Wow. I could write a NOVEL about spring break. If you can't tell I am trying to "catch up" on my blog. My goal is to be done before summer starts in 10 days! So on one hand I want to just zip through my posts and on the other, the point of this is to capture memories and emotions, so zipping through defeats the process. I will try to summarize.
I January we planned a trip to Moab for spring break. We ended up canceling it because we decided to save vacation days and money to do a really big family vacation this summer, rather than several small ones. Then in February our niece announced she was getting baptized the Saturday of spring break in Utah. Daniel's family came to Denver for all of our kids' baptisms so we decided that we would have some sort of representation at their kids' baptisms. So we started talking about a few of us going to Utah for a few days over spring break. It would be short and casual. Then, a few days before we left the church released pictures of the Manti temple open house, which was happening during spring break, and as soon as we saw the pictures we knew we wanted to see it. But it wasn't open until Tuesday.... anyways... it became more of a thing than intended. But it was really good. I think almost every trip that ends up being "really good" and deep personal experiences for our kids end up being these last minute, a lot of change, and unpredictability type trips.
There was also a whole thing about Brock going and helping Debby and Randy with house stuff, but he had soccer, so he was going to fly in, he bought a ticket, but then soccer got canceled due to snow, so he came, but then it got uncancelled and he was mad, then it got cancelled again.
Then there was another whole thing with the car. The van had been acting up for a while. Jason wanted to get it fixed before we left on our trip. We planned to leave right after school on Friday. The van was scheduled to be in the shop all day Thursday. Well on Thursday morning a big now storm came through and cancelled everything, including school, and also the auto body shop. But they were confident they could still get it fixed Friday before 3:00. But when Friday came their shipments were late and the part our van needed never came. So we had to cancel the trip. We looked around for a rental car, but renting a large family vehicle for almost a week the same day was close to 1000. After an hour or so I had a prompting to check rental cars one more time. I checked the same website I had earlier that day and there appeared a van at the location RIGHT BY my house, I could have it by 11 am and keep it until Wednesday for under 300 dollars! Jason said to "get it". And since school was cancelled again for Friday because of the storm off we went. Just to finish up Brock's story. He wasn't coming with us but then, as we were leaving (literally Dane and Eve were buckled in) his games were cancelled. We waited like 10 minutes while he packed a bag and he jumped in and came with us.
There was bad weather and closures on 70. We were supposed to go to the Herbert's first and drop off Brock, so we were still going to take it, but Heavenly Father thankfully, and quickly redirected us with an early closure and we were able to easily go 80 without loosing any time. 80 was great - we stopped ang got ice cream and Madison loved the view coming into SLC. I have always loved the view also. It moves me. It was tender to have her take a picture.
A few women couldn't come, but that didn't stop them from getting into the picture. See the following screen shots of our text conversation.
Here is the original shot
One reason Madison decided to come on this trip is because she loves going to my parents ward. Well... they were having stake conference. I couldn't decide where we should go for church. Even on Sunday morning I still wasn't sure. I finally had an epiphany and we went to church with my grandma. She doesn't go to her church much, usually one of her daughters picks her up and takes her to church with them. I was so happy to be able to take her to her own ward and to be in a ward who knew and loved my grandpa and who was taking such great care of my grandma (their ward is really like Zion). I had an ancho spiritual experience that has stayed with me my whole life sitting next to may great grandma in church and singing a hymn with her. So while I have never taken a picture during church I broke my rule for this picture of Maddie and her great grandma singing the opening hymn together.
After church Dane became enamored with the game of golf and watched it for a really long time with grandpa, asking really good questions.
Then on Sunday night we had the whole family over for Sunday dinner. yay for cousins!
Katie was picking up some boxes and the girls tried on her wedding dress, then we all watched all of the wedding videos.
Pictures from Mapleton
After the dinosaur museum we went to my cousin, Tiffany's house and got haircuts.
Here are the evolutions of the photos
On Sunday night after putting Dane and Eve to bed I took the kids on a drive up to mine and Jason's "spot". We may or may not have made out there. haha. But they loved the view of the city coming in so I wanted to show them an even better one over in Draper.
On Monday morning Brock drove to Mapleton to help Debby and Randy with some house projects. They are moving to Arkansas sometime this year and have a lot to do on their house before they put it on the market. For the last year or so Brock has been feeling a lot of regret for not spending more time with his Herbert grandparents. He feels like they know so much and have so much they can teach him. He has also started considering some sort of trade as a career (he is thinking electritian). So this was a perfect opportunity for him.
We dropped Megan off at the library and me, grandma, Mads, and the babies went to the dinosaur museum.
Then on Tuesday morning we all went down to Mapleton to spend some time with grandma and grandpa Herbert. Dane had a great time helping grandma mow the lawn.
That evening we went on a loong walk with grandma.
My kids thrill me!
