Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Trip to Nauvoo

So I am finally getting around to posting about our trip to St Louis and Nauvoo. We had such a great time. Of course when you travel with Dan and Angie it is always fun. Just so you know, I always get these pictures on in the wrong order, but oh well!! We spent Dad's birthday at Rachel and Derid's and they made the day fun for us all. We had the weekend to be with them, and we went to the famous Arch. Dan and Angie, Tayson and Derid went to the top. It is a very exciting thing to do.
We also went to "The City Museum" with the Ure's. IT is an amazing place. It is sort of a playground for adults. IT is very random with slides and interesting things to climb and crawl through. This is Dan and Angie crawling through a wire tube that is about 100 feet of the ground. I was happy to be taking the pictures.

We also went to the historic Cahokia Mounds which are very close to St. Louis. It is the remains of the most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico. This area had hundreds and thousands of people living there hundreds of years ago. Very Very cool!!!!


So on our way home we visited many different sites. We went to Liberty Jail, Far West, and Adam-ondi-Ahman. I loved walking around Adam-ondi-Ahman. I had not really wanted to take the time to go there. But am sooo glad we did. What a peaceful and, I thought, beautiful place. I did some more reading about it when I got home. Loved it!!
We continued into Colorado, and spent some time in Rocky Mountain National Park. It had snowed the day before, so we could not go all the way through it, but what we saw was very beautiful. We stayed the night in Craig Colorado, then on to Utah. We went to Vernal and climbed to the "Native American Rock Art" that is so amazing. There is so much to see and you can get right to them. Many of these are 2000yrs. old. I appreciate the sacred history that they portray.


We went at the "off" season, so we were the only people at most of the church history sites we visited, which is my favorite way to see them. It is so peaceful and you can really get a feel for the history and events that took place there. We are at Carthage Jail here in this picture. There is a very special feeling here.




We drove about 20 miles north east from Nauvoo to a little town called Webster. It is here that Thomas Callister lived and owned property. According to the records this peace of land was the very place he owned. The little town probably did not look much different then it does right now. Pretty cool. We were also able to locate the property of both Amasa Lyman and Edward Partridge in Nauvoo.





Out side of Nauvoo there is a really cool cemetery and it is here that many of the Mormons were buried. Edward Partridge is buried here in an unmarked grave. This is the monument there that the Church dedicated to his honor.






We had the opportunity to attend a session in the beautiful Nauvoo Temple. It was made to look as much like it might have then. It had wooden floors with carpets on them for example. Of course they had to make it modern and functional in most ways. I loved it!!!







This is the Temple as the pioneers would have seen it. Nauvoo is a little peaceful place. There are several homes and businesses that were built and owned by the pioneers that have been repaired by the church and it truly gives you an idea of what it all might have looked like then. A really neat place.
We are so grateful that we were able to take this trip. We could have spent much more time in each of these places. Thanks to Dan and Angie for going with us and sharing the experience. And thanks to Rachel and Derid for taking such good care of us.








Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Thank Heaven for Little Girls




Some reflections from dad:

Yes, thank Heaven for little girls that are beautiful, thougtful and fun. That defines all three of my little girls, but one in particular is on my mind today. Years ago Deborah and I got to sing and dance in a Broadway Review production. We joined some other lucky fathers and their daughters in a dance to "Thank Heaven for Little Girls". The practices were fun and the group was fun. I don't remember being particularly nervous, probably because I was dancing with a dancer who made it easy. At Deborah's wedding celebration I had the same experience, but now I was dancing with the bride, gliding through the steps with ease with a smiling, happy, grown-up and beautiful woman. Deborah and Stephen were so happy and their happiness seemed to spread to everyone there. I was so happy to be identified as the father of the bride.
I suppose it is a prideful thing, but I am so proud of Deb and each of our daughters for developing the qualities that attract the fine husbands each of them have.
The fun celebration went by quickly. People were laughing and participating throughout the night. Like the father of the bride, they didn't want this party to end.
Deb and Stephen have a bright future ahead of them. I wish the best for the newly weds.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

family pics











These are the pictures of our family. I already croped them, so if you want the uncroped ones so you can do things with them let me know. I also had some others out side the Temple but thought these were the best. Whatever :)




ure family