14 before 30

Time to do a debrief on my temple challenge. I can't believe it has already been over 3 weeks since I finished it. I have a few things that I want to make sure that I write down before I can officially feel done.

First off the real reason I gave myself this challenge....

I downloaded this app called LDS Temples on my tablet. It is an awesome app, it allows you to track your temple attendance, what ordinances you did, and what temple you attended. You can search all the operating temples in the world. According to the app there are currently 143 operating temples throughout the world.

About a week before my 29th birthday I was looking at the app and it said I had a "Total number of temples attended: 2 out of 143."

I didn't like that it only said 2, that's when I had the idea of attending all the temples in Utah, but to make it a true challenge I needed a deadline, so I chose by my 30th birthday, that gave me one year. I also liked the thought of being able to see parts of Utah that I have never seen, or that I haven't been to since I was a little kid (like Manti).

My first stop.

Draper:

Attended on July 27, 2013. I had attended my cousin's wedding that morning at the Salt Lake Temple and was hired to take pictures that evening for their reception at Thanksgiving Point. So with all that free time in between I went and did sealings. I was a proxy for 6 daughters. This was my first time doing an ordinance in this temple. I had attended this temple's open house when I was serving in the Young Women organization in my Provo ward. It is such a beautiful temple inside and out and I think it was a great temple to start with.

Salt Lake City

Mike & I attended the Salt Lake Temple together. It had been 8 years since I had done a live session, I love the different perspective you get when the session is live and not just a video. I also love being in this temple because of all the wonderful history it has. It is amazing to stand in a temple that has been around for so long and to know that the saints who built this temple were very meticulous in their work and took their time to be sure it was going to withstand the elements and everyday use.

Bountiful

Attended on Bountiful temple on August 17, 2013. My best friend Keira came with me. I wasn't planning on attending the temple that day, but early that morning I got a phone call from my mom telling me that my cousin was in a Razor accident in Moab and was in the hospital so I felt this strong need to be in the temple that day.

I did the work for Maria Augusta Lopes Traveres who was born in Brazil in 1887.

I also got to see the new temple video that they started showing. Corbin Allred portrays Satan in it (he went to high school with Mike), and I loved how this new video gives a new perspective. There are now 3 new videos, but this one is still my favorite.

Jordan River

Attended on Sept. 21, 2013

I did the work for Rose Alice Fletcher, born in England in 1876

I got some very bad news on this day. I don't want to go into detail on the blog, but I definitely received comfort and guidance from being in the House of the Lord.

Oquirrh Mountain

Attended on Dec. 27, 2013 I did initiatories at this temple in between a wedding and reception. I got to go through this temple when the open house was running and I just remembered that it was beautiful (as all temples are).

Brigham City

Attended on February 13, 2014. I attended this temple with my dear friend LaRae, who I severed with in the Primary presidency in my North Salt Lake ward, she is now serving a mission with her husband in Australia.

It was so fun to attend this temple. LaRae said that the Brigham City temple was Pres. Packer's baby. He had a lot of impute on how it was going to look and be decorated. I remember it having a lot of peach blossoms and the art work usually was a peach orchard or something like that.

I did the endowment work for Ellen Maria Mead from England.

Provo

Attended on February 22, 2014 with Mike. He and I did Sealings. We were proxy for 3 couples and parent proxy for 5 sons and 8 daughters, and I was a proxy for 3 more daughters. I remember feeling so sick while in the temple on this occasion because Mike's brother agreed to watch our kids for us and when we went to meet him my car door got blown open by the wind and it dinged his 1 month old car :(

Logan

Attended on March 21, 2014 with Mike. We got to have a little get way to Logan and stayed at the Anniversary Inn. I got him a gift certificate for his Christmas present knowing that we'd need to go to the Logan temple, so we made it that much better by going up and staying the night. We did an endowment session, I did the work for Margarite Jeanne Andre' who was born in France in 1766. I remember feeling like the temple was A LOT smaller in person then it is in pictures.

St. George

Attended April 18, 2014. Mike and I took the kids to St George the weekend before their spring break was over. We stayed in a Hotel with a pool and got to spend some time with our great friends the Morgans. Mike and Brandan served in the MTC and in the mission field together in Chile. We love to see them when we can. I ended up attending this temple by my self, it was just easier that way. I did sealings with another couple who brought family names. It was just me, them, and the sealer and 2 witnesses. I was a proxy for daughters (think I did 35 names, but I can't remember exactly).

#10

Vernal

Attended May 24, 2014. Mike and I drove the 3 hours to Vernal with all the kids on a pretty hot Saturday. I did an endowment session while Mike took the kids to the Dinosaur museum. Have I ever mentioned how awesome he is!? I really could not have achieved my goal had it not been for his support.

I did the work for Edna Ines Doolittle, she was born on Feb. 20, 1880 in Madara, CA.

I think this temple was my favorite one. It is small, but seemed bigger then I thought it would. The celestial room is very beautiful, and the building it self wasn't like any of the other temples I had attended. This temple was originally a tabernacle built in 1907, then in 1997 it was converted and dedicated as a temple.

#11

Monticello

Attended on June 21, 2014 with Keira. She and I decided to take a little girls trip together before her 2nd baby was born. I did the work for Florence Pearl Avery, who was born on July 30, 1900 in Uxbridge MA. This stood out to me because the name card was a family name card it wasn't like the small ones the temple usually has you do, so this one had where the rest of her work had been done and it was all done in the Bountiful temple earlier this year. It was interesting that the rest of her work and been done in the closest operating temple to where I live, but I did her work in the Monticello temple.

This temple was WAY smaller then I thought it was going to be. It looks so huge in the pictures, but it is for sure not. I did love that we had a view of the temple from our hotel window.

#12

Manti

Attended on July 19, 2014 with Mike. He "kidnapped" me and took me to Salt Lake the day I had gotten home from girls camp. Huge surprise! We stayed at the Grand America hotel for my birthday (even though it was still a week away) and then went to Manti the next day. We were a proxy couple for 8 sealings, and proxy parents for 3 daughters and 1 son. I really loved Manti, I had been there and seen the Manti pageant when I was really little and only remember that I got an ice cream sandwich right before the program, so it was really cool to be able to attend this temple.

#13

Mount Timpanogos

Attended on July 26, 2014 with Mike, Keira, and Michael & Julie Mefford. We attended an endowment session together. I was able to see the 3rd new video that they show now, it was neat since I'd never seen it and this was my final temple, but I am still bias to the first one. I did the work for Cecile Yellow from the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana. She was born in 1840.

After the session we went to lunch and I got to meet Al Fox Carraway, I seriously almost sent this awesome lady a message on Facebook the night before asking if she'd like to attend my last temple with me, but then I heard a little voice in my head that said "a little stocker-ish Marie" :)

#14

Ogden

I have not been able to attend this temple yet, but I did go and take pictures of it. The Ogden temple has been closed for a few years because they demolished the old one and rebuilt this new temple.It will be rededicated in September, and I plan to be at one of the first sessions!

Well, there you have it. I am all done!

Next Challenge... attend all 7 California temples before I am 40! Who wants to go to San Diego with me!?!?!

This temple was my hardest to get to. It was 5 a hour drive away, and the time spent in Monticello was going to have to be very short.

It was also one of my favorites to visit because me bestest friend came with me! She and I got to go to Monticello just the two of us, no kids :) It was so fun! She and I NEVER get to spend time together without our kids, and since she will be having another baby in just a few short weeks we felt it was a good little girls trip before her baby gets here.