The long drive!!!

We made it!!! We left, 2300 miles later and we are in Virginia. 

That’s the short version.

The long version had some cool things along the way.  We stopped in Nauvoo and were able to meet up with Mike’s aunt and uncle McKnight.  It was so fun to meet with them and see all the church history sites in Nauvoo.  It really was such a fun little town to visit.  We stayed in a hotel that was super old fashioned and unique.   I couldn’t believe how many amazing things there were to see.  Between the temple, old meeting houses and all the homes of the latter day saints it made for quite the experience.  The first night we were there the Missionary’s put a skit on for the visitors to tell about the Latter Day Saints and what they did while they lived in Nauvoo and why they left.  There was a lady in the skit that was just like my mom and I was dying I was laughing so hard!!!  I’m sure everyone thought I was crazy.  But it was awesome!  That’s all I have to say.  I miss my Margaret moments.

We were also able to stop at Carthage Jail on the way out of town.  And I’m so happy we did it was something I will never forget.  I didn’t really know what to expect when we decided to stop and visit Nauvoo, but the whole experience was such a testimony builder.   I found myself crying several times throughout our visit to Nauvoo.  As we walked through the city and saw all of the hard work that the saints had put into that land in order to make it their home and a place to build the gospel of Jesus Christ, I couldn’t help but to feel grateful for the willingness and strength they had as the picked their families up and gathered all their belongings to leave knowing they would never come back.  And not knowing where and when they would have a home again. 

Nauvoo is a place that everyone and their families should find a way to go see.  It is definitely a testimony builder and a wonderful way to feel the spirit.  I can’t wait for the day I will be able to take all of our children back and show them the sacrifices the earlier saints made so that we would have the gospel in our lives. They whole time we were there I kept telling Michael that we had to get all of our family and the cousins back there.  It would be so much fun to have everyone there at the same time.

We miss our family!!!

So everything is going as planed we are in Virginia.  Mike is selling and I’m home with Owen.  We should be going to Georgia in a few weeks which will be fun.  The only thing I miscalculated is how much we would miss our family.  While it is fun to have an adventure I definitely miss all of the little people running through the house screaming and laughing.  I even miss listening to Jill Nono at night!!!!!  I know that Owen is missing all of his cousins and is wondering why I’m the only person he sees all day long.  The other day he started run crawling around the kitchen and screaming.  I knew he wanted me to chase him like Mallory used to and I almost cried.

But we are finding ways to stay busy. We go on walks and I chase him around the kitchen we crawl up and down the stairs a lot!!! That is his new favorite thing and he gets mad when I try to stop him. We went to church for the first time on Sunday and all the moms get together for play dates every Tuesday. So we went to the play date today and it fun to know that there are other people like us in Virginia that have kids and had to move away for home as well. Actually a lot of the moms were from Utah and were super nice. I was surprised when I spoke with them that none of them cared if they ever lived in Utah again. Even though that’s where they were from and their families lived there. That was surprising to me because I love the fact that our families our so close and that we like to be around one another. We defiantly miss our family and friends but we are excited for this adventure we are having together. 

Cousin fun before we left.

Dr. Livingston I pressume? 

After swimming at the Hotel.

NAUVOO!

Owen's first girlfriend...



...she was a little cold.

Elder and Sister McKnight.

Hide and Seek.

Mommy and baby on a walk.

The Mall Jungle Gym.

This little girl kept playing with him and calling him Baby.  We miss our Mally.

I eat tables.

The only white baby in DC...