Provo Temple Open House

It began in 1882 with a groundbreaking ceremony for the Provo Tabernacle.

In 1886 General Conference was held there for the first time, even before it was completed, and in 1898 construction was complete and it was dedicated.

In 2010 a fire gutted the entire structure.

In 2011 President Monson announced that it would be rebuilt to stand as the Provo City Center Temple.

We were in awe at the construction process using stilts and the reinforcement of concrete on the entire inner structure. Overseeing the project was a stalwart Moroni.

In 2016 we followed the winding, crowded line for about 45 minutes with Rock, Paper, Scissors as our chosen distraction. We finally made it to the video room where we could watch a brief explanation of temples and the covenants made there with a focus on eternal families.

After 134 years, we were blessed to experience the beauty and craft first created by the pioneer saints as we toured the new Provo City Center Temple.

 So many aspects of the old tabernacle were found in the new temple. The woodworking, stain glass, archways, and designs were all preserved in memoriam.

A portion of the original podium was used in the new chapel podium, standing as one of the few pieces to survive the fire. Derek was overcome with reverential respect for those who had originally designed the wood craft. We were all impressed with the gorgeous staircases, the spectacular celestial room, and amazing murals in the ordinance rooms.

After the tour we paused for a photo.

Kara and I, realizing that we never have pictures of the two of us together,  made a point to make a photo memory of the occasion.

Once outside we took in the outer beauty of the grounds and Justin marked the day with his handstand signature.

The little boys wanted to toss coins into the "wishing fountain" with their wishes so LeRoy emptied his pocket to oblige. As I tossed my penny into the water I closed my eyes with a hope, wish and prayer that my children feel the love God has for them.

Valentine's Day

I had everything ready to go but I wasn't going to be able to run the strings around the house because I would be doing sharing time at church. Erika and Daymia offered to string up the house and boy did they ever!

They started each string at the mudroom/kitchen door. As we drove into the garage after church we were surprised to see strings criss-crossing around the garage. Those girls took the strings everywhere!! Bret had to follow his string through windows, around the house, through the garage and even through the snow. The girls were both surprised at how exhausting it is to string up our big home but how worth it when the smiles and laughing start.

Justin had asked me the day before if I would also do a treasure for Kayla. It's always fun to share our holiday traditions with others. The only one missing was Levi because he was at work.

Daymia and Levi made a gift bucket for each of us.

They had made each one with treats specific to our favorites, glued names on the buckets and attached a cute tag. I love seeing my adult children participating in the giving and making their own traditions,

I love these kids so much!

Justin's 17th Birthday

Justin was coaching three classes the evening of his birthday so after he went to work I secretly hung a poster by the front door so that all of his students could wish him a happy birthday.

Nathan, Hyrum and I blew up two packages of balloons and filled his car while he was still coaching. He shoved them all into the back seat and left them there for nearly 2 weeks. When he got home we had even more balloons, a delicious cake and gifts for him.

His favorite cake of all time, German Chocolate. Really, it's all about the frosting. I could have handed him a bowl of the frosting with a spoon stuck in it instead of a candle and he would have been just as happy.  He carefully blew out all but one candle . . . the girlfriend candle.

He was delighted with his very own animal cracker jar for his room, new socks and even a new sheet set for his bed.  I loved his reaction to each one, showing true gratitude without any complaint or expectation of more.  That made it even sweeter when we surprised him with a new memory foam mattress. He has had shoulder and hip pain from cheer, working out and coaching and I narrowed a big part of that down to his 19 year old bottom of the line mattress with coils sticking through it. When Bret walked into the family room with the mattress standing next to him, Justin walked over, hugged the mattress and let it free fall with him on top of it. It was such an adorable reaction. Then Erika tried it out and his only problem now will be keeping his pregnant sister out of his bed.

All of this talk of Justin graduating and choosing a university and taking the ACT and SAT sets me on the verge of tears. I do realize it's all over a year away but I also realize how fast it sneaks up on me with each kid. It seems that my buddy Justin started kindergarten just a few years ago.

The only time I cried when one of my kids started school was that first day that I took Justin to Kennedy Elementary. We had spent the last 2 years together while everyone else was in school. We shopped together, made fun lunches, took naps and walks, read stories and laughed. Leaving him at school left me all alone. I didn't have another child to go back home to. I treasure every day that my 11th grade son comes home for lunch or keeps me up until 1 a.m. talking. He is truly a gentleman and kind in every way. He still has lunch with me and we do laugh a lot. I really hope the next year at least feels like it goes by slowly so that I can soak up and memorize every day with him!

I came home late from a girl's night and found this note hanging in the doorway with a Hershey Kiss taped to it. That note directed me to the Valentine Mailbox that we had out to send love notes within the family for the month of February.

"I didn't really get to see you today so here's a "kiss" goodnight :D  - Love Justin
P.S. Don't forget to check the mailbox"

"Mom! I love everything you do for our family! I extra extra love your home cooked meals so I figured the least I could do was deep clean your beautiful kitchen :D  ♥ Justin"


Another time I came home from visiting teaching to find that I had missed him for lunch. Again, he left me a note . . . and a full heart and teary eyes.

"Well you weren't home when I got here for lunch so I didn't have the chance to hug you and say I love you so . . . love you! (hug)  - Justin"

Erika's Baby Shower

Decorations

It was a bit tricky figuring out how to make owls and a carriage out of diapers but they sure did make fun decorations once it all came together.

In keeping with our owl theme, Michelle made this adorable owl family for the baby's room.


Food

Guests

Gifts

Games

Daymia made an adorable banner and created some very fun games! Baby Jeopardy really quizzed us and taught us some interesting facts.


