Provo City Center Temple visitors

In December 2010, this historic building erupted in flames during the night and soon all that was left was a brick shell.  It broke the heart of the Provo community as well as the hearts of those who once lived here but still held memories.

Later in October of 2011 it was announced that the building would be rebuilt but for another use.  It would become a holy temple to the Lord.

The brick walls were stabilized and and steel girders placed under those walls so that the earth might be removed so that additional construction could take place on the lower level.

It has been a miracle to watch over the years as what was mostly ashes has been restored according to this plan.

What had stood as a ruin with the light shining through lost window spaces . . .

was now a beautiful edifice fully renewed six years later.  It has been magical to watch this process.

Once again it looked much as the original tabernacle had looked in the 1890's with its center tower soon removed as it was too heavy for the roof.  This building has been reconstructed and is ready for use for at least another 100 years.  In the beginning weeks of January it opened for viewing by the general public before its dedication to the Lord on March 20, 2016.  It has been a great experience to share this beautiful building with family and friends.

The first Saturday the temple was open, we braved the morning chill of temperatures in the teens to go inside this building we had been watching for the last five years.  It did not disappoint.

Joining us in this early morning adventure were my sisters with one husband and a son.

A month later, we were back with our local grandchildren.  That sweet little girl called it "grandma's castle."

The oldest, who is ten, was fascinated to learn about the history of this building.

A couple of weeks later I was back for a third time.  My great Mesa friend, Kathy, was in Provo for training at the MTC before leaving for Virginia on her mission.  She was finished with her training so we braved the Friday afternoon lines while we talked and walked.  It was so fun to experience the beautiful interiors with her and now I felt almost like I could be temple guide.

It was also a joy to be able to walk right up next to the building after viewing the progress from the post office parking lot on the southwest corner of the temple lot.

I feel so privileged to live in this temple district with a view of this tower and Angel Moroni from my Provo home.

I look at the brick work and marvel at the restored brick and art glass windows.

I feel like it honors all those workers who first sacrificed to build the tabernacle all those years ago.

I'm sure that they never imagined that their work would become the impetus for a  "The House of the Lord."

This statue honoring the family is on the north side. It is most appropriate because that is what temples are about, the linking of families for eternity.

 The background is the buildings of historic Provo, many being built in the 1880's.

This is my last  photo from the post office parking lot.  This glorious building has been worth the wait and it has been so rewarding to share it with others.

Gingham baby quilt for Kay

Sometimes we make items because the person who should be making them is no longer with us.  Baby Kay, named after her grandmother, will be the recipient of this quilt in honor of Grandma Kay who sewed some beautiful quilts for my granddaughters before leaving us too soon.

When Lori Holt shared her gingham block in her Farm Girl Vintage book, I just knew I had to make some.  I knew they would make a lovely baby crib size quilt for little Kaye.

I used mostly Fresh Aire by American Jane for the colorful parts and various dot fabrics for the white.  The gray and pink florals were special additions.

The back is the tiny Fresh Aire gingham fabric in blue.  This tiny gingham design in different colors was used in each block.

I machine quilted in a diagonal cross hatch and the squares are about one inch.

This is how it looked after a wash and a dry.

Now it is ready for delivery to a sweet baby girl in honor of her grandma.

Yes, we were frozen

It has been a cold and snowy winter in Utah which has been great news for the Ice Castle in Soldier Hollow.  Last year was warm and there was hardly a castle at all.  This year that has changed.

We got out our warmest coats, best boots, and gloves and braved the cold and snow for a great hour or so of a fantasy adventure.

There is creativity involved in this venture.  Different ice forms, a bit of sculpturing, ice slides, icy slot canyons, and fountains and streams of running water.

There was even a snack shack for hot chocolate as needed as well as sugar cookies and cinnamon rolls.  We got to witness the daytime version as well as the after dark version.  At night those ice formations are multi-light filled and dance to the music.  It was a great outing.

Family fun in Anaheim

This post is a bit behind its time but it is an important one.  We enjoyed a wonderful extended family vacation over the long Thanksgiving weekend in Anaheim, California.  Everyone drove on Wednesday and then we met up at the large, historical house I had rented in time for a birthday celebration and a Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of Mimi's Cafe.  Our birthday girl was very excited!

Her father made this photo collage of our fun Wednesday evening.

The next morning, early, we had made it to the happiest place on earth.  We spent Thursday in California Adventure and Friday in Disneyland.

It was so much fun to see all my grands and their parents having such a good time.

Or at least a very exciting time.

Part of my goal was to have cousin time.  Lots of cousin time.  I love that they enjoy each other.

Part of the fun was the prep my daughter and daughter in laws had done in advance.  Each grand had a lanyard and some Disney pins to trade.  They loved it and so did I, so before the day was over I had my own lanyard and some pins.  Seriously, so fun!

 

We went to California Adventure first partly because we thought it might be the better day to get fast passes for the cars' ride.  We picked up our passes first thing in the morning and rode and raced in the afternoon.

The little ones hung out with grandpa and grandma while their parents and siblings rode the big rides.

We all loved California Soarin'.

We also enjoyed how everything was decorated for Christmas.  The evening show was wonderful with Frozen themes of course, Christmas carols, and real snow flakes.  And yes, it was a bit nippy.

I love the Disney magic in this place.  That is my Glen on the main street in California Adventure where there were actual gray clouds but a different camera focus and it was a bright sunny day with the street seeming to go on forever.

I have a shot similar to this taken 25 years ago on a family trip to Disneyland over Spring Break.

It felt a bit like coming full circle.

It was Disneyland's Diamond Anniversary.  It is approximately my age.

Opal loved all the Disney characters.

And of course, the castle.

Warren spent some time with his grandparents.  Grandpa Glen and he had fun in the tree house.

Ray's Disney pins.

My son, David, wore a shirt made for his father by his grandma over 40 years ago.  My first trip to Disneyland came after I became engaged to Glen and he wore that very shirt.  Once again, we came full circle.

I think we can all say it was a happy place.

The home we rented was just a mile and a half north of Disneyland.  It was a very easy ride to the parking structure and had six rooms for sleeping and a big space for visiting.

It was built in 1908 and was a bit quirky but fun with a great backyard with lots of space to get those wiggles out.

The family with the newest baby did not join us, but there are 11 of our 13 grandchildren on the balcony.

On Saturday, Grandpa Glen led the way to Hawthorne and the California beaches where he spent his childhood.  They saw his home, his school and high school, his church, the corner store where his mother sent him for the missing ingredient for dinner, and the baseball and football fields where he spent so much time.  He told stories I had never heard before and the grands loved them.

Our final stop was the Redondo Beach Pier where the sun was setting while we ate fried clams, just like he and I used to do when we were newlyweds.

It was the perfect ending to a wonderful family vacation.

Meeting this man at BYU certainly led to new adventures for me.

As the sun went down I took pictures of my middle son's family.  One of these pictures is not quite like the other, but cousins are most always included :)

As we walked back to the parking lot I couldn't resist this one last shot of Grandpa Glen with his older grands as he continued to tell his stories.  It was a wonderful California Adventure and History tour!

Note:  This grandma borrowed heavily from photos shared and taken by her children.