For Always and Forever

 

Saturday, June 22 was a very special day that will stay etched in our memories forever.

It was the day Hazel was sealed to our family

in the Mount Timpanogos Temple.

 

Temples are not ordinary church buildings to Mormons. They're very special buildings reserved for very sacred ordinances. We dedicate these buildings as Houses of the Lord. This was a big deal.

Some of our family traveled several hours to be here with us.  And a few of our friends came, too. We were so honored to have them share this day with us.

 

There is nothing more amazing than gathering with your family in a Holy Temple.
Nothing. Except maybe bringing a life into the world.

It’s what I picture heaven feeling like.

 

We aren’t allowed to take pictures inside the temple, so all of the photos were taken when the sealing was over. The people who work at the temple let us wear our borrowed white clothes outside for pictures, so we could always remember the visual effect of seeing our whole family dressed in white.

 

 

The white clothes represent unity and purity.

And the smiles…they are real.

This is real.

Family is what it’s all about.

 

 

We so needed this day to help us forget about how hard and chaotic life is right now.

To open our minds up and show us the big picture.

The one that our selfishness seems to muddle up most days.

 

 

Here are a few things that I want us to remember about this day:

• Jeremy and I sat for a while in the celestial room, waiting to be escorted into the sealing room. (This is the celestial room in the Atlanta, Georgia Temple. I couldn't find a picture of the one at the Mt. Timp Temple, but this is very similar. It has the same huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the same soft colors.) There was a paperwork issue, so we sat there for longer than we normally would have. We had time to reflect. We talked about the day we sat in that very room 18 months earlier, and had a very clear answer given to us that we should move forward with adopting a second little girl from Russia. We knew it was going to be hard.  But the answer was “Don’t worry about the details. I’ve got them all worked out. Just start now.”  Little did we know at that time, that, had we waited even a month or two to get started, our adoption would have been halted by the Russian government at the end. What a miracle it is that Hazel made it out one week before the adoption ban! So many others didn't. We will never forget this. 

• The sealer who was assigned to us, Ralph Garrett, had never met us before this day, but he got all choked up as he talked to us. He told us that this sealing had a special place in his heart because he had a brother with Down Syndrome and a niece and nephew who had been adopted from Russia. He wasn’t a man of many words, but a lot of words weren’t needed. The Spirit did the talking.

• Hazel was her energetic self, as expected. Ha ha. When it was time to come to the altar and have her place her hand on top of ours, she wiggled and squirmed. Sadie had to come and help hold her hand on top of ours for 30 seconds or so while the sealer recited the words of the ceremony. Afterword, I couldn’t even keep her on my lap. She wanted to go around and see everyone and make lots of noise (what she does best.) Jeremy suggested to me ahead of time to just expect that she would do this so that I wouldn’t be disappointed. That helped some. What a stinker. A toddler through-and-through.

• Two years ago when we brought Anya to the temple to be sealed to us, she was all hyper (like Hazel was) and this time she behaved like a little lady. It’s so gratifying when you can see that, yes, they do mature and grow out of hard phases. She’s still stubborn and wants things just her way many times, but it’s getting much easier to take her places now. This gives me hope that one day we’ll have a somewhat-normal life again. Ha ha. Yay for that.

• The sealer asked our family to stand in front of the mirrors that face each other. The mirrors give you the optical illusion that makes it look like you go on forever and ever. Although it's an optical illusion, the concept is as real as the air we breathe. This is a great visual reminder of the expansion of eternity. It goes on and on and on. It never ends. What better way to spend it than with the ones we love? 

• When we were done, Brother Garrett came up to Anya and shook her hand and asked her what her name was. After she told him , she pointed to Hazel and said, “Hay-zah.” (She wanted him to shake her hand, too.) She then proceeded to introduce each member of our family and make sure that he shook everyone’s hand. So cute. So Anya. She had everyone in the room chuckling.

• Jeremy had us all sit down so he could talk to us. He told us a story from the Bible about Jesus. When Jesus was just 12 years old, his parents couldn’t find him one day. When they finally found him, he was in the temple and they learned that he had been about his Father’s business, teaching others. He explained that we need to follow Christ's example and be found in the temple. He reminded the kids that this day was not just about Hazel, but ALL of us. That this adoption has been a unique way to bring us closer together and teach us. He bore his testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ and expressed his great love for Him. Jeremy very rarely cries, so we couldn’t help but get choked up, seeing tears stream down his cheeks as he shared his heart with us. I wonder if our kids have any idea how lucky they are to have him as a dad. Truly.

Nice pucker, Daddy. :)
 

Anya was DONE with picture taking by the time Jen took this one. We couldn’t get her to stand to the side of Max. Bummer.

 

A big THANK YOU goes out to my sis, Jennifer Bacher for taking these photos.

It’s not easy getting photos where both girls are looking at the camera, let alone smiling. She barked like a seal, oo-oo-oo'ed like a monkey, and snapped a LOT of photos.

 Good job, Jen. It takes some serious talent to get the photos you do!

We will treasure these forever!

 

 

And I will treasure this little one forever. What a gift she is.

I’m so happy that she's mine.

 

If you'd like to learn more about Mormon Temples, this video is awesome. It explains why we have them, what makes them different than our regular meetinghouses where we worship on Sundays, and it even takes you on a tour!