Memorial Day weekend was a special one for us.
That Friday afternoon we drove down to the Los Angeles temple, stopped for dinner at In 'N Out on the way and stayed the night in the temple patron apartments for the first time. Many of our friends make family trips this way and said the temple apartments were the way to go--they were right. The apartment was simply furnished and a little snug, but it was inexpensive, clean, and had a great shower. We smiled at the giant picture of the Savior in the kitchenette and the Family Proclamation posted in the apartment complex elevator. It was peaceful and perfect.
The next morning we woke up very early and started in the temple baptistry at 6 am. It was the first time we had family names to do work for, that Jason and I had found on our own. (Next step: encourage the kids in this endeavor!)
After some time there, the kids went back to the apartment, and then Jason and I did initiatories and then an endowment session together, followed by several sealings. We both agreed it was a neat experience to do that--we hadn't done initiatories and sealings in a very long time. Rhiannon and Wade said they had a fun time together, too, hanging out in the apartment, walking the temple grounds, taking pictures, and checking out the visitor's center.
We were all finished before noon! And our family was able to do temple ordinance work of some sort for 13 family names (plus several more in the baptistry and sealing room). It was a lovely day, finished off with a pleasant drive home and lunch at El Torito in Palmdale.
Will we do it again? Yes!
I've had a goal for a really long time to personally find a family name to take to the temple. We're talking years. Each year would go by and I'd say, "Well, maybe next year." Over the past few months things came together for me--I felt urged on at some stake meetings, there was an article in the Ensign magazine about what to do if all your family history work seems "done," and a cute Laurel in our ward also gave me some hints. So one day in February I just started clicking around and there it was.
That one name. Martha Handford. With only one single temple ordinance left, to be sealed to her parents. Jason was also very successful that morning--I was encouraged to give it a try after he'd found several names in a matter of minutes.
I was pretty excited when I found that name. Really, I was more than excited--I felt a jolt of electricity and happiness when I found it! But that feeling was nothing compared to how it felt to be in the temple a few months later completing the work for Martha Handford. It was a powerful, exhilarating, and emotional moment. I felt profoundly happy and honored to be there for her, to do the work with Jason, and thankful to the other people in the sealing room helping us make it happen.
It was awesome.
