Temple Lights

On Black Friday we toured the Christmas light display at the Mesa Temple instead of doing the mad dash of holiday shopping.



Quentin and Felicia had driven to QC from Safford and arrived just in time to go with us to the light display. Felicia had gone to Safford and together with Quentin they spent Thanksgiving at her grandparents in Pima, Arizona with Felicia's family.




Jodie, TJei and Mia enjoyed the outing, too. :-)


My long-time good friend, Glenda, and her daughter, son in-law and granddaughter joined us for the tour. It was great to spend the evening with Glenda and some of her family. ---Can you believe it? I didn't get a single picture of Glenda!--- Nicole is due now (six days off from that evening) to have a baby girl. I've no idea how she managed walking and standing all that time! What a trooper. :-)


Devina is such a cutie and she was having fun taking pictures on her grandma's cell phone. :-)

Thank you for spending the evening (and night) with us Glenda and thank you too for the hot chocolate and donuts after the Christmas light tour! I love you bunches and enjoy spending time with you. :-)

Five Temples

It is just amazing to me that Arizona will soon have five temples!

Shortly after becoming 16th President of the Church, President Monson announced there would be two new temples built in Arizona; one in Gila Valley and another in Chandler. The two locations piqued a good deal of interest - Gila Valley being in Graham County, third smallest of Arizona Counties in population and Chandler being just a couple miles from the existing Mesa Temple.
News Release: President Monson Announces Two New Temples in Arizona

Spencer W. Kimball was 12th President of the Church and he was from the Gila Valley, growing up in Thatcher and living as an adult in Safford. The entire area has a rich heritage of LDS roots - Mike's own grandfather was born there, and Henry Green Boyle settled there (in Pima) after leaving Utah. The Saints in that area have traveled many, many miles often to visit the temple in Mesa. It's so good to know a temple will be constructed there, they've waited a long time.

The Chandler locale seemed odd at first. It is just a couple miles from the Mesa Temple. News reports have indicated there are more than 100,000 temple-worthy members in the East Valley! Wow, I hadn't realized the numbers were so high. It will be good, really good for people in the expanding East Valley to have a temple in their area. It will be especially good for growing communities like Queen Creek, where John and Kelly live.

Now, just a bit less than one month later another announcement is made - a temple is to built in the West Valley, in the Glendale area!
News Release: New Temple for Phoenix Arizona Announced

Oh my stars, that is just amazing! Our missionaries must be doing a phenominal job!