Ducks in the Desert

We didn't just go to temples while we were in Arizona, we also did things like eat a lot of food (you can look forward to a post about that later), laze in the lazy river at our hotel, and hike Piestewa/Squaw Peak. The hike is a lot harder than it looks because it is mostly straight up, on rough terrain, and is like climbing a very steep staircase. As with most things, I figured that if kids could do it then I could too. 

Halfway through, we were still smiling, despite the sweat:

The view of Phoenix was amazing!

This gives you a little idea of what the hike was like (very rough!):

The "stairs":

Josh had an unfortunate encounter with a prickly friend:

But it turned out he was a Duck fan too:

 Because Piestewa Peak is so popular, we had to park pretty far away. Sadly, in the time that we got to the peak, parked, hiked, and got back to the car, this happened. We spent much of the next few days watching the news.

 Then we went to a little event...

... where we got to dress up...

... and watch the team we love...

... and the marching band...

... come REALLY CLOSE to winning a National Championship!

The experience was totally worth it, even though I thought Josh might cry.

The Sincerest Form of Flattery

Josh saw this at the basketball game last night:

Look familiar? 

The ShepAlders have apparently started a trend. 

When we were in Disneyland (for Halloween)...

... this happened:

Still wonder why we had to get married?

Mesa and Snowflake Temples

Temple #36

Mesa, AZ

Some temples (Vegas, Reno, Bountiful, Oquirrh Mt, Manti, etc) are built on hills and others (San Diego, Portland, DC, Boise, etc) are very visible from highways or major roads. The Mesa temple is on flat land, and since it’s a flat temple it kind of blends in and is a little easy to miss. It is absolutely gorgeous, however, with huge grounds full of fruit trees.

We started in the visitor’s center, which has vintage pictures from the groundbreaking, dedication, and construction. Heber J. Grant dedicated it. There was a picture of a temple in front of a window and Josh said, “Hey, it’s the Laie temple,” but then he looked up and realized that the view in the picture is the same as through the window. I had a good laugh. 

The temple has a reflecting pool between the visitor’s center and the (south side?) of the temple. We walked the whole way around. On the walls of the temple, toward the top, are friezes depicting the gathering of the tribes of Israel. I liked that detail. 

When we got to the front (which also has a reflecting pool) we saw a crowd of people just standing around. They were in jeans and t-shirts! I was astounded! Apparently, since there is nothing to do in Mesa, people come to the temple grounds and stand around. Bizarre.

Mesa is definitely one of the more unique temples in which we have been. It is built to resemble Solomon’s temple (though Josh and I had a huge fight about whether Herod's temple and Solomon's temple are technically the same design), and from far away I think it looks like a library. Inside, there is such beautiful woodwork. The session was super full, and Josh and I didn’t even get to sit down in the chapel! But everyone made it in, and they were very efficient. We stayed in the same room the entire time (I guess it used to be progressive until they remodeled) until the very end, right before the veil. It looked like the veil was really short, and I panicked since there were easily 200 people in the session, but then they opened it up further.

Temple #37

Snowflake, AZ

Snowflake is about three hours from Mesa, so on the way we read (on Wikipedia) about the town. Did you know it wasn't named after the snowfall? (Though it does snow there-- more on that later). Instead, it was named after town founders Erastus Snow and William Jordan Flake. 

The thing is, when we first got there, it was bright, sunny, and kind of looked like this:

But when we woke up in the morning, everything looked like this:

Because we had gone to a later session, we didn't take pictures until the next day, which is why there is snow in all of our pictures.

I almost didn't get to go to this temple because I realized about half an hour before the session starting that I had forgotten my wallet (including my temple recommend) back at the house my sister had rented. We got it all sorted out (it may have involved a call to BishBrenn or the Stake President). I was glad, though, because the Snowflake temple is very unique.

The Snowflake temple workers are among the nicest I have encountered so far, and that’s saying quite a lot since temple workers are generally the nicest people I meet (which makes sense—the temple usually puts me in a good mood as well). One of them told me later that she was worried we wouldn’t make it on time and was so glad we came. We spent some time talking with the men at the front desk about the game (of course), but also about other temples we’ve visited and about the Snowflake temple.

