Reds and the Braves

Boys are involved in baseball season this summer.  Jacob is in a Payson City league this year and Isaac is in the Santaquin Pony league.  I love watching my boys play baseball. They are both wonderful athletes! It makes me happy!

Isaac is on the Santaquin Braves.  He usually plays shortstop and pitch. He's had some great hits this season.  Some to really get excited about. Its fun to watch him play.  Full of action.

Playing 3rd Base

Jacob is on the Payson Reds. He usually plays shortstop and right field. He is usually a pretty consistent hitter and usually gets on base. He is really a great athlete. He enjoys playing and is a great part of the team.  He's had a good year.

Turns into a tag out on third

The girls like to come and hand out at the ball park.  They find something to keep them busy.

Dedicated to the Lord

 It has finally arrived. . . a dedicated temple 10 minutes away!  I can hardly believe it. The waiting and anticipation has come to an end and we are ready to work and enjoy serving in the House of the Lord.

President Eyring presided at all three dedication services. The boys attended the 1pm session at our stake center.  Jacob and Isaac stayed home with Bonnie as Dennis, Afton, Khora and I attended a session inside the temple in one of the sealing rooms. What a privileged it was to be there!

At the dedication a message of the temple as an individual experience, as a Holy Place, as a House of the Lord stuck with me. President Eyring spoke about his first experience in the temple. He said was like 'coming home'. He felt like he had been there before, that is was familiar.  Everyone has a different experience in the temple and the Lord speaks to us in different ways there. His point was that we can all know that this is the House of the Lord, personally.  

not my pic used from Payson Temple Facebook page

I know that the temple is Gods house!  A place where He can be here on earth. It is a source of comfort and strength to me. A light house in a sometimes dark world.
As we were watching it Afton leaned over and asked me if the people on the screen were somewhere like Salt Lake.  I told her they were in the same building we were in just in a different room. They were in the Celestial room.  When we were done we walked out to the front and watched President Eyring say goodbye as he was leaving the temple.  Proof that they were indeed in the temple with us.

not my pic used from Payson Temple Facebook page

I was once again reminded that the dedication of a temple is in part a dedication of the people.  In participating we dedicate ourselves to the Lord. House of the Lord. Holiness to the Lord.

What a wonderful day of joy and gladness!!

Fill the World With Love

The Cultural Celebration Event for the Payson Utah temple was Saturday June 6, 2015 at Lavel Edwards Stadium at BYU. The boys left for the final dress rehearsal for the event on Saturday morning.  Dennis took them up and stayed with them all afternoon. Dennis even got a little sunburned!! It was a very long day for them that started around 8am. It was after 10:30pm by the time we all finally made it back home that night. 

Come rain or shine they said. . . . and we got the rain.

Threatening dark clouds over head

Waiting for the show to begin

We got pretty wet sitting up in the stands. Luckily we brought blankets, (they wouldn't allow umbrellas). When it really opened up and started to pour the youth all let out it a huge cheer! I thought it was because they were getting wet, but Jacob told me that it was from excitement.  It had been a pretty hot day and they liked the rain. We left our cooler at our seats and ended up sitting in our car until it let up.  The performance was delayed because of lightening though.

President Eyring and Elder Nelson on the Jumbo-Tron

Our boys part of representing Santaquin North Stake 

Everyone was so excited when they finally got the thumbs up to start. President Eyring was there and the youth got so excited when he showed up! He's quite the celebrity!! (Elder Nelsen and Elder Oaks were also in attendance as well as members of the Primary and Young Women presidency's.) In the moment of excitement Bonnie said, "I like our prophets." The excitement in the stadium was so thick! There is a reason why the youth put on this production!  They are pretty amazing!  I was so impressed.  It was definitely a time of celebration!

Santaquin 18th Ward Boys

Jacob performed a patriotic number as part of the Santaquin North Stake called "March of 1941". He was about on the south 30 yard line.

Isaac with the tech crew

Isaac was a part of the tech crew and was involved in bringing on and taking off props on the field. He sat on one of the May Poles from our stake number "Come to My Garden". He also helped set up and disassemble the temple prop at the end. He said that he had a great experience and loved participating. He felt responsible and that it made him feel good. They also showed him on the big Jumbo tron (the big screen).  This will be something they will remember for a long time!

After the rain comes the rainbow!.

Jacob was in the group of blue next to the dark green, who were the girls from our stake

Quick recap of the event.

and then a little more. . . an hour and a half in a little more than 6 minutes.

When I Am Baptized

What a wonderful week! Khora's baptism was so special! She planned the program herself and wanted to include every member of our family. When she asked Bonnie to give a talk on the Holy Ghost I had not even consider that. It all turned out so nice. It was a very beautiful day for her. She is one of the choice daughters of our Heavenly Father. She was given a wonderful blessing and has wonderful talents and gifts that will help lift those around her and help her keep the covenants she has made! It was a nice full day celebrating with her.

Birthday Time Again

Khora's special day finally arrived!! Friday she officially turned 8 years old! I know she didn't think it would ever come but it did!  Her birthday wish was that the girls didn't have to do school work so we complied. She had new clothes to wear and time to spend out in the sun playing with new PetShop toys!!  I sure love this beautiful inside and out girly girl! She has a tender heart and compassionate spirit. She makes me laugh.  I love watching her tumble and to see her smile. Happy Birthday Khora Ann!!

