March Recap!

Here we are on the last day of March attempting to catch up on a months worth of living. I've been unmotivated to blog online and when I tell myself I'm done and am only going to handwrite in my journal, here I am hopping on my old iMac from 2011 trying to play catch up. So here we go...

A Special Temple Morning.

 

I hadn't been feeling well all week both mentally and physically. I blame it on the rain that continues to make my bones ache, and joints stiff. I call in stiff aching "boints." But then I look at these two lovely sisters of mine who are in their 70's and think to myself, "if they can wake up with aching knees and drive 45 minutes to Philly to attend the temple, then so can I. I literally just wanted to lay in bed after dropping off my son at school, but said a prayer and just like that...I felt better.

Happy First Day Of Spring!

 

Flowers have been blooming for almost two weeks now and when I went to the temple last Friday my face lit up when I saw these daffodils! Such a wonderful beginning of a new season and I am so happy that spring is officially here! Looking forward to warmer temperatures and for more scenes like this with various flowers in bloom all over the tristate area! Happy spring everyone! 

Temple Day With The Best Kids!

What better way to start off the month of December than to go to the temple- especially during the holiday season. About nine youth and a few adults from our church all ventured out to Philly to attend. Going to the temple, even if it's just to walk on the temple grounds is pure joy! I love the feeling that overcomes me while stepping onto the temple grounds and an even peaceful feeling as I enter inside the temple. To see the youth there with their folks is a sight. And whether or not to they wanted to be there they will still receive those blessings. I love all these kids and wish them the best feelings while they are at the temple. Hopefully it'll be something they will appreciate and on their motive continue to attend as they get older. But for now-just having them altogether warmed my mama heart! 

Tender Temple Moments And The Joy It Brings!

 

Going to the temple with my family truly brings me joy. I didn't realize how much joy it brought until I recently attended with Lexie while she was visiting - twice! I mean, I've gone so much in the past but as I get older and as I watch my kids grow older going to the temple brings a different meaning every time. 

Each time I go my will to become a better and more loving person becomes stronger. I feel a big difference in my life when I've been absent from the temple for so long. I seem to become more short in temper and impatient. I know that's part of life-being human and all but there should be limits as to how we treat people. Especially our own kin. No one deserves nasty text messages or emails. Especially when one doesn't know what's happening behind closed doors. It saddens me that the ones I love have done that. No one deserves that! So I plead with those who read this post to rethink what you write or text before you send it off. Rethink about the things in your life that you have done. Picture how you would feel if someone sent something so nasty to you that it causes anxiety to the point that they don't trust you or want to have anything to do with you. Whether its family or a friend- please treat each other with kindness. Not everyone is going to like each other and I get that but we all deserve some level of respect.

For The Temple.

Today after church I was inspired to go to the temple to take in the beauty of this wonderful building. The weather was colorful, and with autumn in the air made it a perfect afternoon to spend the day. Although the temples are closed on Sundays it's so nice to go, and walk on the grounds with my family, and express to one another how grateful we are to have one so close to us. I am thankful for the temples because through the covenants I've made inside with Heavenly Father I can be with my family forever. 

"We Don’t Need To Be The Same To Be One."

I love this video that my church put out recently and with all the crazy, sad things that are going on in the world with our government, politics and, families being separated  that we can shed some light by being "that person" who chooses light over darkness. Hope over despair. Joy over sadness, and LOVE instead of hate. 

A Little Temple Day With The Kiddos!

When Noah handed me an invitation of a primary church activity that involved learning about the temple my face lit up. I was so excited that the primary leaders were doing this! I don't recall any of my girls having a church activity at the age of 8 that involved the temple. Having a temple closer to us gives us many opportunities to invite the children in our church at a young age to learn more about the temple and to get them involved as to what the temple is all about, and how it will benefit their lives as they grow older.

Temple Day With Noheli!

Going to the temple by yourself can sometimes be needed especially when you need that time to yourself to seriously pray and think about the things that currently need nurturing in your life. Going with your spouse is a plus, and about the closest thing you'll get to feel what heaven would be like...especially when you go with your kids! Attending with members of our congregation is definitely one way to become unified as a "church family" and one of the things I miss the most when it comes to my past wards. It's so important to set aside time to go as a congregation.

