August 28, 2015 - In Nauvoo!

Today was moving day!  We were up early and ready to finalize our move to Nauvoo.  We just had an hour or so of work to do in Carthage and we were able to complete everything.  We started off with our usual morning activities and then left for Quincy at about 7:00am for some needed supplies.  We got back to the house in Carthage about 10:30am, and were done and on the road to Nauvoo by 11:40am.  What a morning!  Here are some pictures of the day;

The final street view of our home in Carthage for almost six months from the drivers seat of a loaded van!

The last look we had as we closed the door in our residence in Carthage today.

Carthage was such a unique and sweet experience for mom and I.  The memories are priceless and life changing as I have reported earlier.  You see, in the process of "leaving" we are all uncertain about what lies ahead, even if we 'think' we know!  Leaving for the store, leaving on vacation, leaving home to get married, leaving family to serve a mission, and yes, leaving Carthage today, all have various levels of uncertainty.  

We were certainly not anticipating the life changing experiences of the Illinois, Nauvoo mission.  From a very tender impression that our daughter, Josie, had, where she qualified serving in Nauvoo as a foreign mission.  You see, we all have to learn a different language while serving anywhere in the world.  For mom and me, our language was the theater and the stage performances.  They are all very new to us and we realized that it was going to take a lot more dedication and obedience on our part to fulfill our commitment to faithfully serve here, because we really did have to learn a whole new way of serving!  Image that!  Using the gift of tongues to serve a Nauvoo mission!

Well, mom and I arrived in Nauvoo around 1:00pm this afternoon and began the final effort to unload our goods and clean the home and then detail it and make it our home!  By the way, when we found out how dirty this place was, we had to do so much extra work to get it where we felt comfortable living here.  We were both tired by 6:00pm and could not think about doing anything else but relax.  And mom has already gone to bed by 7:15pm!  I should be there too, but I want to make sure I fill you in on the new home!

Here is a short slide show with details.  This home has such a personality!  We feel like this is our place of refuse and that we will have another great experience here in Nauvoo!  We are grateful to be able to park our car for a season!  Here are some shots;

Here is the side entrance to our new residence in Nauvoo.

This is a formal front entrance to our new residence, but this one is not used.

Home Sweet Home!

The view from the entrance into the kitchen

There is the side door entrance and our dining area as seen from the kitchen.

From the side door and dining room looking into the living room.

I could not help but hang the stockings with care over this living-room fireplace!

Built in book shelf by the overstuffed rocking chair.

A favorite picture and friend of ours!

This view of the fireplace looking into the formal entry.

And mom's birthday present!  (The office is to the right where I am sitting right now!)

The bedroom is large and spacious and very inviting to two tired senior missionaries!

Well, that is a summary of how mom and I celebrated my birthday today!  Wish you could have been here!  We love you!  Thank you for joining me tonight..... and my final thought is, don't be afraid to leave your place of comfort because you know, and will find out from some very choice experiences, that a loving Heavenly Father has some very special teaching moments ahead that will help you want to be better and do better in every aspect of your life.  I know, because He has put me to that test!  It may not be easy, but it will certainly be worth all the effort to, "sacrifice who we are for who we can become!" (Charles DuBois)