I actually wanted to go but was unsure how my body would handle the trip remembering at this point with my previous pregnancies I had swelling issues, especially if I took a road trip. I put all my doubts aside and began to pack which is huge for me because usually I say no in a heartbeat due to not enough notice was given, end of story.
The ride up there was rough for me but the kids were great. Ella slept a little while Jonathan read a book and played a car BINGO game. At one point they took off their shoes and smelled each other's feet. A lot of giggling and the word stinky came up frequently but the kids are amazing at entertaining themselves.
We arrived about 20 minutes before the pageant started, enough time for bathroom breaks. While entering the field we encountered people wearing shirts that said, what mormons don't tell... yes anti Mormon people preaching that we don't worship Jesus or read the Bible which, by the way, neither one is true.
Right after encountering them were a bunch of kids dressed up as Nephites greeting the crowd and thanking us for coming. Church music was also playing in the background which added to an amazing spiritual atmosphere. Ryan and I just felt the stress drain away and our spirits began to regenerate.
The actual pageant was great. It talked about different stories in the Book of Mormon which was fantastic considering Jonathan just read those stories and now he has a visual reference linked to the scriptures. Through most of the play Jonathan and Ella sat together on Ryan's lap and he loved every minute of it especially since he rarely saw them this week.
When Jesus appeared Ella kept pointing him out and saying Jesus many, many times. Hey, I thought we didn't believe in Jesus. I guess the protesters should have stayed around to watch the play. They did reappear when it was over just to make sure we knew the truth.
It was a nice evening and I am definitely glad I went along with the idea/ plan even though the short notice made me extremely antsy. Sometimes you just need to put aside the normal routines to have a great experience.
