Baby Bird

When we were finished touring Carthage jail, we ate lunch on the lawn.  The children found a baby robin sitting on the iron fencing.  We talked to it and watched it hop around.  It must have fallen from one of the tall trees that dotted the lawn.
 

"Look Mom, a little bird!"


"It's a baby bird, Leah, it must have fallen from its nest."


"I like it.  It's sweet."


"Yes, it must have had a lot of visitors already today."



"Bye-bye Birdy."

After Carthage, we drove back to Nauvoo and visited the grave sites of Joseph , Emma, and Hyrum.

Nearby we saw Joseph's parents' markers. 

We went in the Red Brick Store and were allowed to go upstairs to show the children the room where the Relief Society was organized and where the "School of the Prophets" was held. We wandered past the Joseph Smith Homestead, and other nearby buildings. 

 The "Homestead" and Elias looking at
(or is he napping on?) the memorials.

 The Homestead of Joseph and Emma Smith. 

 Back outside the Red Brick Store.

 I'm pretty sure this was Wes' favorite building because,
as Wes said, it was the "place of revelation."

 Me and Mckay posing outside the Mansion House. 



Enjoying the great Mississippi River.




Uh-oh . . .Mom?

We gotta go! 

It was getting rainy after that, so we went to the little Bakery and the Family Living Center where we could spend some time inside.  The FLC was a hit.  It is a hands-on building for kids to see and try some things that families did in Nauvoo.  Here is what we did there:

 We learned about sheep sheering, carding wool, and spinning.

 The kids got to ride a "sheep."

Leah thinks she's in a rodeo! "Yee-Ha!"

 We learned about ovens and how they worked.  First, you built a wood fire in the oven and closed it up.  Then you took the wood out.  But the bricks were so hot afterward that you put in your bread and it baked right up!

 They boys and Mommy really liked the ovens.  Plus, we got to eat some bread. 
Do you think I can convince Wes to build me a brick oven in the backyard? And a place to store wood and cook with the dutch oven? I need my own "Summer Kitchen" as they were called in pioneer days. It would qualify under "emergency preparedness," right?  So it's definitely justifiable. 

I thought this loom was Awesome!  I want one of these even more than I want the brick oven.  I figure if my sister-in-laws can learn how to make wooden bowls and all sorts of things with the lathe, I should be privileged to have and learn how to use a loom!  I really wanted to see how the weaving worked on the loom, but in Pioneer times, only the men did the weaving.  On this day, there were no men weavers available in the FLC (I went back later).



 The  kids' favorite activity was rope-making. 
We learned about grass fibers and then got to spin/weave our own ropes. 

 All the kids were amazed at how this process worked.

 Here is Elias spinning his rope.  All the kids got to make on and keep it. 

Here is Leah!
Some other things we learned about were carriages, pottery, and candle-dipping. 

We came back to the hotel this evening for dinner and journal time. 
Today, Sunday, is the 4th of July.  When it gets dark, we will drive down to the river and see if we can see any fireworks.  Then we will come home and go to bed. 
Here are some things we still want to see: The Blacksmith's Shop, Brick Yard, Oxen Ride, Carriage Ride, the Pageant, and the Temple Grounds.