PHOENIX TEMPLE OPEN HOUSE

last wednesday we were able to walk through the new phoenix arizona temple before its dedication in november {if you want to go, reserve your free tickets here!}. it was seriously stunning- gorgeous stained glass throughout, beautiful stone work with colorful carved patterns, and the paintings- swoon!- the paintings blew me away. i was impressed/surprised at how many were original works just for this temple, and how few of the standard religious pictures they used {you know, the ones in every church meetinghouse in the US}. most of them weren't even religious scenes- there were a lot of landscapes and some really amazing ones of women around the bride's room and sealing rooms- just women, some in modern dress, depicted in quiet thought, no obvious allusion to any one specific biblical woman or anything. they were breathtaking, and by far, my favorite part of the whole building.

we took luc, which i was a bit nervous about beforehand {40 minutes of keeping him quiet and restrained? eeeeesh!} but we really want him to grow up living and learning the gospel, to know it and love it from his first memories. so along he came, and he was an ANGEL. seriously, he was so good, he far exceeded our expectations. when we walked in the celestial room, he said 'wow' right on cue, it was pretty darn cute, haha. it was so wonderful to be there together as a family, to feel the peaceful spirit there, and to be reminded of what matters most to me- my eternal family and the gospel that binds us together.

i love the gospel, i love visiting the temple, and i'm so grateful for the blessing of being with my favorite people for all of eternity. i don't think it gets much better than that!