Temple open house

It's been marvelous to have a temple open house so close to home. Not only did we get to see Moroni up close and personal, but we've also have multiple opportunities to go inside the temple and see the renovations.

On April 26 we went together as a family. Grandpa Dennis couldn't make it because he was sick, but our little Grover clan, Grandma Susan, Grandma and Grandpa Scott and Aunt Jessica went together to tour the temple.

Our family in front of the temple. It was so dang cold outside that day, hence the huddling. My hair looks wonky in this picture because of the wind, but it's the best one of everyone else, so I'm taking one for the team.

Grandma Susan joining our group.

Blurry proof the Scott side was with us.

Last Friday, Aunt Jessica had the girls over for a sleepover, so Seth and I decided to tour the temple again on a whim.

This day it was bright and sunny.

Yesterday, Seth and I spent the afternoon guiding tours through the temple as our stake served as ushers. Not only did we get to see the temple again ourselves, but we also got to enjoy the reactions of others as we led them. (We didn't take any pictures this time.)

Today Bekah and Analee went with their Achievement Days leaders through the temple. (If someone took a picture, I don't have a copy of it yet.)

Every time I've stepped inside the temple, I've felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the work that was done, for the Spirit that is there and for opportunity we'll soon have to attend the temple in our hometown again. After our family's tour, Seth shared that as we stood in the celestial room together, he felt such love for our family and couldn't wait for the day when we'll all be back in there together as the girls continue to grow, learn the gospel and come through the temple for themselves as adults.

Ana's new bling (and bang)

Analee has been really excited to turn 10 and get her ears pierced, so we scheduled her mommy/daughter date a few weeks before her actual birthday. My plan: go to the mall, pick out some earrings, get her ears pierced, walk around the mall enjoying each other's company, stop for froyo on the way home.

Our reality: go to the mall, pick out some earrings, get her ears pierced and go home after spending 20 minutes on the floor of the store.

You see, everything went fine up to the piercing. In fact, the piercing went fine. Ana was a trooper and got her left ear pierced first, followed by her right. She looked at her newly pierced ears in the mirror. She received instructions for after-piercing ear care. She got up out of the chair and listened to the sales lady tell us what specials were available in the store that day because Ana got her ears pierced.

That's when I heard a tremendous BANG, spun around in alarm, and saw my daughter passed out on the floor.

And since she was unconscious before she hit, poor Analee's chin bore the brunt of the fall. She came to pretty quickly and asked what had happened. I told her she had passed out. We moved her to the front corner of the store to lie down for a while. One employee brought us a little decorative pillow (on clearance, no less!) for Ana to rest her head on. She got us a sucker to help her blood sugar, then ran around the corner to Subway for a cup of water. Another employee came over and held her legs up (her face was extremely pale) and sweetly talked to us for a while.

Ana complained that her chin hurt. She had floor burned it pretty well, and it was bleeding a little bit. We dressed it with a leftover Mickey Mouse Band-aid (from our trip to California last October) and hung out for a while. When she was finally ready to sit and then stand, we took it slow and easy.

We still had to pay for the earrings and the piercings, so we did that (with my arm protectively placed around her shoulder) and came home. A few ibuprofen and an ice pack later, Analee started feeling better.

She and I followed up with the rest of our date later that week (Orange Leaf on Wednesday evening), her chin has been healing nicely (except when she banged it on the living room floor showing us how well she does "the worm"), her newly pierced ears look dazzling, and she has a memorable story to tell about the time when she got her ears pierced.

 Analee with her healing chin and sparkly ears.

Rebekah's concert

Rebekah switched from the trombone to the baritone in January and hasn't looked back since. The middle school and high school held a joint concert in April, with each band performing separately and then together at the end.

(I can't believe how grown-up Bekah looks with her hair and makeup done for the concert.)

(Our video cuts out before the really big finish on the last song, so here is another recording of it, thanks to Karla Hillier.)

Piano recital (back in March)

Both Rebekah and Analee got to show off their skills at a piano recital back in March, but I'm slow in uploading the video, so you get to see it now.

Analee went first and played two songs beautifully.

Rebekah went next and played three songs (one of which she composed based on the melody from a music box in the movie Tuck Everlasting) beautifully.

We're proud of our girls and their hard work.