We might be crazy... Nauvoo Day 1

We recently returned from a trip in which we took our four kids, including our 3-week-old Jade on a plane to Kansas City, then continued on for 4 hours by car to reach a family reunion in the tiny remote town of Nauvoo, IL.  If you haven't heard of it, you are likely not LDS.  It's a bustling metropolis of 1100 permanent residents and a total of... zero stoplights. One grocery store, one gas station, and just in case you need it, a little private chiropractic office.

But it's not the shopping that brings people to Nauvoo.  It's the amazingly restored historical sites that line the shore of the Mississippi River; it's the 150 or so talented young and senior missionaries that bring the ghost town to life every day; it's the spirit that is felt there, especially when you look up onto the bluff and see the gorgeous Nauvoo Temple gleaming in the night.

I served as a young performing missionary myself nine years ago.  It was an incredible experience to take my kids back to the place where so much of my testimony of the restoration and the Prophet Joseph Smith was solidified.

Our week went as follows:

 From an airplane window, the kids loved looking at all the cool sights! The Rocky Mountains, the plain states with their big green circles and geometric farmland...

Dawna and Jon had one row (sitting with a nice teenage boy who enjoyed watching Finding Nemo with us); Danielle, Larry, Xochitl, and Jade sat in the row across the way... guess who had the fun row...

 Waiting and waiting at every turn... Larry is waiting for our rental car while mom digs in his bag.  He said, "I hope it's not a Toyota..." But then up came...

 ...our car for the week!  A beautiful bright red brand new Toyota Sienna! Ha!

 After a little ride, he decided it wasn't so bad after all...

By the end of a 12 hour travel day, we finally arrived at our cabins! It was a long day, but definitely trumped the other option of a 3-day drive to arrive at the same place.  Photo credits for Day 1 go to Dawna.  She had her camera out and ready to take in all the sights of our adventure!

Stay tuned for Day 2...