the last week of school

This last week has been so crazy.  It started out with a busy weekend.  Mike took the girls (and a lot of other youth!) to Thatcher for the temple dedication cultural event on Friday.  They had to practice most of the evening.  Then on Saturday they practiced some more.  I got a sitter for the boys and met them around lunch time.  We got to spend some time hanging out with the kids before the event started.  Then we got to the EAC football field about 2 hours early so we could get good seats.  Everyone was issued colored tickets which indicated where you would get to sit.  We had great tickets and probably some of the best seats in the house.  We were surrounded by the Lunt family which was fun.  At 7:30, President Monson arrived.  He was driven up in a golf cart with his daughter.  He got out and immediately started telling a story to a little boy. Someone had to run up to him and give him a microphone.  He told a story about when he was a boy, he had to take Spanish class.  The really good Spanish teacher got married and moved away the year before he was to take it.  The new teacher didn't speak Spanish.  On the first day of class she welcomed the class by saying "Como esta ustedes?" in her horrible English accent.  There was a Mexican boy who sat behind him who immediately said "this is gonna be a long year!".  President Monson finished by saying "and it was!".   Then he invited President Eyring to sing a song in Spanish with him.  It was pretty funny. 

He then told the youth how strong they were and how when they stand together, they are even stronger.  I wish I had taken notes of all he said, but hopefully it will be in the video we get.  Then, the youth performed.  There were almost 1700 youth participating.  Mike said he felt like he was seeing the stripling warriors as they all marched in formation on to the field. 

Each of the seven stakes in the Gila Valley Temple district performed a dance which correlated with a slide show telling of how the Saints settled in the Gila Valley.  Since Sierra Vista is so close to the border, our youth did Salsa dancing!  Well, Jordan's group actually did soccer drills which kinda confused me.  Taylor was front and center in front of the Prophet.  She had to do the baton throwing.  She was so nervous that she dropped one, and from then on looked like she wanted to murder someone.  We asked her afterward why she looked so mad.  She said she was concentrating so hard.  If she smiled, she would drop her baton again!
The whole performance was amazing.  The youth of today are so awesome.  After all the dancing was done, the Prophet told the kids what a great job they had done.  Then kids started rushing the stage to shake his hand.  There were so many kids in tears who were just happy to be in his presence.  Then President Monson started talking to the little kids who were there.  We couldn't hear what he was saying but he was telling some story I'm sure.  He even took a little boy and held him for a while.  We could tell the security guards were getting  nervous, but the prophet just kept talking and hugging the little ones.  Everyone in the stands were just standing and smiling the whole time.  It was a very memorable evening.
That night, the girls got rides home, and Mike and I stayed in a hotel.  On Sunday we were able to go to the temple for the open house.  We got to sit in the veil room.  It was a great dedication.  I was touched by the stories about the Gila Valley and thought about how that is where all my family is from.  President Eyring was a great speaker.  Then President Monson got up and spoke about temples.  He seemed thoughtful and very real.  He almost forgot to say the dedication prayer, but was reminded to do it.  It made me think that he is getting old and frail, but when he said the prayer, I felt the power of his priesthood and knew that it didn't matter.  He had the Lord with him.  It reminded me of when I got my patriarchal blessing by Patriarch Allen.  He was so old (he gave my dad his patriarchal blessing!) and seemed to be a bit feeble.  I worried about how he would give me a blessing when his wife wheeled him into the room.  But then he stood up and placed his hands on my head and he was no longer shaking with age.  He was strong and the spirit was clearly aiding him.  That is how it was with President Monson while he gave the dedicatory prayer.  It was a beautiful experience.  I also got to see one of my best friends sing in the choir during the dedication.  They sounded amazing.

We didn't get to take many pictures.  There were so many people there.  We weren't supposed to have cameras at the cultural event, but Mike managed to take a few with his phone.  
Then we came back to the real world in a hurry!   Monday Jax came down with the flu and was throwing up all night.  Then in the middle of the night Tris started throwing up.  That lasted for most of the week.  It was also the last week of school which meant cleaning out the girls lockers, half days, and just busy work.  On Tuesday the PTO had to put on a bbq for graduating 8th graders.  I had to have the grill loaded into the truck but since I was home with sick kids someone else had to come get it.  Then the next day we had to go set up treats for the graduation and then decorate for the dance.  It took most of the day.  Oh yeah, and throw in there that I had to take Taylor to get her permit this week too.  But, now it is SUMMER!!!  I hope to get lots of chances to go to the new temple.  I want to try to go on Wednesday since my dad is now a temple worker.  It's so cool!

Lastly, this morning, when I was taking out the trash, I looked for the hummingbird nest Taylor told me about.  It is in the roses right outside my front door.  This is the second time a hummingbird has built a nest there.  I will be keeping an eye out for baby birds!