Day 4 - Thursday in Nauvoo
Our first full day in Nauvoo started out perfectly: an endowment session in the Nauvoo Temple. It was so beautiful in so many ways. I felt connected with my siblings and their spouses, connected with my ancestors who received endowments on that same spot, connected with those early saints who sacrificed so much that I could know what I know and do what I do (as they did) - building zion. Being in the celestial room was especially great, and again, very beautiful. The visual representation of the three kingdoms (stain glass, woodwork, chandeliers, etc.) was stunning.
The kids stayed in our respective hotel rooms, babysat by the older cousins, while we were gone. Speaking of hotel rooms, they were spread out all over the hotel and I mean ALL over. They had lost Rachel's reservation from the year before and fit us in wherever they could. Dan's family was even in another building half a block away. Rachel's fam shared a second floor room with Adam and Jessica (Ang and I were on the second floro too). Nate and Josh shared a room on the third floor.
Next that day, we went to a children's play called "Just plain Anna Amanda". It started with a puppet show the kids really liked. The 30 minute play/musical following was really cute teaching the kids that they are great just as they are. Moses especially liked it, or liked talking to the pretty girl actors after. We ate lunch (sandwiches) back at the hotel.
In the afternoon, we were kinda all doing our own thing in Historic Nauvoo. We went to the school, the brickyard (free brick), and the bakery (free cookie) with Rachel and Ang's families. The kids did really good listening to the stories and the descriptions of life in the 1830s. It was a little hot but very humid. Hello - sticky! We hung out at pioneer pasttimes (outside in a park area) where we played lots of games: stick pulling, stilt walking, hoop rolling/throwing, bear rope racing, ball hopping board game, dress ups, jacob ladder type stuff, etc. Very fun and time to relax. We met up with Josh's family for a bit. The babies looked hot as Josh was spraying them occasionally with a mister. Daidra fell asleep in the backpack through the bakery presentation and pioneer pasttimes, poor dear; she was soaked with sweat.
At 3 o'clock, we all met up at the visitor center to watch the Joseph Smith movie there. We arrived a little early so we walked around the Women's memorial garden. Beautiful statues. The movie was great, with some parts I'd seen in other movies, and with a lot I'd never seen. Very moving and well done. Daidra was having a hard time so she ran up and down the stairs a lot with her other toddler cousins (though Josh and Amy didn't come). After we headed back to the hotel to prepare for our evening meal.
We had Hawaiian Haystacks at a local stake center Ang had reserved. Very smart - it was good to have space for the kids to run around and for adult elbow room. We had a little talent show and skit program for anyone who wanted to participate. Rachel's family had a lot of fun with the twins dancing for us, Mason and Brayden did a lipsinc dance, and a group jazzed up "Once I was a snowman" song/dance. Ang did an ADHD reading which I could relate to... epiphany: that is why I take so long getting things done! Dan's fam (Dan did a busstop reading from a soundbite he sent us a few years ago (goulashes, macadamia, fun words like that etc.) His little boys might have done something else but I can't remember. Nate's little Taylor sang a cute song (?). We did a lipsinc to "We will rock you". We also did a Homestar runner skit, basically a tryout to be the next homestar runner doing the commercial Fluffy Puff Marshmellows. We were up and dancing with Rachel's crew at the end. Good times! The kids especially liked beating on and breaking the pinata = candy! Oh yeah, it is a Jeppson tradition.
Some of us stayed after 9 to play fusbol (sp?). I took my family home and then came back to play for about 15 minutes. It was pretty fun. Ang is so great, how excited she is about it. Our family is pretty determined too - not competative, just energizingly determined. Poor Mason got hit in the head several times by the ball. Keep it LOW people!
The day ended perfectly over at Dan's suite. I helped Monique prepare enchiladas for her meal with Rachelle the next day. All my siblings were there chit chatting. We gathered around the table to play Meet it or Beat it. See, I tried to teach them this game at the reunion last year but the name was a hang up for them (then, they kept laughing at it and it ticked Ang off). So, this year they promised to behave and actually enjoyed the game. Now they can play it with Dad and Mom when they get back, because they like it too. We all found out Rachel hadn't seen Business Time by Flight of the Conchordians on youtube so we HAD to see that (Dan showed it to me). She was crying tears she was laughing so hard. It is very funny! (viewer discretion for couple missionaries - a little adult humor)
I love my family!
