Our family has had a great experience watching the Temple of the Lord in Gilbert AZ be built 5 miles down the street from our home. It's been wonderful and will be an experience we will always remember. We wanted to write a family journal entry together so we can alway remember our feelings about the temple.
Here's a picture of us visiting the temple while it was being built in April 2012. Little Kallen was in Mommy's tummy! We got to visit the construction site and a make-shift visitor center in a trailer nearby. At the time we visited they were putting the stone on the temple. Some of the square pieces were cracked and we learned that every piece had to be perfect so they took those that were cracked and broke them up. Each of us got a small piece of the temple stone.
We learned that the workers had to be very respectful on the construction site. Music choice had to be respectful and they had to eat away from the temple. We learned that this temple would be the tallest temple that the church had built since the Washington DC temple.
Afterwards, we went to Discovery Park (across the street) and had pizza and played games.
On Friday, Feb 7th 2014, we were able to go inside the Temple during the open house. We had the opportunity to go inside and see the wonderful rooms. Logan, Avery, and Daven's favorite room was the Celestial Room. They liked it because it was beautiful and made them feel good inside. Logan loved the chandelier. Mom heard someone describe the temple as "breathtaking"...that sums it up! It was beautiful! Mom and Dad have always felt that all temples are beautiful but the inside of this one tops them all! Dad asked Daven to count the number of Agave plants represented inside and outside the temple. Daven counted 59 but says he thinks there is approximately 1000. Just over 400 thousand people visited the temple during the 4 week open house.
Here's a picture of our handsome Daven taking in the Temple!
Logan was excited to go see the Temple of the Lord! It was a REALLY long line that we stood in.
Here's cute little Avery outside the temple. She says she wants to get married in a temple some day! She was much more reverent in this temple. The last temple open house we went to (Gila Valley AZ) Avery was 1 yr old and screemed the entire time!!
Mom and Dad can't wait to go back inside to do some of the Lord's work!
It was a beautiful evening. Perfect time of year!
Kallen was a terror outside the temple while waiting in the line that wrapped around the church nearby. He was a bit naughty until we got inside the temple. Even Kallen wore little white booties and was calm and reverent in the temple. We think he was hoping that the Lord would have parked his "car" somewhere inside as Kallen is currently obsessed with cars.
