Random Happenings at Our House

Taylor has scheduled with the Salt Lake Temple to receive his endowment at the 9:00 a.m. session on Thursday, June 21st.

I made a seriously awesome lasagna for dinner last night.

I've been spending some time watching "Cheers" on Netflix.  It makes me LOL.

Spencer is working a second (swing) shift through the end of the year--have I mentioned that?  It's hard.  We never see each other.  I purposely don't blot my lipstick before I kiss him goodbye in the mornings.  :)

Ash and Lando have been in Idaho with their grandparents this week.  They'll be home today.  Hooray!

I had my first stake Primary presidency meeting this week.

Bountiful Baskets gave us a fruit, and I have no idea what it is.  But it's really good!

Spencer got a little Mazda Miata.  It's black  The name choices are:  Black Pearl, Jafar, Frozone, or Zurg.  Any votes?

Best. Weekend. Ever. (Until the Next Time, I Hope!)

I love Thanksgiving.  Have I mentioned that?  I love everything about it.  I love the colors.  I love the food.  I love the smells.  I love making pies and apple salad with my kids sneaking Snickers into their mouths while Christmas music is playing.  (See, Amy?  My heart grew!)  I love listening to the kids laugh at the table.  I love my brothers teasing each other, and seeing everyone traipse outside to play Horse or Tornado, and I love watching everyone traispe back in, cheeks red and spirits high.  I love feeling full and sleepy and just overall satisfied.  I love Thanksgiving.

As if that was not enough to make this weekend glorious, today Briana was endowed in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.  I have been so excited for this.  And I don't know why, but I was not prepared for the emotion that would come spilling out of me.  Yesterday we went to the Distribution Center, where we purchased almost everything she needed for the temple.  She chose a beautiful dress, and when she put it on, suddenly my little girl was a grown woman standing before me.  It took my breath away. 

This morning we walked in the temple door, and I told the brethren at the recommend desk that we were here for an endowment for the living.  Immediately there was a lovely sister at our side, saying, "You must be Sister Hill and Sister Hill!"  They checked our recommends, and Sister Jeanette Call took us to a verification desk for a few minutes.  She then took us back to the dressing room.  They gave Briana one of the brides' lockers, and it had a lovely calligraphic name sign on it with her full name.  Sister Call was so kind to explain everything that was going to happen (for both Briana and me). 

When Breezy was in initiatory, I got dressed, and then Sister Call took me to the new name booth.  By the time Briana came back, I was ready to be with her.  I helped her put on her white dress, and then sweet Sister Call took us to a small room.  We were met by Sister Layton, the temple matron.  Since Bri was the only sister being endowed on this session, it was just the 4 of us in this discussion (Sister Call at the back of the room, me next to Briana, and Sister Layton sitting knee-to-knee with Briana).  Sister Layton explained the temple beautifully and simply and spectacularly.  We are so blessed to have what we have and to know what we know!

When Sister Call took me and Briana to the chapel, we were thrilled to see so many people there to support Breeze:  Uncle Derek and Aunt Becky, Aunt Laurie, Grandma Glenda, Grandma Ruth, Aunt Jenny, Mike and (Bestest Friend) Brittany, Wendi (Brit's mother, "Mama Silva"), Sami, and Stacy.  Additionally, Uncle Gavin and Aunt Kimberly had told us they would be in the Sacramento Temple at the same time.  Even if they did not make it, it meant a lot to us that they would think to do that.

Briana was very calm all through the endowment session.  She participated in the prayer circle with her dad. They saved her for very last to come through the veil, and she started getting pretty nervous during that wait.  I was second-to-last, and it was sweet to watch so many friends make their way to the front of the room.  Breezy said, "I know there's nothing to worry about, but I'm kinda freaking out."  She shed some tears (no one cries alone) and we snuggled. 

Then it was my turn to leave, and I knew I was leaving Briana in good care with Sister Call. I entered the celestial room to find all of those people just standing there waiting for us.  I greeted a few people, and then I just found my sweetheart, who held me while I cried for joy.  Several minutes later, our daughter entered the celestial room, and I wish I could express the feelings of joy as she did.  There was anticipation as we waited, listening intently for the knock that would signal that she was almost there; and I thought, "We will probably be waiting with this kind of anticipation when we are all dead, waiting for our daughter to leave mortality and join us again."  Gives a very different perspective on death, doesn't it?

Spencer held Briana close to him for a very long time, and I thought my heart would burst with joy.  Next it was my turn, and I couldn't help but say, "How will I let you go away for 18 months?"  I hope that isn't discouraging for our beautiful daughter, who will be a wonderful missionary.  I could not choose anything different or better for her at this time in her life.  I'm so pleased with the choices she has made and is making.  But my goodness!  How will I survive it?  It's not just pain at having our daughter LEAVING (although I admit it, there is some of that)--but it's also the joy that fills me so full I think I might actually explode.  How will I survive it?

