The Nauvoo Pageant 2010

We planned our trip so that we would spend our last day in Nauvoo on the opening eve of the Pageant.  After touring all morning, we popped  back over to our hotel for an hour of R&R and a bite of dinner.  We didn't get that much rest--we realized we needed to get the car as packed as possible because we would be home late and we needed to leave early in the morning.  We spent our time trudging back and forth to the car with our loads of gear (in the rain).
Afterward back we went over to participate in the "Fair" before the pageant.  The field next to the stage was decked out with pioneer games and activities.  Leah wanted to be in a tug-of-war. 




Elias wanted to be pulled in a handcart race. 
The sun was setting--almost time for the pageant to begin.




Ryanne and Mckay flocked over to the stick-pull area and never left it.  They like challenging each other.  In the meantime, I bought some M&M's and Skittles to bribe the tired kids (mostly Elias) into quiet tranquility during the pageant.  The kids met up with their friends, the DeForests and played with them for a while.  And then it was time for the pageant.  We weren't that close to the stage, but it didn't matter.  We could see and hear the play.  The day had been brooding with rain clouds since sun-up and often relieving its burden of showers on the town.  We prayed for the rain to be stayed for the pageant.  The show would go on no matter the weather, but we didn't think that some of our children would tolerate staying in a down pour.  The Lord blessed us.  Only a few sprinkles graced the night---until the show was over at least! It came sown hard later. 

I loved the pageant as best I could with three kids whispering to me non-stop.  Leah and Elias, both exhausted, took turns clambering on and off my lap the entire time-- Mom snuggles.  Sometimes they both shared my lap!  Ryanne and Mckay, however, sitting on the far side of Wes, were uninterrupted and totally engrossed in the show.  I found joy in the fact that they were entranced by it; that they loved it.  I loved the messages of faith, love, kindness, and sacrifice that were portrayed.  It was uplifting to my soul and allowed me the physical and mental strength to bear up Leah and Elias. 
Wes says, "The Nauvoo Pageant Rocks his Socks!"  He says the pageant really tied him to Nauvoo and made him feel he was part of everything that happened leading up to the Prophets death. 
After it was over (did it take two hours? I think it started around 9 and was over around 11), I was ready for bed.  We knew we had a looong drive ahead of us in the morning.  But some of the children (Wes included) wanted to meet the cast, particularly the man who played Joseph. And so we waited.  And we met him.  The kids were so excited to shake his hand and have a picture with him.

Here are my spiritual yearnings, ponderings and questions prompted by the pageant:

How can I further Zion where I live?  How can I best express hope, faith and love as I follow the Lord where I live?  I need to be more humble and more positive when I am at home and when I am serving in Relief Society. 

I need to listen to and laugh with my kids more often.

I have faith.  But I could have more. 

I love the "old" skills.  I love baking, weaving, making things from the treasures of the earth.  There is importance in gaining the knowledge and skill to live off basic resources provided for us from the land. As ancient, outdated and unnecessary as some of these skills seem, they are important to keep alive and pass through the generations. 

I want to do a good work in San Bernardino.  But is it?  How does the Lord want me to serve Him there?

Fireworks

Wahooo!  We got to play with the fireworks!  What fun it was lighting them off.  The noise, the light! The acrid smoke!  The squeals of the children.  Cool.  I mean, hot!  We found a pull-out down by the Mississippi and let the rockets rip.  I loved trying each new kind.  Some were so bright, we couldn't even look at them.  Some spun, some spat, some dazzled with multiple hues.  I could have stayed a lot longer, but we ran out after a while!

OXEN

These guys get their own special post because they were my favorite, well, fun-favorite, part of Nauvoo. 



There is a little yard set aside for an oxen ride.  When you go, you get to learn about oxen from the Brother Missionaries--the teamsters-- and then travel in a circle on a wagon the oxen pull.  The oxen are huge!



An ox, I learned, is any kind of male bovine that has been neutered.  This renders them quite calm and lovable--yet still strong enough to haul heavy loads.  The teamsters were great.  They let us pose for pictures with the oxen and pet them.  Elias was dwarfed--but braved petting them. 




