Billings Temple Trip

We planned to go to Bismarck for our ward temple day. I mentioned to someone that we were going and she said, "The temple is closed for cleaning this weekend." So I canceled our hotel in Bismarck and booked one in Billings instead. I am glad we found about the temple being closed before we drove all the way there! It is so hard to get to the temple even once a month but we are determined to do it this year.

I picked up Alex from school and Sam still wasn't home. Then I got a text from him saying that he ran out of gas on the way home. It is almost a year to the day since he did that last time. When I made fun of him for that he said, "At least I am consistent." After buying a gas can and filling up the truck, we had to come back home to drop off the truck. The boys had been strapped into their carseats for 50 minutes before we even got out of town. We were driving through Fairview, Montana (about 45 minutes from our house) when Edison started crying and then vomited. I was about to turn the car around. Luckily he didn't throw up again the rest of the trip but seriously. This car sickness thing is not cool. This trip did not have a very smooth start.

We got to our hotel room and I noticed that the bed was wet. They had recently had a ton of rain and the roof was leaking. They moved us into a different room. I walked into that room to find a bucket and pieces of the ceiling on the floor, unmade beds, and wet towels in the sink.

I walked back to the front office and they moved us to yet another room. It was not wet so we were finally able to get ready for bed.

I woke up really early the next morning and went to the 7am session. It was still dark. Sam took the boys swimming and fed them breakfast while I was gone.

When I came out of the temple, it was a beautiful day. Going to the temple consistently has really changed things for me. I learn more and I am able to remember things from one time to the next which allows me to ruminate on the messages I am hearing.

I went back to the hotel and got my four boys, then we took Sam back to the temple. The session he was trying to do was full so he did initiatory work while I took the boys to get a car wash. They were very interested in what was going on.

We went to Montana Harvest to get some special blue chips for Edison's blue birthday party and I saw these delicious licorice. My mom used to buy these when I was a kid and they are so delicious. We ate all of them that day. None of them made it back to Williston.

We ate a quick lunch and then did more shopping. Billings was totally crazy this weekend because of a football game or something.

We started the drive home and played I Spy for hours. Literal hours. Alex would pick the same things over and over; it was hilarious. This was one of our more enjoyable road trips. I love my family.