i love to see the temple

ella's favorite song is, i love to see the temple. she really sings it well. anway, this is the new twin falls, idaho temple. it's hard to believe that there is a real, live temple there. i remember talking to my mom when i was young and asking her why she had to go all the way to idaho falls or boise to go to the temple. she told me that if the people in our area of idaho were faithful and strong, maybe someday the area would be blessed with their own temple. i remember thinking that would probably never happen. but it has! the really cool part about it for me, is that it is in my old ward boundaries. it's on a former golf course that i used to drive past on my way to the mall. it's just down the street from where my friend, cori and my friend marc used to live. it seems so amazing that a temple is there now.

my mom and dad have been in on all the action. my dad gets to give tours, and does not get to add any jokes. the other night on the phone, he practiced his tour speech on me and added in a little something about "the moon casting a shadow at just the right time, and angel moroni looks a little like louis armstrong". then my mom yelled, "KEVIN! you can't say that!"

my mom is the open house committee woman. she was in charge of all things lovely and delicious for the open house visitors center area. that's where the tourists come to eat and ask questions. i caught a small glimpse on a news clip(see my sister megan's blog) she was speaking on, and in the background i could see some of the beautiful-ness she has been working so hard on for the past year. she is one talented and probably exhausted lady! i can't wait to see pictures of everything they did.

my sister and her kids get to be at the cornerstone ceremony with pres. monson! hopefully they'll politely push themselves through the crowd and get a moment with the prophet. anne and kev get to be in the celestial room during the dedication. all of those planning meetings about cookies and decor sure paid off, huh mom?

well, ry is off to purdue tonite. so the girls and i are staying up late to watch movies "all night" (according to aftie) this week and have fun with our friends. the highlights of the week will probably be afton's tennis lessons and our 5th visit to the hill cumorah pageant. we actually love going every year and especially enjoy it without any rain.

on a completely different note, is there anyone out there who really enjoys cleaning their house? (besides you, mom!) i'm always glad when it's done and our home is nice and clean, but i do not enjoy cleaning, at all. i don't like getting hot and sweaty, i don't like to get my hands dirty, and i do not like picking up lots of little papers strewn throughout various rooms in the house. also, it's such a time taker-upper. i keep telling ryan, i'm going to call the merry maids. he just laughs, but who will be laughing when they show up one day?

by the way, afton is becoming one super fantastic jump roper! watch out! (literally, watch out, she gets me with that rope everytime.)