Here is the best part--the part that makes this my favorite fun-memory: I really liked the oxen.  I scratched one's chin and face and he was lovin' it.  The teamster was amazed at how much the ox liked me.  The ox, I wish I could remember his name, closed his eyes and lifted his chin for more petting, which I readily gave.  He had a nose the size of a dinner plate.  It was all snotty--coagulated mucous dripped from his nose and mouth.  But I am not queasy, oh no!  Then the dear ox licked me.  And then, oh dear, he must have gotten a tickle in that enormous nose of his because he sneezed.  Unfortunately, my face was at the same height as his nose.  That sneeze sent streamers of snot and drool flying at me!  All the onlookers had a great laugh at my expense--my souvenir for this day was a face full of slime! Too bad I don't have a picture of that!

Monday and Tuesday, July 5-6th, in Nauvoo

Monday we had cereal for breakfast and then bought whole-wheat doughnuts at the tourist bakery.  They were dense. 
Both Monday and Tuesday we spent touring the old homes of Nauvoo.  We went to the brickyard.  We went to the Browning Gun Shop, the Blacksmith Shop, toured through several pioneer houses that Wes wanted to see, and played games with the kids at Pioneer Past-times(stilts, hoop-rolling, parlor games, child size cabins and furnishings).  The kids loved Pioneer Past-times.  We walked down the Trail of Hope (it used to be called the Trail of Tears--the sad trail pioneer families took to when they left their beloved Nauvoo to head west because of persistent persecution).  We also went to the Nauvoo Temple with the children to take pictures and walk the grounds.
Some places we didn't get to go to but wanted to: the Tin-Smith Shop, a few of the Homes Wes wanted to see, and we didn't get to go on the carriage ride (it was too full).  Wes also wanted to do a tour of the RLDS property and homes, but I didn't think the kids could tolerate any more historical home tours.  Also, it wasn't Free, like everything else, and I didn't want to pay to make the kids grumpy!  I told Wes to go ahead and go, but he chose to stick with us. 
When Tuesday morning dawned, we were all sad that it was our last day in Nauvoo.  All of us felt we could stay for another week. 

Here is our blacksmith.  He taught us all about black-smithing. 

We all got a nail that was bent into the shape of a ring--a "Prairie Diamond."

One of the things we showed us were the cages that were built

for the oxen to contain them so that they could

have shoes put on them. 

Wes was interested in the blacksmith shop because his

grandfather was a blacksmith in South Dakota.

The forges and bellows were pretty neat. 

In this photo the kids are standing in one of the oxen pens.

I guess they need new shoes. 

We went to the shoe shop and learned how to "Cobble."

Here is the troop outside of one of the homes we toured.

I think this one is the John Taylor home. 

Here is the little hand-carved rocking horse that John Taylor

rode back to Nauvoo to fetch after they had already left. 

His son really wanted it, so he went back for it. 

 Notice the child potty chair in the background!

All the rugs in the homes were hand-made by the

 missionary weavers in the FLC.



GUNS!  COOL!

Wes and I in the Browning Home.

The apothecary had a dry-goods store. 

I loved the apothecary.  It was my favorite place. 

There was an herb garden outside for medicines.

I am holding a little wooden bee cage. 

Once the bee was in the box, it would be

dusted with flour and then released. 

All white, it was easier to track and follow to its

hive where honey could be harvested. 

Down by the river, we saw a wagon on a ferry . 

The wide, wide river. 

Everyone touch the Mississippi.  Elias thinks it's slimy.

Sitting outside the Nauvoo temple by a moonstone. 

It was late afternoon and they were getting tired.

In front of the temple entrance.

Leah was getting ready to rest.

Here is a cute little froggy we watched.

Looking westward at the end of the street--the "jumping off point"

 where the pioneers crossed the Mississippi-either

 on ice or on barges and ferries. 

Pretty little Leah-Bug.

Silly little Mommy-Bee.

The kids pose at the brickyard.

"See these bricks?!  They made them here!  In a fire!"

"I am so strong!"

"Uhn . . . I can't lift it!"

Mom and Dad at the brick kiln.

Pioneer Past-times

When you pull alternately on the strings,

the little bear climbs up!

 

Trying out the stilts.

Yeah! I can do it! (For 10 Seconds).

Here goes Leah. 

Even Ryanne joined the fun.

Elias was fascinated by the wooden "Jacob's Ladder" toy.

"Giddiyap Pony!"

Yee-haaa!

Leah is coming out of the mini-cabin. 

Inside there were little chairs, washboards,

 butter churn and other pioneer items. 

 Looks like Leah is headin' out to the river

to get some water for her laundry!

Elias is ready to carry the milk to market.

Uhhh!  This is so heavy and uncomfortable! 

And I don't even have anything in my buckets!