I Love to See the Temple

By far my favourite part of our trip to Arizona was the chance we got to spend time in the temple (along with the session I got to do while I was in Halifax as well). I really don't get to the temple as much as I'd love to. (And it's only gotten harder since Cecelia came along.) We got to do a session in the Mesa temple with Logan and Michelle and aunt Christina. It was really nice to spend some time in the temple with women I love, and women I've never gotten to do this with before. The temple always makes me feel closer to those I spend time with there. To spend time with future sisters was exciting for me.
Eric and I would really love to try to get to the temple more often. Having a temple overload this trip was encouraging and inspiring. For our January temple trip we got to spend time doing sealings in the Gilbert temple. This time we left Cecelia with our cousins Forester and Zane, and we got to go with Uncle Kyle and Aunt Christina. Again, being in the temple helps me to feel even more love for those I'm there with.
I am a little biased toward our temple here in Calgary, but if I wasn't I think the Gilbert temple would be my favourite one. It was absolutely stunning. In a lot of little ways it was very similar to the Calgary temple. Ours has a theme of wheat throughout - in little details. This temple had a theme of the agave plant running through all the wood carvings and stained glass. Both temples used really classic and gorgeous dark wood accents and the marble in the temples are always beautiful.
The Celestial room of this temple was bar far the most beautiful room I have ever been in. I felt the spirit so strong, and felt so peaceful spending some time in there with Eric. I wish I could have taken pictures of the whole thing, but I really don't think I'll forget what it was like for a long long time. I love to visit new temples each new place I go to. I just love being in the temple.

Blessing Day

This morning we blessed you at church. All our family close by and many friends joined us to celebrate you and the joy you've brought in to our lives. 

Your father gave you a beautiful blessing with the help of Bishop Keys, Grandpa Pinsent and Grandpa Persson, Great Grandpa Atwood, Uncle Jordan and Uncle Logan and Great Uncle Allan.

You were blessed to be close to your Father in Heaven and savior Jesus Christ and to develop a relationship with them throughout your life. You were blessed to be obedient and righteous and to have a personality that will draw others to you so that they may see the light of Christ through your example. You were blessed to be soft spoken and kind, virtuous and tender. 

It was amazing for me to listen to these things being said of my daughter. Your Heavenly Father has a plan for you Cecelia and you have a great big life ahead of you. You will feel love and joy and peace. Sometimes things will be hard, but always know that you have parents who love you, family who care for you, a Father in Heaven who is always looking out for you and Jesus Christ who is always close by. You are a beautiful girl with a lovely spirit. We are so blessed to call you ours.

Your granny (mom's mom) made this beautiful dress for your for your special day. The sash around the middle has lace from Mommy's wedding dress on it.

This is Lucy. She is about 3 months older than you. Mommy bought her that dress as a gift on her blessing day, and I bought the same one to save for when you came because I loved it so much. You were matching today!

This is one of Daddt's best friends, Tyson. His baby boy Enzo is only two weeks older than you. We would like you to be friends.

This is Enzo's mommy, Sarah. She has been a good friend to Mommy since we met.

My favourite conference talk

For the month of January I was asked to contribute a bit about one of my favourite conference talks to our was Relief Society newsletter. I took the time yesterday morning to sit and think about it and write it, and I'm grateful for the chance I got to do it. I don't know that I necessarily have a very favourite talk, but this one I think is the most vivid in my mind, and easiest for me to remember.

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One of my favourite conference talks - or at least one that always seems to come to mind - is The Way by Elder Lawrence E Corbridge, from the October 2008 session of conference. He says quite simply, and in many different ways, “there is only one way to happiness and fulfillment. Jesus Christ is that way.”
Jesus Christ plays so many roles in our lives. He is our perfect example of how to live our lives here on Earth, that we may be able to return to our Heavenly Father some day, Striving to live as He did and to develop Christlike attributes, helps us to overcome trials and struggles we are faced with in this life, and shapes us to become our best selves. 
He is our redeemer. When we make mistakes or we have challenges or we feel lonely, we know that He knows who we are and what we need. Elder Corbridge says, “ He is the Savior of the world. Either we accept the blessings of His Atonement and are made clean and pure, or we don’t and foolishly remain alone and filthy still.” All that is good and sustaining and holy comes from God. He is the source of these things, and in order to benefit from them and to be worthy of them, we must follow Jesus Christ.
My favourite part of the talk is in his conclusion. He says “The Lord’s way is not hard. Life is hard, not the gospel.” The Gospel is what helps us to overcome life when it is hard. That is sometimes a hard thing to remember. Life gets in the way of the gospel, not the other way around. The gospel is how we should be striving to live in all that we do, and when life creeps in and makes it hard to do, we have Jesus Christ and His example and forgiveness to turn to and lean on.
Elder Corbridge says, “Life is hard, but life is simple. Get on the path and never, ever give up. You never give up. You just keep on going. You don’t quit, and you will make it.” I love to hear the prophets speak so boldly and  with such conviction. When my testimony waivers in certain concepts or principles of the Gospel, I love to listen to these brothers speak - I know they know, and that helps me to remember and strengthen my own conviction as well. I am so grateful for living prophets and for the strength and direction they provide me in my life.

