Things have been crazy lately! The trip to Florida was bitter sweet.
We forgot our camera, so we bought a disposable just for the trip to the Temple. I sure love trips to the Temple! Mama’s funeral was lovely. She planned it herself when she was first diagnosed with the cancer that she had. It just oozed Mama’s personality of every talk, every eulogy, every song. It was Mama everywhere. There was a song that she wanted played called “I Could Only Imagine.” by MercyMe. What a beautiful song, and very much Mama. The lyrics are as follows:
I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk by your side
I can only imagine what my eyes will see
When your face is before me
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
Surrounded by your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus,
Or in awe of you be still?
Will I stand in your presence,
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing Halelluja,
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
I can only imagine when that day comes
And I find myself standing in the Son
I can only imagine when all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
I heard it on the radio when I got back on shift afterward, which I’d never heard before the funeral. I’m now an avid listener for that song. It reminds me of the good times. The happy times. The memories.
My family and I got along reasonably well, considering we were in the same room, the same car, the same place for a week. That’s enough to grate the most patient persons’ nerves. But overall, it was a lovely trip. We got to meet family members who we’d never met before. My Uncle Steve, who is hilarious and fun, he reminds me a lot of my Uncle Johnny, who’s known as the family funny bone. We met our Aunt Lou, who is Mama’s sister. She is a riot too. And a wealth of family knowledge. And we saw Grandpa Ray again, and met his daughters. It was lovely. I sure love my family, even when we’re driving each other crazy and can’t stand to be near each other anymore. We had a few disasters. Natalie got stung by a Jellyfish! She broke out in hives. Alex lost his glasses to the great Gulf of Mexico. Then he too got stung by a jellyfish. Then finally I got stung by one. It was a blast. And a sting. Haha, get it?
Mom and I went to the Birmingham Alabama temple, which is about 5 hours North of Pensacola Florida. It was a great little road trip. And just what I needed, seeing as the Denver temple has been closed since August. I got to do baptisms with a youth group who’d come from South Alabama. It was wonderful. Even if the temple president thought that I was only 16. I suppose 16 is better than him thinking I was 36 or something, right?
Still, nothing was better than getting to sleep in my own bed once I finally made it home. I got to visit the Twin Peaks ward when I got home, for Institute, the night before we’d had FHE at their building, but I was still traveling home from Florida. When we got home, we decided that I would take Alex to Greeley so we could order him new glasses (we were unable to find his.) By that point I was grouchy, I was exhausted. I was in desperate need of a shower/bath/nap. And I was hungry. So I decided at first that I wasn’t going to go to Institute like I’d originally planned because I just wanted to get home. Then while I was at the store picking up something for dinner and some groceries for Mom, I felt like I needed to go. I did, it was lovely. I saw Elder Yarmo, who still swears that retaliation from our epic prank is on its way. I doubt it though, it’s been over a month since we struck, with nothing. It was fun to see my friends from the old stomping ground.
Home life was crazy after that for a while. Busy, exhaustions. Busy. Work, work, work.
Then onto the next adventure. Utah!
Becca and I had been discussing going to Utah for conference for a while. Some of my friends who served missions here, Ashley and Stephanie would be there, we’d get to see some friends from the ward who had recently moved and have some adventures in our time out there. So despite having just returned a week and a half before, we set out, including our newer friend Lee on our adventure! Becca, the stalwart and patient driver was the sole driver out. 8 hours! Crazy! We departed after noon, after we had surprised her Mom with flowers for her birthday. It was a lovely surprise!
We stopped somewhere along the way for gas, got some dinner and finished our trek to Taylorsville Utah, which was about 20 minutes from Temple Square. (Pictures forthcoming, when I can get to Walgreens!) We crashed Friday night after watching the end of the BYU vs Utah State game (way to pull up Cougars!) and then we watched some Star Trek. Then we went to bed.
The next morning, Saturday, donned early when I received a phone call saying “Dibe, we happen to have 3 extra tickets for conference this morning! Do you want them?”
“YES!” The loud and enthusiastic response burst out in my sleep-infused voice!
