Nauvoo

The day after Thanksgiving we headed off to Nauvoo for the weekend. Mapquest said it would take about 5 hours to get there. 2 nursing sessions, 1 gas fill-up, 1 bathroom break, 1 pizza stop, and 7 1/2 hours later we decided to use Googlemap for our future directional needs. Eliza was pretty darn good during our drive. She took some great naps on the road and was content as long as someone was in the back seat hanging out with her.


We stayed in the Nauvoo Villas and Condos--we got a heck of a deal there! There was kitchenette, bathroom, family room (aka Eliza's room), and huge bedroom. We'll definitely stay there in the future!


On Saturday we met up with Taylor's Aunt Debbie and cousins from Calgary. What a coincidence that they were in Nauvoo at the same time we were! We went on a tour of the structures that the Community of Christ owns, including
The Mansion House

Joseph Smith Homestead


Nauvoo House

Smith Family Cemetery

Red Brick Store

Random pics on the tour


I was also able to do a session at the temple! I confess I hadn't done an endowment session in a year! (I could only muster doing initiatories while I was pregnant with Eliza...and then, well, Eliza was born and she doesn't take a bottle, and we live 2 hours from the Chicago temple, and my list of pathetic excuses goes on!) The temple was beautiful! I had a great experience there and I can't wait to go back!
We went to lunch at one of the few places to eat in Nauvoo. We were so lucky to spend time with Taylor's family!

We're parked here at the Historic Nauvoo Visitor's Center. Taylor wanted to take a picture of this massive parking space!

We were also able to go to Carthage Jail, which was a very touching experience. The mood was somber and reverent, and we learned a lot about the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum during out tour there.


Hanging out in the villa Saturday night.



On our way home--Eliza is always falling asleep clutching her toys. It sure is exhausting to play so much!

This is why Taylor married me. Because I'm a knock-out even when I'm sleeping. I can't believe I'm posting this, but Taylor threatened to post it himself, and I'd rather explain what's going on. The power went out in the middle of the night at our villa. Eliza had gotten up at 11, 2, and 5 (to eat? who knows), and then would not go back to sleep. It is not fun to have a screaming baby in the pitch black of night. We used our cell phones to get around the place and find a pump-up flashlight in the trunk of our car. Also, I got very ill while in Nauvoo--I couldn't breathe out of my nose. Thus why my mouth is open. I do not have an excuse as to why my one eyeball is open. So there you have it. I'm exhausted.


Funniest conversation of the trip:
Me: The other lane looks plowed. I'm moving over.
(I proceed to change lanes.)
Taylor: Isn't this a two-lane highway?
(It sure was...I quickly moved back to my side of the highway.)