This is the way we go to church

We moved! On a Saturday morning and we ambitiously planned on attending church the next day in our new ward. Tsk, tsk, we should have known better. It was a disaster! We found our ward boundaries and meeting time online but start time was 1:00 and sacrament was listed as starting at 4:00 which doesn't make sense in the 3 hour block we're used to so we decided we'd just show up at 1:00 and see what we could find out. So we have all morning to prep for church and 1:00 sneaks up on us way too fast! I think I spent all morning raiding boxes looking for something suitable to wear, times three. I unwittingly unpacked all my skinny clothes first so not only did I strike out on finding a dress numerous times, I'm not feeling great about myself at this point. At 12:45 I've finally found a dress that will work but it's as wrinkly as an old man so I pull out the iron. I can hear Tim changing the baby while the girls run wild in the hallway trailing tights and hair bows oh ya and my hair's still wet. Talk about stress! So we get the kids dressed and sufficiently groomed for public and we shoo everyone to the van and we're on our way to church but we're not positive it's our church we're relying heavily on lds.org to lead us to the right ward. We park and get everyone unbuckled, unloaded and on our way inside. I was carrying the baby while Tim patiently herds the girls inside. I take a few deep breaths so I don't feel so frazzled. I peek my head in the chapel to look for a spot to sit and it's packed. There isn't any room in the foyer either. There's no where to sit at all and there's no way we can keep our kiddos contained in the hallway. At this point I wanted to throw in the towel and just go home (really I've felt that way all along but I tried to put on a brave face for the children). So we walk around the church hoping to catch a seat in the foyer on the other side, nope, also full. Every seat in the house seems to be taken. The deacons come out with the sacrament at this point and offer the bread to us. Sure, I think, we can do this, Tim's got the girls, I'll just shift the baby to my other hip, hike the diaper bag up on my shoulder again and I take the bread. #2 child takes a handful and #1 puts some back, no big deal right? Probably happens all the time. I give Tim a defeated look and whisper "let's go, we can try again next week." He chats with a few people in the hall to make sure we're in the right place before we head out. We aren't. Our ward is in class right now, not sacrament. They do it old school with sacrament last. At this point there is no way I have the energy or patience to find nursery, priesthood, the mother's room and Relief Society and get everyone where they need to be for the next 2 hours. Plus, I'm sweating like a high school wrestler and my feet are killing me because I never wear heels except to church. So we agree we'll find out where classes meet so we know where we're supposed to be next week and then we'll head home. Priesthood, Relief Society, mother's room, senior nursery, junior nursery and we're on our way out the door! But not before the baby pukes all over me. In my hair, on my dress, all over himself, it's called projectile vomiting for a reason folks. It may have even gotten on the floor, I didn't check, I just scuttled out to the van as quickly as I could. We got everyone buckled back in their seats and headed home.

After this crazy experience, I can see why some people do not attend church. It's a pain, it's hard being new and not knowing anybody. Who really cares if you go to church anyway? Well, I care. I go to church because I love the Lord and I believe He has asked it of me. I know attending our 1:00 ward will be a challenge with a baby and 2 toddlers. Come 2:50 when we head into sacrament, I'll probably want to pull out my hair rather than wrestle with my kids for another hour and 10 minutes. But I will do it because of my conviction that it's the right thing to do and I and my family will be blessed by the Lord for our obedience. 

But I sure hope next week goes more smoothly. Any tips?