Last day at the temple in the year 2011

Mom arranged for all of us to do a sealing session.  I also asked Richard and Susan Wiscombe to help out, and it's a good thing I did, because Landon was sick.  Erika and Aaron met us (mom, dad, myself) for a 9am sealing session.  We were able to get many of mom's names completed.  Our sealer was Brother Richardson, and he was great.  He looked quite old, but he was sharp as a tack.   As we walked into the temple, we saw Sheri Dew, and then I also saw former Lt. Governor, Val Oveson who was working there.  It was another great morning at the temple.

Morning at the Temple with Mom

Yesterday I went to the temple with my mom.  We each did 10 initiatory, and then we went to an endowment session.  It was a wonderful morning at the temple with my mom.  Afterwards, we went to lunch where she introduced me to Chalupas at Taco Bell, and then Christmas shopping.  We had such a fun day.  We need to do this more often !

Refuge in the Storm

Today was the day of the BIG windstorm in Davis County.   I had traveled to Salt Lake for meetings, and stopped here on the way home.  At first I was surprised, and thought because of all of the wind and power outages that the temple had closed.  There was NO parking on the upper level, but then I noticed the signs on the gates that said "Temple Open - Use Underground Parking".  I was so relieved !

The temple was pretty much deserted, as there was only partial power, and very few workers.  The power had gone out about 5am, and they had tried to run everything on the auxiliary power, but couldn't keep everything up and running.  A sweet sister was coming from Evanston Wyoming to receive her own endowment, and they were determined to keep it open, and have the 12:30 session, and then close for the day.

I decided to attend this session even though I was about 45 minutes early.  I read the Book of Mormon in the chapel, as I listened to the wind howling outside.  Even within the walls of the temple, the windstorm could be heard faintly from outside.  It was also kind of chilly, as the heat had been off for a few hours.  They were handing out white crocheted shawls for the women who wanted one.  Pretty soon, it was time for the session.

Imagine my surprise, as the woman from Evanston, Wyoming turned out to be about my age (only a couple of years older), AND she had grown up in Morgan and I knew her !!   I spoke to her afterwards in the Celestial Room, and told her how happy I was for her.  It was another great day of peace and safety within the walls of the temple.

Early Morning Arizona Temple

As we were in Arizona for Manda and Bren's wedding, we decided to get up REALLY early on Saturday (November 12, 2011) morning, and complete some initiatory work in the Mesa Arizona Temple.  Mom and I did the work for 15 of our relatives.  Erika and Aaron were able to take more time and complete and endowment session.  It was a wonderful morning, followed by a wonderful day and evening at the wedding and reception.

A Day (and I mean A DAY )at the Temple(s)

Yesterday my mom and I met Theresa at the Park-n-Ride @ 9:30 am.  We traveled down to the  Oquirrh Mountain Temple, where Theresa and I were baptized for 20 women.  Mom was then confirmed for them.  Then we headed to the Jordon River Temple where we were going to complete initiatory work, but they had such a line up, and it was close to noon, so we headed downtown.  We ate lunch at The Garden restaurant, and then completed the initiatory and endowments for three of the twenty women in the Salt Lake Temple.  A special treat was to see Elder Fisher (my former Bishop) in the session !  Afterwards, we attended a sealing session, where we were able to participate in sealing families together forever.  Mom was able to do the work for the Berlin children, which was a special treat for her, and Theresa and I were able to complete the sealings of  twin sisters, Ruth and Rose to their parents.  It was a very special experience, one that we will remember forever.  We left the temple at 6pm and headed home.  It was a LONG WONDERFUL day at the temple(s).

Bountiful Temple with family

Today my mom, me, Kacey & Erika and Aaron went to the Bountiful Temple together.  Aaron did initiatory work, while the ladies went to an endowment session.  We had family names (both mom and mine) and it is great to be able to do this work for our relatives who cannot.  Afterwards we ate a Paradise Bakery & Cafe.  It was a wonderful morning.

Temple Tripping :)

On Friday, October 7th, and Saturday, October 8th, Theresa Hyde and I traveled to Idaho to visit the temples there.  First stop - Idaho Falls, with 3 inches of snow on the ground from the day before !  We did initiatory service here.

Then on to Rexburg - it was overcast and rainy, and notice the snow on the side of steeple?  We could see it shining brightly on the hillside, but got "lost" trying to find it :)  We enjoyed a beautiful endowment session here.  The walls had gorgeous murals, of an elk herd, and mule deer.

The next day we traveled to Twin Falls and it was sunny but chilly.  This temple is so busy with Boise Temple closed, that we couldn't get into an endowment session, but had the most wonderful sealing session, and finished with the last of the initiatory work.  All in all, I we were able to accomplish temple work for 50 individuals.  It was a wonderful two days.

Bountiful Temple with friends

Spent a wonderful few hours with my good friends Theresa Hyde and Bonnie Peterson, fellow missionary moms with sons who served in Peru together.  We visited on the way to do initiatory at the Bountiful Temple, and visited during lunch at Joy Luck afterwards, and visited in Bonnie's home after that !  Loved the day !!

Finally - the Logan Temple !

We finally made it happen - my good friend Theresa and I.  We made it to the Logan temple for an endowment session.  I took two family names.  It was a good day.  We left bright and early and caught the 8:30 session.  Afterwards we ate at Cafe Sabor, and then went to the Gossner Cheese Factory.  It was wonderful to visit and catch up since our June visit to the temple.

On our way home we stopped in Brigham City to check out the temple that is being built there.  It is beautiful. 

