A Very Special Weekend

Can you imagine a better way to start off your weekend than in the temple?
This is where we found ourselves last Saturday along with 6 of our missionaries as we attended the Sealing of the Rantz family from our stake in Peoria.
They had invited 5 elders that had taught them the Gospel or been instrumental in helping them reach the point they are at now...an eternal family.
It was the very best experience we could have together!
They are a beautiful family and we are honored to know them and call them friends!

 Left to Right:  Elder Peterson, Elder B. Johnson, Sister and President Taylor, Elders M. Nelson, Jensen, Pehrson and Campbell.

We LOVE being at the temple with missionaries!
It was the first time 5 of them had witnessed the ordinance of joining a family together forever.  The blessings were so beautiful, they will never forget it.

President Taylor and I rushed back from Mesa to first take Braden to the airport to go up to Utah...
...to wander aimlessly around a quiet mission home for a little while trying not to miss him too much...
...to go speak at a stake conference evening session...
...and to rush home to meet with a returned missionary, Nolan Blackhurst and his Mom who were also in town just for the day to attend a different temple sealing!  
It was so good to visit with them and see how wonderfully Nolan is adjusting to life after the mission...although he looked just the same as we remembered him, white shirt, tie, haircut etc.

 Sunday after church, we met with another returned missionary, Holly Moody and her folks.  We had the best time catching up on all she has been doing...getting cuter and cuter if that is even possible!!!
She is doing wonderful as well! Graduated from BYU and looking at possibly an advanced degree.  She is super talented and will succeed in anything she tries!

Monday evening we were privileged to meet with Leland Cecil and his parents who also came back to see the mission!  He left more recently, so it just seemed normal to have him in our home!
The Cecils will be moving this summer, so it was good timing to come for a visit now before the big move.  Leland will also be going to college this fall and will do very well.  He is what I will remember him as "our temple missionary."  He served the area around the temple site for a long, long time and was such a help to the missionary couple there!
OH HOW WE LOVE YOU, OUR CURRENT & RETURNED MISSIONARIES!  THANK YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE!