Our Family in the Temple

 

We went to the Boise Temple Open House today. It was so neat. The kids were very well-behaved.

When we got done, I asked Annalee to describe the temple in one word. She said, "Jesus."

Vander was looking at the crystal chandeliers and the pictures of Jesus and kept saying "beautiful".   (Sounded more like "bowoo", but he was repeating Nathan.)

Nathan's favorite part was the stained glass, and indeed, it was gorgeous!  (Go here and click on the picture of the baptistry with the green stained glass window.)

My favorite part was when we walked past the Bride's Room a volunteer asked if I'd like to go in there with my daughter. How neat it was to tell her about my mom helping me to get ready in a room like that before I got married, and looking forward to the day when I get to do it with Annalee.

 

It was a special experience trying to convey to our children how important the Lord's house is to us.  When we walked through the baptistry we talked about how we can be baptized for people who died without having a chance to be baptized themselves. When we got to the Celestial Room I told Annalee that that room reminds us of how we want to live with Jesus and Heavenly Father again in heaven.  In one of the sealing rooms I told Annalee about how Daddy and I made promises to each other and to God and that we'll get to be a family forever.  Nathan held up Vander and I held up Annalee to look in the "forever mirrors", seeing our reflections going on and on.  I chuckled inside as I watched Annalee realize that Daddy and Vander's reflections went on forever, but that she could only see one of her own.  She tried to see around herself, but couldn't.  I remembered how, when I was married, the Sealer had instructed Nathan and I to look in the mirrors and notice that we could see the other person but not ourselves.  "Don't get in the way of yourself.  You are the only one who can come between you and eternity." 

 

The kids were a little tired and thirsty by the time we got done.  I was really looking forward to the cookies and punch in the stake center gym, so I was incredibly disappointed to find out they had little tootsie roll-type candies, one per gold-embossed napkin.  Huh.  I guess they saved a lot of money!

When we got back to the car we grabbed the camera and went to get a picture but Annalee was trying to hide behind me.  Lately she will suddenly get shy in the middle of nowhere.  I forced her in front of me, where she hung her head and scowled.  Only by threatening her desserts until the end of time did I get her to have a semi-decent face.  Ah, families are forever, but thank goodness preschooler tantrums aren't!