The week was filled with the Thorson's visit. Monday morning Thor and Katie came to the temple and we joined them in a session. Afterward Thor brought Lorili back to do baptisms. We assisted them as baptistry coordinators. It was a special time as they both did baptisms for the three Farrar sisters who married three Kelley brothers, and some of their children. We met at the cabin for lunch and then headed to Harvestville Farm. It was a fun place where the children had a great time participating in various activities.
We first loaded onto the tractor pulled wagon and went out to the pumpkin patch to select "the perfect one."
There were pumpkins all over the patch.
It was the perfect day for being outside with moderate temperatures and breezy winds to cool from the warm sunshine.
There were so many pumpkins to choose from! Just when they thought they had found the one, there were others to look at.
The children had fun in the corn pit, riding horse swings cut out of tires, having duck races in water troughs, jumping on the pillow bounce, trying their hand at Norwegian horseshoes, going down a washboard slide, and going in the corn maze.
Eliza played for the longest time in the play store. She was busy shopping with the miniature shopping carts and sorting through all the stuff on the shelves. When she was finished with the store, she said: "Let's go to the next level." I couldn't figure out what she meant until she had me follow her to the play kitchen. She busied herself in there making dinner and putting things away. When she was finished she said: "Let's go to the next level." Next was the potting shed and she repeated the same routine there. I got a kick out of her phrase, "Let's go to the next level." You can tell she has had her share of playing video games.
We stayed long into the early evening with everyone having a grand time. We headed home and stopped in Fort Madison for dinner at a restaurant Thor remembered. It was suited for our needs with being large and spacious and kid friendly. The hostess was very helpful in getting us settled and seeing to our needs. We were all hungry so it didn't take long to decide on what we wanted and all ate well when the food came. Gabe had salad bar and that guy filled plate after plate with food. He definitely is a growing boy. I ordered Chicken Schnitzel that was so large I shared with Henry and Lorili and even took some home.
We were on the road on Tuesday, headed to Carthage and Quincy. The weather had turned cold, cloudy, breezy, and rainy.
It is always a quiet feeling to be in the jail and listen to the tour and then the recording. It was indeed a somber time for those in that room on 27 June 1844.
Wednesday, was our visit the sites day. It was cloudy and rainy but held out for an okay day for seeing things. The first stop was the Visitor's Center where we picked up tickets for the evening show. Below is Lorili in the Women's Garden.
Other sites visited included, the Family Living Center where the boys made a rope and we all tasted bustle oven bread; the Scovil Bakery for Brother Scovil's story and a yummy molasses cookie, girls for girls and boys for boys; The Tin Shop, The Boot Shop, The Printing Shop, The Post Office, and the John Taylor home. We grabbed hotdogs from the cabin and ate lunch on a bench on the street and enjoyed picking up fall leaves, buckeyes, and pinecones, and playing hide and seek with Eliza. We ended the day with a stop at the Brick Yard and then ate dinner at Hotel Nauvoo. Before we went to Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo, we stopped for a picture at the temple, even if the rain was falling.
Rendezvous was enjoyed by all, even if Eliza did fall asleep just after it started. Sitting on the front row added to the enjoyment of the play.
Thursday morning came with us taking the fixings for pancakes to the cabin. Everyone enjoyed the meal while they got ready and packed up to head to Des Moines to fly home to Arizona, ending their time here in Nauvoo and with us. The log cabin worked well for them and for us to spend time together as it was spacious and very accommodating. We enjoyed meals, games, movies, and just being together.
They headed off in the rain and we went to Brother Shurts' to scan. The Clark's were subbing for us on shift as we had worked for them last week, so we had the day to do shopping, laundry, cleaning, and planning for the coming week.
Friday dawned with clear skies, sunshine and temperatures in the high 70's, similar to what Monday was like. We were back in the temple and then off to Burlington for light therapy, dinner, and more shopping.
Saturday brought the clouds and rain back. The humidity was thick but not too hot. While in the temple the tornado siren went off and we were directed into an inner room. We had just gotten sat down when they came and said the warning was over and we could return to our posts. You could hear the thunder roll across the sky and the rain pelting against the windows. By the time we left out, the storm was over for the most part but by bedtime it was back again with high winds and rain. No tornado siren, though.
Sunday afternoon we were gathered in the Assembly Hall in the temple for the Annual Temple Worker Devotional. The room was filled to capacity and we sat in the pews for the Aaronic Preisthood. Everyone was seated fifteen minutes before it started. Sister MacKay, a district worker, played beautiful organ prelude music as we took in the spirit of the room, the purpose of being there, and the feeling of love in the Lord's Holy House.
Sister Thompson's beautiful organ hymn medley was tender, peaceful, and inspiring. Brother Marshall's stirring rendition of "His Hands," touched hearts and brought to mind the sacrifice of our Savior for us. We can act as his hands as we serve others and live as he did. Talks from the presidency were inspiring and thoughtful. We learned that it is more than to know; more than to do; it is becoming that brings us to heaven. There are two kinds of people, those who serve and 'give back,' and those who stay within and become stagnant. Which are you? This thought came from the poem, "The Two Seas In Palestine," by Bruce Barton. We learned about godliness, justification, sanctification, and exaltation. It was indeed a spiritual feast.
Temple Fact: It was decided to erect the temple out of stone, rather than a frame building. This made the construction of the temple a more demanding project, since quarrying stone and dressing it took long hours of hard work and skill. The primary source of limestone was located just north of the city along the river bank. It was a beautiful white-gray in color. The quarry was opened in October 1840 and the workers commenced their labors without even the slightest of tools to use. Working the quarry was not glamorous. It was dangerous and very physically demanding. Orson Hyde said this: "When a man comes to Nauvoo. . .and wants an appointment to some lucrative station, but does not join the church. . . .my counsel would be to give him an appointment in the stone quarry, and he will soon show how much love and sympathy he has got for the church."
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