Barker Family Vacation

Sorry this is almost 3 months later, but my family (Mom and Dad, Kati, Heidi, and McKay) came out here for a vacation. When we drove home from UT they came with us and were here for about a week. On the drive home we stopped at the Winter Quarters Temple in Council Bluffs, Nebraska. It was beautiful and an incredible spirit there. It is built where the Saints camped and lived for awhile. There's a cemetery on the other side of the temple for those who died there. Lots of the gravestones were just rocks with names carved into them. It was so sad to walk around and see that most of the people that died there were little kids and babies. It broke my heart. It increased my love and appreciation for those early Saints who sacrificed so much to help the church about 150 years ago.
We also spent two days in Nauvoo. We went to the temple, watched both the Nauvoo and the Britain Pageants, and saw most of the Nauvoo historical sites including Carthage Jail about 15 minutes away. Nauvoo has such a special spirit there. We love going there and especially the temple.
We also took my family to see the Backwater Gamblers (a water skiing show) and the John Deere Museum. It was so fun to have them out here. The weather was surprisingly cool and not humid. They had to buy warmer clothes since they only packed things for the hot, humid Iowa.

The beautiful temple doors!

Very few of the gravestones were visible like that. Most were just little rocks you could only see if you were right next to them.

Stained glass of the Tree of Life

Monument honoring those parents who buried babies and children here.

Me and Heidi at the Backwater Gamblers

Carthage Jail

Scott and Grandpa

Scott and I and my parents dancing at the festival before the pageant started.