Nauvoo

For some reason I forgot to mention our stay in Nauvoo, Illinois. So this is just a fill in update.

We actually stayed in Keokuk, Iowa across the river as there weren't any pet friendly hotels in Nauvoo. Actually, Nauvoo is a sleepy little town of about 11oo population with a large Mormon presence and a beautiful temple, the replica of the original that was built by Joseph Smith and the early saints. We were fortunate to attend a session on Monday and also enjoyed visiting many sites in and around Nauvoo on Sunday including the Carthage Jail where Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were killed by a mob. We saw Joseph Smith's home and property, and many other sites.

Of note were two acquaintances we made in Nauvoo, one new and one not. While we were in the Visitors Center, we found a long lost friend whom we had lost contact with years ago. It was fun to get reacquainted. While visiting with her, she told us that there was a missionary couple serving in Nauvoo who had the last name of Warr. So we went over and talked with them. His name is Gary Warr with ancestry as follows: Merrill Willis Warr, William Warr, and William Warr. We have a William Warr in our ancestry (Joseph Packer Warr, Samual Sherburn Warr, Joseph Warr, and William Warr) so we may be related somewhere. He has a brother serving at Martin's Cove (which we visited on Mom's birthday) but he was not there the day we were there.

We're Now in the Rockies

Well, we are now in Salt Lake and are enjoying a respite in our time share at Snowbird Ski Resort. We have enjoyed a wonderful trip thus far with no adverse mishaps except a flat tire which I'll explain in a moment.

Far West - After Nauvoo, we enjoyed some more Mormon history at Far West, Missouri, Adam-ondi-Ahman, and Hauns' Mill (which really wasn't much to see except beautiful scenery) where we said hi to a large turtle in the middle of the dirt road. After shaking hands, we relocated him to the side of the road and continued on. It was fun to see the places we had read about so many time before. We also visited with some friends (spent the night, actually) we had known in Tallahassee (Roger and KayDe Hale) and enjoyed reminiscing.

Winter Quarters/Omaha - When we left Missouri, we went up to Omaha where Winter Quarters is located (Mormon History on their trek to Salt Lake). It was a beautiful visitor's center and we went into the temple to do some initiatory work. Again, it was great to put the scenery with the stories.

Nebraska - Going through Nebraska was nice. The Great Plains are truly great.

Wyoming (flat tire) - The Honda dealership in Tallahassee said our tires were ok so with trust, we hit the road. However, I kept getting a prompting to get a second opinion which I ignored because it was never convenient (when will I ever learn). Well, near a small town (population 150) called Fort Laramie, Wyoming (not Laramie which is much larger), we blew the rear tire. Needless to say, we took everything out of our trunk to get to the spare and jack, limped into Guernsey (population 750) for the night where a new friend (I'll call him an angel) got us in touch with a local auto repair who put on a retread so I could get to Wheatland to buy some tires.

Wyoming (Ruts) - With new tires in place, I went back to Guernsey to get Marti and mom and we found out that there was a Oregon/Mormon Trail Historical Marker just outside of town (which we would have missed if we hadn't blown the tire) so we went to look. It was incredible. Two ruts carved out of rock (we'll send pics) as a testament of the sheer numbers of wagons who traversed that rock.

Wyoming (Independence Rock) - We continued on up to Casper and headed back south for some more Mormon History sites. We saw Independence Rock which is a momentous rock formation which is important because anyone traveling on the Oregon or Mormon trail needed to be at Independence Rock by the 4th of July or they may end up in adverse weather before they reach their destination. Hence the name.

Wyoming (Martin's Cove) - This is the location which marks a great suffering by a Mormon Handcart company who didn't leave Iowa until the end of July (way too late). It's a long story which, if you're interested, you can read about on the internet. Anyway, it was especially memorable for us because normally, in order to see the actual Martin's cove, you would need to walk about 1.5 miles from the Visitor's Center. Obviously not possible for mom. However, when the guides saw how we really wanted to see the site and especially since it was mom's 93rd birthday, they put us on a small motorized cart and drove us over to the site. It was incredible. There were deer and antelope all around us. When we got to the site, Marti and I took a moment and walked over to the edge and just looked at the scene below us. It was a very emotional moment for both of us as we tried to picture the horrible suffering that took place there. Many died of both exposure and starvation. However, many more lived to document the experience. They all proclaimed that through their suffering, they found God in a way that you can't any other way. I can't begin to understand the depth of what they experienced.

Wyoming (Mom's birthday) - Anyway, we continued on with our trip through Wyoming on mom's 93rd birthday which, if you tried to call, our cell phones didn't have much reception, so we wished mom happy birthday for everyone. We'll do a proper celebration when we get to Rexburg.

Wyoming (Fort Bridger) - After spending the night at Rawlings, we took a few moments to visit Fort Bridger. It was fascinating.

Snowbird - Well, here we are and we'll be here for a week. I'll update more later. Needless to say, we're going to rest for awhile.

We're On Our Way

Well, we finally left on Wednesday evening and made it as far as Columbus, Georgia to visit Marti's brother Ron (and wife Debbie). The next day, we stopped at Hendersonville, North Carolina to visit Nick and Pam. Nick had a barbeque dinner hot off the grill and it was delicious. After a great visit there, we are now in Clarksville, Tennessee (just north of Nashville) and we drove past the Grand Ole Opry. We will probably make it to Nauvoo, Illinois by tomorrow night.

So far, mom is doing great. Nick was amazed at how good she looks after her hip ordeal and pneumonia. I think it's because of our tlc.

I'll keep you posted as we progress on our journey.

Not Back to Normal...But

Mom is a ton better. She still uses her walker and she still struggles with her memory loss, but her energy level is back up and she is crocheting as before. So, the green light is on for the move back to Idaho. We tried to leave today, but we have more to do. So our target is tomorrow. We have shipped a lot of stuff and will dispose of our furniture tomorrow (giving to friends).

Our plan is to take about two weeks to drive to Salt Lake City (visiting Mormon History spots along the way) where I'll pick up my Jeep. We'll stay near Salt Lake (Snow Bird) for about a week at a time share and basically recuperate from our drive. Then we'll make the 3 hour drive to Rexburg around the 5th or 6th of September.

Please keep a prayer for us for our safe trip and mom's good health.

Better Than Expected

Mom is doing very well, much better than anyone expected. The therapists who come to the house to work with mom all comment on how well she get's around and how healthy she looks. She doesn't sleep near as much during the day as she did and she is more crochet active every day. Her confusion factor is still a bit high but that improves also. She's looking and acting more and more like her old self. It was the right thing to do to bring her home.

She handled one hour of church last Sunday so we'll probably try the 3 hour block next Sunday, depending on how she feels that morning. We take a good walk every day and that helps.

Til next time....