Nauvoo 2011

We decided to go to Nauvoo again this year.  Since Chris' parents volunteer every year it gives us a chance to see them and a place to stay.  Our trip was super short this year.  Chris gets almost no time off in July... just the 4th.  And he works late of Fridays so it really was a short, "long weekend."  But we took what we got and drove up there.  We really just hung out with Chris' parents.  We went swimming in the pool they had access to. We went to church.  It is pretty amazing.  Nauvoo is normally such a small area, but during the pageant it expands so much.  They ask you not to attend all the meetings.  They just don't have the room and means to accommodate everyone.  They also set-up an additional Sacrament table.  But it still takes 30 minutes for the Sacrament to be passed.

Chris and I did take Kiah to see a dress rehearsal of the pageant.  And Chris and I did get to see "Our Story Goes On" for the first time this year.  It wasn't what we expected, and left me a little disappointed, but it was good, just not what I wanted.  I thought it would be more about the Historical figures in the pageant, but it wasn't.

Amazingly, I ran into someone I indirectly knew from my college years there.  It really is impressive since there were so many people there.  I saw him across the crowd.  I could tell he was a missionary, so I got closer to read his tag... and it was him!  So I went up an said hi.  He really was a friend of a friend.  He was the Institute Director at San Diego State while I was at UC San Diego.  Since I was such good friends with the Institute Director at UCSD I knew who the director was at San Diego State.   So we chatted for just a moment before the show started.  It was during this conversation that I realized I graduated from college 10 years ago!  WHAT?!

We decided to stop at Carthage jail again on our way out of town.  I am constantly impressed by Kiah's memory.  She remembered it from last year.

I totally forgot to take my camera with us on the trip.  The back-up plan I made was to use our phones.... but I just never did.   The kids and I will actually be heading back in a couple weeks with my dad.  I HAVE to take my camera on that trip because we have some fun things planned!

Here are the few pictures I got