Thursday, July 7: Wyoming
We did get to see some buffalo at the rest area.
Each night, we stayed in a motel (on our way out to Indiana). Jackson even helped carry in our stuff.
Friday, July 8: Nebraska
We visited Winter Quarters just outside of Omaha. It is the place where the Mormon pioneers stopped for winter when they first began their trek to the Salt Lake valley. Visiting the cemetery is heart-wrenching when you know how many people died during that bitter, bleak winter.
The temple that is now on the lot, however, is such a wonderful, hopeful contrast.
Saturday: we drove through Iowa and Illinois. I wish we could have visited my mom's hometown there, but we just didn't have the time to make it.
Jackson enjoyed Iowa, though.
Jackson did score a free Cracker Barrel map at one of the rest stops, and he followed our trek on his map the entire way out East.
Saturday was Nauvoo day. We toured the bakery, the tin shop, and the brick shop. Jackson felt forced to pose for pictures -- poor, poor boy.
The spirit you can feel at the Nauvoo temple site is incomparable. Knowing that it was destroyed by vicious mobs and then rebuilt over 150 years after it was destroyed is uplifting. How those pioneers must have rejoiced in heaven when it was restored!
Sunday: on to Brown County, Indiana for a 4-day family reunion with LeMira's family.
Here's a shot of all of the cars in front of one of the cabins.
Jackson learned to swim under water at the lake; he decided to do this on his own! I was so proud of him.
He shared his daddy's iPad with his cousins.
These four played a lot together.
We played some fun family games. Matt is acting out some charade-something for the Name Game.
Jackson and his cousins played with the walkie-talkies for a lot of the days.
The last day we finished up with pictures at the State Park and a huge water fight. This is of all the grandchildren.
On Thursday, July 14, we headed to Ohio to visit Matt's sister and her family. We did a lot of things.
We visited The Wilds where we got to see animals in a natural habitat, and Jackson got to see a juvenile penguin up close (he walked around us all), and of course, he promptly asked if we could keep it.
Self-portrait
Baby penguin we bought for him at the end. Big surprise, she's a girl penguin.
Petting a fox
Matt and his sister on the safari ride
We went to a TV museum, which was surprisingly interesting.
The kids played outside in the pool
We went to the county fair and practically melted in the hot weather.
My sister-in-law won a couple of ribbons. I, personally, think this shawl of hers beat them all, but I wasn't a judge. . .
We definitely cooled off at the Splash Park after that very hot day.
The next Tuesday, we drove to St. Louis and rode to the top of the arch to view the sunset. VERY COOL.
Jackson told me to have a crazy face for our picture in the model tram, and I expected him to have one, too. Little Stink decided to trick me.
Looking down on the world below.
St. Louis sunset
Wednesday, July 20: to Liberty jail, Independence, and then Lee's Summit to stay overnight with Matt's cousin and his family.
Liberty Jail: If only I could put into words the emotions I feel when I think of this terrible and yet magnificent place. Some of the most poignant revelations from God in our time were given here during some of the lowest times of the Prophet Joseph Smith's life.
Sadly, we didn't get any pictures with the cousins, but we sure had a grand time. We had never spent much time with them, and we LOVED getting to know them better. Thanks, Eric and Meredith. (You can't defriend us now, haha!)
Thursday, July 21: drive through Kansas.
The boys just LOVED Kansas. Can't you see it on their faces?
I don't blame them, it was 105 degrees outside!
We stopped in a town for food, and there was this park that Matt HAD to go to immediately. Lisa, I'm thinking of a Kenny Loggins song, what is it?
We did get to see some lightening on the plains, but the best part was this picture that Matt captured of the sunset just over the Colorado border in Burlington:
Our last day, Friday, we spent in Fruita, CO with some friends that we hadn't seen in several years. You know a good friend when you haven't seen them in a long time, and it isn't awkward at all. Thanks, Blake and Christy for being SO hospitable.
Saturday: Home through Colorado. Let me tell you how my heart soared when we finally drove through mountains with pine trees (and NO poison oak or ivy).
On the banks of the Colorado River.
Just when Matt clicked the shutter button, Jackson apparently decided he had something to take care of. . .
This is how I always see my husband when we're outdoors.
Finally, I've learned that wherever we go, there's always something to remind me of the little girl that is missing. I found this rock by the riverbank, and it is very similar to the rock that makes up Clarissa's headstone. I hope to get it polished soon.
Perhaps my pictures weren't the most fabulous, and you definitely got a shortened version of each of our sites, but you got it, and it's done. This vacation was very long, but very much worth it for our family. I'm glad we got to go. Now, time to get ready for school!
