Pioneer day in Utah...an actual holiday!

 Pioneer Day (24th of July) is a big celebration in Utah...fireworks are sold and shot off for 3 days before and 3 days after the holiday...it's an actual holiday for a lot of businesses and we looked forward to our first one in Utah!  I am grateful for my ancestors, especially those who crossed the plains and exercised faith like I will probably never know...I need to look more into their stories and learn more about them.  

We spent the day unloading Amanda's truck!  Dave, Amanda and Joel pulled in at 10:30 the night before...they made good time!  The truck from Georgia had arrived earlier in the day.  Jessica and Logan made good time as well pulling that big rig!  We are thankful to them for doing that!  We are also thankful to our friends, Tyler and Sara Winiecke and Mark Nielson who had the day off and were willing to come help us unload!  Amanda's friends Tyler and Kiley Prince helped as well.  Tyler Prince's dad served in the Barcelona mission with Dave, so they chatted on the phone for a few minutes.  Small world.  Afterwards we fed them pulled pork sandwiches and Jacob entertained us with his eating of corn-on-the-cob!  The ice cream bars were the perfect ending to our unloading day!

 Tyler, Mark and Sara

 Kiley and Tyler (who looks a lot like his dad from Dave's mission pictures!)  I think he collapsed right there where we had him help us move the piano!  

 

 On Friday night we really celebrated!  My brother Eric has been running a Black Cat Fireworks tent for the month of July.  He wanted to put on a big fireworks show at his house...we were willing to come watch!!  The kids did poppers and when it got dark, the show began.  It was awesome!  Aerial fireworks in your neighborhood cul-de-sac.  Who would have thought!!??  Only in Utah!!  We of course brought snacks and glow sticks and just had a great time.  Joel took a lot of pictures, I picked out a few I really liked to share here...Thanks Eric and Randa for hosting a great celebration!  Clif and Lindsay arrived late Friday night so they missed the show, but we are glad they got here safely from BYU-Idaho and look forward to a fun week with them!

More Nauvoo and Winter Quarters...

Monday morning Dave, Amanda and Joel took a wagon ride through Nauvoo...they saw many of the historic places to visit and all the beautiful scenery in that wonderful place on the Mississippi River.  They saw the pageant stage (the pageant wasn't playing the nights they were there) and beautiful views of the temple...and of course the river where the saints crossed as they started their trek out west...

Inside the blacksmith shop... 

 These next three buildings are owned by the Church of Christ and they don't allow photography inside, but they did get to tour them...this is the Joseph Smith Homestead...

 the Nauvoo house..

 The graves of Emma, Joseph and Hyrum...there are other family graves in this scenic spot right by the river...

 And the Mansion house...where Joseph and Emma lived, and I imagine him on that porch hugging and kissing his family for the last time as he mounts his horse and heads for Carthage...

 After they finished touring a few more places, it was time to hit the road for Winter Quarters in Nebraska!  They had to wait for a couple of barges coming down the river (they raise the bridges so they can come through) so it made them almost miss the tour at winter quarters, but they got there 5 minutes before closing time!  There is a museum and a cemetery and a temple there...they got to look at all three before finding their hotel for the night.  They were so happy they got to be there!  After Nebraska, it's drive, drive, drive until they arrive in Utah!

What a sacred and reverent place to be, where so many perished after being forced out of Nauvoo...it is wonderful that there are monuments and museums to their memories!

Meanwhile in Illinois...

While the boys and I were flying back to Utah, Dave, Amanda and Joel started their drive across country.  They went the first night to St. Louis, MO and stayed with Amanda's sis-in-law for the night.  It was a 9 hour drive from Atlanta!  The next day, Sunday the 21st they drove to Carthage, IL and Nauvoo.  They spent Sunday and Monday there and then drove up to winter quarters on Monday evening...Their first stop was Carthage Jail where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed by a mob...

 The bullet hole in the door that hit Hyrum Smith and killed him...

 Then on to Nauvoo...where they stopped at the temple and then toured the historic village...

 This is the "Family Living Center" where demonstrations abound on the daily life in Nauvoo.  This attraction was not there when Dave's parents served a mission there.  At least I don't remember ever seeing it.

 The Browning Gun shop and the Tin shop.  Dave's dad loved giving tours in the tin shop!

 This is the top of the Red Brick Store...

They toured several homes and walked the streets that Joseph Smith walked...it is quite the experience!  We are glad they got to spend some time there...