Celeste's first temple trip

3 minute read

Here’s a point-form synopsis of this last weekend’s trip to Vancouver, primarily to visit the LDS temple in Langley. Amanda, Danielle (3 years old), Celeste (9 months old) and me went. We could have tried to do a day trip and left the girls with grandparents, but Celeste is still nursing and the last time we left her with family for longer than hour she apparently cried and screamed the entire time. So hopefully this was going to be better; plus we looked forward to travelling with Danielle, and thought we had figured out how to travel with Celeste without any fuss…
So here’s what happened:

Celeste slept during drive down to ferry
Danielle glued to tv on ferry, Celeste to the garbage
Drive to Azumae sushi was good too (Celeste again slept the entire hour)
Celeste gobbled up everything we gave her at the restaurant (sushi, udon, tofu, etc); Danielle gobbled up rice, salmon, and edamame. I ordered too much again and struggled to eat it all. They brought most nigiri out last. Played gangsta music, and the restaurant was located in sketchy looking area, but it was cheap and delicious
Swim at hotel. Celeste splashed epically.
I forgot Sunday clothes and white shirt for the temple the next day. Oups. I had planned to do a session at the temple at 7am, but cancelled that.
Instead, Saturday morning, Celeste and Danielle got up at 7am. We played for a bit in the living room, then roamed the hallways, and had 1st breakfasts (waffles with berries and willing cream)
Came back and saw mama was up, so went for 2nd breakfast with Amanda
Had another swim
Amanda went to the temple for only a half hour while Danielle and Celeste and I walked around the temple and went to see the new houses being constructed down the street
Once Amanda was out, she took the girls off to a nearby park while I went in. I actually went in wearing jeans and my bright green Mexico t-shirt, instead of the typical white shirt and tie. It was super awkward but the greeter at the front said it was fine (although I’m uncertain everyone else agreed).
I did a few initiatory ordinances at the temple and left (i.e., I was there for 20 minutes)
I got out and the girls were still at the playground, it seems they were having a great time, so I just ran and walked the kilometer to them
Next we picked up some super cheap Taco Bell nearby
Drove towards the ferry, figuring Celeste was due for a nap… Unfortunately, she adamantly disagreed, and shrieked at the top of her lungs the entire next hour
Although thoroughly frazzled, we stopped at the new mall Tsawwassen Mills and saw the new “outdoor world” store which was actually super impressive: they probably had 100 or more animal mannequins down a 100 meter-long hallway with a 30 meter-high roof, with a water tank filled with 50 or so big trouts and other fish. I’m sure animal right activists have something to say about it all, looking back on it.
Celeste screamed again the short trip from there to the ferry too, and relatively long wait in the lineup to buy tickets. Amanda and danielle were also in tears by the time we finally stopped
Celeste and Danielle happily romped around the play area on the ferry. Danielle made a few friends
Thankfully Celeste slept the rest of the drive home. I dropped Amanda off at Michaels in Langford, and drove around the parking lot for 15 minutes while she picked up a picture she got framed, and thankfully Celeste (and Danielle too) stayed asleep
A highway sign said there was an accident on the malahat and to expect delays, but Amanda checked out the Facebook group “Shawnigan mom shop-n-swap” where they posted it was all cleared up 20 minutes earlier, so it turned out we were just fine