Brigham City Temple Experiences

On August 30, I took my girls (including Stephanie) to the Brigham City Temple Open House.  Lisa and Andrew and their family came, too.  Rebekah was so excited when I told her she was going to be able to go inside the temple.  Later, I realized the excitement was added upon because she thought that meant she was getting married.  She has picked out her husband-to-be, Spence (the little boy of my friend who watched Rebekah while I was at work).  It is really cute to watch them play together; it's as if Rebekah has a big brother.  She kept saying, "I'm going to the temple so I can marry Spence."  I tried to explain that she had to be older to get married and we were just going to see where we get married.

When we walked into the sealing room I showed Rebekah the alter and where she would kneel to marry her prince.  She said, "yep, and that's for Spence," pointing to the other side.
 

As we walked in the Celestial room I pointed up to the chandelier (it is spectacular, by the way) and as she spun around looking up at it she said, "Just like a castle."


Yes, Rebekah and Olivia and all my nieces, it is just like a castle and you are a princess.  You are a princess of a loving Father in Heaven and He has his people build these beautiful castles, called temples, for us to be married in. They are His home and we are always welcome to visit, but we must be pure and clean before Him.  I pray that you will always remain as pure as you possibly can.  And when you make mistakes, may you repent quickly and not waste away your days of probation here on this earth.
After the open house, Robert and Janet shared a DELICIOUS meal and we visited and watched the Republican convention on TV.  Fun times!  They are really nice to visit and it was nice to have a break while all the girls played together.

Yesterday was the temple dedication.  It is always a glorious thing to be part of.  I have been going to the temple every week for the last couple of months receiving strength and answers from my Father in Heaven.  It turned out to be an excellent way to prepare for this ceremony.  I felt so close to Heavenly Father and thanked Him for building such beautiful edifices for us to enter and feel His presence.  I'm not sure I can communicate the feelings I had when I said, "Hosanna, hosanna, to God and the Lamb!"  Truly, I am blessed.  We are blessed as Latter-day Saints.  The temple is God's house.  This is His church.

Temple Work

I wish I had the words to express what happened at the temple on August 18, 2012.  The feelings of love and excitement were so strong and I am grateful that Melinda let me be a part of it.

We went to the temple so that Melinda could do the endowment work for her mom, seal her mom to her parents, seal her parents together and then to finally seal herself to them.  Lots of work to do!

The endowment was wonderful as it usually is.  Then we all went to the sealing room.  The sealer began to talk and share his feelings and testimony about what was taking place that day.  I wish I could remember all the things that he said, but I distinctly remember him saying that it really didn't matter when we were sealed.  It just mattered that it was done.  Yes, of course there are added blessings for those who are sealed in this lifetime.  There are blessings that even go unnoticed, but as long as the work is done, it doesn't matter when.

After he finished talking, Roger, Melinda's cousin (Sister Murphy, sorry, I can't remember her first name), and Melinda all knelt around the alter to seal Charma to her parents.  I cannot describe the emmence feelings of love that filled the room.  Those parents love their daughter Charma SO MUCH.  I could tell that they were very grateful to finally be sealed together.

Next, Roger and Melinda knelt across from each other, acting on behalf of Lee and Charma.  Again, such great love filled the room.  It was a different kind of love though.  It was the kind of love you feel when you are twitterpated, when you are in love with your choice, when you are newly-weds.  I could sense how much they missed each other and how excited they were to be reunited.  Later, I thought about how they had been married on earth until death, but now they would be married again, for ETERNITY.  They were newly-weds in a sense.  Lee loves Charma so much!  At the same time I could feel a sort of sadness from him, almost as if he regretted taking so long to be there with her.

Finally, Melinda knelt down to be sealed to her parents.  Again, love filled the room.  I felt as if Melinda was fulfilling one of her divine purposes on this earth.  I felt honored to be her cousin and to be in the temple with her that day.  I felt she was a very strong person and a great example to her family.

This experience strengthened my testimony and I am grateful to have been able to attend.  Families can be sealed together forever in the House of the Lord.  I know that life continues after we die, relationships continue, and learning continues.  We have a Father in Heaven that loves us and does all He can to bless us.

Mission Call--November 3, 2011

I am so proud of my mom and dad for leaving everything behind to serve a mission.  The only thing I can think of better than serving a mission is having a family...now they have done both.  :)

Sledding Novemeber 19, 2011

We didn't get much snow this winter so when it came we had to take advantage of it. 

 Being nine months pregnant I didn't go down the hill, but Rebekah and Ryan had a fun time. 

 Look at that beautiful face!!

 Lisa, Andrew, and Kate came along.

I knew that Rebekah's life was about to change so I tried to do as many things with her as we could before our new little one came.  I love her so much and already loved our new baby before I even met her.  Our little family was about to change...and it definitely did, for the better...ten days later. 

A New Refridgerator

Mama's and Daddy's fridge has had problems for a while and it came time to say good-bye to the old and in with the new.  However, there was something in the way...a wall of the closet.  No problem!  We just took it out!  Don't panic!!  You are going to like it when you get home... (we hope)

Now there is a great big fridge/freezer and we can fix the wall in the coming weeks.  It is 36 inches wide and about 6 feet tall. 

 These pictures are for you, Mama and Daddy, so you can see just how big it is!

Rebekah's First Haircut

The time came to cut off Rebekah's mullet this past January.

 

I loved Cookie Cutters in Providence.  Rebekah got to pick out a show to watch during her haircut.  She picked her favorite WordWorld and didn't take her eyes off of the TV.

She never smiles for the camera when I take her picture. 

 She even got a pretty braid in her hair (sorry you can't see it very well).

They have a fun slide in the waiting area.

And you get a balloon, a cookie cutter, and a sucker when you are done!  All this for only $12. I thought it was a GREAT deal.

Sledding

 One of the ONLY times it snowed this year was right before Olivia was born.  We went sledding at the cemetery.  Ryan and Rebekah only went down the hill a couple of time because Rebekah was so tired.  I bribed her to go down by telling her I would buy her some "frefries".  She liked it, but fell asleep before we even got to McDonald's. 

 Yes, I was nine months pregnant in this picture.