Bryan and kids’ visit

We had a great weekend with Bryan and the kids. They flew in to St. Louis on Thursday and came to Nauvoo Friday morning. And then we were on the move seeing everything for the next 3 days. In spite of my summer feelings that you could only get half the Nauvoo experience without the pageants and Young Performing Missionaries concerts and plays, I thought it was a wonderful and great learning time for the kids. I had made a pretty detailed itinerary so we wouldn’t miss anything. There is so much to do and learn here - how they made shoes, candles, rope, barrels, rugs, wagons, tin pans, horseshoes, guns, bread, bricks, medicines, etc etc. so many interesting demonstrations!  And I always love the wagon rides and the stories they tell on the ride.  Sunday the weather was perfect so after church we had a picnic in a beautiful Keokuk park right by the river and then went to Carthage. We crammed a lot into those 3 days. The kids were great and I think they enjoyed it. I had made a little booklet of questions about the different sites and we motivated them with a $10 reward if they answered them. (A little bribery can be a good thing at times - as all parents know!)
We also did an endowment session with Bryan so he could see this beautiful historic temple and also baptisms/confirmations with Maylan and Lydia. I had researched about 65 names so it was wonderful to get those ancestors started on the covenant path. Even dad and I did some of the baptisms. The Nauvoo font is quite unique and I loved having that experience.
It was also the community “Bootiful Nauvoo “ weekend. They had a fun little parade down main street which was lined with hundreds (literally!) of fancy carved pumpkins and interesting scarecrows. This annual event draws a couple thousand people believe it or not!  Another unique Nauvoo experience.
It was fun to have some family here to share this place we have come to love so much.