2004 Pusey Family Christmas Letter -- The Great Midwest

(hover over images with your mouse to see captions) Nauvoo Temple, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Ari playing pioneer dress up
Will with his Grandma Pusey in Nauvoo
Newly erected statue of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith, Nauvoo
You always do this with Pringles, don't you! Dinner cruise boat in Hannibal, Missouri
Pusey family in Twain country

 An important event for our family in 2004 was another trip to Nauvoo, Illinois to visit Scott's parents, John and Shauna Pusey who are serving as volunteer missionaries for the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This time we visited in August and enjoyed some serious humidity. On the way to Nauvoo, we made a stop in Winter Quarters, Nebraska. This site is in the Omaha area along the banks of the Missouri River. Mormons call it Winter Quarters because the Church built a substantial settlement there after having been forced to flee from Nauvoo, Illinois, across Iowa in the winter of 1846. At Nauvoo, we enjoyed several different musical shows that are playing only in the summertime and a great overall visit with Grandpa and Grandma. We got to see the "City of Joseph Pageant" which was performed for the last time this year. We had fun listening the Grandma Pusey give her tour guide shtik on the wagon tour around Nauvoo.

We took the opportunity on the way back to Colorado to visit Hannibal, Missouri and explore a bit of Mark Twain country. We got a kick out of Tom Sawyer's cave (Will was sure he spotted one of Injun' Joe's footprints) and enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Mississippi. The rest of our tour of Missouri had a major emphasis on significant locations in Mormon history. For anyone who is wondering, the Mormons settled substantial areas of western Missouri before they settled in the Nauvoo, Illinois area. The Church members never thought that they would have to endure being murdered and driven out of Illinois like they had been in Missouri, but the unlawful and horrific happened again in 1844 through 1846.

We stopped in several locations in Missouri that are historically significant and spiritually meaningful in the history of our faith, including, Far West, Spring Hill and the valley of Adam-Ondi-Ahman, the Liberty Jail and Independence.

If you are driving I-70 across Kansas and need something interesting to do, be sure stop in Abilene and visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library. The museum is first rate and if you have any interest in World War II history, you can spend hours exploring the collections and exhibits. We thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the life of one of our greatest American leaders.

Scott tries some pioneer stilts Harrison, Will and Ari at Winter Quarters near Omaha, NE Pusey Gothic in Independence, Missouri Dwight D. Eisenhower Eisenhower Presidential Library, Abilene, Kansas Prairie Sunset
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