... the Beyond Part

Just a P.S. to the last post.  Jewel is giving a lesson in YW Sunday on testimony.  She has been working on it for a long time.  Johnny helped her download a Mormon Message movie she wants to share, she has a scripture handout she craftily created, and a coordinated treat.  She borrowed my Joseph Smith statue (which she gave me years ago), and she has a picture of Christ which goes along with the Mormon Message (The Living Christ).

To top that, the Bishop asked her to share her testimony about going through the temple at the youth leadership meeting this Friday so she's preparing her thoughts for that.  She said one of the precipitous events that got her to the point of doing something about going through the temple was reading this in the Ensign (Jeffrey R. Holland):

"So if you have made covenants, keep them. If you haven’t made them, make them. If you have made them and broken them, repent and repair them. It is never too late so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time. Please listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit telling you right now, this very moment, that you should accept the atoning gift of the Lord Jesus Christ and enjoy the fellowship of His labor. Don’t delay. It’s getting late."

I wanted that as part of my record keeping.

Memories for a Lifetime ... and Beyond

 Saturday, July 21, 2012, Las Vegas Temple.

 Friends, Kennedy and Kiana,
and several other ward members came through the session.

(Jewel specified low key - the Bishop came, the temple prep leader, the R.S. president.)

Johnny took the kids to a pond early on while we were gone.
Headed that way at 8 a.m. - got home about 2:30 after a stop at Deseret Book.

(The temple will actually entertain guests
who don't go through but want to be there in support,

but part of that is an exterior tour and it was 116 degrees when we came out!)

The family then went to dinner together at BJ's
and we watched We Bought A Zoo.

(Grant flew in Friday night and out early Sunday morning.)

 The sun going down behind Hayden's elementary school.

 Jewel arrived Wednesday p.m.  We had a late lunch as she passed through Provo,
at her old stomping grounds, Brick Oven.
I had a previous engagement with Diane at the Hale
(Crazy About You), and Jewel took the kids to Madagascar.

Hired one of the YW and Thursday morning Jewel and I went through

the nearest temple (3.5 miles from my house).

Then Friday we toured the Salt Lake temple grounds

(Jewel's preferred choice for her second visit, but it was closed -

note the maintenance work below -

I've never seen the windows open before).

We'll be back.

From the top of the Church Office Building (26 floors):

 The Capitol.  Note the homes behind on Ensign Peak.

This chapel (a little more left of where the above photo cuts off)

was built in 1880 on the Brigham Young estate.

In 1973, it was disassembled and moved to the Capitol Hill grounds,

reconstruction complete in 1979.

 Note the trees growing on top of the conference center, and the water fall below.

(Next picture pixelates if enlarged, but so you get the idea.)

When we first entered the Church Office Building, we were introduced to

A 16x66 foot mural of “The Great Commission” covering the east wall,

or as the artist labeled it, “Go Ye Therefore.”

Christ is the centerpiece, and the self-taught artist, Grant Romney Clawson,

copied it from an original work by Harry Anderson.

It was pointed out that Christ’s left foot would remain pointed at us

as we walked the length of the mural,

and Hayden was most impressed by that, asking me more than once

after we left the building if I thought His foot was still following us.

(Absolutely.) 

The Christus, north visitors center, 11 feet tall.

(Raygen thought the sky was scary.)

 City Creek, running through the new 23-acre mall.

 Lunch at The Cheesecake Factory.

 Hayden and Raygen loved this part of the mall.

Inevitably, Raygen got drenched head to toe but reacted happily.

 It was delightful to watch them play.

There was more to see and do, of course -

we watched a bagpiper outside the temple gate

at the head of City Creek while the kids dried off a bit.

Would have taken a carriage ride, but mom has Raygen's nap

down to a science so we headed for home.

(She's not a happy camper when she's short on sleep.)

Explosions of One Kind and Another

Talked to Lucy Sunday.  Sounded like she enjoyed her birthday very much.

Look forward to pictures.

No pictures of Jewel's birthday.

Only ever get to participate if she celebrates it here....

(June's state report can't be entered until the first working day of July.)

I made her a belated banana cream pie.

Had a nice visit with Janeil Monday evening.

 All dressed up and ready to celebrate the 4th!

(Chair a baby gift from her great grandparents.)

 Dad supervising.

 Mom documenting.

 Pictures at the park.

Pancake breakfast!  (Tradition.)

 Mom and Dad's gift.

 Grandmommy & Pop's gift (great grandparents).

 Balloon wars with G-mom.

 Little Miss Princess and Uncle Seth.

(As usual, there were family pictures I was looking forward to but were too blurry.)

Getting ready to make a wish!

The garden grew like a weed, in my absence!

(Left a drip hose on it.)

Last year I planted four tomato plants.

"Cut back" two too, but they are still going nuts!

 First attempt at cauliflower (yes, it's yellow).

The leaves are supposed to shade the head, and they're doing their job so far!

(And if they don't, there's aways the tomato plant foliage....