Our amazing trip - Part 3 (last few days)

I wanted to add a few photos for those of you who may not know how massive and incredible the Conference center is. My first blog about our trip mentions that we attended General Conference session on Easter Sunday morning. These pictures will give you an idea of the beauty and grandeur of the building. I would recommend to EVERYONE if there's any way to attend General Conference in person - to do it!

I didn't take these photo, but they're great.

On Friday, April 9th we attended the Idaho Falls Temple to perform sealings for our sister-in-law Sherry who is of Chinese descent. It was so special to be in the Temple we were married in, and have Dad Davis perform the sealings. We had the sealing room reserved just for our family which included Cecil and Sherry, Kreg and Sue, William and me, and Mom and Dad Davis.

For those of you who may not know what "sealings" are and why we attend Temple - it's hard to explain in a few sentences. However let it suffice to say that we believe families can be together forever. The ordinances that bind families (not only our posterity, but also our ancestors) are performed only in God's holy house - his Temples. Visit lds.org and type in Temples if you want to know more.

After we had our spiritual experience in the Temple, (I believe they are the most sacred place on earth) Mom and Dad treated us to a lunch in the Temple cafeteria. Lunch was delicious with scones being my favorite part. I haven't had scones in decades.

Afterwards we drove to my parents home and scanned in many, many genealogy documents which my parents have inherited. We ended up having to bring some of them home, because there are hundreds, and we just had scratched the surface, even though we spent about five hours scanning. My father inherited a box of genealogy from his paternal side. They are valuable and so precious to me, and some were certified copies of birth, marriage and death certificates from my ancestors who lived in England. I felt the Spirit of Elijah when I held each document and realized it represented one of my ancestors who wanted to connect with me, and whom I desire to know, identify with, and love.

On Friday night we drove over to Kreg and Sue's where all eight of Mom and Dad Davis' children were present. It's been seven years since we've all been together, so it felt wonderful.

We had chinese food and visited with each other. During that time, Ryan called and emailed us that he and Sarah found a home in Texas to rent. They also visited and sent a photo of our Texas home where we lived for six years. We were very happy for them.

On Saturday the whole family had breakfast at Bart and Marion's. It was fun. I had waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. YUM! Dad Davis had his scouting paraphernalia displayed and proudly explained some of the scouting badges and award's meanings. Dad Davis has great pride in his scouting accomplishments, and recalling his scouting days brought him joy and satisfaction. It was wonderful to see him in this setting. We all joked about there being a "stalking" merit badge he earned. However, it was related to animals, and their footprints.

We had lunch at Ron and Kari's on Saturday afternoon. I wish I would have taken a photo of Kari in her apron, making reuben sandwiches. She was in her glory! The food was great, and again we enjoyed bonding with our family members.

We then drove over to my parents and gathered genealogy documents. My parents took us out to dinner at Sizzler. It felt good to sit and relax with them. They've been under stress with their whole kitchen and family room gutted. The whole time we were there, the painters were working busily. I'm excited for my parents to get a brand new kitchen and family room! I love my parents dearly, and am so grateful for their love and support.

We then drove to Blackfoot, Idaho for Dad Davis' Silver Beaver Award Ceremony. It was enjoyable to see him earn that award. I had tears in my eyes when he received that award. We took photo's afterwards, and I'm grateful we could capture this moment in our lives. I wish all four of our sons could have been there. They all have earned their Eagle award, and it would have been a great picture with them surrounding their grandfather and their father, all in their scouting uniforms. However, Tanner represented Ryan, Jeffrey and Michael well.

Scouting has been a big part of our family's life, and I'm grateful for the principles and values it's taught all of us. Congratulations Dad Davis! You deserve such a prestigious award!

The next morning we left for home. The 28 hour drive was certainly worth it to see family members and gain priceless memories.