sEcOnD hAlF oF dAy 4

Well after we left Carthage we got a bit to eat and hit some more of the sites. We went to the Blacksmith, and like Kennady said we each really got a ring! HOORAY! I learned a lot...it was hard work to get everybody ready to cross the plains, not just like they woke up and decided to go. Oh no no they prepared for months, maybe even a year. They had to make wagons for each family and the blacksmith showed us the process of just making one wheel and it took some time. He even made a little horse shoe that he gave to Reddek and Avery. They LOVED them. Then to the Brick yard. Yes we got a free brick! It was intresting to hear how they make the brick.

Then we went to some more houses. Brigham Youngs house... While Brigham Young was on a mission his family lived in this little log cabin so when he got back he built them this nice house. He wanted the wood work to look like oak so he painted each peice of trim to look like oak. The original wood work was stil in there and it look amazing...and like a lot of work.
Lucy Mac Smith's house which was very special. She went through a lot as the mother of the Prophet Joseph. All the moms out there can imagine how hard it would have been to see your son go through all that he did. She was a great lady and you could feel a sweet spirit in her home.

And John Taylor's home...It was so pretty and they only got to live in it for a few months (i think 5) before they left to cross the plains. They told us a story of him just to show what kind of man he was. After they had left to head west his son was really sad because he left his wooden rocking horse. John Taylor left to come back and get his son's rocking horse. That just shows how much love he had for his family and others around him. What a selfless person! I wish I was more like that.
Then we went to this cute little bakery.
They gave us each a cookie and told us the story of the Bakers that lived here. It was tiny. It was very cool that the baker that lived here went west with all the saints and then later founded Sanpete County...which is where Jason and I are from. Of course I don't remember his name, but it was intresting anyway.

By then it was snowing really bad, but we were hoping the Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo was still on so we headed to the cultural hall to see. Lucky for us they hadn't cancelled due to bad weather. This was one of my favorite parts of Nauvoo...it helped me think of it when they were here and also gave me a bigger love for the missionaries serving in Nauvoo. It was a fun performance and they did a great job. It wasn't suppose to be sad it was more fun and funny...but of course i was brought to tears. I think it is because the missionaries have such a spirit about them and it made me realize how hard it would have been to be asked to leave your home to travel with the saints. There was one lady that was not agreeing with her husband about going and it made me check my testimony and faith. If our prophet asked us today to pick up and move would I? I don't know, they had to have A LOT of FAITH.