Our first day at the Temple together....

driving up to the temple...

nervous...and happy to be there

not a fashion queen for sure...

getting really excited...and a little COLD??!!!

the beautiful grounds

almost there

reflections

taking in the WHOLE experience

my little girl....my angel

dreaming about her wedding day...

and ready to enter the temple...truly ready!

lunch afterward...at Su Casa...

i couldn't wipe the smile from her face if I tried.
at such peace with herself

MOM, can we go back...

checking in with friends...my texting princess...

very peaceful with herself...
again, such an example to me...
[look into her eyes, ahhhh]

this time parking in the conference center...
cute heels...too bad they don't fit me
still texting...

B A R E F O O T

I guess the heels are a bit rough for
my little girl....

RUNNING back to the temple
can't get there quickly enough...:)
I can't keep up, but it is fun to watch her...

such enthusiasm
1:00 pm...ready to go in!!! such a beautiful girl :)

wasn't it LIGHT when we went in...
WHAT TIME IS IT???? [8:30 pm]

calling Brian: "I thought you two were dead!"

Well, Clarissa's first time doing Baptisms anyway.

It all began with her BEGGING me a month ago to take her to do baptisms. We got our recommends, her and I together, one Sunday. I haven't been to the temple in a LONG time. Really had a lot to overcome to get there. And not that I feel like I am completely ready for this new endeavor, but I believe that attending the temple will continue to strengthen me as I choose to overcome much in my life.

There, that said, we got our recommends. I lost mine. Immediatly. So weeks went by with contention between the two of us. Me trying like crazy to find it. Explaining to Clarissa that maybe the time wasn't right for me. Her saying, Mom, you just don't care or want to go. Me explaining to her how Satan uses contention to divide good people. Her and I arguing over so many things. I finally said to her that when we found it it would probably be in my scriptures, and with a scripture that she and I needed to understand what was going on with us.

She decided that it was NEVER going to happen, so she gave up talking about it. Then on Wednesday of last week she was heading over to Aunt Colleens to spend the night for Brian and my date night. She had to run back over for her Young Womens value book, and her scriptures. I put on my coat to go meet Brian and checking the pockets, found my recommend. What a surprise. It was with a scripture. A SCRIPTURE. Luke 1:27, "With God all things are possible."

WOW, talk about finding it with a scripture. SO I was able to show it to her. I had found it. She sheepishly looked at me and said. Mom, I don't know if I can find mine now. I had to laugh.

Also, I am leaving something out of the adventure which is greatly important. She had come to me earlier on Wednesday and said, Mom, I did something wrong, and I feel awful about it. I talked to her about repentance and the atonement, and we prayed together. I told her that with the atonement you have to be willing to completely give it to our Savior, and NEVER take it back. She was ready. It had been weighing her down, causing her own contention, her anger toward me had this to give ammunition. It was interesting to realize as a mother that often children take out their frustration on you when truth is they need you so much to work through a problem that is within them. I learned a lot, and I share this because I feel that as parents we all have a lot to learn TOGETHER.

So, we worked this out. And planned our first trip to the temple for Saturday.

We got up early, showered and dressed, and we were off. The trip, as you can see above, was amazing. The drive, peaceful and engaging. What a beautiful day it was.

We arrived at the temple, and enjoyed the grounds for a bit. Then we entered the temple, turned in our camera, and prepared for the experience.

Clarissa was sweet, and meek and humble. Such an example to me. We had talked a lot about what she was doing and she was very prepared to think of the people who had waited so long for this. The people were so kind to her, asking her if this was her first time, and upon replying yes, they explained things to her and took the extra time to give her the appreciation for being there to do the work for those who are passed on.

I enjoyed seeing the experience through her eyes. I wondered how she would handle the dressing room and shower experience, being so modest as she is. And with her flair for fashion I didn't think she would go for the jumpsuit idea.

We went through again. As we were dressing, she asked, "Can we go again?"

Of course I said yes. The kind temple workers were so impressed with my little girl. She was so reverent, and had such a perspective of why she was there.

We went for our clothing. Went through, and she asked, "Can we go again?'

Fourth time through. I was thinking, how many showers can my body take with the soap they have...smelled good anyhow.

This time I left my key to our locker on my suit. We had to dig through the laundry to find it. I thought for sure she would want to kill me at that point. In her towel helping to find the key. But she was so sweet, so peaceful, and with no contention didn't even give me a LOOK. She was amazing, and kind, and so without a worldly feeling at all.

We get dressed and she says: "Can we go again?" I am thinking FIVE times. You have to be kidding me. This time I say to her, "Are you going to want to go through again after this time, because we might as well get two sets of clothing." I am thinking so that we don't have to get dressed and undressed. Mind you my body is much older than hers, and this is becoming interesting to say the least.

So we get two orders of clothing, they are running out of our sizes.

It is funny to be with her. She is becoming more comforatable with the process, as we now use seperate dressing rooms, and she has HER OWN KEY.

We go through the fifth time. Each time I go first, and she interupts the flow of boy girl and comes right after me. I hand her her towel and we go in to shower.

The last time she says to me, "I will go first." I am amazed as I watch her go up first, and sit alone. I will never forget the peace I saw in her, I will want to draw a picture from my memory of her sitting there. It will be in my mind and heart forever. She goes through, then I go. To look up and see my daughter standing there. Amazing. She hands me my towel this time, and I think, what strength she is to me in my life.

She is a beautiful young woman, and has much ahead of her in her life. I follow her example in so many things, and know that she came here to save me from myself. I am so thankful for her.

I know this is a personal reflection of our time together. But in journaling I couldn't help but to do a reflection here, something that I will save forever. In my heart, and not permantly recorded.

Love you my Clarissa. Thank you for being my angel, my friend. My sister, my daughter. You are beautiful, sweet, meek and mild. I love you.