10/11/2011

Grandma Hands


I've always loved Grandma hands.  I remember taking my Grandmother's hand and tracing the raised blood vessels under her skin with my finger.  Now both my mother and Grandmother are gone and I have taken their place.

The other day I felt my granddaughter tracing her finger along the raised blood vessels on my hand. As I watched her, I thought, I have grandma hands.

I like that.

You see, you can’t be a grandma until you’ve actually raised a child to adulthood.

You learn a lot on that journey. 

And then . . . all the love you've freely given  . . . comes back . . . as your grandchild tenderly slips her tiny hand in yours.






Payson Temple Groundbreaking Ceremony





Our family participated in the new Payson Temple Groundbreaking Ceremony on Saturday.  It was an honor to be there.  Even a freezing cold rainy day could not keep 6,000 people from attending.  Why?  We are all so thrilled to have this new temple built near where we live.

The Payson Temple will serve about 22 stakes from Spanish Fork to Nephi or about 78,000 members.  My husband Ross was one of the Stake Presidents who shoveled a spade of dirt to begin the building process.  A stake is a group of local wards (similar to a parish or congregation).

Temples for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provide a place where we can make promises and commitments to God and where the highest sacraments of faith occur, such as the marriage of couples for eternity.  Temples differ from the tens of thousands of local meetinghouses where members typically meet for Sunday worship services and midweek social activities.  The Payson Temple will bring the total number of temples worldwide already in operation or in the planning and constructions phases to 166. 

On a personal level, the privilege of attending a temple has brought me such peace and joy through all the ups and down of my life.  My husband Ross and I were "sealed" (or married for eternity) in the Salt Lake Temple 36 years ago.  Our union has brought ten wonderful, loving children into the world and many grandchildren.  Because of these modern temples, I have the peace of knowing that I will always have my beloved husband, children and grandchildren with me even after I die.