A Nauvoo Birthday

It might be pathetic how much fun I had taking these cute pre-teen girls to Nauvoo last week.  We left on Thursday morning, since there was no school on Thursday or Friday.  Brynlie is studying Pioneer Life all this year, and I thought there's no better way to learn about pioneers than visiting all the sites in Nauvoo.  I booked us a room at the Nauvoo Log Cabins and let her invite a couple friends, since it was also her birthday weekend.  We listened to the new Taylor Swift CD over and over while we drove.  I took Ryan's truck, since the brakes on the van aren't working so well.  The girls sat together in back and giggled while munching on all the candy we bought at a gas station. The journey was definitely just as fun as the destination on this road trip!

 

 

These log cabins are AWESOME and I can't believe we haven't stayed here before!  They are actual refurbished cabins from the 1800's.  The couple that owns this neighborhood of cabins has gone around the U.S. tearing down old log cabins that have a fun history and rebuilding them with all the modern necessities.  I can't adequately describe how much FUN we had staying in our little cabin and touring some of the other cabins that weren't occupied.  We ended up running into one of my sweet neighbors, Sheri, who was staying in one of the log cabins across from ours while we were there.

 

 

The owners are so talented in the way they decorate all the cabins!  The girls thought I was crazy taking so many pictures, but even the toilet paper holders were creative!

I took these pictures while touring the largest log cabin, which is where I want to stay with the Porters when they come out to Missouri sometime!  Brynlie, Madelyn and Jillian excitedly pretended to play house in this enormous cabin.  There's even a bed inside a covered wagon!

 

That evening we attended the play "Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo" and laughed so hard our cheeks hurt!  The cast of senior missionaries is not only talented but there are some real comedians in the group!  I was so impressed that all these older couples would agree to be in a play, even if they'd had no experience in theater.  I wasn't expecting the play to be so hilarious! 

 

The girls couldn't wait to meet their favorite actress after the production!

Later that night I ran into another Kearney friend (small world!) who informed me of the Halloween festivities that happen every year in Nauvoo on the Saturday before the holiday.  Volunteers carve over 500 pumpkins that get lit and line the streets!  I couldn't believe the intricate details in the pumpkin carvings.  They have some very talented artists!  It's unfortunate we couldn't stay one more day to see the parade and lit-up pumpkins.

When we got back to our cute log home, the girls got in their PJ's, Sheri came over to laugh with us for a while, and then we all enjoyed a very comfortable night sleep. 

Madelyn gave Brynlie a "smash book" for her birthday, which was the perfect present because Brynlie was able to take notes on all the pioneer facts she learned.  She dutifully took notes on everything, and many of the missionaries commented that they had never seen a child take such long, eloquent notes.  That's my Brynlie!  She wants to be a singer, dancer, Drama teacher, Broadway star and book writer when she grows up.

 

The next morning we ate at our favorite little restaurant called "Weber's" again, since they had been so kind to us the night before and given Brynlie free ice cream for her birthday.  This day (Friday) was so much colder, however, so we had to bundle up in blankets while on our wagon tour.

 

We had such a spiritual, likable tour guide who took us to Inspiration Point, where Joseph Smith used to go for some much-needed alone time to think.

I love this picture that shows three steeples:  the one on the left is the Mormon assembly hall in downtown Nauvoo, the one in the middle is the Catholic cathedral and the one on the right is the temple.  The Catholics and Mormons in town get along so extremely well that the Pastor and Mission President have become best friends.  Joseph Smith would love to see these three steeples rising tall together as a symbol of our respect and love for Christians of all faiths.

The girls and I went to the Family Living Center to learn more about pioneer life.  Brynlie took a lot of notes while I got a lot of pictures for her project.  I haven't put even a third of the pictures I took on this blog.

After the Family Living Center, the girls and I toured many of the homes in town, as well as the Blacksmith shop, the Bricklayer shop, the school, and the Print Shop.  I think my favorite house this time was Lucy Mack Smith's, because I admire her so much.

After leaving Nauvoo, we stopped for a birthday dinner at Subway before hitting the road for home.  What a perfectly fun, spiritual, girly birthday Brynlie had with her best friends!