Toward the end of March, Eliza finally went to the temple! It's been so hard to get an appointment for baptisms that I finally decided to take the kids out of school early one afternoon so that Cat and Jack could go back and Eliza could attend for the first time. It worked out for Ben to be able to attend with us, so he baptized the kids and I helped as a witness and just enjoyed being in the temple with the kids. Everyone was in such a good mood when we arrived at the temple that they even took pictures with real smiles! (Except for Ben?)
It was extra special because all of the kids were able to do family names, and Cat and Jack had found their own names during a Youth activity (months ago). One of the relatives Cat was baptized for was Ben's Great Aunt Wyba. It was really touching for Ben and me, since we knew her - that doesn't happen often.
Eliza's names were mostly on Oma's side, which was particularly poignant since Oma had passed away at the beginning of the month. I'd already imagined the reunions Oma was enjoying soon after her passing; she must have felt incredible joy as she was embraced by her husband, daughter, mother, and her beloved brother-in-law and sister-in-law. As I sat in the temple I thought about her having additional reunions in the future as more of her family members accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
That night when I asked Eliza about her experience in the temple she said that it was like "everyone found their zen." That makes sense to me - temples are definitely more calm and peaceful than anywhere else I can think of, and people behave more calmly and peacefully when they're inside temples too; the holiness of the building helps the people to feel the Spirit, which makes the building more sacred. It's a beautiful cycle.
I like this picture Eliza randomly snapped when I was holding my phone with the selfie camera pointed at the sky. Maybe I'll call it Light of the World.
