i love to see

Fun fact...I love the temple.  Okay, that's actually a huge understatement.  Since I went through the Salt Lake City LDS Temple for the first time in May of this year, I have constantly craved going back to the temple to feel that peace and that spirit.  When we were married we were given brilliant, amazing counsel from our officiant to return to the temple as often as we could.  Where we live in a remote area of Wyoming, the closest temples are 2 1/2 hours away in Utah.  Gasoline is expensive.  We don't make a whole lot of money (we're newlyweds, in college...it happens), so traveling that far is difficult.

However, we've been fortunate enough to have opportunities to travel with family (saving us money) and we save up money specifically to attend the temple. Any loose change, any extra money we randomly come into, it goes into our "temple fund."  Each time we attend we grow closer together as our little family unit of just the two of us.  I just love it.  Since we were married we try to make a goal to attend the temple once a month.  I'll be honest, we've missed a month and in our years and years of eternity to come I'm sure we'll miss more.  We've been fortunate to do sessions at the Salt Lake City, Jordan River and Mount Timpanogas Temples.  Most recently we attended a session last week for Cody Adams, one of my closest life long friends.  He made the decision last year that he wanted to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  And I couldn't be prouder of him. We weren't able to spend the day with him, but we were able to spend the most important part of the day with him and that's what counts.  It made me so grateful for the opportunity and priority we've made temple work in our family life. 

My point is this: If you are LDS and have been through the temple: GO OFTEN.  Even if you only have your recommend for baptisms, go.  Baptisms for the dead are great preparation for feeling the spirit in the temple and understanding the higher ordinances you will one day take upon yourself.

If you aren't LDS and have no idea what I'm talking about, no worries.  You can basically ignore this post.  However, go to a temple open house someday.  It gives you a great opportunity to learn about the gospel and see what temple work is about.  Also, talk the missionaries or to a mormon friend...LIKE ME!  My email inbox is always open :)   (go to the Me. page for my contact info)

Jordan River Utah Temple

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Mount Timpanogas Temple

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Salt Lake City Temple

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"The temple is concerned with things of immortality. It is a bridge between this life and the next. All of the ordinances that take place in the house of the Lord are expressions of our belief in the immortality of the human soul."

—Gordon B. Hinckley

evolution

I think it's amazing how much people evolve as they age.  I had a great, long, amazingly wonderful conversation with my good friend Cody this week.  We go WAY back.  He's one of those life long friends I have.  No matter what either of us have gone through, we're always there for eachother.  No matter how long it's been since we've talked or anything, we still communicate.  And it is nice.

The glorious visit we had last year after not seeing each other for months...as well as a delectable lunch at Mimi's Cafe in Provo, UT

Outside the temple after my wedding. Cody was in our bridal party and there all day for us. Also, you can see how absolutely different I look with and without make up.  Crazy, right?

 During our conversation on my long drive back to Wyoming from Utah, we talked about his upcoming mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, updated each other on our lives and reminisced about our years and years of friendship.  How crazy we were in high school.  How crazy I was about getting straight "A"s.  How many hours we spent in the theatre at school.  We both mused at how much we'd changed since graduation.  Cody is going on a full-time mission, working and living in Provo, bound to do AMAZING things.  I'm married, living in Wyoming (trust me, high school me never saw that coming), working, going to college and preparing to start a family with my husband.  We've evolved into the people we need to be.  And it's a beautiful thing.

The whole point of my story (other than to feature how awesome Cody Annyong Adams is) is this: I celebrated getting a "C" on one of my exams today.  If I so much as got a "B" in high school, I hated myself for about a week.  Now, I'm celebrating over a "C".  Oh, evolution...how you changed me...