The Gilbert AZ Temple Open House

There is a lot of temple building going on in Arizona!!  It's very VERY exciting!  The Gilbert Temple is the second to be built since we moved here in 2009. (The Gila Valley Temple was dedicated in May 2010, Reagan was pretty little so we didn't make it to the open house.)  It's the 3rd temple in AZ.  There is a Phoenix Temple currently under construction and a TUCSON Temple has been announced!  So wonderful and exciting!  And such a cool and special experience for our kids!  This was the first temple our kids have been able to walk through... And they LOVED it!

Despite it taking over 3 hours to see, they held on to their excitement and paid very close attention to everything.  :) It was really cool to watch our kids reactions to this beautiful place and the spirit there as they experienced it for the first time. :)

What a beautiful, peaceful, sacred place.  It may very well be the most beautiful temple I've ever been in.  The glass and the colors were so vivid, I loved it.  The boys eyes and smiles were so big the entire way through, and they were full of questions.  :)  

The Celestial Room was amazing! In the center of the ceiling was the biggest crystal chandelier I have ever seen, and as soon as the kids saw it there was a lot of excitement. Reagan's reaction was probably the loudest though.  She just kept pointing and yelling "Wow! WOW!" and she didn't stop saying it until we left the room. :) I felt sorta bad that she was so loud in a room that was so filled with reverence, but she really meant it. She was in awe and she was expressing her feelings using the only words she had available to her.  She just happens to be very loud when she is excited.  ;)

The boys favorite room, other than the Celestial Room, was the Font Room.  :) They also really loved all the mirrors.  They would stand and look at themselves going on forever and giggle.  It made my heart happy.  Being in that place with my forever family.

We spent some time outside walking around the grounds, which were also beautiful. The kids got a nice picture of the temple from the visitors tent and we loaded up and made the trek home.  It was a long, wonderful, beautiful day. 

Grant's Blessing

While we had our parents in town, we decided to make every second count, so we blessed Grant on Sunday, June 2nd, 2013.  :)  He was super cute in his outfit, even though it was a little big on him.  (He was only 3 weeks old.)  But all went well and Patrick gave him a beautiful blessing.  :)

We felt very loved, we had so much support!  It was a busy weekend, but a wonderful one!  I couldn't help but get emotional at the drop of a hat.  :) To have this era of our lives summed up in a weekend that had our oldest being baptized and our youngest being blessed was very surreal.  And I couldn't help but look at these people that are mine and feel a little overwhelmed and very blessed!  We have our family, our whole and complete family.  It's a wonderful feeling! 

I love my little forever family!  :)

Jackson's Baptism

Such a handsome boy!  :)  That smile pretty much says it all! 

The big day was June 1st, 2013. 

We were joined by so many wonderful family and friends!  And he was extra lucky to have his grandparents here too!  It was a wonderful day!  And he seemed to really love every second of it!  We are so proud of him for making this decision!  He is an amazing kid and we are humbled to have him!
 
For the record, this was his program:

Baptism of

Jackson Swain

June 1, 2013

Sahuarita 4^th Ward, Sahuarita Stake

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

 

Baptism Program:  Sahuarita Stake

Baptism Ordinance

Jackson Swain

Baptized by his father, Patrick Swain

Witnesses: Brent Salisbury - Grandfather

George Swain - Grandfather

Conducting:  Brother Hoenes

Baptism Thoughts & Testimonies

Please write your thoughts or testimony on baptism as a

keepsake for Jackson on his special day

Holy Ghost Talk:  Jennie Swain - Mother

 

Confirmation

Jackson Swain

Performed by his father, Patrick Swain

 

Primary Welcome

Bishopric Welcome

 

Closing Song:  Praise to the Man, Pg 27

Chorister:  Debi Salisbury - Grandma

         Closing Prayer:  Lynette Swain - Grandma

 

Standing in the circle for his Confirmation:  Patrick Swain, George Swain, Brent Salisbury, Bishop Elam, Brother Hoenes, Darin Elam, Steffen Weech, Nick Bogle, Mike Christensen, Jared Harris, Ryan Workman

TOFW - UT Edition

February 1st, I got to take a little trip to Utah to have some girl time with my mom!  (Patrick was brave enough to let me leave for 4 days!)  :)  We did some shopping and eating and hanging out, but the main attraction was Time Out For Women.  "Higher" is the theme for this year. 

Think Higher
Believe Higher
Live Higher

"So are MY ways HIGHER than your ways..."  Isaiah 55:9

It was an interesting theme, and I had high hopes.  TOFW is always good, but this year I struggled a little more than usual to get out of it what I was hoping for.  That being said, it was still very good, just different.  :)  Here are some of my favorite thoughts and quotes:

"It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that will determine the outcome of your story."
-Pres. Uchdorf
"Your Happily Ever After"

"We should strive to be a blessing to our fellow human beings."
-Dean Hughes

"Heavenly Father did not send us to earth to fail, but to succeed gloriously!"
"Speak hopefully, speak encouragingly, especially about ourselves."
"Live as if you matter."  ...Higher Thinking.
"Words are sacred and must be used with great care."
-Hilary Weeks

Check your assumptions!  (This was one of my favorites!!)
How Heavenly Father Works:
1.  Trust Him to act according to the bigger picture!
     * Be thankful the God lets you struggle for awhile, it causes an increase in Faith.
2.  What if life is fair?
     * Fair is not that we are all equal - it's everyone getting what they need when they need it.
     * Things don't happen for everyone the same way all the time.
     * If you are in perfect balance you are not moving - Risk = Progress.
     * Heavenly Father does answer prayers - but not always when or how we want or expect.
3.  He guides and protects my children more than I will ever know! 
     * Sometimes they get hurt, experience helps them grow, but it doesn't mean they aren't being protected.
4.  He needs me to use the gifts He has given me! 
     * Am I?
-Emily Watts

Letting go of Your Fears!
Fear is a king of intentional storytelling, that we are all born to do.
You decide how your story ends!
Don't spend time looking back at past disappointments or failures!
Fight your Fears:
1.   Fight fear with Power.
     *Your identity, even if you don't like it, is your comfort zone - we are not meant to live in our comfort zone!
     *Fight fear with the power of Change!
      (2 Corr. 5:17)
2.  Fight fear with Love.
     *When you stop praying for what your heart really wants, your heart stops wanting what you weren't willing to pray for.
     *The tragedy isn't not getting what you want, it's not wanting it anymore.
     *God will not waste a miracle on a doubter.
     *There is no fear in Hope.
3.  Fight fear with a Sound Mind.
     *Sometimes we use the notion of "God's will" as a way to abdicate the responsibility to exercise our own.
     *He expects us to choose, He trusts us!
     *Involve Him.  Learn His ways.  Then make choices for your life. 
Have the courage to rise above your fears!
-Laurel Christensen

It was a great experience!  And I felt like there were things I needed to hear, it always seems to work that way.  I'm grateful that I got to go, and it was so much fun to share it with the ladies in my life! :)

I also got to see these guys!  ;) 

It was a fun weekend!  I haven't gotten to do a trip like this by myself before, so I enjoyed every minute of "freedom".  Hahaha.  But don't be deceived, I missed my little family!  Probably more than they missed me!  Hahaha.

He is the Risen...

Because I LOVE this quote... and this picture... and this season!  :)  Enjoy!