Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open-House

Happy are We! Happy are We! We (Mom, CarCar, Jo & Jed + all 4 kidlets, & Me + twins) were able to attend the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house on Thursday night, July 30th. We had reservations for 6:00pm, and although we arrived early there was an enormous amount of attendees in line from earlier reservation times. We knew we would have a wait, but didn't exect a 45 minute wait in the blistering afternoon/evening heat! Happily, all 6 kids (8 if you include me & Jed [hee-hee]) did OK.

Jo & I decided that I should take the littles to the potty before we got inside the temple, so I snatched Miguel & Cy and we walked, and walked, and walked, and walked to the other side of the temple to the restrooms. Oh My Goodness! That little excursion took nearly 20 minutes and afterwards we couldn't find Jo & the gang. They had already entered the temple. I resolved to sit outside with the kids and play in the fountain and wait for the gang, but Jo (who I love, love, love!) wouldn't have it and came running out to find us! We each grabbed our child and squeezed through crowds of people trying to catch up to Jed, Mom & Car. Phew!

The Oquirrh Mountain Temple was beautiful! Such craftsmenship, detail, simplicity of design. Everything was perfect and pure and clean. The last temple dedication I attended was when I was a little girl and my family went through the Jordan River Temple. I still remember that experience: wearing booties over my shoes, sitting in the chapel and watching a video, trying to be quiet as we walked through, and my dress...oh, how I hated the 80's!

We had about a 45 minute wait in a long line before we reached the temple doors. Jo's kids had swim lessons that day, & then stayed to swim a couple hours longer with their friends & Auntie CarCar. Gage was tuckered-out! We think he might have had heat-exhaustion.

A close-up of my baby sister, CarCar, w/my favorite 1-year old niece, Taylor Bug

Rebecca (24 lbs) pushing her younger cousin, Cy (35 lbs).

Funny!

Rebecca & Mary-Gail "skating" along the fence line

Seriously, who lets their kids climb all over the temple grounds?

(come on! It was blistering hot, and we had a wait of nearly 45 minutes in line outside!)

Little Taylor Bug - my fave!

Me & Miguel; CarCar & Becca-Boo after the open house.

We had just made it through when Mary-Gail began to cry. A lady in front of us, who was volunteering as a Temple Guide, told Mary-Gail, "Oh, don't cry. There are cookies and water for you in the white tent over there." Mary-Gail's expressions changed from night-to-day: tears & sobs before any mention of cookies; happiness & laughter after (plus her incessant reminders that "there are cookies in the white tent, Mommy"). Cookies always save the day!