Briana had some time to hug each of the people who came to the temple with her, and we sat for a few minutes in the Celestial Room.  Sister Call waited patiently till we were ready to leave, then she took us back to the dressing room.  We got to go into the brides' room to fold our temple clothing.  Sister Call took Bri to a very large full-length mirror, put her arm around her and said, "Do you have any idea how happy your Father in Heaven is with you today?"  And I thought, "I bet I have an idea!"

After we left the temple (which we hardly wanted to do), Spencer and Briana and I went to lunch at The Olive Garden.  Guess what our server's name was?  Jeanette!  Isn't that awesome?  She was very kind to us, and we enjoyed ourselves completely.

And now for a memory:  In 1990 I was pregnant with Briana, and my friend was getting married in the Los Angeles temple.  It had been several months since we'd been to the temple because the Oakland Temple was closed for remodeling.  As I sat in the endowment session, I had the sweet feeling that our family was all there with us.  I could not count them, but I knew they were there.  Even though I was terribly disappointed that I could not have more children, I had that same feeling when my sweet brother and his wife brought our 3 little ones to the hospital to meet their baby brother, Landon--the whole family was there!

Oh, how I pray that someday (and maybe many somedays) in mortality, our whole family will be with us in the temple.  I know that we can be a family eternally.  But my goodness!  How will I survive that much joy?

A Metaphor, I Think

The endowment session in the Salt Lake temple is done live, rather than with a film. I love going to the Salt Lake temple because I love the moving around, the personalities of the temple workers, the fact that the lights stay on, etc.

Yesterday our session was as full as it could be. There were literally a hundred or more people there, most of whom had been to the temple before, probably many times. And one of the ordinance workers did something wrong.

I thought, "Isn't it supposed to be opposite of that?" But I followed the leader, like a pretty little white sheep. And no one else said anything, either.

Until another ordinance worker, a woman, walked quietly over to her husband (a third ordinance worker). She whispered quietly in his ear. And he walked over to the first ordinance worker and whispered in his ear, who flushed. Then humbly he walked back to the front of the room and acknowledged that he had made a mistake which needed to be corrected. And he led us all through that section of the endowment again.

And it was beautiful. And calm. And OK.

I love the temple!

Filling in the Holes

I assume that you are like me, and you have to be reminded again and again; and sometimes you do well and other times, not so well. At whatever.

About a week ago I picked up my scriptures. I opened them. I read them. By choice. Another choice I made was NOT to read 1 Nephi again. It's not that I don't love Nephi, but every time I get bogged down in 2 Nephi I get discouraged and then I miss out on all the rest of the Book of Mormon.

This week I finished Moroni, and I am halfway through Ether.

I'm trying not to JUST read, even though that's really what I'm doing. But I'm getting something out of my reading, too.

And it feels like someone or something just filled in a little hole in me. Maybe it's a big hole. But it feels good to have something filling it.

Yesterday Spencer and I went to the Salt Lake Temple, where our neighbor and ward member, Mary Kay, was receiving her endowment. We counted about 31 people there from our ward. And it felt like this must be what heaven feels like--to see so many people we love.

And that filled in a hole, too. Holes I didn't even realize I had; but holes, nonetheless.

Sweet Experiences

A co-worker just began serving as an ordinance worker at the Salt Lake Temple. She began this service very excited but more than a little apprehensive. Today I asked her how it was going. She was so overwhelmed with emotion that she could hardly talk. Finally she said, "I will never leave the temple."

In these few six words, spoken simply and reverently, can be found lessons for people of all ages:

Children: You haven't been into the temple yet, but maybe you've been to the temple grounds. Did you touch the temple building? The prophet has said that we should touch the temple so that the temple can touch us. The feelings we get while we are on the grounds of the House of the Lord are the feelings that we should try to keep with us all the time, because that is the best kind of happiness there is. A young friend from some years ago, Jason, said, "I just wanted to hug the temple." I never want to leave that feeling!

Teens: Some of you have been into the temple. You've seen the beginning ordinance, as performed by someone holding the proper authority. You know the beauty of the building. I hope you realize that that beauty is not just "skin deep." The temple is a beautiful edifice, built to glorify God; but its construction is just its appearance. The real beauty of the temple is what happens inside. The temple--the ordinances performed in the temple--strengthens, helps, leads, and blesses people. Should we not try to emulate that? What if we strengthened someone today? Helped them? Blessed them? Serving others is a way to never leave the temple.

Adults: To quote my friend--Life is hard. And then it gets harder. This doesn't mean that life is unhappy. In fact, I think as it gets harder, it also becomes more rewarding. Temple ceremonies symbolize this. We take baby steps (line upon line, precept upon precept) back to God. We can take them quickly or slowly, depending on our choices. We can even step backward. But if we never leave the temple, we will progress forward. Sometimes baby steps might include finding the strength to do yet another load of laundry, make it out of bed an into work, or NOT yell when we really want to. But if we never leave the temple we are given the power to do exactly that. And more. Daily. Hourly, if necessary.

