Monday, September 26th, 2011
13 WEEKS AND SEALED FOREVER!!
During the second week of July President Lyman ran into me at the Stake Center. He said that the General Presidency office had called him earlier that day and said that they were considering delaying our sealing clearance but wanted to know President Lyman's stance on how Jimmy was progressing and what President Lyman's thoughts were. He told them that he agreed that the clearance was appropriate for Jimmy and me. President Lyman told us at our interview that the Presidency's office said they were going to meet with the 12 and discuss and pray about it. President Lyman received a call later that afternoon that as they met Elder Holland mentioned that he felt strongly that we needed to be sealed immediately. He said that he had spoken to Jimmy's mom and that his son David was involved in Jimmy's reactivation and dis-fellowshipping. We got letters that were dated August 4th. It's just a miracle, all of it.
Friday night we had a get together over at our clubhouse. I was anxious for my parents to get there and they were an hour and a half late and so were Taylor and Carter. I am so frustrated with myself that I get irritated by little things. I really hate being the middle of everyone's attention. I was so exhausted after seeing everyone and was ready to go to bed and to be sealed the next day.
On Saturday morning I woke up and felt so great and at peace. I took a shower and got ready, helped the kids and we took them over to Sarah's on our way to the temple. The parking lot is being redone and half of it is closed. Parking on Saturday mornings is usually difficult with all the weddings and visitors. It took some effort to find a parking space. As we went into the temple it was so comfortable and felt like home. As we checked in I saw all my bridal attendants waiting for me and I was so excited to see all of them. They were just bouncing around waiting for me. My parents were there waiting for us too and it was just great to be there with them. Cathy had been taken upstairs to the celestial room already and everything happened so quick. We weren't rushed at all but we just didn't have to wait at all. Our sealer was amazing, President Kay Hale. I have met a lot of the sealers in the temple working as a bridal assistant but I didn't feel like we should request one and I had never met President Hale. He was hilarious. When he met us he asked and said, "So you are here to be sealed... HOT DOG!" It relaxed us and it was sweet.
I didn't recognize Cathy when I saw her. She had a wig on and I just didn't know it was her. She was so weak by the end of the morning but we are so grateful for her courage and the strength that Heavenly Father allowed her to be able to go to the temple and see Jimmy and I get sealed and have her three children in the temple all together for the first time.
I also didn't realize that Jamaica and Daniel weren't there yet when we walked in. They had a hard time parking so we waited a few minutes and they came in. I was nervous not knowing where they were. Daniel had appendicitis when I got sealed before and he missed our sealing, so I was hoping he didn't have something else wrong! :)
President Hale's advice to us was to close every day together with prayer, go to the temple often, continue to date as your family grows, spend time together discussing your children and your family. He quoted Al Joyner after he had received an award, "You don't get to the top on your own." As we saw and realized how many people helped us and encouraged us to get to the temple we couldn't have agreed more. Everyone helped us get to the top of this peak and will continue to support us to other peaks. He taught us that the sealing ordinance was taught to us by our Heavenly Father in our pre existence, this is something your Spirits have been looking forward to ever since! I didn't cry the whole time cause I knew I would do the ugly cry and that once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop. I was also just so happy. As I kneeled at the altar with Jimmy I just stared into his eyes and was so grateful to be able to be with him forever.
There were so many people that surprised us by traveling to come to our sealing. They made us both cry. First was Collin and Marie Bleak. Collin was a great support to Jimmy as he was struggling and finally wanting to come back to church.
Our Bishop Scott Wood and his sweet wife Kim were able to come and it was great to see them in the temple with us and happy and excited for us!
Jimmy's good friend Brian Olsen and his cute daughter came and really caught Jimmy off guard. He was so excited to see him and honored that he would travel us from Vegas just for our sealing. I was so glad that it made Jimmy so happy and humbled him with the love that everyone was showing us!
We were both SO excited to see our good friends Justin and Heather Maddux. They recently moved to Boise and we have missed them so much. They have both been such a great support and so excited for us to be sealed and to have our baby. They love Carter and Taylor and are so willing to help us with anything. We miss them dearly and were so grateful they made the effort to come down!
I was MOST excited to see my good friend Steve Trombley in the temple. He was the biggest surprise and it was GREAT to see him. He's always been a great support for me and has called and checked on me through my divorce and just shows me a lot of encourage-ment. I was so grateful he rode his motorcycle clear down here from Wyoming to show his love and support. I DID cry when I hugged him :)
We were also excited that our good friend and Jimmy's childhood best bud Jason Madsen and his parents were able to attend. Jason has been a constant support to Jimmy regardless of his actions and the hard things that he has had to go through. He's just such a great guy too we need to find him a good wife!
Jimmy was really excited that his buddy Matt from Vegas came up and Craig came down from Salt Lake. They were both at our wedding too and just are great sweet guys and I'm thankful that Jimmy has their support and love. Matt recently was able to get back to the temple so it was special to have him with us there. Craig and his wife moved to SLC from Vegas just last year so we have missed seeing them. I just know they care so much and Jimmy cares for them and will do anything for them. They strengthen each other's testimonies now and encourage the gospel in their lives.
