Hammer family Reunion-Trip to Nauvoo!

 We all stayed in different log cabins.  My parents, Heather, Travis, and their families shared a bigger log cabin.  Britney and I and our families shared this cabin.  Our ancestor actually was the owner of it originally but the cabin since has been relocated to Nauvoo.  

 The name of our cabin, Stephen Nixon.

 The living room area.

 Kitchen.  To the right of the kitchen was the bathroom and stairs.

 Upstairs is where Taylor and I and all the kids slept.  What kid doesn't like bunk beds?!

 Britney, Andy, Taylor and I all arrived on Wednesday,while everyone else Tuesday.  The first night in Mom and Dad's cabin.  All the younger cousins singing "I am a Child of God"  for the end of our Family Home evening.  Mom and Dad each talked about their favorite things in life.  It was fun to listen to.

 Thursday morning each couple prepared a yummy breakfast item and had a big family feast together.  Britney made monkey bread and Tidal wave,   I made an egg quiche, Mom and heather juice and muffins, Dana and Travis hash browns.  It was a great day to start the day.  

This is Clay and Preston riding in the car on our way to the Wagon ride.  Taylor went and got in line at 7 a.m. at the visitors center but could only get 15 tickets.  We have 26 people in our family.  Taylor, Andy, Britney and I took all the younger kids under age 8 to go on the wagon ride.

 The horses behind us were named Chad and Champ!  Chad the cousin like that.

 The three boys sat together.

 Madelyn, Callie, Baylee, Paige, Sydney, and Emma Kate.  Such cute little girls.

 The beautiful Nauvoo Temple.  I liked how you could stand by the temple and look out at all of Nauvoo.

 Next we went to Pioneer Pastimes.  There is a girls house with a kitchen and boys house.  They dressed up and played for a couple hours.  

 Pretending they needed a walking stick.

 I love this picture of Callie.

Callie and Madelyn.   Playing tea set.

 Paige was in the kitchen the whole time.

Next we went to the Family Living Center where we learned how to make a rope.  They showed us how they would have made candles and homemade bread.  

Preston and Callie got to take the rope home.  

 Then we headed over to Carthage to have a tour of the jail and for the commemoration of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.

 10 men stayed in this room while visiting Joseph Smith while he was in jail.  They were friends of his.

 The room where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were shot and killed.  The window straight ahead is where Joseph fell out and died.

 The bullet hole that came thru their room and killed Hyrum immediately.

 The program consisted of a few musical numbers and speakers.  It was hard to listen too with the humidity and our kids were so exhausted and did not do well.

 Friday morning we got up really early to do family pictures.  I don't have those yet but I took a couple of Paige.  I am so not a photorapher!

 Sitting waiting for Anna Amanda a musical to start.  It was such a cute show.  They really enjoyed it.

 The beginning part was a puppet show.  They had some cute, funny jokes.

Getting our picture with Anna Amanda and another performer.  They are set apart missionaries in Nauvoo for 4 months who live like regular missionaries.  Anna Amanda is sooo cute.  One girl got in our picture we didn't know (on the very right in pink)

 Friday night the kids got to decorate hats for the parade before Sunset on the Mississippi.  It was perfect weather.  Followed by Voval Point BYU singers.

 Getting ready for the parade.

 We left early due to noisy, crazy children.

 Dallin and Paige playing together.

Taylor and I put our kids to bed while Britney and Andy stayed with them so we could go to the Trail of Hope which started at 8:30 p.m.

 These were the performers singing a few songs before it began.  They acted out parts of peoples journels leaving Nauvoo.

 The sunset was so beautiful!

Small groups were taken every few minutes.  We ended at the Mississippi River.  This is what the early Saints walked down on their way out of Navuoo and then crossed the river.  It was a neat feeling.

The Nauvoo temple at night up on the hill.  I'm sure it was hard for the saints to leave this amazing building they built.  

 We set up a 1 mile trek with our whole family!  It was a lot of fun to experience how difficult it would have been to pull our belongings.  Sydney, Paige, and Emma Kate.

 Hammer Family.  My mom bought us all shirts to wear for our reunion.  I think it's a great picture.

 Jackson and Alex

 The little girls and Preston thought they could pull the hand cart by themselves.

 Travis maneuvering the hand cart

 Some difficult terrain to get thru.  We had to cross a river twice and go through lots of mud and cow pies.  This was my favorite part of the trip to Nauvoo.

 We are almost done!

Cute family photo!

 At the blacksmith about to go inside.  Preston, Clay, Sydney, and Paige.

My parents watched all the grandkids while Heather, Mark, Travis, Dana, Britney, Andy, Taylor and myself attend the temple.  It was an experience I will never forgot.  Such a special feeling inside.  

Love this statue!  Below  is the description.