Orientation

In Sacrament meeting we learned about 'preparation'... in our Sacrament meetings, going on missions, going to the temple, etc.  We need to prepare.  Do you know how to use what you've learned? The key is our temple recommend.  Remember the blessings from temple attendance.  Use your recommend as a reminder.  Where can it lead you?

The kids had lots of fun meeting new friends and flying paper airplanes after church.  We had lunch at headquarters with my parents and then sat and visited with Chad & Louisa.  We then headed back to the trailer to have a bit of a rest and make our dinner.  We had our costume fitting at 3:00 and thought we'd make up tin foil dinners so that we'd have leftovers for tomorrow. I got them made up and still had time for a nap before heading back to HQ.  That was the easy part of the day.. then came the craziness! 

We were pulled in four different directions.  I had really hoped to get pictures of us all as we got fitted, but it was crazy busy and I ended up having troubles finding a costume to fit me properly.  I tried a couple tops on just over my shirt and then she sent me to the dressing rooms.  I tried the first one on and when I came out they all said it was huge on me... which it was.  We then tried a different one and the gal started ripping side seams to make it a bit larger.  She said it would work and sent me to the dressing room again (since I'd been trying on stuff where all the dresses were - nothing like getting really familiar quickly!) Then, the skirt I was given wasn't the match to the top!  Back to the drawing board.  Another whole set of dresses and the top fit but then there was a huge stain on the skirt.  I had worked up a real sweat by this time!  They finally went back to the top that she'd opened the seams on and managed to find the correct skirt.  Then, the skirts were all slightly too short so they had to change out the petticoats so they wouldn't show.  Whew!  

 During all this, Lennard, Ben, and Emma all got their costumes and were waiting on me.  We finally got the three Nauvoo pieces (2 skirts and 3 tops) done.  Thankfully, the British Pageant costume just needed hemmed and it was fine.  Then I got a day cap, a bonnet and a shawl.  Lennard has a straw hat and a cap and all his other costume stuff - although all his pants had to be hemmed. 

Emma loved getting to dress up and is excited for everything.  Ben thought it was pretty cool.  I wish I'd got a picture of him as he was getting fitted - too cute! 

 What was supposed to be a half hour appointment ended up being over an hour... and then we found out that we had to go in for 'hair' orientation.  When that was all done, orientation meeting was starting in 20 minutes, so we didn't have time to get dinner!  Thankfully mom shared her dinner with the kids so they got something, but our chicken tin foil dinners that were sitting out ready to be cooked ended up having to be thrown out.  Boo!

We got our family registered and got a bag of Nauvoo info along with our name tags and Blocking Books.

 The meeting started right at 5:00 and went on for over an hour.  Ben wasn't very happy (at all).  Then we had a music practice after that!  Mom left after the meeting and took the kids, but then they called the kids out to do stuff and get a group photo.  I was sad that they missed it.  While we were singing, mom came in and said she'd fed the kids more and then brought them back.  About half an hour or so after that Ben came out crying and wanting me.  I think he was just overtired, but he sure was grouchy!  He didn't want to do anything at all and just wanted to go home.  I think Emma had a blast with Family Support though. She was making friends everywhere!

By the time we got back to the trailer it was about 8:30 or so and the kids were hungry again!  Lennard and I hadn't eaten anything but we were both too tired to start anything that late.  The kids had a quick snack, we said family prayers and then they finally stopped talking and fell asleep around 9:30 pm. 

It's a little overwhelming to look around our trailer right now and see a basket of costumes, booklets of stage instructions and pageant socks and shoes.  We have to be back at HQ tomorrow morning at 8:00 and I haven't figured out how I'm going to have time to make any meals for lunch/dinner.  This is suddenly very real...