Cousin Temple Outing

Tonight we did something pretty cool!  We went to the Jordan River Temple with a total of 10 of us -  some of my cousins and some of their significant others.  We did a sealing session with some names that I have been working on and some names that my aunt Lori also gave us to get finished.

The temple is always a great place to go, but why was this experience extra neat?  For a couple of reasons . . .

This was the first time I had actually taken names to the temple to do sealings.  I have been working on some of these names since last summer and I finally finished them!  I love to do the nerdy family history work, but it takes time.  My parents and Annie and Ross helped out earlier in the year by doing an endowment session for some of them.  Meranda and Pedro each took a card for me, too.  To finally get all of these cards completely finished felt pretty good.  I don't know that all of the people whose names are on these cards are interested in accepting the gospel, but to think that I had a small part in their ability to finally be able to choose the gospel if they want . . .  that was awesome!

Second, I am so proud to be a part of my extended family.  The cousins of mine who came tonight are a great group of people.  Not all of them could make it, but 10 is a pretty good amount.  Unfortunately, some of my cousins are not interested in the blessings of the temple, but most of us are and that's pretty great.  I think my grandma would be proud of us.

Next, Parker and Natalie have just recently been endowed and this was their first experience with sealings.  It was great to see the nervous excitement on their faces and also the concentration and attentiveness to doing something new and important.

Next, our sealer was a character.  He was from Argentina and was a bit difficult to understand.  He had a hard time pronouncing and keeping track of some of the easier names, like Wood, but actually did pretty well with Binggeli.  He did several sealings in Spanish.  Meranda ended up being a proxy child for a woman named Miranda.  When she pointed that out, he said, "beautiful."  He talked to us about how we need to learn from the ordinances and it is not just the names on the card, but also to remind us of what covenants we have made.  Not only was it a special experience, but it was just fun.

Finally, the most memorable part of the experience may have come from Parker.  Perhaps he was extra nervous.  Perhaps he had been kneeling too long.  Perhaps the super hot room had gotten to him.  From various accounts and reports from witnesses at every angle, we know he started to shake and get very sweaty.  His pupils enlarged to a crazy size.  He began to sway back and forth and went stark white.  Fortunately he said, "I think I'm going to pass out" before he actually did.  (That would have been quite the thud off the alter bench.)  We got him up from his knees and onto a chair.  After a few seconds, his color started to return and he seemed to snap out of it.  It was a little scary at that moment, but afterwards was quite comical.  I couldn't even look at him without laughing.  Oh Parker!  What are we going to do without you when you go on your mission?!?

Anyway, that's my temple story.
Testimony builder.
Temples are important.
Families are forever.
God loves us all.

The end.