit as strongly in the one meeting as I had during the whole Nauvoo experience. How wonderful to be a missionary and be able to serve there. I am eager to serve a mission with my husband someday.

On sunday, we drove the 7 hours back to Ohio, and arrived at the church just in time for the missionary fireside. I love missionary work and it was a motivating fireside. We came home and were exhausted from the trip. Today (monday) I spent the morning trying to recover. It was a slow morning, but when Anna got on the bus, things began to pick up. I went to play racquetball with Tyler on-base and we walked afterwards. I'm getting better at racquetball, meaning I'm able to not lose as badly to my husband. :)

After that I went grocery shopping (leaving for 5 days leaves you with nothing to eat). I came home and made homemade chicken noodle soup, cracked wheat bread, and deep dish apple pie--made with honey instead of sugar. We had a nice dinner and then had FHE on safety.

We installed smoke alarms and talked with Anna about many types of danger. We discussed how to cross the street, to stay away from hot pans while Mama cooks, what to do if the smoke alarms go off, and lastly, how to deal with strangers. This was the most difficult thing to teach. She didn't really understand and we tried to explain it in many ways. I hope she will learn this, because I don't want to lose my girl. It is such a huge responsibility to keep Anna safe and teach her all that she needs to know. It can be overwhelming sometimes. Any thoughts on how to teach about avoiding strangers?