After watching the Phoenix Temple cultural celebration, I realized I never published a post on our very own cultural celebration here in Gilbert. Watching that last night brought back so many memories and feelings of testimony and spirit, for which I am so grateful that my Allie was able to experience. This singular event is an anchor point in our family's life - and I am sure, especially for Allie.
(originally posted 2/20/2015 2:05 pm, but really goes to March 2014)
The Gilbert Temple open house was held in January/February of 2014. It was super great big turnout at the open house, over 400,000 people! We were all feeling the excitement of having a temple completed and dedicated! I can't even begin to describe it. Literally in our backyard (or front yard), we have been so lucky to see this temple go from here:
2010
to this:
November 2010
to this:
May 8, 2013
(before Moroni)
This is my view every day I pick the kids up from school. Every school day for the last 3 years, I have been able to see the temple go up brick by brick. Literally. I don't know if my kids truly understand how lucky they are to live in the shadow of a temple, and to see it every day they walk out of school.
after Moroni was put on the spire (May 16, 2013),
and then at the open house in February 2014:
We went a total of 3 times, Kevin went even more times. I admire his love for the temple - he'd drive by there during the open house, and when it wasn't busy, he would get out and go through it. He and Collin went one day after they had gotten back from the dentist.
This was the day we went with Mom and Dad Harris and the Larsens. It was such a wonderful beautiful morning.
Then we went again with Anna and her family. I think this was the day Kristie, Faith and Dallin met us to go again.
For three years, my family grew along with the building of the temple. At the 2010 groundbreaking, we had 3 kids and one on the way. In March 2014, we had 5 kids and one on the way. This experience has been one of the confirmations we weren't supposed to move to California back in 2012. Oh how grateful I am now, looking back at our experience then, that we listened even though it partly didn't make perfect sense at the time.
The youth in our area to participate in the biggest cultural celebration event there probably ever was. Over 13,000 youth participated in the celebration! Lots of preparation went into it. Hours and hours of practice. And hundreds of hours donated to the cause. It. was. one. big. event. But no one could have predicted how epic it was going to be.
This was the week before the celebration when they experienced a major dust problem because it was super dry!!!
Coleen, Allie, and Savannah. Plus Dennis Khumalo who was Allie's dance partner.
The Fairview ward youth at the Zollers' front yard (or meeting place) where everyone got dropped off and picked up since they are right across Discovery Park. So convenient.
Allie's group, with their captain of 10 - Kristen. From left: Allie, Nikki, Macey, Hayden, Kristen, Reina, Anna, Colleen and Izzy. I love all these girls and for the wonderful friends they are to Allie.
Allie and her dance partner (and our neighbor) Dennis Khumalo. Dennis is not a member of our church, but he is such a good kid, and we love that he participated in the cultural celebration. He has great parents too! Too bad I never got a photo of Dennis and Allie in their costumes together!
Our region (Region 4) did the "Fiery Furnace" dance - the girls were Babylonian Princesses. This was the costume, and we made them ourselves. Between Kevin's mom and I, we spent 10 hours making this costume - it was simple but so time consuming. In the end, we were happy with the result!
I love their bright smiles and beautiful excited faces - this was right before I dropped them off at our ward's meeting location.
Kristie scored us some tickets to watch the celebration on site. We were so glad to be able to go and experience it live!
This was our view right before the celebration started.
Our view as we arrived at the park a little after 615.
But then as it got closer to 7 pm, it started raining again. We were drenched and the retaining basin started to fill with water. As the prophet's motorcade came in the park, the rains briefly stopped. I thought this was the answer to prayer and the rains would now hold. But it wasn't to be. I think at this point they just all decided the show must go on. And went on it did.
I was cold where we were sitting and whatever the umbrella and jacket did not cover was soaked and drenched. I could only imagine how cold and wet the kids must have felt. But the spirit was strong and the show went on.
Allie's region - the Babylonian/Fiery Furnace dance. Look at the fire dancers on stage. It was so neat!
at the end of the celebration every youth raised their personal title of liberty. I can only describe it as epic for lack of better words.
Allie tumbled in the door a few minutes after we got home:
Cold, tired, beaten and glad to be home but her face says it all:
Resolute, and glad that she did it. I am grateful for this anchor point in her life, one she will always look back on and experience the strong spirit she felt, and the testimony that grew that spring.