An Inspirational Thought For Every Parent.

"Now, fathers and mothers, appreciate your children. Don't turn them over to somebody else to train and educate in regard to matters of eternal life. That is your privilege, and it is a privilege. Teach them to pray and walk uprightly before the Lord, and then in time of need they can go to Him and He will answer their prayers. It will be astonishing to you the great happiness that will come into your home that you theretofore have not enjoyed, if you will follow this counsel." 

-George Albert Smith

Attending The Temple Helps Us To Be Better.

With a new year starting attending the temple is always a priority in our life. I don't ever want to say "it's at the top of our list" because it isn't something that we just check off on a handwritten note pad. Attending the temple last weekend was a great beginning to both our daughters birthdays. It is a tradition that we have started since our oldest daughter turned 12 and one that I hope will keep going even when they're on their own.

Because Of The Temple....

No matter who we are everyone in this world goes through some type of struggle in life. I know I have. I'm 45 and I've had many struggles in all kinds of shapes, and forms. From physical, emotional, spiritual, and even temporal. Everyone's level of struggle is different, and some of us handle it in various ways. So what do I do when I come upon an issue that needs resolve, or a struggle that needs to end, I turn my heart to Heavenly Father's house. I also seek out those who are in need of service so that my mind can be taken off my own issues.

Temple Day on Good Friday.

Oh my! So many people to love in this photo, and they all gathered together afterwards to remember this special day for two special ladies.

Chelsea's First Temple Trip!

When Chelsea got her temple recommend from the bishop on the night of New Beginnings she was quiet, but super excited. She contained her composure pretty well, and as soon as we got home she asked if we had any kind of cover to put it in, and luckily Lexie had an extra one that was given to her years ago which she was saving, and gave it up to Chelsea. And she is proud of it! 

On The First Week of January...

We made it to the temple! Yay! 

So far this new year has been off to a great start. With Jon's busy work schedule we finally made it to the temple! The holiday season always gets super uber busy for Jon that it literally gets impossible for him to make time for the temple! I feel so bad that he hadn't gone because I know how much it means to him, and although he's happy that i attend on my own, he wishes he could come with, and every time I go without him I always think of him, and those I love.

Another Temple Post All Because of Sister Nutting.

I really hope you guys are not getting tired of my temple posts, but if going to the temple deals with special people then you better believe I'm going to share some goodness! And meeting up with the sister missionaries who serve full time in our church leaving all "the world" behind is the icing on the cake! 

Temple Day With Some of My Favorite People!

Several missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints gathered today at the Philadelphia temple to bid farewell to a few missionaries who are departing home. I met up with one of my many dear friends from my old ward to attend the temple together along with other sister missionaries including Sister Jensen who will be going home next week! 

Date Night At The Temple Before Conference Weekend!

Now before you say to yourself, "Not again! Not another temple picture with a post about the temple!" 

First of all, I just want to let you know that I won't be posting too much about our temple trips unless there is something absolutely significant to write about. I mean, the temple is amazing, and my experiences when I attend and then leave are always, always good so why shouldn't I write about it. Thing is, is that I don't want to come off  on this blog as this perfect, goody two shoes, mormon mom who thinks that just because i express my love for God, His word, and the temple means I'm all that, because even though I know all of those things are true, and important in my life, I am soooooo far from perfection! And this is why I attend the temple as much as I can. And the fact that general conference is this weekend gave me the desire to write a little bit of why the temple, for the fifteenth time is important to me! 

I love the change of season, and the Philly temple couldn't have opened up at a better date that in September which is my birthday month. I love the fall season, and with each season comes renewal for me, and having a brand new temple in our area makes that change for me this year even better. 

Ever since I went through the temple years ago I've always gone on or around my birthday. Whether it's with a friend, or with Jon I've always gone. And since my birthday falls right before conference I have always made the effort to go.

