Wonderful Whirlwind Weekend!

For some reason I really feel a need to quickly get a blog down about the past few days. We flew in last night from our trip to Kansas City and Nauvoo for Katie and Nic's wedding! It was pretty crazy and busy and absolutely wonderful at the same time. We wouldn't have missed it for the world!

We got into Kansas City around midnight last Wednesday and left at the crack of dawn the next morning. We wanted to hit Carthage and a few Nauvoo sites with some cousins in the afternoon before settling down with everyone and preparing for the wedding the next day. It rained and rained and rained but it was still beautiful! Tanner loved seeing the Mississippi river. (He has a favorite song that talks about the Mississippi River.) Carthage was a great experience but time was not our friend the rest of the day as we wandered all over the place trying to find somewhere to eat! We ended up at the condos though with all of our family and enjoyed our time together. My boys had a blast with all the cousins!

Tanner with some cousins at Carthage Jail

Inside Carthage Jail

Some of the views while driving to Nauvoo

Friday was definitely the highlight of the trip. The Nauvoo temple was so beautiful. Nic's grandfather was able to perform the sealing ceremony and it was definitely incredible. It was an amazing feeling to sit in that sealing room with most of Spencer's family and feel that special spirit. And to see Katie and Nic whom we love so much be sealed was so much fun. There really aren't words but it was definitely a very memorable experience! I love the temple. I look forward to returning to Nauvoo someday!

Benny with Cousin Madison while waiting outside the temple

Katie and Nic as they exit the Temple

So cute

Can you tell my boys were done?

I couldn't resist putting in some shots of the Temple. It is so beautiful! I can't imagine the sacrifices the early saints made to build it and then how difficult it was to leave it all.

After the wedding and freezing through pictures we went to the luncheon and then were finally able to go see some of the Nauvoo sites. I'm so excited to go back there with my kids when they are older. I have great memories of being there with my family when I was young! There is a great spirit there.

Beautiful Nauvoo!

Benny and Zac

Tanner and Daddy making rope

Grandma and Grandpa helping Tanner make rope

At the grave sites of Joseph, Emma, and Hyrum Smith with the Mississippi in the background.

Following another late night drive back to Kansas City we all spent Saturday in preparation for the reception which turned out beautiful! Spencer's mom and sisters did such a great job planning and decorating everything. I wish I took more pictures. The night was a lot of fun! Especially the dancing afterwards. All the grandkids really got into the dancing. . . and it was fun to have opportunities to dance with my honey a few times. . . . I wish that was something we did at our reception!

My lone picture of the reception that turned out. Hopefully other people got some good ones! It was too dark for my camera. But here are a bunch of the cousins starting to dance at the end of the reception.

It was such a busy whirlwind of a trip but so much fun! It made us miss all the family out there so much more though and wish that we could see them all more often. That was the only sad part was that we didn't have as much time to just hang out with everyone. But hopefully we see them all again soon!