Sealing

Today we attended my baby cousin's wedding in the Manti Temple. This is the second time I've been to that temple, the first time was for my sister's wedding. I'd forgotten how gorgeous it is!

I call Kairon my baby cousin, even though he's very far from being a baby now. He's over 6 feet tall and a returned missionary. However, his new wife, Autumn is probably barely 5 feet tall. She's so tiny! They make a cute couple. I am so happy for them! Although it was very strange for me to be sitting in the sealing room, watching Kairon sit across from his bride. He got this look on his face that he used to have when he was little and it made me cry. He grew up too fast!

During the sealing ceremony, the officiator compared our sealing ordinance to canning fruit. He made a couple of really good points, the first being that there is a lot of preparation and crucial ingredients to properly canning fruit and the second point is that you don't seal empty jars. In marriage, there are crucial ingredients, you need a man and a woman, love, commitment, and patience. There is also preparation, which is something that Doug and I had to learn the hard way before we were sealed to each other and to Ethan. The officiator said that there's a lot of work and patience that goes into canning and of course we all know that there's a lot of work and patience that goes into a successful marriage, especially an eternal one. Just because we get a piece of paper saying we're sealed for eternity doesn't make it so. We have to put in the effort, we have to obey the commandments, serve our Heavenly Father and each other, and strengthen our faith in and knowledge of gospel principles. We have to do our part in making our marriage an eternal marriage.

Doug and I have our off days, we often joke that we've been together for 10 years and it's been blissful for 8 1/2! But we love each other enough to make sure we're each doing our part to ensure that the other is happy. I am so lucky to have Doug. He is such a good daddy and he's an adoring husband. There's never a day that goes by where he doesn't tell me that he loves me and why.... sometimes even sending me eyebrow raising text messages while I'm at work.... He also does sweet things like doing all the prep work for dinner on the nights he has to work so all I have to do is heat it up. He still leaves his underwear on the floor BESIDE the hamper but somehow I wouldn't trade that away if I could. Next week we'll have been married for 10 whole years! Crazy!!

Thank you to all the people who watched my kids for us today! It was so nice for Doug and I to have a day ALONE. It's a rare phenomenon.