The Great Trip North

In case you were wondering, we made it to Minnesota!  I was a little nervous about 21+ hours of driving with three kids crammed in one backseat of a car.  Audrey was only 2 months old and nursing so we decided to take our time and make it a 5-day family road trip. 

We rented an ABF trailer--we pack it, they move it.  

 David is an amazing packer!  He enjoyed playing Tetris as a kid.  (If it's hard to tell what's going on in this picture, notice that David is sitting on top of our TALL entertainment armoire.)

 Ethan is always a helper.

 The Winterville Marigold Festival was going on during the Saturday we loaded the truck.  We were too busy to enjoy it, but Ethan and Claire rode in the parade with some WEE preschool kids.  

 Sunday morning, last breakfast at the house. 

A couple hours later we drove away from our cute house with tears in our eyes.  This was our first house, and the place where we brought baby Claire and baby Audrey home.  We'll miss our great neighbors and cute Winterville.  Lots of good memories here.  (Photo is from 2008 when Claire was born):

We wanted to attend church one last time, but only made it in time for the Linger Longer potluck afterward!  We said goodbye to some very good friends, then headed for hotel #1 in Nashville. 

LOUD cicadas in Tennessee!  We could hear them in the trees over the noise of the car as we drove down the highway.  They were all over the hotel parking lot, too.

 

 Nashville's own Parthenon (life-size replica)

 Vanderbilt Stadium (this is for you Bulldog fans)

 While we drove, we listened to CDs David's sister Lisa made for us when we moved to the South 4 years ago.  "Tennessee, Tennessee, ain't no place I'd rather be..."

 

 The Ryman Auditorium, long-time home of the Grand Ole Opry

 

 Picnicking on small-town BBQ in front of an old Museum

 We assumed it was okay for kids to climb on and inside this engine

 Our trusty Equinox.  

It's a miracle the kids survived 4 days of riding in a crowded back seat together.

 Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
Site of ancient city 600–1400 AD just outside Collinsville, IL where we spent hotel night #2

Woodhenge

We let Ethan out of the car and he ran like the wind up this mound, only stopping to tell strangers his full name and my cell phone number. 

 
That speck at the top of the stairs is Ethan.  Claire is the pink speck below.

 

View of St. Louis from the top

St. Louis Arch

I had no idea you can actually go up inside the arch!  Here we are in our little pod.

Going up

Ethan was slightly nervous, I think.

630ft above St. Louis

Arch shadow

View from the top of the arch

Father of 3

The Mighty Mississippi River.  Check out the statue in the water, and the parking sign.

Hannibal, Missouri, boyhood home of Mark Twain.

 

Inspiration for Becky Thatcher's house

Cute 1950's-style shop where we stopped for ice cream.

After 3 days of traveling, we decided to driving, we decided to take a day off to visit LDS church history sites in Nauvoo, IL.  David's parents served a mission here about 7 years ago, and invited all 12 of their children to visit to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.  David flew over from Cambridge, England where he was going to school, but I wasn't able to come at the time.

 Wagon ride and tour... fun, right?  It turned out to be not so much fun for kids who had been in the car for 3 days.

 Not her happy, content self today

 Ethan sure loves his baby sister

 Okay, enough about old-time bakeries... where are the free cookies?

Ethan and Claire were holding stuffed animals (dogs) they bought with birthday money the previous day in Hannibal.

 Ethan and Claire had fun performing for us on this stage.

Ethan's FAVORITE place in Nauvoo-- The Family Living Center.

Missionaries dressed in period costumes demonstrated rug weaving... 

 rope making...

 candle making...

 barrel making... and other hands-on skills.  After each demonstration, a brief spiritual message was shared, linking the task to gospel principles.

Wheel-making at the blacksmith's shop.  They make you feel so special at Nauvoo, with lots of one-on-one attention.

Pioneer children's games / play area.  Next time we visit Nauvoo, we'll drop off the kids with a babysitter here, and then go touring!

 Claire LOVED this play cabin.  It's like a life-size doll house.

 You cant's see it, but the Nauvoo Temple is in the background.

 Joseph Smith's Red Brick Store

 

 Graves of Hyrum, Joseph, and Emma Smith

We decided not to drive the 30 minutes to Carthage Jail where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred.  It had been a long day.  We'll go back to Nauvoo when our kids are older.  

So after two nights near Nauvoo, we hit the road again.  

 

 We mostly snacked outside of the car to limit the mess...

 

 but on day 5 we introduced the kids to Lunchables.  Claire eats the cookies first.  Ethan saves them for last... just like his mom. 

Driving into MINNEAPOLIS!!!!!

We arrived one day before the moving truck, so we spent night #5 in a hotel.  The next morning we were so excited to show the kids our new house!!!  Our across-the-street neighbor was nice enough to take this picture.

More house pictures coming soon :)