Chocolate & The Temple

I will never, and I do mean never, forget this day! It will live in my heart forever! For today I went to one of my favorite places on earth, the House of the Lord, and I took my precious girls with me! I could never forget that! 

But first we did something else amazing! Addie found a crazy fun place for us to go to called Just Add Chocolate. We did a chocolate workshop and we each got to take a half pound of chocolate and do whatever we wanted with it! Me, Keags, Rys, Sa, Todd, Sami and Addie all made different concoctions with milk, white and dark chocolate. We filled them with tons of different things like nuts, truffle batters, peanut butter, candys, caramels, sprinkles etc. And we covered lots of different things in chocolates like toffee, strawberries, pretzels, cookies, and even potato chips and bacon! It was an absolute blast and definitely delicious! 

Afterwards it was on to In n Out for lunch! Y’all we love that double double! 

Then after a very quick nap for Miss Riley and a Target run with the big girls for Miss Keagan it was time to change and GO TO THE TEMPLE!!!

16 years ago this month I was able to receive my endowments at the Mount Timpanogos Temple but I have not been to that particular temple since. Today I took my two daughters to do baptisms there and it was such an amazing experience. They officially received their limited use temple recommends yesterday on the 1st day of the year they turn 12 and only after they had both met with our great bishop, Bishop Hoff and answered questions about their faith, and how they are trying to follow Christ. Since the temples were closed yesterday, today was officially the first day they could go to the temple and I was thrilled with how excited they were to do so! 

Before going the girls and I had talked so much about what they were really going to be doing and why. They understood that just like Jesus was baptized, every one of our Heavenly Fathers children must also be baptized. And because our Heavenly Father loves ALL of His children He wants everyone that did not get a chance on earth to chose to be baptized or not to still get that choice. That is why in the Temple we can go and perform proxy baptisms on behalf of our family and friends that may never have had that opportunity on earth. Then they can chose to accept those baptisms on their behalf or not. It is such a beautiful thing tying heaven and earth together and I was so thankful that the three of us could be a part of it today! 

But thankfully it wasn’t just the three of us! Sami, Kirk, Kari, Kennedy and Campbell were all there too! Plus I had no doubt my dad and others in heaven were able to join us in such a sacred place! So for their first experience, Keagan and Riley were both totally surrounded by love! I could feel it so strongly and my heart was just swelling in my chest! 

After Keagan, Riley and Campbell were all changed into the all white clothing the temple provides for them to do baptisms in, we were able to get started. There were SO many excited kids and families there in that stunningly gorgeous temple so it took a little longer then we thought but it was amazing. All 5 girls were able to participate in confirmations and be official witnesses to the baptisms which was just remarkable! And then Campbell and Keagan were baptized by immersion by Uncle Kirk which was such an added blessing and beautiful thing to witness. Riley was a little too scared to go in the water so I did not push her but she was able to participate in the other things. And she sure was so thrilled to see her sister in that baptismal font! I had to keep her from cheering her sister on so that she was still reverent! After helping the girls change out of their wet clothes, we all left the temple with very full hearts and gratitude larger then life to have gotten to do that together today in the temple! 








After that incredible high, we came back to the Fosters house with the Ginns and all had a little more time together before we leave tomorrow and Kennedy moves into her BYU dorm. With the Fosters we had the most amazing dinner at home of Mo Bettahs Hawaiian food and Crumble Cookies and then cuddled up for a movie night of the Bee Movie. 

My heart is so full it could burst! Im overwhelmed with gratitude for this beautiful life! It’s not the life I had planned and if I could change some things you bet I would! But this sure is a beautiful life and I owe it all to my loving Heavenly Father! 

Now that part that means this quick vacation in our winter wonderland with the Fosters has to come to an end tomorrow? That’s the part we don’t want to talk about! So instead I will fall asleep dreaming of my time in the temple today! I’m already planning our next visit!