the follett family: August 2013

We really wanted to go to the TR in Southern CA this year but could not make it, Jackson had a soccer tournament and Belle would have her surgery that week so we stayed home and took care of family business....I got a call shortly before the reunion from my cousin Lori who informed me my aunt Marilyn was trying to go through the temple before her son Dallin got married in August and wanted to see if we could come so my mom's sealing could be done at the same time she was sealed to her parents. My mom loved her sister so much and I know would have been thrilled to have her sister go to the temple and so I was hoping to be able to go, I knew it would be a special day!

It was a little chaotic getting there but we made it and Kenny, Nick and I were all able to meet Marilyn, Lori and all her family at the Newport Temple to be there for Marilyn and Lori's son Mason who both took their endowments out. The Newport Temple is so beautiful, I think it is my new favorite. The murals on the wall are amazing and I love the dark woodwork within the temple. There was a great feeling there of love and family. I could definitely feel my mother there that day and I could not hold back the tears as I felt her presence and her joy to have her sister take this step in her life. My mother had such a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and such a strong love for her family and her I know her one and only true desire has always been to have her family united together forever and to have her sister join that circle I know she would have been overjoyed and it was a blessing for us to feel that love. I truly wish all of us could have been there, those moments are so far and few between for me now. The Sealing was very special, a whole family sealed that day and Nick for the first time got to participate in some family sealings as well.

After the temple we headed to Oceanside State Beach for a Beach party. Had lots of fun boogie boarding and playing beach volleyball and enjoying family! We stayed with my cousin Rick and his wife Eliza (who is just the sweetest person ever!) Lily and a cousin bond with their daughter Brooke...to cute! The next day we went to Dallin and Alyssa's wedding in the San Diego Temple which is always just amazing! The reception was later that evening, Lori did an amazing job as mother of the groom, the reception, flowers and food was just beautiful! Most important for me was to see all my family there! We had driven down to Toni's house and got to spend some time with her family before going down and Clint and Toni had come down to Marilyn's with us and of course we had a lot of fun with the Smith's which we always do! (famous words this trip...thank you....he is not fat he is just husky or healthy....we are more reserved....

Beach Party

San Diego Temple

Wedding Reception

At the reception we saw Tracey's family, and Katie's family and then we all drove back to Simi Valley and went to our favorite beach the next day, Carpentaria. This was a special place for my kids, it was the beach we always went to so it was fun to remember all the good times we spent here. The kids even saw a small baby tiger shark in the water. Emma was a boogie boarder queen and stayed out in the water for most of the time and Lily just loved building sand castles! I sure do miss those days that were filled with going to the beach. There is something about the beach that I feel an immediate relaxation, it is my favorite place to go! We stayed way to long and all of us got very sunburn! Well at least us old ladies did! (Tracey and me)

On the way home from the beach we stopped at Mom's grave and put some flowers on the grave. It was so good to take our kids there so they could feel of my mom's realness. Three were born after she died and Nick was only 2 and so it was a sweet moment for us to share as a family. A couple of weeks later Lily was in the car with me and we drove by American Fork Cemetery. She said "ya know mom that heaven is not that far away, it's really close to us. and when you die your not really dead." I was surprised by her statement and her understanding of the Plan of Salvation. It could have been spurred on by something at church but the way she said it, I knew it was just something she knew from the beginning. Our memorial for Grandma Grace touched on that as we mourned together as a family and then visiting my mother's grave and seeing the cemetery sparked in her little mind a great eternal truth. I said, "You are so right Lily, heaven is very close and sometimes I feel my mom very close to me even though she is in heaven. And when you die, you are not really dead just your body and spirit are separated and your body is buried and your spirit goes to heaven, yes your spirit is still alive." her response was, "Yep and then you are resurrected and your body and spirit come back together!" Wow from the mouth of babes! I just love her and I was so thankful for that chance to visit my mother's grave and spark some deep thoughts for my children, especially my little Lily! We also stopped by San Fernando Cemetery on our way back to Utah to see my Grandpa Lee's grave and my Great Grandparents the Conquest's!

We all met up at Toni's house for dinner including my dad and Norma (who heard we were coming down for the week and thought it was a good time to take a vacation to Laughlin???) but it was good to see them for the hour they were there! Had such a good time with my family, I just love them very much! Toni and Tom were wonderful hosts and just fun to spend time with them. We missed Jim and his family but Jed and his family were visiting them in Sonora so they were having a good time with their grandkids!