Speaking in Sacrament Meeting

Eric and I got the chance to speak in sacrament meeting today. I got the phone call and was given the topics, and I was the one asked to speak second, for longer.

Eric was asked to speak on how the members of the ward can get to know the youth in our ward. This was kind of a tough topic for him to speak on because there's really only so much to be said, and on top of that it's a bit weird for a sacrament meeting topic. But he chatted with his friend who just served as the young men's president in his ward. They decided that the main idea was fellowship. And so that's what Eric spoke about today; the importance of fellowship and specifically fellowshipping the youth. 

It was a great talk, and I always love listening to him speak, but it was only about 8 minutes long, and then it was my turn. 

My talk was a really enjoyable subject for me to study and speak on. It was something I needed to consider for myself, which are the best kinds of topic assignments. I spoke today on making the sacrament more meaningful to each of us. 

I can up with 3 ways to make the sacrament more meaningful to me. 1. Learn all I can about the sacrament ordinance and the meaning of it. 2. Come prepared each week to partake in a holy experience. 3. Be grateful for the opportunity to partake. These seem like such simple concepts, but somehow it's been tough lately to put them into action. Sunday mornings seem rushed and uneasy, and that's something we're really trying to work on in our household. 

Does anyone have any suggestions, powerful or simple, for ways to make Sunday mornings more peaceful and inviting of the Spirit? I'd imagine it only gets tougher when a baby comes, so this is something Eric and I really want to master right away. 

I am so grateful for Sundays. I'm grateful for my calling at church, and for the day set aside from the others to think of Christ and to be with family. It's just the mornings that are a little shaky sometimes. I want to make Sundays even better than they are now.

I love my families

This Sunday I took the opportunity to bear my testimony in sacrament meeting. I haven't done this in as long as I can remember, but thought it was a good way to start the new year.
I am not 100% stable in my faith these days, and especially in the action element of faith. I am finding it hard to get back on track, but I certainly do have things to be grateful for.
I am grateful today for family. Grateful for the blessing of generations. Eric and I are serving together in nursery right now, and I am just loving it. Max (our nephew) is in there with us right now, and it has been so fun to have that time to spend with him, teaching him and watching him grow up a bit. I love all of the kids in there as if they were my nieces and nephews. Each brings a special light, humour and energy to the group.
We are trying hard to find a place to live within the ward boundaries so that we can keep this calling. I've been in need of a spiritual nurturing lately, and when we got called to the nursery I thought all hope of finding it was lost. It has been completely the opposite experience though. Serving here is like getting back to the very basics, and it turns out that's just what I needed all along. It's also forcing me to get myself to church, even on weeks that are hard. I just love getting there to see each of them. They bring a special spirit I just don't find anywhere else.

Calgary Youth Temple Celebration

This weekend was also the Youth Cultural Celebration for the Calgary Temple. This presentation has been about 6 months in the making and, let me tell you, it was worth it. It was an amazing presentation, and I felt very proud of all the young people who participated.
Eric and I got the chance to sing in the choir that accompanied them. We got to sing some great song that were composed by great people here in the Calgary area. It was a really great experience, and I'm so glad we got to be a part of it. I took the chance during the dress rehearsal to take a whole bunch of pictures. This is what the show looked like.

Calgary Alberta Temple

Tonight we got the chance to go on a tour of the brand new Calgary LDS Temple. We got to go with the Burt family {Eric's cousins}, and my sister as well, so that was lots of fun.
The temple is just beautiful.  The Toronto Temple is still my favourite temple on the outside, but the inside of this one was hard to beat. Everything is so new and fresh and light, and the overall theme of wheat throughout was beautiful and tasteful. Being a part of the beginning of this temple is something I will never forget, and makes it high on my list of very favourite buildings.
I can't wait to go into this temple to serve and to enjoy it's peace and beauty. It will be so nice to walk through the halls when they're quiet and ready for work.

 I am grateful to all those who brought this building and opportunity here to Calgary. The construction workers and artists deserve an extra shout out, and I am very grateful to them.