Nauvoo- Day 3

We woke up to a beautiful display of ice outside!! The night before, the ice storm had come in and it turned everything to ice!! We took our time getting ready because we did not know what it would be like outside. The girls wanted to dress like pioneers and since we were just planning on hanging out at the LDS sites, we told them they could.



It was icy and cold but it was amazing to see. Ice was everywhere. It covered the trees and bushes. We did make it to Nauvoo with the icy roads!! But when we got there we noticed that all of the buildings looked closed. We weren't sure what to do but Joe drove us over to Parley's street and told us all to get out of the car. We all thought he was crazy. It was freezing and icy. I wasn't sure what he wanted us to do but he told us we were all going to walk down the trail of hope! I thought he was nuts but it ended up being an experience that none of us will forget. It was cold and the children were crying but as we read some of the quotes from the people who left Nauvoo I felt close to them. It was walking in conditions similar to those that they experienced. We were only out in the cold for about 20 minutes. We could not believe how much the early pioneers had to endure. It was the perfect thing to do on this icy day. The spirit of Parley's street hit us all. The trail of hope has greater meaning to us. It is something my my girls still talk about.



As we walked down the trial of hope one of the quotes was about looking back at their beautiful temple and praying that the Lord would bless the city of Nauvoo. It was so touching to look back at what the pioneers saw.


We made it to the end of the Trail of Hope. It was the place where many of them crossed the river. It appeared to be iced over on this day too.


And at the end there is a statue of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. What a great reminder of these 2 remarkable men. It was a great experience!! I loved it!


We then headed over to the visitors center to see what was going on. The missionaries told us that due to the ice storm that all the locations were closed. It was kind of a bummer but in the end we made the day work!!!

So we hung out in the visitors center for the late morning. We looked at the Christmas decorations.


The tree was gorgeous with wonderful things to look at under it. Avery and Reddek enjoyed hanging out together finding all the different things under the tree.





While we were there we watched a movie called "Remembering Nauvoo". It was a great movie all about what Nauvoo must of been like back then and the sacrifice it was for the saints to leave. We also walked around and enjoyed the different displays.



I think my favorite was the Christus.


The visitors center was a great way to spend a cold icy morning.


We then went to lunch at the Zions Mercantile. It was a great sandwich place. Because everything was closed for the rest of the day, we decided it was a great time to go to the temple for a session. So Jason and Katie went first while we hung out with the kids back at the house. While we were at the house, Kennady and Sydney played in their snow clothes outside for and hour. They explored the ice and snow. It was so much fun for them. I hung out inside with the little ones!! It was cozy.
When Jason and Katie got back, Joe and I went to the temple.


It was such a wonderful experience for Joe and I. The temple is beautiful on the inside and outside. I loved the time we spent there. I am so glad we had the chance to attend a session. It was indescribable.

As we left the temple we drove past Joseph Smith's homes. They looked amazing at night. No one was around so Joe and I just sat and talked for a moment. What a wonderful place Nauvoo is. I truly love it. There is a spirit there that just fills your soul. The temple just made it complete. Here are the homes at night.




When we arrived back at the house, Jason and Katie had made us tacos. It was nice to hang out again with everyone. The evenings were calm and relaxing. Joe and Jason loved reading the books about Nauvoo while Katie and I did a lot of chatting!! I loved being there with Jason and Katie. It made it extra special to share this experience with them!! It was another great day!