Do you know how sad I was to leave my littlest boy behind? I almost couldn't do it. Except I knew I couldn't survive a road trip by myself with all four kids and a break would be good for me, but I love that sweet boy and worried about how he would do at home without me. Especially once he realized L, K, and K were gone, too. We drummed it up that he was getting "boy time" with daddy. And, what do you know, he did just fine all weekend. Kacin took this picture for him while on the road.
Once in Boise, we met up with our friends, the Richardson's, who moved there a few months ago. I never did get a picture with all of the kids together, but we played in her neighborhood for a little while before meeting up with my parents.
L insisted on bringing in her own stuff to the hotel.
We spent two nights with my parents swimming, eating, watching movies, shopping, and playing miniature golf.
This is how Layla golfed.
Sometimes we convinced her not to use her hands.
But hands was her preferred method.
I broke my no wal-mart streak of over two years when we had to run in for two things.
On Sunday morning we said goodbye. I gave big hugs to Kyler who was heading back to Wyoming with my parents to spend a week with them. He was so excited to have a week with his grandparents.
Kacin, Layla and I got back in the car to drive home. Since it was Sunday, I had thought about finding a church along the way to go to sacrament meeting. While it varies from building to building, church services are usually held at 9am, 11am, and 1pm. The morning passed by and it just didn't come together to find a church.
It was 1pm and Layla was desperate for a break from her car seat. I told her we would find a park to play at. We approached Ellensburg and I looked to my right and saw a church building in the distance. I love how LDS church buildings look so similar so when I saw the brick building and white steeple, I was looking at something familiar.
We got off the freeway and I gave Layla the choice between church and the park. She chose church! I had to prepare her for no nursery and no Ava at this church though. And really possibly no church at all if there wasn't a ward that met there at that time. We found the building and pulled into the parking lot. And we changed right there in the car. I threw on a skirt and Kacin put his church clothes on (white shirt over his orange t-shirt!) and we went in.
We found out this ward met at 12:30 so were at the tail end of sacrament meeting. We sat in the foyer and I was so glad to be at church. I love that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the same no matter where you go. You always feel welcome. I was glad the building was so visible and inviting. I felt welcomed by some sweet members who noticed us in the foyer when they came out to quiet children or take them to the bathroom and introduced themselves. I felt the spirit as I sat in that foyer listening to the last speaker of the meeting and singing a closing hymn. I was grateful for the speaker's wisdom and testimony (I couldn't see him, but I pictured him as a wise old man as he spoke to us about comforting and loving others, about reacting to criticism, and testified of the truthfulness of this restored gospel).
We could've finished our long drive and never stopped and gotten home 30-45 min earlier and I probably wouldn't have noticed anything. But when I went to church I felt something so good. It was nourishing and refreshing for my soul and I knew the church building was a special place. It's like a pineapple dole whip at Disneyland. I went to Disneyland for years and years without ever tasting one of those things and never knowing what I was missing. And then I tried one and I was in heaven! I can not go to Disneyland without partaking of that pineappley, smooth goodness. Just saying, going to church is just like anything else, you never know until you try it. :)
And so that concludes our first trip of the summer.
This is beautiful. And haha love the comparison to dole whips. :)
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