Family in Nauvoo, The Young Performing Missionaries, Smith Family burial grounds

School is out, and the world is coming to Nauvoo including family.

 My brother, John Broderick, and his family spent a few days with us.

 The Nauvoo Pageant hasn't started yet, so Elder Johnson and I were still able to give family members tours of most of the historic sites.

 We are still primarily in charge of Pioneer Pastimes and got some great shots of my niece and nephew when they came with my sister the day my brother left.

 When two year old Landin got to Nauvoo he kept asking where Joseph Smith was. The next day he reported to me that Joseph Smith didn't die....He woke up! What do children know that we adults miss?

Young Performing Missionaries (or YPM's for short or "Yipp'im's" as Elder Johnson calls them)

are so amazingly talented. These missionaries have to try out and out amongst over 300 candidates, 24 of them are chosen.  They arrived in Nauvoo in the middle of May and currently perform several times each day in different productions.

 There is another group of 24 that make up the Nauvoo Brass Band. They too were tried and proven before arriving in Nauvoo.

 The Nauvoo Brass Band come to Pioneer Pastimes twice each day inviting the kids to join them in a parade around the park.

We love it...makes for an added dimension to all of Nauvoo to have them serenade us.

When our daughter, Tiffanie, and her family came to Nauvoo, we arranged to take a handcart trip. A one, two, or three mile trip is offered which includes wading through water, steep hills to take the cart up and down while pushing through beautiful Nauvoo.

 We had a terrific time!

 We also took the kids on a carriage ride pulled by horses.

Of course we took the family to Carthage Jail and gave them a stellar tour. Some things we'll never forget even though it's been awhile since we served in Carthage.

 We watched a play put on by the Yipp'ims called Just Plain Anna Amanda.

 Our grandson, Keagan, was selected to join the actors on stage at the end.

 We had a little talent show of our own with our voice teacher, Chenille Saunders and both families--Huntley and Saunders.

 Elder Johnson accompanied Chenille as she sang Memory from Cats. He also played the Rendezvous overture.

 Most of the kids performed as well.

 We ended with Chenille singing Fourteen G. We somehow missed getting a picture of Chenille. I suppose we were all so mesmerized that we forgot. Chenille is amazing. One of our grand-kids said, "She made opera sound good....I didn't know I liked opera."

I'm kind of thinking I'm probably not going to be singing like her any time soon. Oh well, we can't help but improve with her guidance.

 Huntley Family in front of the Nauvoo Temple.

Where is Joseph and Hyrum buried you ask? Well they were initially moved around in an attempt to hide them from the mobs that killed them. Their original caskets were buried in the town cemetery with sand in them while their bodies were buried in the basement of the half finished Nauvoo House near the Smith home in Nauvoo. Apparently, the mobs were threatening to dig up the bodies and desecrate them. How mean can you be?

 The bodies were later buried on Emma Smiths property somewhere when the Nauvoo House was completed. After the Keokuk damn was built, the bodies were dug up and relocated under these cement head stones. Actually, I think the bodies are all three encased in cement so there won't be any grave robbing without a great deal of noise.

 Joseph Smith's parents, Joseph Smith Senior and Lucy Mack Smith are also buried near the Smith Homestead.

Here are some facts to make your head spin. The month of May this year we had over 5,000 guests not counting Carthage.

We currently have 775 people scheduled to come to Nauvoo in June. They are primarily youth groups and large family reunions. That doesn't include any groups less than about 100. The numbers for June will probably at a minimum triple.

Large groups scheduled in July total 1,475 people. Looks like we need to steady ourselves for another tidal wave of tourists coming that month.

August will slow down dramatically. Only 321 in large groups are scheduled that month.

By September, we will be packing up to come home. Looks like summer is about over don't you think?

My invitation to you is....come to Nauvoo sometime in your life. If you haven't already come, will you make it a goal? Set a time and make it happen. Everything is free, we don't take donations either and it can change your life forever.