Day 3

This morning we woke up in Nebraska and drove to Omaha/Winter Quarters. And can I even explain to you what a beautiful day it was!?! It was around 70 degrees with a light breeze blowing through the beautiful green trees. I don't want to go back to cold brown Utah. Do you blame me?

PS the doors of this temple are GORGEOUS!

So Brandt and I were going on the Visitors Center tour with like 40 other people and we couldn't hear or pay much attention so we ditched, went up to the cemetery, and sat on a bench for like an hour while all of the other kids were on the tour so it was just SUPER peaceful to sit and just appreciate the silent beauty of that cemetery and stare at the amazing temple that's built right on the hill.

It was perfect weather all day and then right as we started our devotional the clouds came and it started to pour on us :D So it was just a fun day in the sun/rain!

Then we started through Iowa. It took the pioneers 6 weeks to get through Iowa because of all of the nasty black mudd and rain there which is why they stopped in Nebraska and built Winter Quarters because it had taken them twice as long as they had anticipated to get across Iowa.. so in honor of the black dirt that caused the saints SO much trouble Brandt and I took these pics at a sick nasty rest stop outside Des Moines:

1- notice he looks like a happy little boy. 2- the sunset was SPECTAULAR!

3- Yes I do realize that I look like trash in this pic thank you for noticing ;)

I agree with the saints tho.. Iowa was forever long! Finally we crossed the Mississippi and from there it was still a 30 minute drive south. When we finally go into town we went straight to the hotel and didn't even get to see the temple, so Brandt and I (please note that I am so grateful that he is there to keep me sane. He's such a great friend!) stole (when I say stole I am most definitely exaggerating) aka we borrowed for a time one of the vans that we have here and went to see the temple because we couldn't wait a second longer.

The statue is of Joseph and Hyrum's last ride as the left the city of Nauvoo to their awaited death in Carthage. They turned one last time to look over the city and the unfinished temple.

What a great day :D