Temple Trip

We took a trip to the Kansas City temple after Christmas.

 

This was the first time we traveled anywhere as a family of six.  The first time all six of us were in a hotel together.  And the first time Porter slept outside of the pack 'n play at a hotel.  I was a little apprehensive.  David, the optimist, thought all would be marvelous.

 

The travel wasn't so bad...it was only 4 hours, each way.  Porter was needy, but we eventually stuck him in the back of the van to cut down on all the demands!  That was a brilliant David idea.  All of us in a hotel together was tiring.  I didn't get much sleep myself with feeding a baby and Porter (the lightest sleeper ever!) waking up with every little noise Ryland made.  I found myself wishing we owned 2 pack 'n plays so at least Porter would be confined and I didn't have to keep putting him back in his sleeping bag. Still, it turned out better than I expected.

 

The temple was good.  Made the trip worth it.  David went the evening we arrived and I went the following morning.  We are looking forward to living closer to a temple again with our next move.

 

-------------------------

 

The DVD player sure makes travel nice.  Sometimes I wish we didn't have it so that our kids could learn how to entertain themselves on road trips like we had to as kids.  But that only lasts a second and I find myself back to happy that we have it.  I wish it worked for Porter.  He could care less about movies.

 

 

The best traveler.

Love that he does the driving too.

 

Outside the temple.

It was COLD.  No one wanted to linger very long.

 

After the temple, we stopped by the Liberty Jail Visitor Center.

This is a replica of where the Prophet Joseph Smith (and others) were held for 5 months on false charges.  During the tour we were told that not long after Joseph Smith was held here, the prison was no longer used as a prison, but a place to store ice in the winter (and the ice rarely melted).

 

I am glad we went, but boy, Porter was a little tyrant.  I felt bad for the Sister Missionary who was taking us on the tour.  And I felt bad for all the others there since most of the Spirit was wiped away by our naughty Porter. 

 

We found ourselves in the category of "one of those parents."  You know the kind, right?  The kind you would talk about, before becoming parents yourselves. The kind who can't seem to control their children.

Yup, that was us.

 

I am not sorry we went.  I feel bad things didn't go more smoothly so others could fully catch the spirit of the place, but the Spirit was there, even if just for a second.  It was good for Luke and Caden (they weren't bothered in the least by Porter's antics).  I have since heard them talking together about the jail and it is good for them to know (and see) some of the history of the church.

 

We had also planned to stop by the Independece Visitor Center on this trip.  It was so close, and since we were there, we decided to give it a try.

 

That was a mistake.

 

Porter was trouble at Liberty Jail, but he was a thorough mess at Independence.  Next time we will listen to our gut, call it good, and head for home.

 

Or listen to the very tired, grumpy, and willful 2-year old.

 

All we did at the Independence Visitor Center was walk in, cause a scene, go potty (which ended up being more difficult than it sounds), and head back out, leaving behind a wake of missionaries who had done their best to soothe an unsoothable child.

 

Don't let my smile fool you.

I was a mess too.  Just a wee bit stressed out.

And for the second time in one day I was "one of those parents!"

 

 

 

Thankfully, he fell asleep on the way home!