4. Visit the temple every other month: Chicago, IL

I am absolutely thrilled about to-do #4. Pretty much this to-do comes straight from our New Year's resolutions. Initially we made it our goal to attend the temple together every other month. After listening  to a temple attendance/family history themed ward conference today we decided to shoot for once a month. I think it'll work out great, especially since we have quite a few temples that we want to attend. These temples include Chicago (IL), Nauvoo (IL), St. Louis (MO), St. Paul (MN), and Houston (TX). I have always loved temple trips and to have the chance to go to multiple temples in four different states this year seems so cool to me. I realize that I lived in Utah before coming out to Wisconsin and I was completely surrounded by temples there but something about the road trip and sight-seeing makes these upcoming temple trips a little more new and exciting.

As I mentioned, we are in Wisconsin now... which means we are no longer living 1.94 miles from the Provo Temple. We were extremely blessed during our undergrad days to be so close to the temple and we defnitely miss the convenience of having it right up the road. We are now in the Chicago, IL temple district and a 1.94 mile trip has turned into a 156.43 mile "trip." We used to be able to attend the temple together whenever we wanted since it only took us all of 30 minutes tops to decide to go, drive there, and get inside. Now we get to drive 2 hours and 50 minutes... dang, what if we still attended the Provo Temple?? That's 1351.26 miles... a 19 hour, 53 minute drive! Okay now I'm just getting carried away with MapQuest haha. Anyway, with Peter being not so newborn-esque anymore we think that our new goal is definitely do-able even if it will take a little more planning.

This past weekend was our first trip of the year and we had the wonderful opportunity to visit the temple in Chicago! We hit the road on Friday night making only one very important stop... free dinner at Papa John's! Woo! Both Peter and I called heads and won the Superbowl coin toss... our winnings included two free one-topping large pizzas. I love free food... it's like I'm still a college student. Will I ever dislike free food?? Probably not.

I was trying to do the same face as Papa J... haha.

Once arriving to our hotel merely blocks from the temple we hung out and went to bed way too late... which was a good thing (not!) because Peter screamed maybe all night long. Phew, it was a doozy.

After the long night we all got up and I got to go for a much needed run... for some reason I just about hate treadmills but I love exercising when I'm staying in a hotel. Weird, I know.

Since Peter has joined our little family Todd and I have had to take turns on the few temple trips that we've made with the baby. Today we took turns doing sessions and although it made for a semi-long day it was 100% worth it. Todd got to do a Spanish session and I got to do a session, period... it was so awesome to be in the temple with all of it's peace and quiet. I long for those moments when everything is absolutely silent and somehow those moments tend to only come when I'm in the temple. Man, I wish I could go every day of my life... that'd be so nice for my sanity. Seriously, if you are looking for that last push to get to the temple... go for the silence. It is so silent you can... well... I can't think of anything more silent. You can hear your neighbors stomach digesting their breakfast? You can hear your nose hairs waving in the breeze of your own steady breath?? Yeah, I think you get the point. Even as I sit here in my apartment in "silence" I can still here the fridge running, the clock ticking, the humbumbling of the neighbors downstairs... the silence of the temple is so peaceful and calming, I love it. I was able to get some really good, thorough thinking done in the temple and left feeling very refreshed and at peace. 

.

My trip was made even nicer when after my session I got to visit with a friend, Rebecca, from the ward and her two adorable little boys in the waiting room. She and her husband were doing the exact same thing that we did for our last trip: sitting in the waiting room trying to keep the kid(s) reverent while the other one did initiatories... easier said than done. Somehow kids know when they are confined to a small and quiet space and all they want to do is move around and be loud. Haha, oh well... it usually works out, right? Once Todd arrived we drove down the road to check out a restaurant that was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives called Hackney's... also on my to-do list so keep an eye out for that post. Post lunch... dinner... linner(?) we made great time driving home... after feeding Peter in a Staples parking lot, of course. Turns out the back seat of our Kia is not as big as I thought it was... especially if you're wrestling with your 2'2" child and trying not to flash the busy road in front of you. The things we do...

Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, today we had Ward Conference. Wonderful talks and lessons were given by our stake and ward leaders and the theme for the day was temple attendance and family history. How perfect is that?? The messages shared renewed my testimony and understanding of the importance of temple attendance as well as family history. Maybe by the end of the year I'll have some of my own family names to do... that would be pretty neat. I am so excited to hit the road again next month on another temple adventure with my little family. Dey are da best, I love dem. (to be read in a Nacho Libre voice)