Heavenly Time

This temple is one of the most heavenly places on earth, to me.  I was married in this temple 20 years ago and have never had the opportunity to do an endowment session here.  Every time I come to visit I have my kids or I am with family and we have an agenda with things to do and places to go.  I have wanted to go through this temple for so long because I can hardly remember what it looks like inside. In fact, I don't remember a lot of what the temple looked like because when I married Tom, I was too much in love to be looking around at all of the artwork and too giddy to notice the amazing architecture!  

 So, I flew in on Thursday afternoon all by myself.  I was in my car at 2:35 and handed my recommend to the gentleman at the temple desk at 3:06.  He told me that I had just missed the 3:00 session but that I could go and do other temple work and that made me really excited.  As I walked towards the initiatory area, I noticed the bride's room and immediately tears began to flow.  A sweet older woman stopped me and said, "Are you ok?"  I explained to her that I was married here 20 years ago and had forgotten what the bride's room looked like.  I asked her if I could come in and take a look around.  I was swept back in time as I pictured my mother and me getting ready in front of those beautiful mirrors.  It was a dream wedding for me and to go back and see that bride's room was such a special treat!

 Since I hadn't done an endowment session in that temple before, I was just like a little kid in a candy store---my head was twisting this way and that to try and take in all of the gorgeous artwork and the beautiful architecture that make up this holy temple.  There are so many beautiful paintings of Jesus Christ and wall murals depicting the various creations of the world.  It is absolutely palatial in design and decor.  But, the highlight of my day was just after visiting the celestial room.  I really wanted to go see the sealing room where I was married and I remembered that it was just around the corner from a stairwell.  So, I walked up another flight of stairs, peeked around the corner and found that there was nobody there.  I walked slowly into the room and then all those same emotions began to hit me right in the heart.  I pictured my sweet aunts and cousins helping me with my dress at the alter and seeing all of my friends and family gathered in that room.  It was an overwhelming feeling of anticipation and excitement that day 20 years ago.  But for me now, the feeling was an overwhelming sense of complete GRATITUDE.  I think I whispered "thank you" at least 20 times as I sat there and thought of all the wonderful memories that have come into my life because of the union that occurred in that very room.  This moment was the crowning part of my trip and one that I will always remember and be forever grateful for.  

Here is the view from my hotel window at night of the Salt Lake Temple and the new City Creek shopping center.  I also stopped by Backer's Bakery but it was closed.  :(  (probably a good thing--I think I saved about 1000 calories by it being closed!)  

Earlier that day, when I parked to go to the temple, I walked by the McCune Mansion.  My grandmother used to take piano lessons there when she was young.  It still is a beautiful well-preserved home.

Here's my sister, Melanie, trying to sleep with my dad's heavy breathing in our hotel!  ha ha!

We helped my cousin, Stefani, set up for the luncheon at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in the Empire Room.  It was absolutely elegant.  Kelsey wants to have her wedding luncheon here someday!

   

Here's Melanie, helping at the luncheon too.  Ahh--the bride and groom, Matt and Natalie Sadler.  (Matt is my cousin)

 Here is Stefani, Matt's sister, and her husband, Clint, and their adorable baby Loxley.  Then, this is the entire Sadler family (missing Uncle Jim who passed away).  L to R - Jeffrey, Stefani, Aunt Karen, Matthew, and Patrick.

 It has been a tradition, one that was started by my Uncle Jim, that my dad get a HUGE diet coke at every wedding reception.  The caterers were more than willing to help us out with this one.  My dad was pretty embarrassed as everyone clapped for him, but then I think he really liked having a huge drink all to himself!   (of course, Melanie and I arranged it! ha!)

Here are the girls with some of my favorite people in the world.  The three girls sitting down are (L to R) Elizabeth Jones, Cyri Oswald, and Aunt Vonnie Lu Broulim, their mother.  I looked up to these girls when I was young and I still look up to them today.  Liz and her husband just returned from being mission presidents in Chile and Cyri is a darling new grandma (doesn't look like that old!) and is so fun to talk to.  Vonnie Lu just kept holding my hand and telling us all how much she loved us and missed us.  It had been at least 15+ years since I have seen all of them.  That's WAY too long.  I love my family and I am so glad I had this weekend to connect with them.  It was time "heavenly" spent.