On our last day in Utah, we finally took advantage of the complimentary breakfast in our hotel. Brent pointed out that part of the reason we stay at Hampton Inns is because we really like their breakfast options. We just happened to have brunch plans with someone every single day! Having missed an opportunity to swim the night before, Ireland was eager to hit the pool one last time. Inadvisable as it is, we had breakfast and then immediately went swimming.
Love those Hampton cups!
Between conference sessions, we headed back to Temple Square and visited a couple of places we had missed the day before. The original painting of this handcart family hangs in the foyer of my home ward in Iowa City (where the handcart companies departed). The artist, Cloy Kent, is one of the first members of the church my parents met when they moved to Iowa City. A dear friend of the family, Sandy English, posed for the mother. Sandy still lives in Iowa City and has been the girls' Primary teacher and made quilts for them over the years. I had to get a picture of Ireland pushing the handcart!
As luck would have it, one of my sweet, former, young women- Madilyn, was driving down from Idaho with her family for conference. Obviously we had to meet up! She looked so very happy and serene and it gave me all the feels to see her doing so well and loving college.
I was determined to get good seats so we lined up really early for the final session.
We made it to the front row of the first balcony but the usher strongly warned me that kids cannot lean over the side, even a little bit. I'm proud to say that I could trust Ireland to toe the line.
It was really fun to be in the Conference Center when President Nelson announced the new temples. When Salvador, Brazil was listed, there was a woman on the main floor, just to our right who was so excited she just couldn't contain her excitement. She squealed with utter delight and after that, it was like the dominoes fell because the normally reverent Conference Center became a pep rally. The group from Auckland, New Zealand almost seemed ready for their announcement because they all cheered at once.
There were also gasps now and again as those in Cambodia and Guam were announced, places you don't automatically think of the church. President Nelson finished with Washington County, Utah and for a split second everyone waited for someone to cheer but it was dead silent. Then everyone laughed, including President Nelson, and it was a pretty sweet moment. So glad we were there for that!
After Elder Oaks announced the closing speakers, he said, "The conference will be adjourned for 6 months." Ireland leaned over to me and asked, "The conference will be a journey for 6 months?" That play on words hit me as so insightful. We do have a journey in the next 6 month. We'd been given counsel and received testimony of the gospel for the past 2 days but now it is up to us to decide how we will direct our lives. Will it be back to the grind? Or will we make changes to help us be better followers of Christ?
As we filed out of the Conference Center, I felt like I needed to embark on a spiritual journey. All my time with Ireland has helped me understand her better than I ever have, and I really want to continue to strengthen our bond.
While we waited for traffic to die down, I snapped a few final photos. I wanted the perfect curtsy right by the temple and we started laughing because Ireland was precariously trying to keep her balance in slippery dress shoes...
...until she just couldn't anymore.
I had planned to meet up with my family at a park so the kids could play, but while we struggled through traffic, the weather turned cold, so we met up at a McDonald's instead. Ahhhh how I love my crazy family!
These cousins are just a month apart. When we pointed this out to them, they just looked at each other awkwardly which kind of made me laugh. Maybe closeness in age is only fascinating to adults?
This is what they looked like the last time they were together 6 1/2 years ago. Tempus fugit!
My nephews have grown as tall as trees and are some of the coolest people on the planet. They are so easy-going and fun to talk to, I could hang out with them for hours.
As the sun set on our time in Utah, we were treated to a most spectacular sunset!
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