San Diego - Good Times part I

Splenda and I headed southwest for San Diego last week.  It was to be a quick weekend with family and we weren't exactly sure what we would do with extra, if any, time.

We got a little bit later start than I wanted, and as per usual, I was still taking care of things on the way down.

Yes that is our good girls and good boys drying in the back seat.  I didn't have time to let them have a full session in the dryer.  One more example of just how white trash we can be.

We stopped in St George Wednesday night.  After a beautiful early morning run, we headed back on the I-15 - So.Cal bound!

A quick stop in Baker where I found some uber cool sunglasses!

The rest of the drive was fairly smooth sailing.  I drove, Splenda navigated and before long we had pulled into our hotel, got settled and met everyone else for dinner.

The WHOLE reason we are in San Diego?

These two darlings!  R and K.  They were being sealed in the San Diego temple!  Not as many family members as I had hoped could come, but the few of her side and his side, had a delightful time chatting, laughing and getting to know each other better

We called it an early night since we had much on the agenda for the next day.

Friday, the sun was out, it was cool and breezy, but at least the sun was shining.  We drove to the temple, parked and started to take in the majesty and beauty of the building.  If you are LDS, Temple Endowed and current on your recommend, you MUST add this to your bucket list, if it is a temple you have not previously visited.  I truly have never seen anything like it.  It's difficult to even find words to descibe the beauty both structurally, and interior wise.  It's nothing like any of the temples in UT or even the Boston temple.

It is currenly under constructions.  They have found that it leaks with rain storms.  So they are making some renovations to protect the structure.  But even with the scaffolding on one side of the temple, it was still breathtaking beautiful.  Because of the outside construction, there were some areas inside that were weren't able to see.  Initially, I was quite disappointed, but then just told myself that it now warrants another trip down there to see it when the renovations are complete.

We did an endowment session, and then was guided upstairs to a sealing room, where the crowning ordinance takes place. The sealing of couples and families for time and all eternity.  We believe that under the proper priesthood authority, that couples can be married and that their marriage does not end at "death due you part".  Instead, it is carried on through all the eternities of the life hereafter.  For me, that principle makes sense.  Why develop these beautiful, loving family relationships to only have them end all at death?

 It was absolutley beautiful.  There were sacred things that were said that will stay in my mind for the rest of my life.  I felt so privileged and blessed to have been there.

Once finished, we went outside to the temple grounds to meet more family members and of course the photo sessions!

Several family members who patiently waited outside for us to emerge.

It was windy.....

J and R.  J is K's best friend since middle school.  She served an LDS mission in the Dominican Republic.  R is from the Dominican Republic.  She didn't meet her husband R while on her mission, but afterwards through mutual friends.  They are a darling couple!

The happy, now eternal couple, emerging from the special balcony

Being sillywith J

Me and my love!!

All of K's family. 

l-r B, J, R, S, K, S, B, M, D, R (missing T who is taking the shot)

R and S screwing around

It was a fantastic day!  We were at the temple from about 9:30 until about 2:30.  Every minute was special.  All that happens within the temple walls, is so special and sacred that we don't speak of it outside of the temple,  but let me say this, I felt so much love for a room of complete strangers that I was startled by my own feelings.

The design and decorations in the temple were exquisite and I am told there will never be another one like it.  It was expensive and even more so now that they are making the costly repairs, however, it is an experience one should add to their list of things to do before they die.

As I sat on the grounds looking at the scaffolding and thinking it all over.  I compared that to our own lives.  We were given amazing bodies.  Our own temples to house our spirits.  Sometimes, we need repairs.  There are spiritual "leaks", there are problems with our spiritual structure or even our interiors, however, it can always be repaired.

The temple structure requires skilled craftsmen, engineers and laborers to repair the damages and create solid structures.

We, on the other hand,  require nothing more than the love of our Savior Jesus Christ, and accessing the atonement to fix our "leaks", repair our structures and create solid interiors.

I was told by a worker that many brides were canceling their weddings due to the construction.  They didn't want the scaffolding to be a part of their pictures.  Even though they were assured that the photos could be "shopped" and corrected to remove the scaffolding, the brides were insistent on cancelling.  I understand that sentiment, however, for me, the scaffolding reprensented an important analogy that I want to remember.  I am glad we caught some of it on our photos.  It will be a lesson imprinted forever.