I quickly woke the other two ladies, we showered, dressed and ran out the door! Holy amazing!!! I loved being at conference!! Seriously! It was incredible! The Prophet was there! So were His Apostles! How incredible! So we sat, we watched. We laughed, we cried. Provo’s getting a new temple! How awesome is that! Two temples in one city proper! That’s so great! With the high volume of patrons between BYU students and the missionaries at the MTC, I can only imagine the welcome relief it will be. And the excitement! How blessed we are to have temples! A bunch of other temples were announced. France, Columbia, the Congo, Wyoming and Utah, all areas that have Saints shocked and grateful for the new addition to their communities. I know when the Ft. Collins Temple was announced, I was on cloud 9 for a long time! (Although now, the temple is being protested, but don’t fear. The Denver temple was relocated 4 times before the place was finalized. I just hope I will be back from my mission in order to go to the open house!)
Then we went to the Beehive house, around Temple square, and visited the cheesy Utah touristy places. I met with a bunch of sisters on their mission on temple square. I feel like I could spend 18 months there and still not learn all the things there are to learn about the history and such! After the morning session, we had a surprise Colorado reunion in the conference center lobby. We saw Steven, Kenton, Sean, Ashley and a few others! It was grand! Then we went to lunch with Steph, Ashley (the red head!), Al, and a few of their friends. Again, a jolly time1 So great! I loved it so much!
The next morning, we made it to the conference center for the morning session where we heard some of the best talks of conference, I thought! President Monson is amazing. Let’s just be serious about that. He is one heck of a Prophet. And that he truly is. A Prophet of God! He was hilarious, and inspiring and spiritual and wonderful! The best part of conference? I got to sing with the Prophet! Yep! That’s right! I sang with the Prophet! It was one of the most humbling and one of the most exciting experiences I think I’ve ever had! Okay, so I sang with 21,000 other people singing with the Prophet, but I’m good with that!!
We drove to Lee’s family in Pleasant Grove, which was really pretty darn cool. Their family is great! They have a 3 year old little Piranha of a boy. He got my thigh. But holy adorable, and lots of energy batman! Very cute little boy. And a 6 month baby boy. Also very cute. We sure had a good time!
After that, hilarity ensued due to exhaustion, sugar and shenanigans. So we have pictures of a fort we made in the living room of the people we stayed with! And we hiked Ensign Peak. A must-see, must-do hike if you’re in Salt Lake. It was great! The view was gorgeous. It was hard to imagine that valley completely empty like when the pioneers were there. That once the temple stood as the tallest building around, now dwarfed by the neighboring business buildings. It was quite the evening. We sat there for a while, each lost in thought. Finally we descended and went to bed. Early. We would need to be up at 440 am so that we could go to the temple before we left.
So, off the next morning to the temple we went. We parked under the conference center and got a little lost. We wandered up a corridor and found only a door with a doorbell that nobody answered. So we followed a man in a suit up another adjacent hallway. We looked around and a man hidden behind a corner asked for our recommends. At some point, the parking garage became the temple! We’re not sure when but it sure did! What a beautiful building! I could get lost in there, and happily so! The architecture was breath-taking. The design incredible. How can you not love a temple like that! It was amazing to go in and do baptisms. After that, some breakfast at Kneaders, as suggested by my Utah buddy Nettina, and then home! Another long drive with bad drivers, construction workers and random 98 second downpours and we were home. Becca and I, out of mental insanity or desperate need for some physical activity after hours in the car, decided to drive straight to FHE after we arrived in Boulder, which we did, and played volleyball with the ward. And it was the most fun volleyball game I’d participated in, in a long time!!
Adventures indeed!
In other news, I am CA free. No tumors on the ovary. Blood work came back a little irregular, my insulin/glucose ratio after fasting was elevated. That means I’m higher risk for diabetes and I need to exercise daily and watch my diet. It could mean Polycystic ovarian syndrome, but my GYN is hesitant to put a name on it yet. I’ll take it. Life is great. I am blessed!
I am going on a mission! Woop woop!
