Our Trip to Nauvoo

We decided to spend our long Memorial Day weekend in Nauvoo with our friends the Thomases.  After a short trip to the Urgent Care, we were on our way (see post below).  Its about a 5-7 hour drive from where we live.  On our way there we stopped twice and it was closer to seven and on our way home we broke a record and got home in just under 5 hours without stopping AT ALL.  It was a miracle (aided by the fact that all the kids slept a good portion of the time).
Unfortunately the weather put a damper on our trip.  It rained and it was cold and Nauvoo is the type of place you really want to be able to just walk around outside to be able to enjoy.  Oh well- we made the best of it.  Here are some photo highlights:

 Pioneer Activities etc
Photo description (starting top left and going around): playing on a wagon, inside the Carthage Visitors Center, playing in a wagon, playing in a fort that was part of a playground outside a catholic school :), and more wagon

Top left (going around)- petting the horses after our wagon ride through Nauvoo, rope-making, pioneer games, and on the stage after the play "Just Plain Anna Amanda"

 CARTHAGE JAIL (where Joseph Smith died)

And this photo below is a special treasure.  We looked up in the "Land and Records" office to find the site where my great great great grandparents (Samuel and Jane Watson Howe) lived in Nauvoo.  Its on the lot just kiddie corner to the temple.  Jane's mother was Louisa Young who is the younger sister of Brigham Young.  Its pretty cool, I think.  You can see me and Brielle, Brayden and Emmitt on the grass and then Makenna was over by the tree on the side.