I love to see the Temple

The Atlanta Temple has been closed for remodeling for the past 24+ months, and we got to attend the openhouse this past week! The dedication is scheduled for May 1, and we are thrilled for the opportunity to have the temple so close to home again! I have not attended a session in Atlanta since before Joshua was born...or before we left Provo...you get the picture. We are lucky that there are two other temples close enough to attend with a day's time: Columbia South Carolina, and Birmingham Alabama. But Atlanta is easier to accomplish with a babysitting schedule.

We also got to walk through the temple with Joshua. He enjoyed pointing at all the beautiful lights and naming Jesus in each of the paintings we saw in hallways and different rooms. Everything felt so bright and light in each of the rooms, and it really made me all the more excited for the temple to be dedicated so I can start participating in the work to be done, and feeling the blessings that are available within.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I know that families can be sealed together as families throughout eternity, even past mortal death. It is in Latter-day Saint Temples those ordinances (such as baptism and eternal marriage) are performed in behalf of those who did not have the chance to be baptized during their lives upon the earth. The Gospel is available to each of God's sons and daughters.

In temples, we can focus our attention on our relationship with the Savior without the distractions of the world around us. It is in the temple that I have felt the closest with Jesus Christ, as I reflect on the sacrifices that He made so that I can return to live with my Father in Heaven. I hope that I can teach my children to rely on the Savior, as well. I know that it is only through Jesus Christ that we can be found clean and pure in God's eyes.

I am thankful that I could show Joshua what different rooms look like inside the temple. Someday we'll be together inside again.

Do you have a monkey?

We took Joshua for a walk last night to get out some energy before bedtime. He kept up with us for a almost the whole lap in the neighborhood, but landed a ride on his Dad's shoulders for the last stretch. He quickly determined the best handholds, and placed both his little hands on either side of Benjamin's forehead to keep his center of gravity where he wanted it.

Joshua is still a little climber, and sometimes uses his toes as tools. Other times, he sees the benefit of having shoes at his disposal. A couple weeks ago during church, Joshua started to climb up the back of the pew in front of us. He would grip the top of the bench, and somehow find a place to have a good toehold and raise himself up 18 inches from the ground. I leaned over and told Benjamin that the climbing wasn't being very respectful in the chapel, and Benjamin quickly interrupted Joshua's climb. After the meeting, Benjamin admitted that he was in such awe that Joshua had accomplished such a hold, and was calculating the boy's strength in his toes and scrawny biceps to be able to accomplish such a feat. He may have been a little embarrassed that all he thought was: "Check out what my kid can do!" Oh yeah, we are in church, and that isn't something we want to encourage....I guess in the end it's all about working as a team.

If you didn't know...

It's time to vote again!!! Please, cast your vote on baby boy or baby girl to be joining the Heaton Bunch in early September 2011! (to the left)

We will see the doctor in the next couple weeks and have the official information to share.

(for those of you still curious, there are currently 14 Mullins grandsons arrived/in the making, with ZERO granddaughters to date! The Heatons have 2 granddaughters in addition to Joshua, so the pressure is a little uneven at times.)

(oh, and pictures to come soon).

Lesson learned...

A few of you may remember a few years ago, as missionaries in Nauvoo, that we discovered how difficulty it is to clean up after using oil-based paint products. While a full-time missionary in Nauvoo Illinois, we had the opportunity to scrape and repaint the black fencing surrounding the Nauvoo Temple. I remember it being long and hot days with no shade in August, but we had a good time, and enjoyed working with our hands and wearing pants for a while.

Curtis, Waldvogel, Rich, Tjarks, Martin, Roundy, Price

Sanders, Mullins

Mullins, Bailey

I was thinking about those fun days with a my sisters that I will never forget spending my summers with. I always think of the Sisters when I watch General Conference. But I had a different reason to reflect on those days today. I was trying to get a project done, and realized while trying to tidy up for a break that I had been using an oil-based product. Trying to wash up, I asked myself "I didn't expect this to take so much time to clean up. I doubt that in Nauvoo we just let our hands be black in the Visitor's Center. I must be forgetting a step." I dug out old photos, and sure enough, I did miss a BIG step...We used latex gloves while painting the fence. It was a good thing, or else we would have looked like this:

I wonder how long my hand will look like this. Oh well, I might as well finish my project tonight so I only have to clean up once...Next time, I'll remember the gloves.

Remember When...?

Hello, life!

I'll be the first to admit that our family has just concluded a 5 month disappearing act. But now it's time to become reaquainted with keeping a public record! Aren't we all excited?!?

In a nutshell, this is us:

-Benjamin is working for Acuity Lighting, and enjoying his responsibilities and making business connections across the country. He will travel for 3-4 days every couple of weeks, but we're getting used to the new routines.

-Emily is still working 3 days a week for a school district as a speech-language pathologist working with preschool-aged students. This week is spring break, and I am getting excited to get the house in order after winter, and in getting some decorating projects rolling before long. Perhaps they will even be shared with you (knock on wood, I'll prove that we're back up and running).

-Joshua is nearly 20 months old, attending nursery at church, and not slowing down one bit. He is still climbing on everything, and has rediscovered electrical outlets. He likes to move chairs so that he can play with various light switches, and has mastered opening and closing doors around the house. He is getting taller, but no heavier. Still barely 19 lbs, but he's getting all sorts of treats in an attempt in increase his calorie intake. We love to be outside, and take walks. Joshua is even saying a few words (shoe, ball) in addition to the long-time "mama, dada, papa, more, please, no," etc. He is keeping us busy and happy.