The kids stayed in our respective hotel rooms, babysat by the older cousins, while we were gone. Speaking of hotel rooms, they were spread out all over the hotel and I mean ALL over. They had lost Rachel's reservation from the year before and fit us in wherever they could. Dan's family was even in another building half a block away. Rachel's fam shared a second floor room with Adam and Jessica (Ang and I were on the second floro too). Nate and Josh shared a room on the third floor.
Next that day, we went to a children's play called "Just plain Anna Amanda". It started with a puppet show the kids really liked. The 30 minute play/musical following was really cute teaching the kids that they are great just as they are. Moses especially liked it, or liked talking to the pretty girl actors after. We ate lunch (sandwiches) back at the hotel.
In the afternoon, we were kinda all doing our own thing in Historic Nauvoo. We went to the school, the brickyard (free brick), and the bakery (free cookie) with Rachel and Ang's families. The kids did really good listening to the stories and the descriptions of life in the 1830s. It was a little hot but very humid. Hello - sticky! We hung out at pioneer pasttimes (outside in a park area) where we played lots of games: stick pulling, stilt walking, hoop rolling/throwing, bear rope racing, ball hopping board game, dress ups, jacob ladder type stuff, etc. Very fun and time to relax. We met up with Josh's family for a bit. The babies looked hot as Josh was spraying them occasionally with a mister. Daidra fell asleep in the backpack through the bakery presentation and pioneer pasttimes, poor dear; she was soaked with sweat.
At 3 o'clock, we all met up at the visitor center to watch the Joseph Smith movie there. We arrived a little early so we walked around the Women's memorial garden. Beautiful statues. The movie was great, with some parts I'd seen in other movies, and with a lot I'd never seen. Very moving and well done. Daidra was having a hard time so she ran up and down the stairs a lot with her other toddler cousins (though Josh and Amy didn't come). After we headed back to the hotel to prepare for our evening meal.
We had Hawaiian Haystacks at a local stake center Ang had reserved. Very smart - it was good to have space for the kids to run around and for adult elbow room. We had a little talent show and skit program for anyone who wanted to participate. Rachel's family had a lot of fun with the twins dancing for us, Mason and Brayden did a lipsinc dance, and a group jazzed up "Once I was a snowman" song/dance. Ang did an ADHD reading which I could relate to... epiphany: that is why I take so long getting things done! Dan's fam (Dan did a busstop reading from a soundbite he sent us a few years ago (goulashes, macadamia, fun words like that etc.) His little boys might have done something else but I can't remember. Nate's little Taylor sang a cute song (?). We did a lipsinc to "We will rock you". We also did a Homestar runner skit, basically a tryout to be the next homestar runner doing the commercial Fluffy Puff Marshmellows. We were up and dancing with Rachel's crew at the end. Good times! The kids especially liked beating on and breaking the pinata = candy! Oh yeah, it is a Jeppson tradition.
Some of us stayed after 9 to play fusbol (sp?). I took my family home and then came back to play for about 15 minutes. It was pretty fun. Ang is so great, how excited she is about it. Our family is pretty determined too - not competative, just energizingly determined. Poor Mason got hit in the head several times by the ball. Keep it LOW people!
The day ended perfectly over at Dan's suite. I helped Monique prepare enchiladas for her meal with Rachelle the next day. All my siblings were there chit chatting. We gathered around the table to play Meet it or Beat it. See, I tried to teach them this game at the reunion last year but the name was a hang up for them (then, they kept laughing at it and it ticked Ang off). So, this year they promised to behave and actually enjoyed the game. Now they can play it with Dad and Mom when they get back, because they like it too. We all found out Rachel hadn't seen Business Time by Flight of the Conchordians on youtube so we HAD to see that (Dan showed it to me). She was crying tears she was laughing so hard. It is very funny! (viewer discretion for couple missionaries - a little adult humor)
I love my family!