Excitement Getting to the Temple

What a blessing to see Lindsey have the desire to go to the temple for herself and make covenants with Heavenly Father. We were looking forward to this day and the morning of I got a message saying that our session at the temple was canceled! I just couldn't believe it. I called the temple and found out that they had a pipe break and so the water was turned off to the temple and all appointments for the temple that day was canceled. They said they were working hard to get it fixed but there was no guarantee!

We had family fly into town for this. Isaac's family was currently on their way because they wanted to be there for Lindsey and, little did she know, but Isaac was planning to propose to her outside the temple that evening. Because they were working on getting the pipe fix we just continued on that day with the plan that we'd still be going. We decided to exercise our faith. 

Isaac's parents got in to town. We visited for a bit and then were headed out to go for lunch when Lindsey said that she needed to go get her passport photo and paperwork done that day. 😟 So instead of going out to lunch we were running around town, post office, Walgreens photo to see what we could get done. It just wasn't going to be done that day. So she decided she'd get it done in Rexburg and we were able to go to lunch with Isaac and his parents. 

This is where things are kind of backwards for me. Lindsey and Isaac planned to get married. They had a date scheduled even! But he hadn't proposed. So I wasn't doing wedding planning yet because I wanted to wait until it was official and they made the announcement so that I could then reach out to people who I knew would help with things. Isaac's mom had already planned it all out though. So at lunch we did wedding talk. It all came on so fast for me that I didn't have a lot of time to really think about it because my mind was on the temple being opened up or not and I had family texting me about it all while Isaac's mom was talking to me. It was hard to focus on both. lol

I finally got the call that the temple had water! Everything was still canceled but they were opening up for Lindsey's session. Phew! The night would go on!

So we're home getting ready. Lindsey needed to be to the temple before everyone else did for the session so her and I left early to get there. All three bridges from Pasco to Richland or Kennewick! A car accident on the freeway near road 100 had caused a back up all the way passed the other onramp to the freeway at Rd 68. I knew I didn't want to go over the blue bridge because it always had a long line backed up to cross because of construction and it was right at the time of day, 5:30 pm that everyone was on their drive home from work. So I went to take the cable bridge to Kennewick but it was so backed up because the other two bridges were pretty much shut down! I couldn't believe it. I never felt like I lived on an island until this night. I was so stressed that I wasn't going to get Lindsey to the temple. My sweet temple shift coordinator, Jeanna, had been in touch with me over the closing of the temple that she assured me that we'd be ok. They wouldn't start the session until we got there. Eventually we made it. Many others coming to the session were late and some didn't even get there in time to go to the session but were able to be in the celestial room when we came through with Lindsey. 

Never have I felt that Satan would have the earthly power to work so hard to keep Lindsey from making it to the temple. I just couldn't believe so many issues that came up that potentially could keep us from getting Lindsey to the temple! There was a small earthquake that occurred while we were in the session. We didn't feel it but I guess some people could. My sister was funny and later said satan was so angry that he couldn't prevent Lindsey from going to the temple that he made the ground shake. 😄

But in all seriousness, it was so special to be there with Lindsey. To see her come out of initiatory and see her emotional. To sit next to her in the endowment room just soaking it all in; trying to understand as she makes promises with God. And then of course, she walks into the celestial room to see us all standing there...waiting for her. What a wonderful experience for Jaime and I to be in the celestial room with our daughter! Also, I know it doesn't matter, but I appreciate that young adults are encouraged to go to the temple for themselves when they're ready, and not just because they're going on a mission or getting married. Nothing like that swayed Lindsey to go to the temple. She went because she felt ready to go. My heart was full!