Our Summer 2012 Recap - Part 1

Our summer was packed full of fun and adventure.  We were away from home for over two months and were excited to return to Indiana.  Matt finished his first year at Purdue and was hired on by Shell Oil Pipeline for a summer internship.  Matt left for Houston, Texas in the middle of May and the kids and I stayed around so that Max and Mallory could finish school. 

On May 31st we began our summer adventure of traveling 6,000 miles and visiting 10 states. We were able to pick up my mom from the Chicago O'hare Airport and she joined us for the ride. Our first stop was Nauvoo, Illinois and Carthage, Illinois. We stayed the night across the Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa.

 The beautiful Nauvoo Temple.  I would like to go back and have more time to go inside with Matt.

 Mallory is afraid of statues so she woudn't approach Joseph and Hyrum on horseback.  My mom and her stayed back by the temple while we walked to this awesome statue.

The day was cold and overcast and we took this picture as the sun was shining through the clouds behind the Angel Moroni.  It looks as though he is surrounded by flames with the outline of the sun behind the clouds.

I loved this statue of Joseph Smith Jr. and his brother Hyrum Smith on horseback as they stopped in front of the temple looking out onto Nauvoo.  They were on their way to Carthage Jail and stopped here one last time.

My mom was able to show us a plot of land that was owned by a great grandfather of mine, Jonathan and Caroline Crosby.  They were able to live in Kirtland and Nauvoo and be a witness to all of the blessings and persecutions of being members of the church.  Oh, how I would love to have seen Nauvoo during those times.

We were able to tour Carthage Jail and see where Joseph Smith Jr. was shot and killed. Max took the picture so it is a little tilted.

We stopped at Hannibal, Missouri for a few minutes and walked around the town where Mark Twain grew up.  He wrote his stories from the life that he lived here as a young boy.  Such a cute, quaint little town sitting on the Mississippi River.

 Maxwell practicing his painting skills.

We spent two more nights on the road before reaching Utah.  One stop in Kansas City, Missouri and another in Denver, Colorado.  Here the kids are trying to make some fun in a closet in the hotel.