We really liked when we lived in Austria going to the temple in Germany. It took a long time to get there, but we stayed a week with our whole family there (as opposed to just going a few hours in a single day). It was a much different experience, to leave a lot of your cares behind for a week. It took more preparation, but the more we seemed to put into the trip, the more we got of our experiences there. We also loved having our kids with us. They enjoy going to see the temple and spending time with us there.
We decided to make week long trips to the temple even now that we are home in Utah and the temples are closer. We went up to Manti and stayed in a hotel just across the street from the temple so that we could walk there. Here we are cooking dinner in the park just outside the hotel.
Elora discovered some sidewalk chalk and would spend a lot of her time every day coloring pictures of our family, Pokemon, Angry birds and green pigs, and herself with hair as long as Rapunzel’s.
The kids also got a lot of swing time. Chris would go to two sessions while I played with the kids, and then we would switch. The kids get to spend a lot of time with each of us when we go to the temple, which makes it a neat experience for them too. They love it, and always ask to go back to Manti!
Marion loved crawling outside in the grass every day. She likes being outside, especially when she finds grass and leaves to eat. It was a nice and simple week. The biggest distraction was the hotel TV for the kids (since we never bought one). But as long as we kept them outside, it was nice and simple.
Every evening we would take the kids over to the temple grounds and let them play there. They loved the big hill and would roll down it or dance on a flat area they called “the stage”.
Oliver borrowed Elora’s tiara while she rolled down the hill. He looks up to his big sister and since she loves princess things, he loves princess things too.
Marion got to be a little princess next, and she was very happy about it!
All the kids had a good time playing with each other in the cooler weather every evening.
There was a pioneer dugout – a cabin that is dug out of the hillside – across from the hotel, so I took the kids over to see it. They were excited about the little house. When the settlers in this area first arrived, the winter came early and they had to hurry and build dugouts all along this hill to get through the winter. The next spring, hundreds of rattlesnakes came into all the cabins because they were built in the area where the snakes were hibernating! Miraculously no one was bit that spring, even though they killed hundreds of snakes that they found in their homes.No bruised heels, but a lot of crushed heads… (teehee!)
Inside was a small bed, a fireplace, and a table to eat at. Nothing else would fit in the little home! A little different than the houses we are used to. Elora wondered why the floor was made from dirt. The kids also liked these little dolls they found on the bed, and Elora asked me what kind of animal skin the blanket was made from.
One day the owners of the hotel pulled out a trampoline for their kids to play on and Elora was SO excited to jump. She loves trampolines.
The following is a series of attempts to take some touristy family pictures. Always interesting with three kids, a setting sun, and getting everyone to look at the tripod.
After the family pictures were finished, the kids wanted to play on the hill again. They entertained us by doing a little dance together. Oliver bows and Elora curtsies, but Elora leads…
We decided to go out at night and take a picture of the temple all lit up. It was a wonderful trip, and we look forward to going back again. The kids were sad to leave the temple, and sad to admit even sadder to leave the hotel room, because of the TV. Elora had some tears for about 5 minutes on the drive home at the thought of missing Jake and the Pirates and Phineas and Ferb… we are really glad that we don’t have a TV at home!
As a sidenote, on one of the days when we were there, I (Karen) had some really bad stomach pain that caused me to leave one of the sessions. The workers in the temple were all wonderful and had me lie down so I could rest. While resting the temple president came and gave me a blessing. I was amazed that he would take the time to come see me. It was wonderful to meet him, he was a very nice man. After I felt a little better and decided to head back to the hotel, the temple matron (president’s wife) gave me a ride back to the hotel since all the sweet ladies who helped me were too worried to let me walk home. It wasn’t fun to be sick, and I ended up seeing a doctor later who gave me some medicine and assured me I would be fine, but I am grateful for the chance to meet some incredibly spiritual and wonderful people.
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