The girls and I met with both grandmas  and helped Khora pick out a white dress for her baptism day. Her baptism day is getting so close and she is just so excited! We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon together shopping, trying on dresses and having lunch at Zupas.  She wanted to include her sisters in her day which is very typically Khora. She loves them both and hates to leave anyone out. She tried on a few dresses with Afton being her little assistant in the dressing room. It was a good day and hinted at future times.  All roads lead to the temple. 

Payson Temple Preparations

Thursday, April 23rd - Dennis and I were able to go to a VIP walk through of the Payson Temple!  All the upper city officials were invited that day. It was amazing!! It is so beautiful!  Honestly it is the most beautiful place I have ever been! Right there in the temple I had the desire to stay in Santaquin for years and years. I can’t believe we have a temple 10 minutes away that we can almost see from our own backyard. 

Another wonderful opportunity came to Dennis on Sunday the 26th.  He was asked to play the piano during a special general authority tour of the Payson temple this morning.  He played for about an hour in the little reception tent outside the temple.  He took Jacob with him to ‘help turn pages’.

Sunday, May 2nd -  I was able to go with the YW in our ward to tour the Brides Dressing Room and sealing room at the Payson temple. (The Brides dressing room is not part of the 'regular' tour.) It was fun walking through it with the girls and their moms.  Of course my thoughts were with my own girls at home. One day! There are two things that stood out to me both this time and when I saw it the first time with Dennis. 

First, there is a theme of apple blossoms through out the temple. They are everywhere!  In the stained glass, the details of the hardware and embellishments in the fabric and even on the ceiling. It is an obvious connection to this area. It  was symbolic to me of  our growth from a tiny bud into a beautiful blossom. This is also seen on the temple itself.  As you progress up the temple the buds open. In the sealing room they are in full bloom. The purpose of the blossom is to bear fruit, the same is true for us. 

The other theme was light.  There are 120 stained glass windows in the Payson temple.  We were told that is twice that of any other temple.  This was evident as Dennis and I were sitting in a sealing room on the west side of the temple.  It was late in the day and the sun was positioned just perfectly to light the whole room with a beautiful and radiant natural light. It was so beautiful and warm and made me so happy and warm. My thoughts naturally turned to my family and the desire to have them there with me. I know that because of the sealing power available in that room as in the room Dennis and I were sealed 16 years ago, I can be with my family forever! I know that we have been given power to bloom and bring forth good fruit.

 I found this quote in General Conference from Elder Cook this past April.  He said:

When we follow the Savior of the world, the Son of God, we flourish and become glorious despite the many terrible circumstances that surround us.  He truly is our light and life.  "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their father." (Matt 13:45).  As individual disciples of Christ living in a hostile world that is literally in commotion, we can thrive and bloom if we are rooted in our love of the Savior and humbly follow His teachings.

Thursday, May 14th- I  was able to help at the temple open house in the wheelchair assistance line on Thursday. We wrapped the wheels in saran-wrap. It took a minute or so to do so I had the chance to talk to the visitors.  It was a good experience. It was so windy but didn't rain while I was there, just for Isaac's game later that night. 

Saturday, May 16th- Mahonri and Ammon brought their families up and we went with mom and dad to the Payson temple open house Saturday evening.  It was raining the whole time, and there were SO many people there, but it was still good to go inside with our family.  The girls loved the sealing rooms, but where the isle was that you walk down.  It wasn't the same as they see in the movies. Still beautiful enough to fill a little girl's dreams though!

Friday, May 22nd -Dennis was able to help out with the last week of the open house before the dedication of the Payson Temple. The rain has done little to keep people from coming! I'm curious to the numbers, but the lines never seemed to end. Dennis helped out with parking duty Friday morning. He may have gotten a little wet, but didn't seem to mind.

We've been busy with practices for the cultural celebration. Its getting closer and becoming more of a reality. We are all so excited for it to be dedicated! How grateful I am for temples!  What an incredible blessing to have a temple just 10 minutes away!! Feeling so blessed!!

Birthday Girls

One year older for these two beautiful girls!

11 Years Old

5 Years Old!

We planed a birthday party for Bonnie, its her year for it. We got to use a couple of the city's big inflatables at the Recreation building!  It was an easy party to plan and the kids were entertained the whole time!! If we didn't have all the rain this week I wouldn't have even thought about it. She said it was a good day!! She sure is getting big!  I can't believe that my baby is 5! Craziness!! 

Singing Happy Birthday & Ladybug Cake

Making a Wish

Inflatables Birthday Fun!

Afton was excited to get this special Polar Bear cake, made by a very neat lady in our ward.

Afton's Personalized Polar Bear Cake

To celebrate Afton's birthday she invited Khora and another friend to go see Cinderella at the theater Friday afternoon. They had a good time together and enjoyed their day with lots of girl time, and treats. She is such a good girl and growing into a beautiful young woman!  She just completed memorizing the 13th article of faith.  She was so excited to finish her goal of memorizing them all this year. 

Birthday call from the Marker Family