in the shade of the temple.

Today I made a little trip out to the LDS distribution center. It's location only a stones throw away from the center of Mesa, right there in the shadow of the temple. I pulled my three little children out of the car and explained to them that this was kind of like a church building we were going into, and they needed to behave, code word for be reverent. (Hey, it's a church operated building)

They sat very quietly reading the Friend issues piled on the waiting table while I purchased the goods my husband was desperately needing. A woman walked in and told me that my children were so well behaved. I smiled, thinking about how Carter blew a raspberry at me yesterday, and then screamed that I was a "MEAN SKUNK!" I thanked the woman, winked at the kids and then grabbed my bag and skedaddled out of there before they started running a-muck around the small quiet room. Blessings.


We walked out into the mild Arizona heat, and I opened the door for my angels (today) to climb into the car. There was a reflection of the temple on the car window, and it warmed me. I looked at my watch. It was only 3:15 and we didn't really have anywhere else we needed to be at that moment. I buckled the baby in his seat, and watched the older two slip their restraints into place.

"You guys," I said after they turned to see why mom was still staring at them instead of in the car starting the air conditioner, "how would you like to go over and walk around the temple?"

They brightened, and so did I, so I climbed in and drove across the street to the temple parking lot. I grabbed our two water bottles (a must have for every errand in Arizona) the Ensign and Friend that I had just purchased, and pulled my little sweaty darlings out of the car.

And we spent the rest of the afternoon meandering along the walkways, putting our fingers in the spray from the sprinklers, looking at the carvings on the side, watching the water shoot back and forth in the fountain, the birds dance on the ground, reading articles from the friend and sitting in the shade of the temple. I took photos. We were all happy. And my children were slightly subdued. It was peaceful, reverent. It made me a better mom. Thursday afternoon is peaceful at the temple. Just a few old ladies carrying their bags in for a session, and one old man with a cane who told me my family was beautiful.

And we talked about why we go to the temple, and whose house it is, and why we need to live the right way so we can go inside. And we talked about how our family started in the temple. How, being married there meant we get to be a family forever. That no matter what happens we are a family.

And Hannah looked up at me and said, "And we don't ever have to be afraid, because no matter what happens, we'll always be a family."

And she was right. There is nothing to fear if we stay close to our covenants, if we stay close to the temple.

We are safe in the shade of the temple.