July: Rabner Family Reunion Day 6

This was our last full day in Nauvoo. 

We started early by a walk down the Trail of Hope where each stop we were able to listen to an actor/actress tell their story. It was so touching. Those early saints worked so hard and had so much hope; hope in the prophet, in the church, in each new place they built up into a beautiful city, in eternal families, in our Savior Jesus Christ. 

These pictures are out of order but just enjoy! 

 We went to a beautiful little vignette in the sculpture garden about the creating of the Relief Society. It was wonderful! This sweet lady portrayed Emma Smith and has a beautiful spirit. I am so grateful to be a member of the Relief Society, it blesses my life every day as does the gospel. 

 We played hard and it wore us out! 

 We attended Sunset on the Mississippi where the kids participated in a lovely children's parade. 

 

 These pictures are at the end of the Trail of Hope. The Great Mississippi River!

 While we were looking at the Mississippi we saw a large group of youth from Corpus Christi there for youth conference. Peter commented that he wondered if his cousin Cory Cluff might be the stake president of this particular stake. Then the next person to walk into my view was his cousin Cory. It was a delightful surprise. 

Fun in the school house. 

July: Rabner Family Reunion Day 5

Wednesday we visited some more historical buildings,

 played some more at pioneer pass times,

 took a ride on an ox drawn wagon, 

 That is a load of kids and in a real pioneer family all of those kids (except the littlest ones) would have walked the whole way. 

But had I made that trek I would have been blessed each day with this man by my side.  

And if you did get to ride in the wagon for even a portion of the way, then you would have been blessed with this as your view for 1500 miles or so.

Samantha saw this statue and begged for a picture and dragged me over there when I was slow in making my way there. I hope she is always eager to rush to the Savior and seek him out. 

We had a great time at the county fair games that night before seeing the pageant. 

I wish I had a picture (but my phone died) but we ran into our friends the Lancaster's from the Lewisville 1st ward. They were a welcome site. It had been a bit of a long day with family and for me I was grateful to see some people who bring such love and joy to each of our family members lives. 

Family is hard but family is what this life is all about. I have spent a great deal of time pondering relationships and my role and purpose in my immediate family and extended family. My role is something that will change and I need to be ready to adapt to those changes. These changes will come in who makes up my family and in how their lives are affecting them. My sincere desire is to be able to follow the promptings of the spirit and have the bravery, patience and love to act or speak or to not act or speak so that I can bring love to my family. 

July: Rabner Family Reunion Day 4

I went for a run and as I walked out the door there was a family of deer right across the street. 

 It was one mile to the temple. 

 Sunrise over the fields. 

We took the boys to do baptisms for the dead this morning with most of the other adults and it was such a beautiful experience. 

 Nauvoo Brass Band before the play Just Plain Anna Amanda

 Making rope in the Pioneer Living Center

 We all had a great time on our wagon ride. They have the most beautiful teams of horses. 

 There is the gang minus a few who got cut off by the kind senior missionary taking the picture. 

 Pioneer Pastimes was a huge hit with all of the kids the whole week! 

 Baby Neeve was just 6 weeks old on this trip and so tiny- not even 7 lbs yet. She was adored by all and passed from person to person. Jon and Joseph were constantly taking her from whomever was holding her. It made my mother's heart so happy to see this and I pray that one day I will see them holding, loving, and cuddling babies of their own. 

 We stopped at an custard place in town and the kids all had some yummy custard but Peter and I shared this amazing bread pudding. It was photo worthy- I was proud I had enough self restraint to stop eating and take a picture. 

We went to the count fair that night before attending the pageant. We had so much fun! 

Thoughts from this day (the last day I took the time to record my thoughts, which makes me sad):

*Performing baptisms with my boys and Peter and his family was a beautiful experience.  The temple is so beautiful and full of heritage. The front was massive and the temple workers moved us along like a well oiled machine. 

*We all enjoyed the play Just Plain Anna Amanda.  The message that we are each important and valued just the way we are. And yet, I know the Lord is pleased with us as we strive to improve ourselves and follow Him. 

*We enjoyed hours of fun at the Family Living Center and Pioneer Pastimes. Early pioneers (and people of the 1800's) were incredibly industrious.  They had so many responsibilities each day just to sustain life but they found the time to have fun.

*The Nauvoo Pageant was so uplifting! Music, dancing, costumes, stories of hope and faith. All of this is done for the purpose of testifying; to testify of The Book of Mormon, the prophet Joseph Smith, and the great plan of happiness.  

July: Rabner Family Reunion Day 3

We took a few family pictures before we took the tour of Carthage Jail on Monday morning but I never ended up with those pictures. I will have to hunt a few of them down from someone. 

 We were able to keep the photo bombers at bay long enough to get a family picture. 

 The gang is all here- not all looking or maybe happy about it but we were all there to see where the Prophet Joseph Smith sealed his testimony with his blood. 

 After lunch at a park, we headed to the sites in Nauvoo that are owned by the Church of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).The above picture is a re-enactment of a picture 9 years ago. I later discovered the original had the boys siting on the other side but it is crazy how much they have grown. 

 I pray my girls gain a firm testimony of the gospel and their role as a woman in it and therefore a testimony of the Relief Society. I love this organization and I will cherish this photo of me with my girls in front of the Red Brick Store where it was organized. 

 I knew my niece Calee was in Nauvoo on Monday but did not think we would end up seeing her. But, she had the impression to hang out in the visitor's center and I had the impression to go to the visitor's center and that is how we found each other. We then attended the performance of Sunset on the Mississippi together. She is talented girl who spent the summer before as a performing missionary in Nauvoo. I hope all of her dreams come true! 

These last 3 pictures were sent to me by Ari Mateu who is Ben's (Peter's older brother) fiancee. We all love her and can not wait for them to get married. She is from Spain and so there are a few hurdles due to the long distance to overcome but we hope we will all be able to attend. 

A few thoughts from this day:

*As a family we read the first chapter in the account of Samuel the Lamanite as part of our family Book of Mormon reading on the way to Carthage Jail. It fit the day so well, that I took the time once we finished to liken it to Joseph Smith and then shared my testimony with my kids. I pray that my words touched their hearts and they have a testimony of their own one day. 

*Would I be willing to bear witness to the end (with my life being threatened)?

*Emma Smith had a heavy burden to bear: loss of children, loss of homes, angry mobs, ill treatment of her husband, RS President, hostess to countless people, prophet's wife, mother, daughter-in-law, trials of faith, loss of spouse, etc. Am I as faithful, supporting, and loving of Peter as a spouse and companion as she was to Joseph?