Well, this year, I have to say that I am so grateful to have picked the perfect person to attend the Philly temple with for the first time since it got dedicated. Jon and I absolutely love the temple, and really have a deep appreciation for it. We know how hard it can be to get there, but now that we are less than an hour away from one we are going to try to attend as much as we can. He had a day off yesterday which is very rare, and after renewing drivers licenses, fixing the car, and running a few errands until 4pm I was like, "let's go to the temple." We are a spontaneous type of people, and so after taking our girls to youth group at our church we hauled off to the temple, and made it just in time for the 8:00 session! 

The past few months have been trying only because we relocated to a new area with new schools, and adjusting to a new area sometimes isn't as easy as we think. We've now gotten ourselves into a routine, and the kids are transitioning a bit better, but just because we are doing well doesn't mean that we are exempt from moments of struggle, exhaustion, or even stress. Especially when something, or someone causes it. 

I can't even begin to explain the feeling I got as I uttered those words to Jon the other day about going to the temple. There are other things I could have been doing such as catching up with the laundry, stocking up the fridge, watching Gilmore girls on netflix, finishing up a book, going to the theatre, but the first thing that popped into my mind was going to the temple. Like President Monson said, "the blessings of the temple are priceless, no sacrifice is too great."

It didn't matter to me all the things that could have been done, but knowing that by going to the temple I receive strength in being able to handle the life of running around this new town driving three kids to three different schools, all while keeping the house in order. G

As I was getting ready for the temple I felt like I was going to the temple for the first time. I showered, got dressed, and to tell our kids over dinner why we are dressed up on a school night so that we can go to the temple brought excitement all around. The entire time I was anxious, grateful, and happy knowing that we were going to the temple because my goodness, I really need the temple to rejuvenate myself with that extra strength to get me through all that we have gone through with the day-to-day, and all the challenges that await us. 

Because challenges will always come. They always tend to sneak up on us when we least expect it!

However, I am grateful for the lovely breaks of being challenged-free in between those trials, and for the temple that helps me quiet my mind, and puts my life in perspective in knowing how to better my life. On our way out the door, I loved how Noah gave us hugs, and said, "mommy can I come. Can i go the temple with you all?" And how Lexie said, "I'm going through withdrawal from the temple, and can't wait to go again in a couple of weeks." My heart was overjoyed because of their comments. They really do love the temple, and I know they do because of the feeling they get when we are on the grounds, and when Lexie goes in. I'm grateful that our kids have felt a feeling of happiness coming from us which will help teach them that it is indeed a beautiful place to be, and that the reason behind it is not only to gain strength, but to progress the work of the Lord by doing family names, and bringing others to share in the joy of Christ. That is the whole purpose as to why we go to the temple, and why we have so many of them. My hope is that all my children will see how happy we are when we come home from the temple so that they can have the same feeling when it's their turn to enter in! 

And here's a grainy selfie of us taken after the temple. We would have asked someone to take a photo of us, but since it was 11pm there was no one around! 

The temple is so important to us, and it my hope that we can always make time to serve in the temple. President Nelson taught, "service in the temple, is a sublime activity for a family." How true that is. I see the look on my kids faces when we say, "get dressed kids because we are going to the temple." 

We are really looking forward to general conference this weekend! And to get you pumped up for the temple you can listen to this talk, and you can also log on to lds.org to listen to the word of our church leaders. I promise you will leave feeling hopeful, peaceful, and inspired longing for more! 

Have a wonderful weekend folks, and get ready for October!!! Say what!! 

Fellowshipping When It Comes To The Mormon Religion.

When the temple was first announced I made it a goal that when it was finally built to be open to the public that I would bring at least one soul to come and feel what I feel when I enter inside. And to get an idea of what temples are all about. 

And I did. 

Words cannot express how great it feels to share the love I have for the Lord, the temples, and His gospel. It is something that I have learned to do in a subtle, kind, tactful, and fearless way. I love the euphoric feeling I get after I've shared my conversion story, and testimony of the Savior, and the Book of Mormon. I have such a passion for sharing, and I'm so grateful that my lovely friend Cherie accepted my invitation in coming with me. She loved every part of the tour, the fact that families can be together forever. She loves the whole purpose of what temples are all about, and even though she had a few questions that were a tad bit hard for me to answer it's nice to know that I can turn to the scriptures to give her a more accurate one! 

