Gilbert Temple Cornerstone Ceremony

So, Talin was the only one in our family who wasn't old enough to attend the actual Dedication of the Gilbert Temple.  Lafe decided to take him down there so he could be there for the Cornerstone Ceremony.  They left just after 6am (we live 2 min. away) to get a spot.

Dad and Talin, soon after they go there.

Talin by the Cornerstone

Because they were there so early, the workers let him help set up the platform for the ceremony.

 

He got to see the Prophet!!!!  He wasn't in the group of kids the Prophet talked to, but he was pretty close and could see him.

I'm so glad Lafe thought to do this for him.  We wanted him to have a memory of this amazing experience we have all had in watching the Temple be built.  I want him to remember seeing the Prophet and gain his own testimony that he is Heavenly Father's prophet on the earth today.

This is it! Gilbert Arizona Temple Cultural Celebration

The day was finally here!!!!!  All week long the weather forecast kept showing more and more chance of rain on Saturday………We live in Arizona - we don't usually have to plan for "in case it rains".  It hadn't rained since the very beginning of December!  When I checked on Thursday, I saw this:

99% chance of rain - are you sure you have the right place?  We NEVER see this!!!

It started raining about 3:00 in the morning, but stopped at about 7:00 and just threatened for a while.  It would sprinkle now and then, but didn't really rain.

All day long, we saw radar like this - see that hole?  That's where the kids were practicing.

So, all day long I'd get pictures from the kids' captains - it was so fun!  Lafe was down there ushering, too, so he sent me some.  Ethan's captain was…….well, a guy…….so I don't have any pictures of him.

Jamie's group waiting on the hill.
Corben, Jessica, Cheyenne, Kaylee, Audrey, Alex,
Jamie, Karter, Michelle (?)

Another one of Jamie's group

Erin's group on the hill
Erin, Ally, Ansley, Annalee...

At dinner time, Lafe sent me these two pictures.  One is facing north, the other is facing south.  Storm was going all around them - Mesa was getting hit hard!

Laura's group - cute girls!
Captain Kim Herring, Maddie, Katelynn, Katie
Hailey, Justyce, Lexie, Kenley, Autumn, Sophie, Laura

Justyce, Autumn, and Laura

Just getting there (not in order) - Jamie's group

Erin with our Stake's flag.  At the beginning, all 26 stakes had a flag and they marched them through and around the kids.

Dress Rehearsal - at the end all the kids went out with their Titles of Liberty and it was an AWESOME sight!!!

Lafe sent me this one - see the rainbow?

Our kids practicing - The Lucky Ones

Our region on the hill - there were six regions and we were dark green.

So, it started raining about 30-40 minutes before it was supposed to start.  It didn't' stop them at all!!!  It was pretty ironic performing about culture in Arizona and having it rain.  It was so neat to see these kids faces when the Prophet came and how excited they were to perform despite the rain.  They were so…….. valiant.  Somebody posted this on Facebook and I thought it was so neat - it's Captain Moroni with his Title of Liberty riding through the rain.

Someone captured the Temple that day like this!  My favorite is to see the Temple with dark clouds behind it.  It's so beautiful.

SOOOOOOOO grateful my kids could be a part of this!!!  I loved telling people I had four kids participating!!!  It was such a great experience I don't think they'll ever forget.  In case you want to watch it: http://youtu.be/quBKSbpqpUE

Look for Jamie in the Pioneer Scene - she's beating the rug in the back.  She's also in the choir for the soundtrack. :)

Hairspray!

 Our High School put on Hairspray for their Musical this year.  Jamie was so excited to try out - she loves doing plays!  One concern was that it was at the same time as the Gilbert Temple Cultural Celebration.  But, the directors were super supportive and were able to move the last performance so these kids could still be in it - probably 1/3of the cast was LDS.  So, she tried out and we were so excited that she made it as a Freshman!!!  She was cast as a Corny Collins Dancer with Brigham Welch as a partner, which was way fun because they're good friends and know each other well.  They put in a lot of time and work, but they also had SO MUCH FUN!!!  I'll try to get more pictures on here when I find them.

Mason Welch  and Kelli Crawley posing for the flyer - they did such a great job!

Jamie and her dance partner, Brigham Welch, at the very end of the play.  I couldn't grab any pics during the play - I'm going to still try and find some :)

Good friends that came to see her - Macy Foster, Jamie, Kelli, Savannah Johnston

Jamie and Jamie!!!  Erin's friend, Jamie Ricks, was in the play, too, and has been in the plays all four years of High School.  We were SO GLAD she was there to be with Jamie.  She was a great mentor, advisor, makeup teacher, and most of all a great friend.  It's so fun they've become good friends. (PS - Erin and Jamie want to room at BYU together)

Elementary Concert

Laura and Kelcie had another concert this week.  Laura is playing the trumpet - the only girl.  And, Kelcie is playing violin.  It's so fun to have 2 in these concerts again!  Wish I had some action shots, but we are cursed at concerts and have learned not to try.  Our kids either pick instruments that sit in the back or right behind the conductor or they're short :)  So, I've given up.

