5 things that Jeremy needs to survive...and a bit of rambling:

[pictures all courtesy of google images]

Okay...we loved the Draper Temple Open House. While there are two sides to every story I reserve only the positive parts for this reflection....[between the lines...I will save my bitchin' for somewhere else...]

The Temple is BEAUTIFUL, as always. The feelings of peace and comfort are abiding. And the much needed Come Unto Me rest was blanketed where needed.

Little Sam, and his loss of his teacher. Me, my broken heart. My Clarissa, her curiosity and desire to be so good. Gavin and his missionary efforts in inviting others to come with us. And Jeremy...oh Jer-Bear....

The effort we put into the evening was WELL WORTH IT.

Brian and I gave each of the children a preparing to enter the Holy Temple book; [free, from the Church Distribution Center], having lovingly written to each of them inside the cover; we had them take turns reading a passage from the book.

They loved picking something to read. Giving them the gift of knowledge and peaking their curiosity and interest in the temple was well played out.

It was peaceful. And after having serious contentions to deal with getting to this moment the PEACE was OBVIOUS.

Like I said...there are two sides to every story. This one has a definite dichotomy...

To keep it G-rated...[not including the previous language, which I am too tired to edit...hence I will write a number of sentences trying to excuse myself, but I won't grab the mouse...scroll up and fix it...actually I am enjoying the rebellion a bit. ...and peaking my own curiosity as to what I will be writing to overcome my current state of mind.] ...g-rated...I will move on to describe the evening, and then the children's tender reactions.

Clarissa; LOVED the brides room. Wants to go back a couple more times. Once during the day, and once with JUST ME.

She can't believe how wonderful the temple FELT.

Besides her feeling a little anxious after seeing the font up on the oxen's back [which looks very dangerous to her],
she is excited to go with me Saturday to do Baptisms for the Dead.

Yes, she is old enough; which SCARES ME.


She also loved the Fish Lake room...

"the one that is painted to look like Fish Lake."

I will be going back there for sure; just for that room.
Anyone want to meet me there?


Gavin; he was just plain curious, and soaking it all in in silence, reverence and tenderness.

It was amazing to be there with the children, and with their invitees; to see them PLEADING with loved ones, "You want to be with us forever, don't you?"

I love these little ones, and even Gavin...still my little one, in his big body, with his bigger soul. Such sweet and tender spirits.



Sam; Sam had spent about a half an hour crying in my arms tonight before we went to the temple.

He blamed me for making him hurt about his teacher. I said I was sorry for his loss. Simply put, and pulled him over the edge of his shell, and the emotions FINALLY came out. He kept telling me to stop making him feel so sad.

All I was doing was holding him.

Due to the events we got to have a pizza picnic in the car on the way to pick up Dad from work for our road trip to the temple.

Tonight Sam fell asleep tickling my arm...so soft he says. "I hope my wife uses the kind of lotion you use." [cute]

And just before he falls asleep he says, "Which room did you see Heavenly Father in?" Innocent, tender, full of Faith; and all I can say is: Thank You.



Jer-Bear. My little shadow. Was taking it in twenty steps behind everyone else.

Hence he and I ended up alone for most of it, and I sadly discovered what it is like to feel so ALONE in a crowd.

All I wanted was to be in each of the rooms with my WHOLE family, but...taking it in at Jeremy's pace assured that WE two were left behind. I don't want to be left behind....I learned that tonight. I want to be with the family FOREVER, all of them. I did NOT like being behind them...but experiencing it through Jeremy's eyes was still WORTH IT.


So...Jeremy.

We get to the sealing room and he says. "Oh, I think I have been here. When you and dad were married."

I say: "You remember that."

He says: "No, I just know it."


Again, THANK YOU.

Then tonight as he relays, with so much energy, all his FAVORITE parts of the temple... From Grandpa Lawrences star mystically being right over the angel Moroni, to the room with the VERY TALL cealing, to the room that reminds him of the cabins, to the "I can't wait to be baptized and I will go on my missing when I am twenty and come home at twenty two and get married when I am twenty six and when she asks me if I will marry her I will say WHERE and if she says not in the temple I won't say YES." Okay...a little disturbed that he is already decided he will be ASKED, not ASKING. But he is only 7, and I am a bit controling about EVERYTHING. We have time, right???

Then, just before he falls asleep he says, there are really only 5 things that I need to survive:

1. Shelter
2. Clothing
3. the Scriptures
4. food, which includes the water part
5. a Partner, or I guess a best friend would be okay, but I would need a Partner.

So cute, word for word, and like I said, WORTH IT!