Nauvoo

(I'm pretty sure I had lots more pictures in my line-up when I tried to post this last week, but I was having technical difficulties and I got tired, so here is what we have today.)

At the end of March, we had the opportunity to take a history trip to Nauvoo, Illinois, with a group from our church. Travis was on his way home from a rotation in Ohio, so he met us there for the weekend. They have a lot of original homes set up in a historical fashion, like this:

And a real blacksmith who made us a little tiny horseshoe and gave us all "prairie diamond" rings made of horseshoe nails.

This amazing man (also a missionary for our church) told us he even proposed to his wife with a "prairie diamond!"

I loved this checklist of supplies the pioneer families were given. If I had more time and energy, I would have a great deal to say about the "good musket or rifle to each male over the age of 12 years."

Um, what?

I would be thinking, "(A) I am not going to give my 12-year-old son a RIFLE, and (B) Don't you think I'D be more qualified to carry a firearm than a 12-year-old boy?"

See? Travis is not afraid to do girly chores...

So why can't I have a gun?

Moving on...

The kids were crazy about the wagon ride!

(Even though it was like -20 degrees and WINDY!)

Still fun though!

And then we met the horses.

We also had the opportunity to visit the Nauvoo temple, which was reconstructed as a replica of the original temple that was destroyed by arsonists in 1848. So beautiful, and such an amazing history!