Goofing around after the party.

Hyrum is quite the ham!

January

We had a few days of sun to remind us not to give up the hope of summer skies and temperature.

Those were the days we went sledding or on a walk or attempted to clean the sidewalks.

Then there was the rest of January. The grey, suffocating, gloomy, frozen month of January. Some days I really thought I was being held captive by the White Witch of Narnia. Sadly, I was never offered Turkish Delight.

Those were the days we (mostly me) hibernated in denial. At times the animals even appeared to have been turned to stone by the ornery White Witch. However, there was still comedy to be found as we watched a guy using a snow blower to clean off his roof. Through the clouds and grey skies we could still find the refuge of the temple, but mostly, I hibernated.


During the coldest days we would offer senior privileges to Harrison, our 12 year old tabby. He really doesn't like the cold and would sit under a window or at a door and meow and meow until we finally gave in. I can't blame him; I don't like being out there either!

To add doom and gloom to Derek's January, we visited the dentist. After having his entire mouth numbed by numerous shots, his reward Jamba was more torture than treat because he didn't have the muscle strength to suck a straw.

And the #1, most exciting, thrilling, remarkable news for January is . . .

We got a new, supersized Walmart!!!!! With supersized stuffed animals and supersized acreage to get from pharmacy to food.  It's pretty sad when the community is so over the top excited about a new Walmart. Sure, it's bigger than the old one and it offers a much larger food selection, and a tire center, hair salon, and eye center but let's get real; it's still just Walmart!

On the plus side, the new Walmart has brought in Harrison Ford (though he only traveled in by truck instead of the Millenium Falcon) and a family of moose pranced into the building and tried out a trampoline (which led to tranquilization and family relocation). Oh, and then we had a two hour evacuation due to a mental health patient wielding a machete (which did end peacefully and with help for the young man thanks to our patient law enforcement and caring medical staff).


Oh, My!

Pointing to Erika's baby belly and then to each growing breast, Hyrum shyly asked, "Are you having three babies?  Here, here and here?"


Justin's current favorite joke: Why couldn't the chameleon change colors? He had a reptile dysfunction.


(Daisy is in Hyrum's class at school. Justin is her gymnastics coach.)
Hyrum: Daisy has a crush on you.
Justin: Nope, I can that she has a crush on you! She's always talking about you.
Hyrum: No Sir!!!
Justin: Is she mean to you sometimes?
Hyrum: Yes.
Justin: That means she likes you!


Nathan was busy writing an adventure story and remarked, "I'm feeling the burn!"


Erika was riding in the BMW with LeRoy and I as we headed to meet Bret for a dinner date. At a nippy 13 degrees Erika mentioned that shivering was causing contractions. LeRoy's response, "no dropping a baby in the back seat."

Christmas Day

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

Rather, the stockings were lined on the couch with gifts.

And, gifts were stacked under and around the tree.

Our family tradition includes LeRoy making breakfast before we open gifts and we usually have to wake the kids up. At 9:46 a.m. Daymia expressed with impatience, "It's daylight and the presents aren't opened yet!"

Of the candy filling the stockings Hyrum inquired of me, "You bought all that not healthy food?" I just looked at him without responding and he knowingly answered his own question. "I didn't think so. Dad is a candy machine."

The morning also began with a tearful Nathan. He had been asking since November if he could be the one to hand out gifts on Christmas Day. However, he was starting to show signs of a cold. He cuddled up to me as everyone was gathering and muttered, "I better not hand out presents this year because I'll get everyone sick". I gave him a hug, a vitamin C, and had him wash his hands and let his gift giving dreams come true. He was the gift finder this year . . . until about five gifts in and then he was tired of searching under the tree and just wanted to watch.

We began with stocking stufers and the kids yearly favorite, gifts from Grandpa and Grandma Fullmer.  The younger boys loved their new books and the older kids were giddy about their origami money. The funny thing about the money is that the kids seldom spend the origami shapes that Grandma worked so hard to create.

It was fun to surprise LeRoy with a dart board for the game room. He and Levi spent most of the afternoon setting it up, figuring out the rules and trying to outdo each other.

Daymia secretly got the kids together and took new pictures of them as a gift to me. I had a hard time seeing the pictures through my tears; they were wonderful!

P.S. Derek and Vivien were unavailable in nearby Logan and faraway Slovakia so until then, their old pictures complete the set on the wall.

We were all excited for Daymia to open her gift from Levi. He had been told that it wouldn't be here until after Christmas and Daymia knew that so we all waited in anticipation for her reaction. She tried to hide her few tears and couldn't quit looking at it.

Justin couldn't wait to give Bret the Batman version of Starry Night. I don't know that Erika will let it hang next to her Van Gogh print of Starry Night but Bret was excited about the canvas. Erika seemed quite happy with her new stroller from her Daddy and a fluffy soft quilt and massage gift card with Rilda from me.

Derek has been collecting watches for several years now and his new watch case was the perfect display to show off most of his collection.

It wouldn't be Christmas without some kind of musical instrument or sheet music. Once Justin opened his new guitar his day was complete and he was in his own musical world. He strummed gentle tunes while the rest of us continued.

Nathan's Christmas wishlist was fulfilled with his Flash costume, a few books to read and his very own helicopter. He was even more excited when Levi received the same helicopter and they could learn how to use them together. I'm not convinced that he deserves his pilot's license yet but at least he's not knocking things off shelves or running into people anymore.

Though Hyrum was happy with his new circuit set, he was even happier that Derek could set up circuits with him and teach him how it all worked. He too was thrilled with books as well as a new heavy duty Nerf gun.

Charlie was content to watch the gift opening and occasionally snagged a box of his own to tear up.