A trip

A few weeks ago I had a really amazing opportunity. I was able to attend the temple and watch as one of my favorite families had  their two newest family members sealed to them forever in the the St. George temple. It was a beautiful ceremony, sacred and wonderful with just the right amount of funny thrown in for good measure. I was so honored to be there and witness this special day. It made me so happy for them, as they have been waiting a long time. (Remember Killeen who was a guest poster during adoption awareness month? It was her sweet family.) It also brought me back to the day that my kids were sealed to my family, and made me once again commit to being the best mom I could be. I love that part of ceremonies like that. I wasn't the one who made covenants that day, but in a way I renewed mine anyway. Such a great experience, and I am so happy for the Maxwells. (And lucky that I could be there. I forgot my temple recommend which you absolutely have to have in order to enter the temple. They had to call my bishop and verify that I had a current one, the only problem with that is my bishop in my current ward has never actually talked to me in the 7 months I have lived here, so I wasn't sure he would be able to help. Luckily though, I had enlisted my mom to pray for me, and she's so faithful she pretty much gets what she wants:)

 Also while I was there I was able to visit with some good friends in Cedar City, which is near St. George. I lived there when I first graduated from high school, attended college there and for the first few years of marriage. I loved it there. It is my favorite place I have ever lived, and I hope someday to go back there. You know how there are places that you haven't been to for years and years, and then you go back and even though a few things have changed it feels just the same, like you are coming home? It was like that.

 On the way home there is a beautiful bridge that you go across. I have always thought it would be fun to stop and take a picture, but never did it. Well, guess what? I was all alone, and in no hurry, so I did stop this time! Pretty, right? I want to go back in the spring when everything doesn't look so dead and take some more shots.

 I also took some pictures of the San Rafel Swell. The freeway goes right through it and twists and winds and it's really steep. I have a terrifying story about one Christmas when my sister and I were driving down it and the brakes in her car went out. Yikes! But I'll save that for another post. I rarely have my camera out when I drive down it, but since I had just stopped to take a picture of the bridge I had it on the front seat of my car, and took the opportunity to snap a few pictures. And yes, dear reader, they were taken as I was driving 80mph down the freeway, and yes I know that isn't the smartest idea, but, as I've said many times before, I'm more of a drive by tourist, and I HAD already pulled over to take a picture of the bridge, so I had reached the cap on spontaneous stops for the purpose of photography for the trip. They turned out pretty none the less, and no one was injured in the snapping, so no harm done. :)