Of course we are most grateful that our families were able to be there with us. It is a miracle that Cathy was feeling well enough to attend the temple and go out and take pictures with us. She was so exhausted and slept the rest of the day. We are blessed that all of Jimmy's family was able to attend the temple. It was a special time for his family to all be in the temple together, especially since Cathy is so fragile in her illness. After we took some pictures we all met over at the mexican restaurant "Casa Dona Maria's" for lunch. It was so great to see and talk with everyone. Grandma Lindell was so wonderful and paid for our entire group lunch.
We did arrange for our sealing to take place sort of at a moment's notice to ensure that Cathy's health would allow her to come. I am SO grateful that my parents could get the time off to come down and be here for us. I always get a little stressed out with all our family around. I don't like making group plans and being the center of attention. I'm glad it's over. I think being pregnant isn't helping me out either! No matter the stress we always have a good silly time together. Julie and Colleen had a party at their house with a photo booth and all these fun props. I'm glad we could reuse them :)
Bubby didn't want any props cause he has just lost his first tooth this last and told us he just wanted to smile really big and that would be funny!
I'm grateful that I have such strong amazing parents that have softly taught me the gospel and have allowed me to learn and gain a testimony of my own. I'm proud of them and how they have helped me handled my crazy life. They have held me up during my divorce and through the many extra trials that has brought. I'm so proud of how they have adapted to Jimmy and having step-grandkids. They are so naturally loving and caring toward Taylor and Carter and treat them like their other grandkids. I'm grateful for my sisters and their examples of strength and family they are to me and Jimmy. Although we are very different we teach each other what we know. They are my best friends and I love them and am glad that we all live here together. Julie was not able to go to the temple with us. We continue to pray for her and think very hard about the things that we can do for her to support her and encourage her to gain a stronger testimony.
Reflecting on where we have been and where we are now being sealed together has been a whirlwind.
We are very excited now to see where we are going to go. We are very excited to have a baby in 7 more months. We are lucky to be able to be sealed as a family before our baby is even born. That our family will be together forever is the best blessing Heavenly Father can give us. We are so grateful that Carter and Taylor like to come up and visit us. Someday we hope they will be able to come live with us. We miss them so much when they are gone and are so grateful they were able to be here this weekend as we were sealed. We want them to know that it is the most important act we have done. They did see and got to attend our wedding. We want them to know that the sealing that we have now together is what they should seek for. We are excited for them to meet their eternal brother or sister in March. They still have the promised blessing of eternal parentage. Jimmy and I are sealed together and they are sealed through Jimmy even though Ashlee and Jimmy are not sealed. That is just perfect, that they are still part of our sealing too. That they are sealed through Jimmy to me and our family. The gospel is such a blessing and we are so grateful for it.
That night my sisters, my mom and I all went to the General RS meeting. It was a great meeting and I am glad that we all went together.
We got to spend the rest of the weekend with my family. Daniel and Jamaica were able to bless Jaida on Sunday while my parents were there.
Daniel did such a great job and it was fun to be there with all my family. Jaida is such a fun sweet baby. She's just so pretty too! She laughs a lot now which is just my favorite thing in the universe right now. I love her little words and expressions. It is crazy how a baby can enrich a life and family. It is great to see my parents love on her and smell her and kiss her. We are all just in love with her and we are blessed that we could be part of her special day.
It was great that Jimmy could participate in the blessing. This is the first time he has had the opportunity since he has been re-fellowshipped. We had a lot of fun with friends and our family that Sunday at Jamaica's. The kids all played together and had a good time.
Carter really likes my dad and tags alongside him. Mya LOVES grandpa too and so he was good enough to read a Halloween story with them.
Carter has been begging us to be able to shoot BB guns. We called grandpa and asked him if he would help us shoot while he was down here.
I was glad that they got to do it. My dad was a little worn out after-wards and told us that he was glad he was a younger grandpa or he might not be able to do this sort of stuff forever! Carter was a little trigger happy and it took some repetitive instruction on aiming to get the idea of accuracy. He didn't get a shot inside the target but we were really glad that he hit the paper! He had a blast and was so proud of his target!
We all took turn with our own targets. Taylor did so good! She was the closest to the center of the bulls eye and was so proud of her first shooting practice! I'm glad that we could do something fun and teach them safety. It was new and something that they can learn and have in common with my family too.
Mom and Dad brought down peaches from up north and we ate so many peaches and peach pie this weekend! It was such a great weekend to be sealed for time and all eternity to the one love of my life and to our family. It was great to see baby Jaida receive a blessing from her father and to meet her grandparents. To see them dote on their grandkids and show love and have fun with all of them. I'm so grateful for all those that were part of our weekend and have been an influence in our lives and in our decisions.
