091916

Some time off for good behavior today.  Visited Temple Square, specifically the history center/museum near temple square.

Guess what famous bell this is?  Yep, the Nauvoo bell.

Here is the story behind the bell.  It's located between the old tabernacle and the new one against the West wall.

Heading towards the museum...

The original Grandin press from Palmyra.  The one in Palmyra is a copy.  This is the original.  It had the first 16 pages on it and it was typeset and ready to go.

The original box that the plates were stored in during translation.  These plates are only for reference.

The "Seer Stone" that Joseph used during the translation period.  Along with the pouch that Lucy Mack Smith made to hold it in.

These are some items from Nauvoo.  The flat tiles in back on the wall are original.  The drain block in the front is from the Baptistery and is also original.  Bricks on the right came from the floor of the Baptistery floor.  

Other items from the temple.  A part from the oxen of the font, a form for drawing symbols, a star shape, a part of one of the sun stones, a part of a step.  

This was a very large painted mural that was part of one of the displays.  Nicely done.  A winter scene.

This was a picture of the martyrdom of the Prophet and his brother in Carthage.  A very well done artist rendition and depiction of what happened.

Another section focused on the presidents of the church.  It had a Moroni statue taken from the top of a building in Washington DC church building that was sold off and placed in storage.  It has been here for many years.

Here's the description of the statue's life.

I thought this was interesting because not too many people know what that thing in the middle is, let alone ever used one!

Walked over to the Family History Center but just did a quick look around.  Just didn't have any time to do any work there.

A nice, warm day in Salt Lake today.  Couldn't resist taking this picture as we walked over to the visitor's center.

When we were in Salt Lake in spring of 2015, on our way out to Nauvoo, we saw this intricate model of the Salt Lake temple but we weren't able to set any time aside to look at it.  So, today we grabbed a few minutes and took a good long look.  This is a really impressive scaled model of the temple. 

The Celestial Room...

One of the ordinance rooms...just so much detail.

A little farther along was a display that showed one of Arlene's favorite door knobs in the temple.  So classic.

...and, of course, the yoke for the oxen that hauled the granite for the temple.  I think there is a story about a yoke in this somewhere.  such a nice day in Salt Lake.

091816_Family together

Sunday we got together and talked a lot, ate a little, and took a few pictures.  As a bunch of Boekweg's and a few Seger's, we need to do that once in awhile, don't-ya-know.

Jon/Angel/Feonyx came up from Ogden to visit.  First time we've seen him since he was born.

Feonyx is not cooperating yet.  Maybe when he turns 20 or so.  Angel and Jon (Emmett).

All the Seger's we could get together tonight.  Not really sure what Feonyx was pointing at.

The elder Boekweg's, for the most part.  Ted, Marilyn (Ron's wife), Arlene, Dave & Merilynn, their daughter Deedré.

We had a house full of the younger Boekweg's and a lot of kids but I managed to miss all of that as I was talking to a lot of people.  Maybe next time.  A couple of days and we'll be heading out towards Kalifornia for the final leg home.  I have an appointment to be released from our mission.  Our stake president is not going to be there so we will be released by one of the counselors but that's OK.  I like him better anyway.  

091716_Oquirrh Mountain Temple

A little bit of sleep and catching up on some things that we need to get done.  We are so grateful that Marilyn Boekweg is willing to put us up for a few days while we shuffle around the Salt Lake area and get a few things done while we are here.  Had a little bit of time on our hands tonight so thought we might want to visit the Oquirrh Mountain Temple since it's only a few miles down the road.

Marilyn's new home in Herriman.  She is very fortunate and it's a lovely home. 

The temple is a lot prettier at night than in the day.

The front including the sign.  Not really legible due to the foliage out front.

Looking from the front door, past the fountain, out onto the city below and the full moon.

A view towards the moon this night and the city below from the garden area in front of the temple.  

091516_the plains

Heading out from Winters Quarters starts the "flat" part of the drive.  I often wonder why people think there is no place to put people as the cities are so horrifically overcrowded but living around nauvoo for the last 18 months (there just isn't much there) and then driving across the plains for hundreds of miles makes you kinda wonder why anyone thinks there are no places for people to live.  Well, I guess habitable places are a priority but there is a lot of space over a thousand or more miles, for sure.

Outside Sydney, Nebraska at a reststop there were a couple of signs explaining the local info that is of some interest to travelers in the area.

You must admit, this isn't a sign you are going to see in just any rest stop in any other state you drive through, now is it?

A panoramic view of this rest stop area.

Moving on to the 16th, we traveled across Wyoming a bit and ran across this bit of wisdom at a reststop.

So, this is looking Eastward from the rest stop and that is some flat country looking in that direction.  

Heading into Herriman, Utah this afternoon for a few days.  Need to get a little bit of rest before the final push for home.  We've put a lot of miles on the buggy so it's time to take a little time and enjoy things so we are and visiting family while we are here in Utah.  Although, gotta admit the humidity is much more to my preference here.  Sooo nice when it's not nearly 100%.

091416_Heading Home

Today's journey takes us to Omaha, Nebraska and the Winter Quarters Temple.  About 400 miles towards our first destination of Herriman, UT.

One last visit to the temple in Nauvoo before we leave.  All packed up, to the roof of the jalopy, and sitting low.

One last look at Joseph & Hyrum.  One last look across the great Mississippi.

Heading down the highway in Iowa (where they build these things) in a rest stop sponsored by Siemens is this plaque that talks about the windmill blade they have on exhibit there.  So, it's 148 feet long and weighs a little over 23,000 pounds!  We saw these things all over the place in windmill farms but really didn't grasp how large they were until we got up close and personal with one.

Yes, that pinkish spec down towards the bottom is Arlene.  Now, consider there are three of these per windmill.  They are around 400 feet tall.  Kind of mind boggling when you look at them this way, huh?

Winter Quarters Temple on our 1st night on the road.

After the session we walked around and took a few night shots.

The front door is very well done and attractive.

Some of the side stained glass.

The sign for the temple.

My favorite window at this temple.

We finished our session around 8 and went out for something quick to eat then back to the hotel for an early night.  We were going to have a long ride to Laramie, Wyoming, the next day so we needed some sleep.  We only had a few hundred miles under our belt but it was actually beginning to feel like our mission was behind us.  After all, we are now way out side our mission boundaries so somebody was bound to get upset for leaving our area...unless, of course, we were supposed to be leaving them...

091216

Last couple of days in Nauvoo...

Our last FHE together and dinner.  Fortunately, we had already said our goodbyes so we didn;t need to say anything this night.

My last jog in Nauvoo on Tuesday morning.  Note the snazzy shoes...

Our fellow missionaries, the Moon's, had us over for dinner on Tuesday, the night before we left, for dinner and some last conversation.  Nice and thoughtful couple.

Bro McDonald stopped by, in full regalia, to play his bagpipes "Going Home" for us and wish us well.

Remember the burned acre Nauvoo does every spring?  This is what it looks like now.

The geese are feeding for their return trip in the late fall.

We'll be leaving in the next day or so.  Just last minute packing and our mission is over here in Nauvoo.  It's been quite a ride here.  But it is time for us to return home.