Cross Country Pitt Stop #2- Nauvoo

We love Nauvoo! Since its our favorite place in the Midwest, we just had to brave the rising flood waters to visit it one more time. This year we went on a mile long handcart trek. It was definitely not a walk in the park. We pushed and pulled while the wheels creaked as we rolled along. Creak, creak, creak, creak was our song. I really appreciated the fact that it wasn't a lovely stroll. We pulled it up steep climbs and and held it back from rolling down bouncy, bumpy drop offs. We even pushed through three stream beds. Of course our only cargo was our precious little fellows, so it was much easier than if it was loaded down with all of our earthly posessions. We read little vignettes of journals from pioneers along the trail. It was very touching. I am so glad that we had that experience. The kids favorite stop in Nauvoo is the Pioneer Pastimes. They have loads of pioneer games for the kids to try their hands at. The kids and I mastered the game of fox and geese. We walked on stilts, threw hoops, raced up ropes and tons of other fun things. The Nauvoo band came by and we danced and marched to their patriotic beat. It was delightful. The high light of the trip is a night at Sunset on the Mississippi. It is where all the young and elderly missionaries entertain us with skits and music. It is always a hoot.

Cute little pioneers!

Cross Country Pitt Stop #1- St. Louis

We pulled out of E-town on the morning of the 14th. We drove four hours to St. Louis and went right to the science center. A big thanks to all the residents of Missouri for a nice big, free center. We also visited the St. Louis Zoo. I don't seem to have any pictures of the day- but we loved it, especially cooling off in the nice super refrigerated penguin exhibition.

Westward Ho!

Pioneer Handcart






On June 14, 2008 we headed out from our fabulous home in Kentucky. Of course I had to cry as I walked through each empty room and remembered great memories in each one. Packing up the home was a memory best left in the past. Actually it wasn't that bad- just very time consuming, and I didn't have to do anything but watch and then clean up when it was all over. Brig spent the entire week at Scout camp, and our amazing friends the Chadwicks took the "middlers" during the day. That was such a blessing. We spent the week saying teary goodbyes to all our friends. We are grateful for our good friends and everything associated with our "Old Kentucky Home", thats a song for those of you that don't know. :)

Modern Handcart