7 months=3rd Trimester!

(3 posts today-- don't miss the other ones!)

28 weeks- 7 months! I can't believe it... these last 7 months have flown by. Hopefully the next 2 will also?!

The move is quickly approaching: this is our last week of work, Brad's family comes into town Thursday night, we play host/hostess until next Wed and then we are out of here! I can't believe it.

Our house did end up falling through, so we will be staying with Brad's parents until we find a place to live. I am crossing my fingers that we have a place of our own before baby comes!

More Nauvoo...

On our third day, we went to the Nauvoo Temple and did an endowment session, as well as sealings for a few of Brad's relatives. One of the names belonged to a relative who had actually lived in Nauvoo at some point in his life. The temple is absolutely beautiful! When the temple was rebuilt only about 10 years ago, the exterior and the majority of the interior were reconstructed to be as close to the original design as possible. (A few years after the saints left Nauvoo, a mob started a fire in the temple. A few years after that a tornado destroyed much of the exterior, so the temple was condemned and torn down.)

Mulholland Street-- where the majority of the hotels, restaurants, and shops are. We found a small diner with the best frozen custard! Yum!

This was the backyard of the Browning Home. The small white picket fence within the yard is where their young daughter was buried. The family found comfort from their view of the temple and knowing that they would be reunited with their sweet daughter again.


Seventies Hall


Nauvoo Grove-- where Joseph gave many of his sermons, including the famous "King Follett Discourse"


View of the temple from the grove

Our last night in Nauvoo we walked the "Trail of Hope" which extends down Parley Street to the Mississippi River. This is the street that the saints walked as they left Nauvoo in early 1846. As you walk the trail, there are plaques containing quotes from journals and letters of early pioneers.

When President Hinckley dedicated the Nauvoo Temple,he asked everyone to take a few minutes to “walk down Parley Street to the waterfront,” to the Mississippi River where the Saints departed Nauvoo as they began their westward trek. He asked people to leave behind the comfort of their air-conditioned cars and walk along this historic path. This was another highlight of the trip for me. As I read the plaques I was amazed with the faith and optimism of the saints.

Parley Street


Walking along the trail




Mississippi River waterfront




Our love of the saints and the Prophet Joseph Smith grew tremendously and we are so grateful for their sacrifices and examples. It was a great trip!!

Part 3: Nauvoo & Carthage, IL

We spent 3 full days in Nauvoo, and it was perfect. There was just enough time to see & do everything-- if we were there any less I would have felt too rushed. The week we were there was the first week of "summer" for the missionaries in Nauvoo. They had just tripled their number of senior missionaries, in order to accommodate for the large amounts of visitors during the summer months. It was also the first week that the Young Performing missionaries were performing their shows, and they did great!

The first day in Nauvoo we went on a Carriage Ride of the city and explored some of the historical sites, including the temple.

This statue is next to the temple and overlooks the valley of Nauvoo. It is Joseph & Hyrum heading to Carthage.

One of our horses ("Mike" as Brad just reminded me) from our Carriage Ride

As we drove by each building during the Carriage Ride, the missionaries would come out and wave to us.

On the Carriage Ride

This was my favorite home in Nauvoo. It belonged to Heber C. Kimball, the first missionary to England and one of the original 12 apostles in this dispensation.


This picture makes me laugh, because when I see Brad's cheesy smile it reminds me of the time that one of the senior missionaries in Nauvoo asked if he was my son. Haha... true story!


Because the temple sat up on the hill, you could see it from virtually anywhere.

On our second day, we drove to Carthage Jail, which is about 30 minutes from Nauvoo. The drive between Nauvoo & Carthage is very rural-- lots of farmland and open fields-- similar to what it probably looked like as Joseph & Hyrum rode there over 150 years ago. Brad said this was the highlight of the trip for him, and I would have to agree.

One of the farms on the way to Carthage

That is the jail directly behind the statue.

When Joseph was shot, he fell out of the top window

View from inside the window

This is the original door. The bullet hole is the one that hit and killed Hyrum



On our drive back to Nauvoo we found a stop sign that was a just my size!

Part 2: Far West & Adam-ondi-Ahman

On our way to Nauvoo (about 5 hours from Independence) we stopped at Far West & Adam-ondi-Ahman, important sites in early church history.

In 1833, when the saints were forced from Jackson County, they crossed the Missouri River into Clay County where they lived in peace for a few years. However, in 1836 tensions with community members rose and the saints were forced out. They headed about 30 miles north, into Caldwell & Daviess counties. Far West, located in Caldwell County, became the largest Mormon community as well as the church headquarters during this time.

Monument dedicated to the revelations received in Far West

While in Far West, Joseph received the revelation found in D&C 115-- revealing the church's official name as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also received the revelation on the system for modern day tithing, as well as the need to build a temple. However, because the saints were forced from the state of Missouri in 1838, the temple was never built and all that remains are the 4 cornerstones.

Next we drove about 45 minutes north to the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman

Spring Hill

It was revealed to Joseph Smith that the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman was where Adam gathered his posterity to teach them and bless them shortly before his death. It is also the location of a future Priesthood gathering.

