San Francisco, Day 1

Well after much fanangling of schedules, church committments and child care issues, Roger and I were finally able to get away together for a few days.  Officially it was to celebrate our 15 year anniversay which was last August.  But life sort of happened and this was the soonest we could get out.  So we decided to head to the Bay Area.

This area means so much to us on many levels.  Not only because we served our missions there but it was also where we met.  We became such good friends at that time during an intense time of our lives.  We share many memories of investigators, wards, areas, spanish, food, members, missionaries and the Oakland Temple.  And although what we experienced couldn't be considered a courtship in the traditional sense, I don't know a better way to truly get to know another person.  I saw Roger for the good person that he was and recognized the great potential in him.  So, no we did not date or even talk of dating but we both agree that we found our hearts in San Francisco.

We haven't flown together for awhile (at least not alone) and it was enjoyable to just be together.  We enjoyed our traditional Cinnabon at the airport to kick off the adventure.

We flew into Oakland so our first stop was Taqueria San Jose.  We used to go there as missionaries if we ever wanted to pretend we were really in Mexico.  It is in the heart of Latin Land and has the best Super Burrito de Carne Asada that you can find anywhere and at a reasonable price.

Of course, since we were in Oakland, we had to go up to the Visitor Center and Temple.  We had a nice visit with several sister missionaries and shared war stories.  We met the spanish sisters and talked of the different members and converts.  Sometimes it is still hard to believe that I spent so much time there.  And of course Roger holds the title of the first Elder to give a VC tour, which is a story for another time.  As fun as it was to visit, I was grateful to be able to walk out the door with my husband knowing that we could leave and totally enjoy ourselves and be thankful that that part of our lives is over.

We then headed over to the San Francisco side of the bay in a rainstorm.  What was nice about this trip is that we officially only had one thing planned for the entire time.  That was to go to the Broadway Musical Wicked.  Other than that we were free to fly wherever the wind would take us.  Our first night we stayed in a nice hotel right in the center of downtown.  I love visiting big cities.  It is such a feast for the eyes, ears and nose.  I love the transportation as well.  We were able to take the underground subway, the Muni, to get to the theatre.

The show was fantastic.  I enjoyed it the second time around even more than the first. I followed the story better and was able to appreciate the beautiful singing.  Roger also had a good time.  I felt so lucky to be in such a wonderful city and enjoying all of the culture it had to offer.  It was an amazing day.

I love this picture of us in the subway.  Can you see us in the glass?  It is like we are in the movie Ghost.

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

We have been very fortunate that in the last 6 months we have had 2 temple open houses in our area. This is a rare thing anywhere, especially here. The kids were so excited to finally be able to see inside a place they have wondered and heard so much about. We went to the Draper Temple as a family in February. It was quite the production to get there, from parking at various churches to waiting for an hour to watch a video and then boarding a bus to the temple. It was worth it though to see the kids reactions and see their enthusiasm about the various rooms.

Well when the opportunity came to attend yet another one I wasn't quite as enthusiastic to get there. But my kids kept asking to go and then I realized how pathetic I was being. Here my kids were begging to go to the House of the Lord and I didn't want to because of the hassle it would be for me. After that wake up call, I scheduled a time and off we went.

This time around was a little more pleasant. We went early in the morning and it wasn't very crowded. We were able to enjoy our experience and it allowed us to talk more openly about the temple. We felt at peace there and our testimonies were shared. I am thankful that I didn't miss this great opportunity to be with my kids and strengthen our relationships and testimonies.

The temple was gorgeous of course, and the kids especially loved the Celestial room and the mirrors in the sealing room. I hope they always remember the beauty and feelings they had there and put it at the top of their goal list to someday enter the temple. Thanks goodness for my faithful children and their strength to keep me on the straight and narrow.

Baptisms at the Temple

Alyssa had the opportunity this week to do baptisms for the dead for her very first time. She had been so excited for so long to do this and at long last her chance finally came.

She went to the Mount Timpanogus Temple with her Young Women group. It was a gorgeous spring day and the temple grounds were beautiful with all of it's spring flowers.

She thought the temple was really pretty. She liked being able to go inside and she felt happy and peaceful within the walls. She got baptized for about 15 people and confirmed for 5. She could actually remember some of the names of the people even after she got home.

Now she can't wait to go back and she hopes to get some family names to do in the Columbus Temple when we go to Ohio this summer. She said it was a really neat experience that she will never forget.

As a mother, I am proud of my daughter for her righteousness and that she was worthy to go to the temple. I am also thrilled that she wants to be there and I hope that she never loses that faith and desire to return to the Lord's house.