Payson Temple Open House

Isn't this a GORGEOUS temple? I am tempted to say it's the prettiest temple I've ever seen, but then I have seen lots of pretty temples. The architecture is so different - seems Egyptian, like it's from another time. Really, really cool. A beautiful wheaty color. Going through the Open House was like going to an art museum and every single piece of that temple was done with the utmost craftmanship. Last year we were zipping down the freeway in the big red truck with Gary and Linda on our way to St. George and Linda was in the front seat talking and I was in the back seat  listening, and all of a sudden she stopped mid-sentence and said, ".....was that a TEMPLE?" and I rubber-necked around just in time to see this temple slip into the background. Right there on the side of the freeway in the middle of pasture land and sod farms for all the long haul semi truckers to see! I was really grateful when Cindy called a few weeks ago and said she had gotten online right as the tickets were available for the open house and picked up two extra tickets for us. Some day I will be more better at things like this. Cindy took the kids out of school and she said when she went into the elementary school office to sign them out the secretary said, "Oh, are they going to the Payson Temple Open House? I've been checking lots of kids out this past week!" Only in Utah County - gotta love it!

The whole crew + MY PURSE.

I really like this photo. It looks like it was taken by the paparazzi from far away with a wide angle lens.

Anyone who knew Jenny Goodman as a little girl will smile at this photo. We ran into Jenny and her family  and couldn't get over how much her little girls look like her. But then when you look at her husband Matt they look like him too. That happens a lot. Her mom passed away from cancer a little over a year ago. JeanMarie Goodman was so much fun and down to earth and spiritual and no nonsense. She reminded me so much of Aunt Karla. Her husband Mark just got engaged the day before we saw Jenny. He's marrying JeanMarie's college roommate who lost her husband to cancer five years ago. They feel like it was meant to be.

The Sweat girls with grandma at her normal height.

Oops, we forgot a very important Sweat girl...........

There we go!

Lauren 16

Reagan 14

Jane 12

Eli 10

Vivi 6

Calvin 4

I will always remember this day and hope we can come back and do baptisms here or visit it as a family. I would also like to go back to the Brigham City Temple too.Very grateful for temples and for our family.
XO
Mom

P.S.
I love how Eli' is mirroring Vivi's expressions in these four photos of her 6th birthday. Our three little girls are turning Six this year!!

UPDATE: So, I'm buying Caroline's birthday card today to put in the mail and I think "she's seven....I think I put six on the blog." Yup I want them to still be six. Seven seems sooooo grown up!

Wrap-up three of three - Jack

Jack - Facing the future with ideas as fresh as the earth after rain! This could be a campaign slogan if he ran for secretary of agriculture? He was showing me how he loves the smell after it rains, he really has discovered one of life's simple pleasures!! He was the leader of the pack and couldn't have been a better boy.

 The Yahtzee master!

 Young Gentleman opening the door of the church for us on a rainy Sunday

 Jack's front teeth are finally growing in so we bought corn on the cob to celebrate.

Jack is doing great on the piano. We played duets together. Here he is teaching his home evening lesson. He created the whole lesson, used his scriptures. They have been well taught.

 yeah, you know.....

 grandpa enjoying popsicles

 the whole crew on the fun night on the patio enjoying life.

This was a memorable time as the kids watched Catsy venture over to the neighbor's yard where the two dogs were. They were understandably concerned but they learned that cats can leap out of the way and leave dogs in their dust.

 We made brocoli cheese soup for Jack one night, and when Amy took me grocery shopping we bought onion and mushrooms to add in a side bowl for the grownups and Amy told me she had never bought an onion! I took off the photo just for you mouse (it was kinda gross-looking!).

 Playing in the rain!

 Catsy licked the top of Dennis's head one night, which meant he had been accepted. And on our last night, he let Dennis scratch him. (He rubbed up against my leg one night too so I guess that's something?)

 At the bottom of the 200 steps.....

 and whoosh they were at the top. Amazing how strong little kids are!

 Dennis made it up fast too. I lagged....................

 Jack created some artistic and creative molds with his plastic beads!

Jack is so obedient, and good and kind and strong and smart. A little adult. He was always up and ready to go 20 minutes before our alarms went off, just to make sure we weren't late for school or church. Already a responsible young man and a dream to spend a week with. XOXOXO Grandma Sweat

Wrap-up Two of Three - Macy

Amy is teaching piano to Macy and Jack and they're both naturals.

This is a casual photo of Macy in her natural freckled cuteness....

....followed up by a close-up of those cute freckles....which....

.....matched the skirt I was working on for her!!

Okay, so we were playing Yahtzee one night, and Macy was drinking milk and the milk cup looked a lot like the Yahtzee cup and yup, she ended up accidentally putting the dice into the milk cup!

This is the f-f-f-f-f-freezing day at the outlet mall. They have such a fun candy store. We had a blast buying candy and some for Jack and grandpa too.

It's a "must" to have a tea party!

This is a photo of a lunch plate with blueberries that Macy and I joked looked like it could be a modern art print at a museum!

ze grandma glasses

Macy picked this flower, so we put it in a little crystal vase and it was the centerpiece on the kitchen table all week.

Macy invented "bread cake" and mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, she and Jack and Carly love it. White frosting on bread with sprinkles.

Okay, me and hair. Jane, help! Anyway, I resorted to watching a couple of Youtube tutorials on gymnastics buns because the first attempt was an epic fail. I watched this tutorial at least five times.

Macy doesn't like bobby pins so this was the best effort. Amazingly it stayed in!!

     Macy "resting" during snack break!

This photo captures the gruelingness of what they do. She would work on things with her coach and then the coach would move on and help someone else, and Macy would continue to practice on her own over and over.

Many of the women in all generations of our family share a love of lilacs. These belong to their next door neighbors :-) (Amy's are probably on this week, but on the north side of her house so later bloomers).

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

We made smores one night and Macy said "What's that word you told us about when you take food apart?" It's "deconstructed" you little budding food network star you!

It's so fun to watch the kids use their ipads for photos. Macy's doesn't take photos using the ususal look through the lens on the back, so she has to center the photo from the front,  using her judgment and it takes lots of concentration. These are the legos Amy gave them for one of the daily surprises and the monkey is another day surprise with the little rubber things we ironed. Amy, they LOVED THEM!

And finally a goofy photo of the all clean girls. Macy is a teen-ager, endless conversationalist, engaging, multi-faceted little adult power packed into a child. I love being with her.
XOXOXO
Grandma Sweat