The Gila Valley Temple

This last weekend, we went to the Gila Valley Temple Open House. We were also visiting cousins. We went with some Crandall cousins (Melody, Savanna, Brooke, Eden, Laurel, Bill, Emily, Christian, Bailee, Poppy Crandall, Gma and Gpa Clark). First we watched a video about the history of the Gila Valley. Then we went inside the temple. First we had to wear special shoe covers so we wouldn't get the carpets dirty. There were people there who put the covers on our feet and then took them off as we left.

When you first walk through the entry of the temple, there is a big desk where they check your recommends. Then we went through an ordinance room. It had paintings that looked just like what Poppy draws. It looked like the Gila Valley. I saw deer, little rabbits...it was pretty neat. Then we saw the baptistry. I thought it was cool because it had stairs down into a pool. The pool was on top of 12 oxen statues. The 12 statues represent the twelve tribes of Israel. (Jacob had 10 sons + 2 grandsons)

Some of the rooms had very beautiful and shiny chandeliers. There were mirrors too. They faced each other and you could look in one and see forever. I want to get married in the Gila Valley Temple.

After we left the temple, I asked my Dad how much money he thought it cost to build the temple. He said he didn't know but it was a lot of tithing money. There were yummy sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies to eat and bottles of water.

The rest of the weekend, we played with our Clark cousins: Rebecca, Emi, and Liam. We played rocket tag, Skipbo, Pictionary, Sorry, we played at the park, fed ducks (even though we weren't supposed to give them our people food). I fed one duck so much that he'd come towards me all the time. I tried to pet him but then he'd just bite my finger.

It was fun driving to and from Safford in our big white van. I sat on the last bench with Solé. She was quiet and looked out the window during the whole trip. Nikki and Josh sat on the middle bench, and Britton and Darren sat on the first bench. The first two benches had movie screens. We watched Toy Story 1 and 2, The Princess and the Frog, and Alvin & the Chipmunks Squeakquel. It made the trip seem so fast.