I will never leave the temple.

I believe that will be my new motto.

Eavesdropping

I am now going to let you eavesdrop on a conversation I had this afternoon. I was returning a call to my boss:


Me: Hi.


Boss: We have a small emergency.


Me: OK?...


Boss: If you want to see the cherry blossoms, you're going to have to come out today. Tonight's storm is probably going to wipe them all out.


Me: (Laughter)


Boss: It's pretty cold and windy, so make sure you grab your jacket. But you really need to come outside.


Me: (still laughing) Don't take this in a creepy way, Dave, but I love you! Thanks for calling!


Dave: (Now laughing) Bring your jacket.


Here is an example of what I saw:

Magnolias (revisited) and cherry trees

Top picture is the magnolia shrubs. They're not quite there yet, but they are budding. The next picture down is the magnolia trees. The frost got quite a few of the blossoms, but what is there is lovely. I'm told that if you've seen the magnolias in the South you don't really think our trees are worthy of being called magnolias. You can call them whatever you want--I'm just glad to see the spring!

The bottom picture is of the flowers, the cherry blossoms, and the temple. Just go ahead and try!

My Best Friend

Have I ever mentioned that Spencer is my best friend? Just in case I've neglected that, let me fill you in...

Spencer doesn't need a whole lot of sleep. Remember that saying that opposites attract? Yeah, in regard to sleeping, this is us. I think sometimes it must drive him crazy that I need to sleep, but he is incredibly patient with me. He shuts the door and hushes the kids and lets me snooze.

BUT. When Spencer hits a wall, he hits it hard, and he needs to go. to. bed. This happened last week, while we were out on a date. All the way home he talked about how glad he was going to be to get into bed. Only when we got home, everyone was still up and the kitchen (which he had cleaned earlier that day) was a mess. He growled at everyone (even me, but only a tiny bit) and proceeded to clean up. The kids scurried to bed, and I dug in to help him get everything put away. When we got in bed I told him that I loved him. I reminded him that our kids were hurting (reference Joe), and they didn't need him to lose his cool. And you know what he said? Mr. I've-Hit-A-Serious-Wall-And-I-Just-Want-To-Go-To-Bed? He said, "That's why I married you. Because you're so great like that."

Wow. Seriously. I probably would have screamed (OK, maybe not, but I would have wanted to) or rolled over and ignored the person who delivered this piece of advice.

On Tuesday night I found that everything in our deep freeze was melting. We lost some little stuff, but we caught it in time to salvage the meat. However, the freezer was a disaster. Spencer got home at 10:30 p.m. and helped me get everything out of the freezer, get the freezer cleaned up, and fix the freezer (it had inadvertently gotten turned down). And when we went to our room, he kissed me and tucked me in--just like he liked me or something. Yeah, never mind that it was ME who turned the freezer down.

Wow. Seriously. I would have screamed at me. Or ignored me. Or gone to bed to face it another time.

Yesterday I got to spend most of the day with my best friend. We slept in together. (A little piece of heaven!) We went to the Draper Temple Open House together. (Heaven again.) We had lunch together. Then we did a temple session together at Jordan River. (Still heaven.) We prayed together. We laughed together. We worried together. We rejoiced together. And then we went to bed together. To sleep. Together.

Yup, definitely heaven. I hope FOREVER lasts a long, long time!

(Now I just have to find a way to be as great to him as he is to me. I'm welcoming suggestions!)

Laughing through life and task lists

When we had small children I did not laugh enough. I was so worried about teaching them how to be good people, responsible, respectful, etc. that I just didn't laugh. I was also afraid they wouldn't take me seriously if I laughed too much. Thankfully Spencer has always made me laugh. And I don't think I was grumpy, because I was genuinely happy. But I should have laughed more.

Last night at 10:00 p.m. I was still trying to get through my task list when our four children (all four of them!) came home from the Draper Temple Open House, where they'd gone with the ward youth. They were all full of stories of the temple, people they'd seen, things that had happened, etc. (Did you know, for example, that it's possible for two Mormon boys to give their phone numbers to the same--unknown--Mormon girl, and have her accept them? Apparently the temple is a great pickup spot.)

Taylor said, "Mom, you would have cried tonight." I asked why and he said, "The second we walked into the building my heart started going Nnce, Nnce, Nnce." You'd have to hear Tay doing this--it's sort of a beatbox sound.

I had to grin, because it was just so cute. I also wanted to weep in gratitude that our son felt the spirit at the temple. I'm hoping this means that I did an OK job with them when they were little, after all.

Just before he went to bed, Tay told me that when he talks to me his heart goes Nnce, Nnce, Nnce. Everyone should have a good laugh--child induced--before they cross the last item off their task list and go to bed.