Redlands Temple.

Daniel and I did the work for my great grandparents: Horace Heber Platt and Amy Clara Banks Platt.  An awesome experience to do the work for your own ancestors.  We also discovered a little secret about the Celestial room in this beautiful temple.

Temple, Brandt, Pomeroy's, Deseret Book.........

Whew, whirlwind trip to Mesa - we stopped at the bookstore to buy a journal and found a few more things, or course.  Then over to Brandt for the official missionary photograph - I'm waiting to view the prints online tomorrow - I'm concerned for the photo that I heard the photographer say, "check your suit pants".  What?? I asked Daniel what that was about and he said the photographer asked Daniel to jump and he did a kung fu jump - YIKES!  Then we went to the temple to do family initiatory work - the first Daniel has done since going to the temple for the first time.  I think it was a great experience for him.  Back to Brandt, then to Pomeroy's to exchange a sweater - quick stop at Jack in the Crack then home.  We left Tucson at 9:00 and arrived back home by 3:30.

Can you go to the temple too much??

Back to the Temple.

Tonight Daniel went with his friends to Megan McGee's endowment session in the Mesa Temple.

Baptisms/Confirmations/More Shopping

Today Daniel and I went to the temple to do baptisms.  I had 33 names - 24 men and 9 women - I was going to have someone else do the baptisms for the women but Daniel said he would like to baptize me - so I got dressed and he baptized me and then was baptized for my male ancestors.  After, he did the confirmations, it was the first time he had baptized or confirmed anyone - good prep for his mission. 

Shopping.

After the temple we went to Five Guys - if Daniel gets to choose the place to eat, it will always involve a hamburger.  Our itinerary also included shopping for Daniel's mission, the list is extensive as you can well image shopping for a two year stay in a third world country.  As we pulled onto Main to find Pomeroy's (ultimate ONE stop shopping for missionaries), Kenny reminded us that this is where he started with UPS twenty-five years ago.  He and another driver, John Delgado, started the same day and drove in Mesa, in routes next to each other.  They met every day for lunch and even called each other, for some reason or another, "Bubs"??? How cute!  Ken went into management after two years of driving and John still drives in Mesa on the same route - crazy.

Signing the guest book he found another young man from Mesa, leaving for his mission to Guatemala 

on August 18 too.

Ken, playing Bejeweled, no doubt!

Still checking the guestbook, as the register is starting to "smoke"!!

First part of the damage!  Coming back next week for alterations on two suits, six pairs of slacks and picking up the two pairs of shoes and one pair of boots.

Son's loaded with bags and dad's wallet unloaded.

Mesa Temple - July 9, 2010

Ken, Daniel and I drove to Mesa and met up with Craig, who had brought his girlfriend, Rina, to do baptisms after our session.  We had an wonderful time in the temple - I loved looking over and seeing Daniel with his good friend Craig and or course Ken.  After, we entered the celestial room and visited quietly, Ken and I left to get the names for the sealings and I also needed a head start with my (feeling better - but not quite there) knee.  As I turned to see if the boys were following - my heart was touched to see the two of them still sitting together.  I've seen these two together before: restaurants, the beach, volleyball games, seminary, school, church, etc., but this was a moment I want to carry with me always, two friends in this most beautiful room - sharing a quiet moment, away from the world - there because they want to be there, it was a goal they both set for themselves and they have achieved it.  I won't see that again for two years but I will carry it in my heart.

We took our names to the sealing room and Daniel was one of the witnesses - as Ken and I knelt across the altar, I had an amazing experience - one I do not want to forget.  There is a HUGE beautiful chandelier above you and GIANT mirrors in front and behind you in sealing rooms.  When you look into the mirror you see the chandelier that goes FOREVER and then you see a vision of you and your spouse which goes FOREVER.  When the sealer called Ken and my names as proxy for my grandparents: Horace and Hannah Brandrick and Lim andSoledad Dong, my heart jumped.  I felt the Spirit so strong, my eyes welled up with tears and I truly felt joy and happiness instantly.  I felt my grandparents spirits so close. (Malachi 4:6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers,...).  This was a moment, I never want to forget..  I shared what had happened with my mom later in the day - and she asked, will you do my work?

Craig was given the names of my female family members needing baptism (Rina would be the proxy for those baptisms) - I wish I could have stayed for that, but he texted me later to tell me the work was done and again happiness filled my soul.  We will return to the temple before Daniel leaves and get a few more sealings done and I want him to do the baptisms for the male members of my family.  It's beautiful to go to the temple any time - but when you take your own family names - it's an amazing experience.

I asked Daniel, "Do you feel like you are learning more with each visit to the temple"? He replied, "Yes, today I saw an analogy.  As we had to wait several minutes to change rooms, it seemed like forever, and then I thought about these people, whose work we are doing, how long have they waited?".  Another, moment.  We have a saying in our family - "He's getting it Peter"!!!!!

San Diego Temple.

Return Often.

Daniel and Garrett - May 27, 2010.

Yesterday, I drove to the temple.  Nothing extraordinary about that.
Yesterday, I drove to the temple to meet my son. Pure Euphoria.

As I drove my heart felt happy.  As I walked into the temple, Daniel and his friend Garrett, both dressed in dark suits, were waiting for me. 

They already look like missionaries. (Garrett will be serving in Chile).

Throughout the session I would glance over just to see if I had dreamed meeting Daniel there - no, there he sat - listening, learning.... soaking it all in.  

I was living the moment I had hoped for.

The Temple.

Father and Son.

Our family - minus Rachel (working in Tucson),  Jon (working in CA) and Paul.

Family and friends.

Friends in the temple: Brother and Sister Peterson, Bishop and Sister Cook, Brother and Sister Parks,
Terry Wisehart, Louise Pomeroy, Brother and Sister Lewis,Sister Covington,
 Brother and Sister Babbel, Jenny Babbel, James Hunsaker.

Family in the temple: Mom and Dad, Kate Hunsaker, Grandme Shipley, Aunt Robin,
 Becky and John Bowler, Nick Smith, Bruce Bowles, Alexis Shipley.

Visit with Nanny and Papa Dong before going to the temple.  Nanny was so interested in Daniel's missionary book.  Papa spoke Spanish to the future missionary.

Elder Covington and Elder Shipley.

Bishop and Sister Cook.

Eric and Darl helped by bringing Grandme and Cookie to the temple.

Alexis brought a SPECIAL treat.