Nauvoo Vacation: Notes from Days 1 and 2

Travel Notes from Journal:

Miles travelled by day two: 1,500

Prettiest State: Colorado (Utah 2nd)

Most Boring State: Kansas (Nevada 2nd)

Best Part of the Trip: Mom reading the book "Holes" to us. 

Hours of "Fire of the Covenant" CD we listened to so far: 3

Sorest traveller: Mom

Sorest part of the Body:

    Dad--Right Bum Cheek

    Ryanne--Legs

    Elias-- My Bottom!

    Mckay--Legs

    Leah--Neck

    Mom--Hips, Legs, and Knees

One thing you wish you had:

    Dad--Auto Pilot

    Ryanne--My Cat, Pepper

    Elias--My Big Dog Stuffed Animal

    Mckay--A Computer

    Leah-- My Kitty

    Mom-- Detachable Legs

Most Viewed Road Kill: 2 Deer (1 dog, 1 hawk, 1 porcupine)

Best Meal: Breakfast Buffet at Comfort Suites: bagels, fruit loops, yogurt, donuts, muffins, juice, eggs suasage, bacon, biscuits and gravy, and the BEST Malted Belgium Waffles Ever!  Plus seconds (thirds if your name is Mckay).

Awards:

    Best Traveller Attitude: Leah

    Funniest Traveller: Daddy (singing loudly and dancing to silly old songs)

        The Sleepiest Traveller: Mckay ("I am sooo bored! Can I take one of those pills that make you sleepy"?)

     The Hungriest Traveller: Elias

     The Most Organized Traveller: Ryanne

     The Hardest Working Traveller: Mom

     Stinkiest Traveller: Tied between Dad and Mckay (Mckay! Don't take your shoes off!"

Comments:

    Ryanne: "Elias was funny and stuck a pencil up his nose!  I liked seeing the beautiful canyons in Utah and Colorado." 

       Leah: "I liked playing the Leapster  I liked looking out the window at the canyons.  I liked playing with Mckay.  I will write that in my journal.  I didn't like being car-sick."

      Mckay: "I liked all the colors in the rocks." 

      Elias: I liked the big river."

      Mckay: "FOOD!  PIZZA!"

    Elias: "I talked to a real biker motorcycle man from Alabama.  He talked funny."

    Leah: "I liked swimming in the hotel pool."

    Dad: I met a man at the gas station.  as an artist hippy from Kansas city and was on his way to Laguna Beach, Ca! Hints murals a beaches.  He had already completed 2 40 foot murals there.  He painted himself in one of them."

       Dad: "We saw a horse in Kansas that refused to get back in its trailer after a break.  The horse was only 1/3 of the way along on its journey.  We all agreed with the horse; we didn't want to get back in the car!"

    Mom: "I thought the funniest part of our ride was Wes not wanting to camp.  He was worried it would rain.  We got a hotel.  It didn't rain!""

    Dad: "Melissa, how could you forget the map of Kansas?!"

     Melissa: "It's straight and flat; do we really need it?"

     Wes: "Melissa, how could you forget the map of Missouri?!"

     Melissa: "Ummmm . . . . . Yeah, we kinda do need that one!"

     Ryanne: "Missouri has really cool old buildings! Thanks for forgetting the map, mom, I like this tour."

Night Two, Day Three:

After our arduous trek through Kansas (thirteen more hours of driving including me getting Wes lost for 40 minutes--he wasn't happy, but I enjoyed the scenic tour of the area), we were relieved to arrive in Independence, Mo.  We had a hotel, but it was too late to go out for dinner,It was 10 pm, Yikes! We cooked outside on our portable stove.  There weren't any picnic tables, so we used the sidewalk--yup, we're strange.  The kids chased June Beetles while I made stew.  They ran out some of their energy and filled their bellies.  Then, off to bed. 

I let Elias choose his sleeping arrangements because he was the one who volunteered to sleep on the floor at the hotel the night before.  He wanted to sleep by Leah. They slept in a big heap with their legs all a-tangle. 

 Ryanne, on the other hand, refused to sleep next to Mckay.  She went to bed on the floor in a corner.  Before long, however, she was cold and stiff, so she climbed into the bed.  As you can see, she stayed as far away from Mckay as possible! I don't know how she slept like that all night without falling off--she was in the same exact place when we woke up the next morning!

The next morning we got to explore Independence.  We started at the LDS Visitors Center.  We toured the different displays and watched videos of Mormon Commercials about family.  All the kids liked those, Ryanne especially.  Her favorite was the one of the dad with the "bad hair day" (his little daughters had dressed him up). 
Elais told the Sister Missionaries Guides that he really liked the Book of Mormon room (display of the Book of Mormon in different languages).  said he liked the Book of Mormon but couldn't read it yet.  The Sisters asked him what his favorite Book of Mormon Story was.  He couldn't think of one, but told them that he just loved the song, "Book of Mormon Stories." 
We sat inside a log cabin that was inside the visitors center.  It was built to show the actual size of the cabins that were erected as the saints migrated from place to place--teeny!  The children liked the props--all real antiques.

Can I cook the grub?

"I want to cook too!"

"You two cook, I'll eat it after

I wash my hands in this little sink right here next to me!"

Tired already Leah?

On the bed in the cabin. 

An old printing press and daubers. 

This is how the Book of Mormon was printed. 

The Visitors Center had a Children's Room.  The kids loved it best.  Elias and Leah took all the loose items in the room and "packed" the wagon for their long journey.  They liked "playing pioneers."

"Yeee-haw Horsey, take me to Nauvoo!"

"I want to drive the horse Elias, you ride in the back."

"I'm the oldest and the best with horses, I'll drive the wagon!"

Rolling wooden hoops and getting water at the well.

A pioneer game that Mckay loves: checkers. 

That's all he did the whole time we were in that room. 

Next we saw the Christus.  Elias was amazed.  He stood in awe for a long time.