Phoenix Temple Dedication

Jon and I have had lots of wonderful opportunities in connection with the new Phoenix temple. I was asked to be a temple tour guide for the open house. It was a great experience taking members and non-members through. The temple is a small one, but it is so beautiful. Jon was selected from our stake to be in the cornerstone choir. He has been traveling to Phoenix every Sunday night for the last 2 months to practice. They sang beautifully at the cornerstone ceremony.
The morning was actually chilly for Phoenix and very windy, so I was very glad I had brought my kids winter coats with us, unfortunately we forgot Grace's Sunday shoes so she was in flip flops, oops. I wish I had also brought a big blanket to snuggle in and lots of fruit snacks or candy to bribe them for the 2 hours we waited outside for it to start.
Addie got to shake the prophet's hand and Grace told me that President Utchdorf waved to her and she waved back. Jackson was a little angel and held still during the ceremony so I could hold my sweet friend's very sad 2 year old because she was also singing in the choir and her husband was in the temple attending the dedication. I am pretty sure the angels attending the dedication helped Jackson be good because it was kind of a miracle. At one point he even laid down on the bench for a while, but as soon as the ceremony was over he started running around again and trying to climb in the fountains like his crazy self.
As we were leaving a news lady came up and said, "Hey cute Mormon family, will you stay and do a quick interview?" It wasn't quite as "quick" as my starving, cold kids would have liked it to be, but they ended up quoting Jon and I both, and I made a fleeting appearance on screen on their video clip. http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/phoenix-arizona-temple-dedicated-president-thomas-monson

These first couple of pictures I took when the sun was setting on Friday night during the dress rehearsal

Jon singing in the choir