A week before I brought Cherie I drove and picked up my dear friend, and her girls, and we all toured the temple together. It's so nice to also bring someone who has been a member less that six years, and no matter what trials they may face they know that the church is true, and that they had the desire to attend the open house in hopes to become a better person. This is my hope for me too! This is exactly why I love going to the temple! So that we can spiritually grow, and do better. 

I have learned that no matter what religion others may be, and what struggles someone may be going through which causes us not to attend church more often that love, communication, and reaching out in being a friend, having a genuine love, and understanding in what they're going through will help uplift them, and give them the extra strength they need to help keep them going. We all need friends like that in our lives who will help build us up in wanting to do more for ourselves so that we can be able to serve others. 

I love that Chelsea has such a strong love for the temple at such a young age, and she's not even 12 yet! Once she turns 12 she has already decided which temple she'd like to go to with her little recommend to do work in, and that is the Hartford Temple! How fortunate we are to be having another temple built in the east coast! 

Love, love that we have so many temples close to us, and when I read the numbers of how many people attended the open house for the Philly temple blew me away! Over 140,000! What a wonderful blessing for our area to see much fruit! It is my hope that we can all make the time to attend this temple now that some of us live less than an hour away! 

The Philadelphia temple is now closed to the public, but if you are willing to drive a few hours to attend the open house for the temple in Connecticut it begins on September 22nd through October 30th. I implore you to please make the time to go! We've already had a glimpse of it from the corner grounds, and look forward to touring inside it! 

Philadelphia Temple Tour With My Family.

Finally made it to the open house with my entire family, and wish that Sierra could have joined in this wonderful moment with us. Time from work permitted her from visiting us this summer before school started (which is today), but we both already have a temple trip planned together when she visits for the holidays! Can hardly wait!

I could tell how much the kids were looking forward to finally going inside. Noah thought it was especially funny wearing these huge white slippers on his feet! This temple inside is unique in it's own, and absolutely fascinating! Completely different in architecture compared to any other temple I've ever seen. The paintings inside were stunning! I have to say one of my favorites as I stepped foot inside the foyer was the one where Benjamin Franklin is signing the constitution, and of course the huge painting of Jesus Christ. Perfect spot for that photo. It's as if He is welcoming everyone with open arms entering inside the temple. I also love how the windows replicate those inside Independence Hall. Taking pictures inside the temple are prohibited, but if you'd like to see some you can view them here. 

Our kids stood in awe, and amazement when they walked inside noticing the checkered floors. I was whispering to Noah how exciting this must be for him to be entering the temple for the first time. He whispered back in my ear, and said, "this isn't my first time mom, remember when we went inside the Kirkland temple, that was my first time." I then said to him, "True, but the church doesn't own that temple anymore." He was like, "what do you mean "own." Lol! I wasn't going to go into detail as to why we don't own it. I'll explain that to him when we are at home doing a lesson or something! 

After the tour of the temple we went inside the visitors center where we saw some of our favorite sister missionaries. It was also nice to see so many people coming in to take the time to tour the temple, and to see what we are all about. The visitors center is always open to the public, and if you have any questions there are missionaries from our church willing to answer any questions you may have about the temple, and the religion. 

The temple grounds are beautiful, and you can go up on the balcony to capture a nice view of the temple, and what surrounds it. I am so grateful that our kids were able to attend the open house with us. This is a once in a lifetime experience for some of us especially for non-members. 

Just a reminder that on September 9th it will be dedicated, and closed forever to the public so if you are interested in going on a tour you can reserve tickets here.

Family is everything. I know that my Savior lives, and that He wants us to be with our families for all eternity. That is the beauty, and the purpose of why we have temples built upon this earth. So that we can be with our families forever. Both the living, and the ones who have passed on.

And it also my hope that our children will marry their future sweethearts in the temple.