We enjoyed walking on the trails, among the trees and enjoying the spirit that was there. And don't worry-- we remembered to check for ticks before we left!!

Overlooking Tower Hill

Such a beautiful & peaceful valley

Next stop: Part 3--Nauvoo & Carthage, Il

Part 1: Liberty Jail & Independence, MO

The first stop on our trip was to Liberty Jail, the jail where Joseph Smith and 5 others were held for 4 months as they awaited trial during the winter of 1838-1839. It was a beautiful day in Liberty when we visited, a far cry from the freezing temperatures and snowy conditions the prophet would have experienced during his stay there.

LDS Visitor's Center at Liberty Jail

The original jail was destroyed in the early 1900's because it was literally falling apart. However, the church was able to purchase the land, and has rebuilt the jail on the exact location it originally stood. They were even able to use some original building materials from the jail. The rebuilt jail is now enclosed in the visitor's center to protect it from the elements.

The jail is located in the rotunda area of the Visitor's Center

There was a very strong spirit when we entered the jail. I was amazed at the conditions these men were held in. The ceiling was so low that they could never stand up straight. There were open windows that brought the cold winter air in. They tried a few times to build fires to help keep them warm, but because of no ventilation they were smoked out.

This is a close up of the walls of the jail- 2 feet of stone on the outside, 1 foot of wood on the inside with loose rocks wedged between the two.

Both of us were aware that Liberty Jail is where Joseph received the revelations now recorded as sections 121, 122, and 123 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Section 121 is probably the most well-known, where he pleads to the Lord for comfort and the Lord replies, "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."

What we were amazed to learn was that of the 120 days that Joseph spent in Liberty, this answer came at day 110. It was a good lesson to us that sometimes we expect the Lord to answer our prayers today, or maybe tomorrow at the latest. But even the prophet was required to wait and rely on his own faith before that answer came.


The next stop on the trip was Independence, MO. This is the city that Joseph set aside as Zion, for the gathering of the saints. The saints began to gather in Independence in 1831, and on August 3, 1831 Joseph dedicated a site for a future temple. However, because of conflicts with the residents of Independence, who were threatened by the growth of the Mormon community, they were forced to flee Independence in 1833, before the temple could be constructed.

One of four original cornerstones of the temple

Community of Christ Temple

The church has a Visitors Center in Independence, which we visited and spent time learning more about the history of the early saints there. Across the street is the temple for the Community of Christ (RLDS) church, who still maintains a large presence in Independence. We got to tour the temple, which is more of an administrative building and Sunday worship center.

There are LOTS of churches in Independence: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Church of Christ, Community of Christ, and many more. This is another one that we saw.

This is the county courthouse, which is located in downtown Independence near town square. In July 1833, Bishop Edward Partridge was pulled from his home and taken outside the courthouse where he was tarred and feathered by a mob of men. One thing that I was impressed with throughout this trip was the great amount of faith and love the saints always responded with, despite all of the persecutions they endured.

Edward Patridge's response to his situation was another example of this, "I knew not what they intended to do with me, whether to kill me, to whip me, or what else I knew not. I bore my abuse with so much resignation and meekness, that it appeared to astound the multitude, who permitted me to retire in silence, many looking very solemn, their sympathies having been touched as I thought; and as to myself, I was so filled with the Spirit and love of God, that I had no hatred towards my persecutors or anyone else.”

Next stop-- Part 2: Far West & Adam Ondi Ahman

Goodbye May!

So much has happened this past month-- some good, some not-so-good, a little bit of stress but a lot of excitement!

• We started out the month with a trip to Utah for an 80th birthday bash, a baby shower for me, and house hunting. All were very successful!
• We put an offer on our first house! This has easily been the most stressful of our recent activities. Trying to close on a house while living 2 states away is not the easiest thing in the world. We were scheduled to close this Thursday, but there have been a few complications and the closing is now up in the air. We will know more this week, and are trying to keep a good attitude for whatever happens. We thought this was the house for us, but maybe Heavenly Father has a different plan.
• We are down to 4 weeks for the big move. I haven't started packing and I don't really know where to begin either! The plan was to do a little a time, so I should probably get started on that...
• We spent the last week on a fabulous church history trip: Independence, MO, Liberty Jail, Far West, Adam Ondi Ahman, Nauvoo, IL, and Carthage Jail. It was a great trip!! I am very grateful that at 6 1/2 months pregnant I felt fabulous the whole time-- through flying, driving, lots of walking, and good old mid-west humidity. My love for the early saints and for the prophet Joseph Smith was increased so much. I am so grateful for the many sacrifices of the saints and for their righteous example of following a prophet's counsel. **Separate post(s) on this trip to come!**
• I am now 6 (1/2) months pregnant! Count down is now under 100 days! Like I said before, I am so grateful to be feeling good. I still sleep through the night, don't have heartburn, and for the most part am still very comfortable. (Probably because the baby is not hiding in my ribs-- I am easily twice the size as my friend who is due the same date!) But that's okay. My back bothers me after sitting for long periods of time, but it is my upper back and not my lower, which is what I was the most worried about. I haven't had any sciatic pain, which I am also very grateful for. So basically I feel huge, but I'm still comfortable, so I can't complain!
• Here's the proof:

6 months