Tuesday morning started off with early morning swim team for Ashlyn, then dropping the girls to piano then home to get everyone, including Jacob, Lily and Kali, packed to spend the day at my sisters for Tanner's 1/2 birthday celebration. Tanner's birthday is in December, but with angel William's arrival during that time, Tanner's birthday was kind of overlooked. Tanner has a great memory, like most kids when something important is forgotten, and has been reminding Whitney and Russ of it ever since...so they put together an awesome water party and invited us to come and play...Happy 7th Birthday Tanner!
Whitney made the cutest 'snorkel guy' cake that the kids devoured, Wyatt especially loved the cake and just helped himself to the whole thing...there were hundreds of water balloons and a fun water slide...Tanner's dad, Russ, was the main target of most of the water balloons. He was right in the middle of everything playing right along with all the kids and loving it!After the party we got dressed in our Sunday clothes to tour the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. It was stunning. Garrett was able to meet us and go through with us...which we were so excited about. It wouldn't have been the same without him there. Life is busy for Garrett, but he always makes time for our family...The girls loved the stars on the exterior windows and the star shaped chandeliers.
Colter loved seeing Angle Moroni and Wyatt loved looking at all of the beautiful paintings of Jesus...I don't think he and dad missed seeing a single one. I loved hearing Wyatt notice Jesus in each picture and then hear Garrett explain the picture to him and to hear Wyatt say "Oh" after each one. It was so tender. I only teared up a few times, of course again being in the sealing room with my little family, and when one particular painting caught my eye...only McKenna really noticed that time, so she came and stood next to me and held my hand. It was a painting of Christ as a young boy teaching...it's not the one I've usually seen of Christ teaching in the temple. This one was similar, He was just a young boy, but it was different in that He had what looked like a halo around his head...He was glowing. It was beautiful. I thought of my own boys one day teaching the gospel as they serve missions...that time is not too far off with the way time seems to fly these days.After the temple, I dropped off my kids so I could spend the evening with my high school girlfriends, Dani and Britt...we reminisced and talked about our kids and smiled and even laughed a bit as we thought of how much we miss Bonnie Jean, who we don't get to see as often as we want because she lives in Pennsylvania - we miss you! This picture doesn't seem complete without her!
We ate dinner and shopped a little...it was a great day! Rather than drive home so late, we spent the night at Whitney's.
While I was out having fun with my girlfriends, Whitney took my girls out to get some glitter to do glitter toes on them - she is always doing such fun things for them...I can learn a lot from her! While they were out, Russ watched the rest of the bunch...his boys, my boys and Steve's kids - what a good man.
I am blessed to have such great women in my life...my sisters, my girlfriends and my daughters!