Laura and Kelcie - couldn't get a good picture, they were silly…….ok, Kelcie was being silly.

6th Grade History Fair

Laura had to do a History Project for the History Fair at school.  She chose the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany - Erin and I were so happy!  She was so good at thinking it through and not putting it off.  She printed of 3 different views and the floor plan so we could be sure to see how it all fit together.  She did a great job!!!

Done!

3rd Place!!!

GUESS WHO'S GOING TO BE A COUGAR!?!?!?

Erin has been checking the mail and her email patiently since December……..  They were supposed to find out by February 28th…….IT FINALLY CAME at like 11:00 at night!!!  We were SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We kind of bleed blue.  Lafe and I both graduated from BYU, my Dad graduated from BYU, my Grandpa Allan graduated from BYU (and played football for them - cool!).  We tried not to brainwash her, really :)  We just took her there……..whenever we were in Utah.

Erin's Acceptance Letter (email)

She used to be this one - she was born at BYU!

Super Saturday!!!

As part of the New Gilbert Temple Dedication, the youth in our Temple District have been getting ready for a Cultural Celebration of Gilbert to perform the Saturday before the Dedication.  Saturday was our "Super Saturday" where all 6 regions, 26 Stakes, 13,000 youth age 12-18 got together to practice from 8am to 9pm.  What a day!!!

Dad was able to be an Usher and met up with the girls at one point. (Jamie, Laura, Lafe, Erin)

Found Ethan later :)

Cool Panorama Lafe took of the kids in their "Home" spots.

All the kids on the field!!!  Aren't the colors cool!?!?!

Hard to tell because they bunched up at the picture, but this is our Region performing their song, "The Lucky Ones"

A Photographer in the area that has taken lots of pictures throughout the building and the Celebration caught this  that afternoon.  Just enough clouds to cool the kids down, and the beautiful sun peaking out behind Moroni.

MEANWHILE……. Kelcie, Talin and I went to their school carnival.  It was so strange to only buy two wristbands this year!  Kind of fun to only take the two of them, too!  Here's Talin getting out of the Hamster Ball.

Gotta have snow cones an face paint ( which he reacted to later :(  )

Great day and such a great experience!  The  kids had a blast and were SO TIRED!!!!!!  The sheer magnitude and logistics of all this is incredible!!!!!!  Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience………  CAN'T WAIT  until Saturday!!!  If you want to watch is it's being broadcast on abc15.com at 7pm Arizona Time THIS SATURDAY, March 1.  Join us, and look for Jamie in the Pioneer Clip beating a rug :)

South Carlsbad Beach, CA

 For Fall Break, we went with a bunch of friends in the ward over to Carlsbad State Beach in California.  We all camped right on the bluff which was so great to be able to be right on the beach like that.  We came about 2 days after everyone else, and apparently they had great weather.........we brought the cold......
 

Our first night - Ya, they weren't going to get wet....... Notice Talin doesn't have a shirt, he was a lost cause.

Beach Kids

Ethan had to go out with his friends that night!

Ya, it was COLD!!!

Our group getting together for dinner

The next morning we went down to walk on the beach because it was supposed to rain and be cold .

Wise words for posterity???

But, they still got in!  Now, California water is always cold, but it was warmer than the air - something's wrong with that!

Lunch in the trailer

Since it was supposed to rain, we headed down to San Diego.  We love this Temple, it's so beautiful!!!  I have to add that taking this picture was like pulling teeth - I told them they were worse than 2 yr olds!

Mormon Battalion - another favorite - so AWESOME!

Ethan looks thrilled, huh?  He was actually fine - he's so funny!

Courthouse that the Mormon Battalion helped build.

Talin loved climbing the trees!

Dinner in Old Town San Diego

Hot Chocolate in the trailer - NOW its raining.........A......LOT!

Finally, a good beach day!!!  Daddy and Talin

Kelcie and her mermaid tail - look really close :)

Our campsite - we joked that we had 4 full moons (street lamps) - it was actually kind of nice.

Love this picture - I have one of Dad and Ethan like this, too.

Yes, this is what we do when we're camping.  2 books came out the day we left and we had to stop in Yuma to get them - highly anticipated!  Plus, the one that came out a couple weeks before - it was finally Jamie's turn to read it.

Hobo Dinners - camping MUST!

We loved watching the sunset over the ocean.  Lafe loves the new Panoramic Camera on his phone - who knew I had twins?

Fun family vacation!!!