But before we went into the temple we went into the visitor center to go to the bath room and Eve said, "I am going to throw up". Ahhhh! Please no! I came prepared with solo cups, bags, and wipes in my purse. We stayed in the visitor center for about 30 minutes, but Eve never threw up. I wanted to send Brock and Mads through the temple and stay with the babies but they REALLY REALLY wanted to go into the temple. They said it was the most beautiful temple they had ever seen and were "so excited" to get to go into the real temple. As a mom, I don't know how you keep them from going inside when they are begging to go.
This is before we went it.
Once we got outside I happily handed Eve over.
Dane ran down temple hill. It felt like my heart had wings. I was so happy.
They rode the golf cart.
My heart broke for Megan that she couldn't go in. I promised her I would take her through one day after she was endowed. She handled it maturely and gracefully. She threw up almost the whole way home.
I must have still been in my spiritual zone from the temple because I surprised myself in the calm, collected, practical way I handled it all. Every time he threw up I would pull off at the next rest stop, change his clothes, clean everything up, and then keep going. It was long and arduous. The teens were awesome. Dane and Eve were awesome. I am so glad we went.
We just hung around the house, visited, played games, helped in the yard and basement, and ate yummy food.
So the plan was to wake up Wednesday morning and leave as early as possible, It was about a 2 hour drive to Manti for the temple open house. There had been news reports that the lines for the open house have been 2-4 hours long. If they were that long I feared we wouldn't be able to do it, as we HAD to drive back to Denver that day. Well.... that night Eve and Megan started throwing up. They threw up almost every hour all night. Not very helpful for a mom who needs to drive 13 hours the next day. Brock couldn't even help because it was a rental car. There is also a lot of added stress when someone gets sick at the Herbert's house due to Randy's cancer and bone marrow transplant. I was mortified and just needed to GET OUT OF THERE. What would this mean for the open house? I wasn't sure. But all I knew to do was stick to the plan and move forward with faith. If nothing else I would stay outside with the sickies and Brock and Madison could at least tour. On the drive there Eve stopped throwing up and seemed fine, but Megan kept throwing up. So when we got there we SADLY decided she would stay in the car while the rest of us went. There was NO waiting time (we got there about 45 minutes before it opened and they decided to just start sending people through).
I decided to take the risk and we went, praying she wouldn't throw up in the temple. The good news is she didn't. I held her the entire time and kept a solo cup in my other hand. The bad news is, the moment we got into the temple Dane and Eve melted down. I don't know if it was becasue I was holding Eve and that made Dane jealous, I don't know if it was because Eve was sick, or she didn't want to be carried, or all the people and over stimulation, or all the walking, or they sensed my anxiety. But they did not want to be in the temple and refused to be happy about it. They both wanted to be carried BY ME. It was hard on Brock and Madison, they swung between trying to help and frustration that they really couldn't and embarrassment for the whining toddlers. The great news was I kept my cool and I think handled it like a holy woman rock star. I was calm, yet firm. I didn't get frazzled or frustrated. If I started to I would feel gratitude for being in the temple with my kids who all wanted to be there. I recognized that my reaction and emotions would make or break this moment and I could monopolize the memories if I broke down. I had angels on both sides of the veil for sure. Brock was clearly interested in certain parts and rooms of them temple, but every time I talked to Maddie or Brock, Dane or Eve would start to whine. An older man in line either saw this or was prompted to start talking to Brock and pointing things out.. He answered his questions and taught him lots of things. I said a prayer of gratitude for him and all adults who help mother my children when I can't. I had help from the other side when I was prompted about little things I could do to help Dane and Eve and words to say to Brock and Maddie. When we were in the Terrestrial room I was vaguely explaining what we did there. They weren't that interested. I had a very clear and immediate thought. "stop being vague, be very specific" So I was. I talked about what ACTUALLY happened, the actual covenants we make, and got very specific about the veil. (all within the appropriate bounds, which are far more looses than we usually think). As I started doing that Dane and Eve settled down and Maddie and Brock seemed to get very interested. It was a moment. A small one. But one I will never forget. We went into the Celestial Room and it was calm and peaceful.
And this is coming out. I had Maddie take a picture of how I went through most of the temple. My arms were BURNING and I had to readjust her often. Dane was at my him and leg almost the whole time as well. Brock and Mads were great, always asking or even demanding that I let them help. I almost always do. But I felt strongly to not do that. I wanted them to have their own experience in the temple, that was the most important to me. So when I felt like I couldn't carry her one second longer, that my arms were about to give out, I did what i always do in those moments. I say "I am a strong woman" and I summon the strength of my pioneer ancestors and imagine them crossing the planes holding their babies just like I was, or worse yet... not holding them anymore. Every time I did that I could go on.
I have such good kids.
And so did Dane. About 30 minutes outside of Manti Dane started throwing up and threw up every hour the whole way home. Every time he threw up he also had diarrhea at the same time.
Noah and Jason had a great time at home. They made dinner together every night and studied the scriptures a lot. Jason took Noah to work out every day. It was good for them to.
I guess I decided to write the novel. haha
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