I’ve been really impressed with the Arizona temples (though we still have more to see). One of the defining features of the Snowflake temple is a beautiful, three-paned, stained-glass window that depicts Christ teaching people. Apparently it was originally in a catholic cathedral but was bought by Deseret Industries through an auction and then donated to the church. It was hand-picked by President Hinckley to be in the Snowflake temple. Another defining feature is the staircase, which is unique for a smaller temple. To get to the ordinance rooms, you go up a staircase to the right and framed above the staircase are Native American, hand-woven blankets. This temple has various features (designs in the Celestial room, decorative pottery) that reflect the cultural heritage of the area. They also have a “Children of Lehi” session each month. Josh and I were debating about whether this meant the session was done in a tribal dialect or if it just meant that it was a time where Native Americans could be in the majority.

The ordinance room had, what I term, a “geography-specific mural,” which means that it was painted to resemble the surrounding nature. I couldn’t see it too well because I was in a back, far corner. I have to commend Arizonans on their temple attendance—both the Snowflake and Mesa sessions we attended were filled to capacity. I expected it in Mesa, but Snowflake is in the middle of nowhere.

I highly recommend visiting these temples if you can. It's totally worth it. 

30 Books Before I'm 30: The Blind Assassin

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

"Ten days after the war ended, my sister drove a car off a bridge. The bridge was being repaired: she went right through the Danger sign. [...] I was informed of the accident by a policeman: the car was mine, and they'd traced the license. His tone was respectful: no doubt he recognized Richard's name."

I need to start out by saying that I loved this book, but I had a hard time getting into it. The book is set up both with chapters of the general narrative and also chapters from a science fiction novel entitled The Blind Assassin that one of the characters has written. It took me a few chapters before I got into the flow of it. The story is about two sisters from a wealthy Canadian family during the 1920s and beyond. There's a bit of mystery to it, but Atwood doesn't underestimate her readers by assuming the "reveal" will be a huge shock. There's love, there's death, there's evil and greed-- the whole gamut of human emotions. 

What I Liked: I became very invested in the characters and the setting and the storyline. I genuinely wanted to find out what happened, and even though I wasn't completely surprised by the ending, but there was something I didn't quite expect (I'm not going to give you a hint-- you need to read it for yourself).

What I Didn't Like: It was long (500+ pages). Also, as with any novel that addresses two storylines (in this case the narrative and the science fiction novel), it can be a bit jarring to go back and forth. 

This Book Would Be Best if Read: Over a long weekend, without breaks.

I Would Recommend This Book to: Anyone with an interest in the Depression and/or female protagonists. Although this is technically a love story, it isn't sappy, and the main focus is the relationship between the protagonist and her sister.

If You Liked This Book, I Would Also Recommend: Dancing Girls, also by Margaret Atwood. I've heard that The Robber Bride and The Handmaid's Tale are good, but I haven't read them. Atonement by Ian McEwan.

Up Next: Suite Francaise (because I'm already halfway done)

10 down, 20 to go

It's a sad day in Glendale, AZ

This was my view of the field from my seat:

And this was my view of my husband at the end of the game:

He was a little sad. It was tough to lose. But we also walked off with about twenty of these things:

We have accumulated so many game day cups over the years, we practically never use anything else! 

It's depressing when your favorite team loses, but we certainly have had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'll update a little more about our trip in the next couple posts. (Spoiler alert: the ShepAlder temple tally is up to 37!)

GO DUCKS!

A New Year

Josh and I ushered in the new year here:

where we watched fireworks and listened to live music.

It was cold and we had to bundle up.

I couldn't find my snow pants, but thankfully I have four sisters and a mom who own snow pants, so I just borrowed some.

I also forgot gloves. Josh packed my hat, otherwise I would have really been in trouble.

Later, Josh played football on the PS3 with our nephew Brad while our nieces Alice and Katie gave him a makeover. (And by "makeover" I mean they hit him in the face with the hat until he put it on).

On New Year's Day we went to Eugene to watch the Rose Bowl with my family. My dad went to U of Wisconsin, so he was really disappointed with the outcome. They also went to the last basketball game at Mac Court. Josh was impressed that the Duck rocked out on the drum set.

We really are blessed with wonderful family and friends. 2010 was pretty rough, but I have faith things will get better in 2011.