Professional Development Day

Maybe twice a year, our school district closes the schools to students on Monday so they can hold a "Professional Development Day." John's office celebrates by someone typically bringing in a cake with "Happy Professional Development Day" on it. I took advantage of the opportunity to develop my children professionally by taking them to the Draper Temple Open House. We started in a neighboring chapel with a 12-minute video about temples and this one in particular. (Griffin videotaped the whole thing on his Flip camera. I'm sparing you the results because through most of it he would say, "Earthquake!" and shake the camera around.) From there, we boarded a really nice bus which took us up the mountain to the temple site. (I figured the bus rides would be Griffin's favorite part.)

We unloaded and walked through the tented path into the temple. We got to go through the dressing rooms, baptismal font area, the bride's room, ordinance rooms, celestial room, and ended in a sealing room. There, they kids got to see the never-ending mirrors--which were his favorite part. Bruce Lindsay (a local news anchor) and his wife bore their testimonies of the temple and being sealed as a family. I gathered the kids around and we talked about what it would be like someday when they would be sealed to their spouse.

We were directed out into another tented area and led to the meetinghouse next door where there were refreshments, lovely displays, and lots of people to answer questions people had. We boarded another bus back to the church parking lot and then took off back for Orem. Ellie and Maggie had each brought a friend (Natasha and Anna) so we finished our trip with a visit to Cold Stone.

It's a lovely temple, but really, are there any that aren't? The girls commented that they now had something to look forward to. (Me, too, when one of my girls get sealed so we can visit the Bride's Dressing Room!) Griffin wants to get back to the room with the mirrors and to go in that teeny, tiny swimming pool (that is the baptismal font).

I love the temple. It's such a beautiful place of peace and refuge. I've had dream after dream where I spend my days quietly playing organ music in the chapel. I think fondly back on the time when my parents would go to the temple and come home (the next day) with temple cookies! I can't wait for the time when I can go on an extremely regular basis--in the middle of the day--and find that peace.