Saturday started off a bit shaky. I was supposed to go hiking with a friend but I wasn't feeling well. I was worried the hike we planned on would be too intense while feeling the way I did. But thanks to an awesome friend who knows how to take things in stride, we changed our plans and headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon to one of my favorite spots: Silver Lake. We walked around the lake a couple times and then sat on a bench and talked for awhile. It was a perfect day and was an amazing way to celebrate the beauty of America. I loved every minute of it.
When we decided to head back down the mountain we somehow got stuck right in the middle of a little kiddie parade. I don't mean that we couldn't get out of the parking lot because the parade was in progress, I mean we were actually IN the parade. People were waving at us and everything. It was pretty funny. Thankfully the parade only lasted about 15 minutes and we were out of there in no time. It's not often a person gets to be in a parade! What a way to celebrate America!
That evening I headed to my sister's. We went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple grounds where we sat and watched six different firework shows across the entire valley. Seeing the valley lit up at night is already a beautiful sight, but then to see all those fireworks going off and being reminded once again of how blessed I am to live in this great country was an amazing experience. It was, again, a perfect way to celebrate America.
Here is my sister and me in front of the Qquirrh Mtn. Temple. My sister might not approve of this picture of her, but I loved that there was a firework going off right behind my shoulder.
And this is Sandy's firework show. I love the Jordan River Temple in the picture too! So beautiful!
Sunday started off early with a trip to Salt Lake to see Music and the Spoken Word. My sister, as you know, sings in the choir so I took a friend and enjoyed a half hour of patriotic songs once again celebrating America. There were a couple times where the music was so powerful and the feeling so raw that I literally had to hold my chest to keep my heart from pounding out of it. I love it when the Spirit speaks to me that way; reminding me that I do, in fact, live in a promised land and that America is a nation raised up for the divine purposes of God. When the performance ended I had a hard time leaving. I wanted to sit there forever and just let that feeling soak in.
Much to my pleasant surprise, the roof of the LDS Conference Center was open to the public for an hour (normally it's only open for tour groups). Therefore my friend and I were able to walk around up there and enjoy the beauty and serenity of the fountains, trees and reflecting pools. It never even felt like we were standing on the roof of a building....until we walked to the edge and could see the beauty of the Salt Lake Valley around us. It's hard to describe in words, but, inspiring, breathtaking, peaceful....those words come to mind.
The rest of my Sabbath was spent with family and with me relaxing and contemplating my life and how immensely blessed I feel. My emotions ran very high all weekend and I felt such a powerful love for my family, my friends, my country and my Heavenly Father. The joy and happiness I felt does not compare to any other feeling in the world. It really was the perfect weekend to celebrate the founding of America because my entire life - literally everything about me - starts there.
Happy Birthday America!
3 comments:
Sounds like you made some awesome memories this 4th of July weekend! I like the Jordan River Temple in the picture too! And you look great in the photos on top of the Conference Center. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
It was a great weekend! Thanks so much for the beautiful picture of the quintuple chin! The firework is pretty cool though. :)
Thank you Jenny! I'm glad a few of the pictures we took turned out nicely. :)
And Tricia, you are welcome! That quintuple chin as you like to call it is very attractive. I still can't figure out how you even managed a quintuple chin seeing as you weigh all of 50 pounds. ;)
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