Day 3 - Wednesday
Day 3: We saw a beautiful lake on our drive into our camp the day before. We heard there were many nice trails around it. We got up and quickly head out for a lazy trip around the lake. It was nice. Upon returning, we had eggs and toast on our camp stove. We then packed up as it was getting late. We should have left earlier but had to take advantage of the showers because we really really smelled. I wasn't about to show up to our reunion like that.
On the road by later morning, we stopped by Far West, which was only about 15 minutes away from our camp. It was great to visit that sacred site. You could tell it was special, like you feel when you go in a temple. I pointed this out to the kids, like I had many times the day before, about the spirit being the peaceful feeling they felt.
At Adam-Ondi-Ahman we had probably the most spiritual experience, the boys and I (Ben sat in the car with a sleeping Daidra). Out there in nature, we talked about Adam being cast out of the garden and coming here to live and work with his family - how they wanted to be close to God and but couldn't live with him in that state. We talked about Adam being commanded to offer sacrifices to the Lord, even though he didn't understand why. After he was obedient, the Lord sent an angel to tell him it was to help them draw closer to the Savior who would die for their sins and how it helped them repent. We read many of those scriptures in the book of Moses, also mentioning how at Tower Hill (where we were reading) the Prophet Joseph Smith received revelation that one of the stones there was an old nephite altar. That was of a lot of interest to the boys. I asked if we had altars still today and Moses mentioned in the temple (when we were sealed) while Ethan mentioned in Sacrament meeting. It was an awesome discussion about the gospel right there where it was first given to Adam. A very, very awesome experience (at least for me - I hope the boys felt it and remember it too).
We ate PB&J in the car as we were late. I forgot about adjusting for Mid-Eastern time as well as bringing the maps to get us places. So, we kinda had to guess with our big Atlas map about getting across Missouri the quickest way. I also miscalculated the amount of time it would take. The kids traveled well in general, especially with the two DVD screens we had on the back of our headrests. Daidra asked to watch signing time ALL THE TIME, though we fit in movies for the boys around the time she would be sleeping. She didn't mind watching Milo and Otis (cat and dog movies) and Finding Nemo though. We arrived in Nauvoo, IL at 6:45. (Check in time was 4:00!).
Ang called just as we were coming into town. She said everyone had eaten and that they were headed to a performance, "Sunset on the Mississippi". We then passed them on the road and turned around to follow them. We threw a few beef jerky and cheese sticks at the kids to hold them over to dinner. We all rushed to our seats though I squeezed in a few hugs with my sibs and sat by a few of them to chat throughout it. Dan was taking a lot of pictures and the kids were playing behind and to the side of the seats. It was great to finally be here with them! The performance was good; the missionaries here are VERY talented - dancing (yeah clogging!), acting, singing, playing instruments, you name it! We didn't stay for the BYU Folk Dancers but headed back to the hotel for swimming (and to check in and eat Rachel and Jessica's barbeque beef dinner, of course).
Ang and her family were so great to us the whole time. We shared a room with them. I'm so glad Ang picked up groceries for me (and my groceries for the dinner) when they were at Walmart in Keokuck, IA - 30 minutes away. She called me when we were half way across MO to see where I was and to help me out. They also paid $300 of the three day suite bill leaving us with only $211 - saying that they paid more because they had an extra kid and used 2 bedrooms where we only used the smaller 1 (while the boys slept on the sofa pullout). Whatever - but it was so nice of them. :) I went to bed late again because I stayed up with my sisters (Ang AND Rachel, and Ang's Ben) preparing chicken and toppings for Ang and my meal for the following day: Hawaiian Haystacks. Ang also made a jello salad and I made her yummy butterscotch bar recipe (with yellow cake mix). It was fun to let go and joke with my sisters. Yeah yeah yeah!! I was finally here, in Nauvoo, with my family... I'd been looking forward to this for sooo long. I slept like a rock!
On the road by later morning, we stopped by Far West, which was only about 15 minutes away from our camp. It was great to visit that sacred site. You could tell it was special, like you feel when you go in a temple. I pointed this out to the kids, like I had many times the day before, about the spirit being the peaceful feeling they felt.
At Adam-Ondi-Ahman we had probably the most spiritual experience, the boys and I (Ben sat in the car with a sleeping Daidra). Out there in nature, we talked about Adam being cast out of the garden and coming here to live and work with his family - how they wanted to be close to God and but couldn't live with him in that state. We talked about Adam being commanded to offer sacrifices to the Lord, even though he didn't understand why. After he was obedient, the Lord sent an angel to tell him it was to help them draw closer to the Savior who would die for their sins and how it helped them repent. We read many of those scriptures in the book of Moses, also mentioning how at Tower Hill (where we were reading) the Prophet Joseph Smith received revelation that one of the stones there was an old nephite altar. That was of a lot of interest to the boys. I asked if we had altars still today and Moses mentioned in the temple (when we were sealed) while Ethan mentioned in Sacrament meeting. It was an awesome discussion about the gospel right there where it was first given to Adam. A very, very awesome experience (at least for me - I hope the boys felt it and remember it too).
We ate PB&J in the car as we were late. I forgot about adjusting for Mid-Eastern time as well as bringing the maps to get us places. So, we kinda had to guess with our big Atlas map about getting across Missouri the quickest way. I also miscalculated the amount of time it would take. The kids traveled well in general, especially with the two DVD screens we had on the back of our headrests. Daidra asked to watch signing time ALL THE TIME, though we fit in movies for the boys around the time she would be sleeping. She didn't mind watching Milo and Otis (cat and dog movies) and Finding Nemo though. We arrived in Nauvoo, IL at 6:45. (Check in time was 4:00!).
Ang called just as we were coming into town. She said everyone had eaten and that they were headed to a performance, "Sunset on the Mississippi". We then passed them on the road and turned around to follow them. We threw a few beef jerky and cheese sticks at the kids to hold them over to dinner. We all rushed to our seats though I squeezed in a few hugs with my sibs and sat by a few of them to chat throughout it. Dan was taking a lot of pictures and the kids were playing behind and to the side of the seats. It was great to finally be here with them! The performance was good; the missionaries here are VERY talented - dancing (yeah clogging!), acting, singing, playing instruments, you name it! We didn't stay for the BYU Folk Dancers but headed back to the hotel for swimming (and to check in and eat Rachel and Jessica's barbeque beef dinner, of course).
Ang and her family were so great to us the whole time. We shared a room with them. I'm so glad Ang picked up groceries for me (and my groceries for the dinner) when they were at Walmart in Keokuck, IA - 30 minutes away. She called me when we were half way across MO to see where I was and to help me out. They also paid $300 of the three day suite bill leaving us with only $211 - saying that they paid more because they had an extra kid and used 2 bedrooms where we only used the smaller 1 (while the boys slept on the sofa pullout). Whatever - but it was so nice of them. :) I went to bed late again because I stayed up with my sisters (Ang AND Rachel, and Ang's Ben) preparing chicken and toppings for Ang and my meal for the following day: Hawaiian Haystacks. Ang also made a jello salad and I made her yummy butterscotch bar recipe (with yellow cake mix). It was fun to let go and joke with my sisters. Yeah yeah yeah!! I was finally here, in Nauvoo, with my family... I'd been looking forward to this for sooo long. I slept like a rock!