Happy List

In Relief Society (our church's fabulous women's organization) on Sunday we talked about maintaining happiness even through the difficult phases of our lives. It was a powerful reminder for me of all the things in my life which bring me joy.

A few of the things I've been thinking about:

Taking M with us out to our Valentine dinner, and having him realize and vehemently object to the fact that we had left P home with a babysitter. "No! She's supposed to come with us! I need her!" 

Feeling C smile in the middle of one of those (dare I say) delicious 15 second kisses.
If you are in a relationship and not doing this, start.

I've made dinner the last five night in a row. Five nights in a row people,
Four of them have been delicious.

Just Gilmore Girls.

I've been having a lot of dreams about old friends from high school and college. I have been blessed with some of the most fabulous people in my life. Holla.

Yesterday C finally made the triangle shelves that were supposed to be my
mother's day gift last year. They are gorgeous. 

I have bought more new music in the last month than the last seven years combined.
Isn't new music such a liberating experience? 

and these: 

i am so happy.

The Most Sacred

I am finally trying to be brave again, so I want to write about something intimately important to me, Temples.

Temples are one of the biggest blessings that come along with being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Temples are amazing. Temples are sacred. Temples are special. The spirit of God dwells there, and it is impossible not to feel it.

I have had friends ask me questions about what we do there. Our experiences there are so sacred that we don't share details about the covenants or  ordinances we experience there. It isn't weird or crazy. Just sacred and personal.

We make covenants that require us to live righteously. We are instructed about the Lord's gospel. We do ordinances for the dead.

The dead people part creeps people out sometimes. Other people think that we force our religion on deceased persons by doing this. It isn't creepy or forceful. We look into our family history, perform the ordinances by proxy for those who have lost their bodies through death, and they have the opportunity to accept or refuse those ordinances.  We aren't pushy. The Lord has promised that every person will have the opportunity to accept His gospel, and this is part of how He keeps that promise.

The part that always leaves me feeling unexplainable gratitude is the fact that in the Temple I was able to be sealed to my husband forever. Time and eternity baby. And, as we have our children, they are bound to us eternally as well. If we live righteously and keep our part of the covenants and promises, our relationship will be always.

I can't imagine not having my C with me. Ever. Because of the temple, I never have to be without him, even after we go to the next thing after mortality.

Every time I leave the temple I feel empowered and more capable of dealing with my personal temptations and trials than I did when I went in. There is no better place to find peace, and escape from the trouble and pain and frustration of being human.

I love the temple.