Bones and Blackberries as Billboards

Day 2- July 20, 2009





Quincey's Birthday! How lucky for her to celebrate her 5th birthday "on the road" in Nebraska. She had a great time eating doughnuts and chocolate milk for breakfast on her big day and then we all took a dip in the pool before we got back in the car.

This day we traveled about 6 hours from Kimball, Nebraska to Omaha, Nebraska. Along the way I was attempting to read a book backwards (as in from the end to the beginning). Mike's dad had given us a book about sacred sites along the trail that the Mormon pioneers traveled as they moved Westward. Since we were moving Eastward it made it interesting. As we drove along I would share the pioneer stories associated with that area.

It was interesting to note that as the Pioneers would travel along the way, they would leave little messages along the trail. They would be written on old dried out ox skulls. They would be used to pass on information about the Pioneers or the trail. "All is well, traveled 26 miles. . ." These bones served as billboards to the following companies of saints. Fortunately for us as we traveled along we had an amazing piece of technology called a Blackberry. We would take pictures and then could immediately send them to friends and family as we took our Journey East. Our family could simply follow along on our journey through this process. And we didn't have to have contanct with any dried up bones.

This is a site along the river where there are still wagon wheel ruts. They weren't easily seen, due to the grass growing all over the hill. But, it was neat to be there and picture the wagon trains coming down the hill.

We made a stop at Winter Quarters. The temple was beautiful. We enjoyed a tour of the Visitors Center and Walked around the Pioneer Cemetary just next to the Temple.

We stayed in Omaha this night . . . . the girls this hotel called the High School Musical hotel, because the pool had a little waterfall they could swim under.

Day 3-July 21, 2009

We traveled from Omaha, Nebraska to Nauvoo, Illinois. It took us just over 7 hours. We traveled through Ottumwa, Iowa. My Grandma Jex was born there in 1901. We called to let my family know where we were stopped and my sister Emily looked up the 1900 census and found their old address. So we plugged it in to our GPS and attempted to find it. It was right near the railroad tracks and they would've been working for the railroad, it was and exciting adventure to look for the area where she would've lived.

Day 4-6 NAUVOO

Paige in Pioneer Garb

We enjoyed spending a couple of nights in the same hotel. On our anniversay, Mike and I attended the Nauvoo Temple, squeaking in on a session at the last minute. It was great! The temple is beautiful! We enjoyed playing Pioneer games and the children especially enjoyed the Nauvoo Pageant.

NOTE TO FAMILY: The Nauvoo Pageant is a great time, and we live 6 hours from Nauvoo. It runs the month of JULY! We would love to go again and to have visitors accompany us!!!

Day 6--Arrival to MICHIGAN !

We arrived here in Kalamazoo at 1am on 7/25/2009. We were all excited to see the house and the kids all woke up and were running around checking it out at 1am--even Boston.

Thanks to Mike and the Moving Company all of our beds were set up. Mike had gotten 90% of our things unpacked and put away. It was LOVELY!