Here is a time lapse video of the Brigham Temple. Pretty amazing.

Sealings at the Temple

Today I was able to complete 67 sealings at the Bountiful Temple, thanks to Richard & Susan Wiscombe, my parents, Lee & Veloy Dickson, and Brother Otis Rose and Brother Phil Carter. We acted as a sealing team, and spent over one hour completing these sacred ordinances. My dad was able to be proxy for his 2nd cousin's sealing to his 2nd wife, and also mom, for dad's Great Grandpa William Slade's first wife's daughter's sealing to her husband. Their daughter Sadie was finally sealed to them after these many many years, and also Myna's family of ranchers up in Montana. I know much of this doesn't make alot of sense to whoever is reading this. But to me, who has worked with these names over and over, it means a great deal. I sure hope it means a great deal to them also. I was privileged to kneel proxy for some daughter's as my parents knelt proxy for the parents. That was a special experience. It was a wonderful afternoon.

Theresa and the Temple

Today I picked up my good friend Theresa Hyde, and we had a wonderful session at the Bountiful Temple. We did the endowment work for a mother and daughter. I love to be in the temple, and I love to be with Theresa. Both uplift me so much. Afterwards, we grabbed a bite to eat at Paradise Bakery. It was great to visit with her and catch up. What a wonderful morning !

Hours of Peace

I took a day off of work, and spent most of the day at the Bountiful Temple.  From 11 am to 4 pm, I was able to complete all of the work necessary for Sarah A. Babcock.  Some Young Women were busy with baptisms, and the kind officials took the paper work in to the font area, and a young girl was baptized for Sarah, then confirmed right there outside of the font.  It was very special and moving to me, and I felt the Spirit very strongly.  I then did all of the other work for her personally, initiatory, endowment and sealing to her husband.  I felt so good and happy and peaceful, and I think she did too.

In the temple today, I witnessed two different women with disabilities, who even though it must have been extremely hard for them, made the effort to be there.  There was this sweet little old lady who was blind, and another young woman in her late 20's in a wheelchair.  Their determination and strength inspired me.  What a wonderful way to spend a day !

It's further than it looks :)

I've decided there is not a "straight shot" from the LV Strip to the LV Temple.  Maybe that's a good thing :)  I wound my way through the streets of Vegas, via Tropicana, then the 95, then Flamingo, then Boulder Hwy, then Lamb, then FINALLY Bonanza.  As I headed east towards the temple, the words "The Mountain of the Lord" came to my mind.  A HUGE mountain rises from behind the temple, and the road climbs considerably as you drive towards it.  Once there I completed initiatory work for 11 women, all related.  They were grandmothers, mothers, daughters, and sisters from Montana.  I spent a considerable amount of time on Ancestry.com compiling their family information, and also received invaluable information from the Great Falls Genealogy Society.  It was a wonderful hour spent in the LV temple.

Quick stop at Mesa

On our way home from Yuma, we stopped in Mesa to pick up my grand daughter, Camryn.  She only lives a few blocks south of the temple, and my sister wanted to make a quick stop by the temple grounds.  It was a beautiful day, weather so nice - big scary black hairless bumble bees collecting nectar from flowering trees !  I tell you that got my heart a going :)

Saturday at the San Diego Temple

My sister and I traveled to Yuma, Arizona to visit Mom and Dad. On Saturday morning, we were up by 5am, and headed to San Diego, California. It's about a 3 hour trip one way. I had been told how beautiful the temple was, and I was not disappointed. You round the corner on Interstate 5, headed North, and there it is !!

Mom, Erika and I completed an endowment session. As the ceremonies in the temple are sacred, I will not speak about them, but I will tell you about the interior as I remember it.

On the first floor is the cafeteria, waiting room, and entrance to the baptismal font (which you can see). You climb a beautiful grand staircase to the 2nd floor dressing rooms, and then another grand staircase to the endowment rooms on the 3rd floor. As you enter the celestial room, there are beautiful clouds painted on the walls, I've never seen anything so realistic. The celestial room is two stories high, with another grand staircase leading to the upper mezzanine in the celestial room, and then out into an open area (4th floor) with an atrium. As you stand in the middle of the celestial room, you can look up into the spire that supports the statue of Angel Moroni. It is completely open and vaulted. Absolutely beautiful

On the 4th floor, the atrium is completely glassed in, to the interior of the temple, but the top is open, and we were told that when it rains, it comes right into the atrium, birds have sheltered there in nests, there are occasionally butterflies, etc. We stood right up next to the glass walls, and looked up, and there was Angel Moroni - not very far away, considering we were on the top floor of the temple.

After we left the temple, we headed towards the Pacific Ocean for a quick peak, and then we caught a bite to eat in La Jolla and headed back to Yuma. We were "home" by 3pm.

I am going to San Diego in July, but the temple will be closed for cleaning at that time. I'm glad we took the time to visit today.

A Sealing and an Endowment

We traveled to Las Vegas, to support Tyler Herdt aka Elder Herdt, aka "Big Guy".  He served in Peru with Landon, and they are very good buddies.  Landon and Kacey witnessed the sealing, and I attended an endowment session.

I've been "carrying around" Elizabeth Davidson in my purse for 3-4 months now.  Finally got her work done, and then proceeded to leave the little pink slip at the temple.  Oh well, I guess they'll send it to me.

I'd better get busy !!

This announcement came today.   I better get busy !!  I've got 2 1/2 months !!  Then I'll have to switch to Bountiful.