Brigham City Temple

I keep experiencing events that I thought would never happen on earth with Cannon.  As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints it is my ultimate goal to enter into the temple and continue to remain worthy to return often. I was blessed to go to the temple over 12 years ago to make sacred covenants and I have received the blessing of eternal families by the holy sealing power of a celestial marriage.


{Kent and I in front of the Salt Lake Temple Nov. 21, 2000}
               



As a parent it is my prayer that each of my children will find testimonies of their own to make the choices that will bring them to the temple when they are old enough.  Knowing Cannon will never reach that age means that going inside a temple while on earth would not be a possibility for him.  While we were in Utah a few weeks ago, they just finished building the Brigham City Temple and were conducting the open house which allows members and non-members to tour the temple and learn more about what happens inside.  I was so honored to be able to stand in the Celestial room with my  family and feel the special spirit of the truthfulness that I will be with my children and my husband for eternity because of the love of my Heavenly Father and the blessings of the temple.

To see a slideshow of pictures click here~ Temple Pictures.

To learn more about temples click here ~ Temples

First day at Pioneer

Ella was a bit more enthused (and awake) than Ethan was to pose for pictures.  Happy First day of school!

Ethan and Ella both at the same school this year.  What a relief on the driving schedule.

 Cannon thoroughly enjoyed the quiet hours at home just the two of us.

Dental Check Up

Do I really dare admit that at Ethan and Ella's back to school check ups resulted in finding cavities for both of them? Oh boy- luckily we have a good dentist!

Robbins Family Reunion

Now that the kids are back in school and we are back on some kind of schedule, I'm finally getting caught up on my summer pictures.  This reunion happened in June.

My Grandpa Wes and Grandma Faye Robbins legacy.




This is my grandparents house that I have so many fond childhood memories.  The new owners have made the carport into a closed in room now.  It was weird to walk around the yard and see how much the house had shrunk since I was a little girl.  I also noticed that Grandpa's workshop out back had become significantly closer to the house because when I was little, the walk from the carport to the workshop was a very long one. :)

This wagon was always a fun one to make believe and play on with my cousins.  Sometimes it was a carriage taking us to the ball, other times it was a pirate ship and you couldn't fall out or the electric eels would get you.  So many fun memories made here. 

 This is me on the same wagon when I was probably just a little younger than Ella.

This is the house that my family lived in when I was born. Camille gave me the tour, since I was not old enough to have any memories of my own before we moved to another house.  It was fun to hear all the interesting details she remembered.  

We had a great "Jr. Rodeo" at my cousins beautiful ranch.  They thought of every detail and everyone had a wonderful time!!

Ella had fun meeting and building bonds with her second cousins.

 We went to the "Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum" to see some items that had been donated by my grandma and my great grandma.

Uncle Greg having fun with the kids because sometimes museums aren't super exciting for very long for the kids.

 This is the Ashley Community Park where I used to play- obviously they have updated it with some better play sets since I was little.

 We then went to take flowers to Grandpa and Grandma's graves since they are the reason we get to be thankful and enjoy our wonderful relationships we have with our family.  Two of my nieces were born on my grandma's birthday (two different years) and my grandma passed away on my birthday so each of those dates have a special meaning.

 The Dinosaur Museum has had some serious growth since I last visited.  Unfortunately we had such a fun filled day that we only had 10 minutes at the museum before closing.  I hope to be able to go back to Vernal and show my kids the whole museum someday.  We only were allowed to walk through the outdoor gardens- but hey, we got to see T Rex!

After going down memory lane, we gathered back together for a delicious dinner before family had to start making their way homes.  I am so glad we were able to make it to the reunion. It's great that even though we don't have the chance to get together often with extended family, it is a blessing to know that we all love each other and hope the best for everyone. 

One of the neatest things to show the kids was the Vernal Temple which had been transformed from the old Stake Tabernacle.  Most of my siblings, and I were blessed in the Vernal tabernacle.  I was lucky enough to go through the open house before the dedication in 1997 and my grandma Robbins lived long enough to see the inside of the temple just before she passed away. 

At the dedication of the Uintah Stake Tabernacle on August 24, 1907, President Joseph F. Smith's words would prove prophetic when he said he "would not be surprised if the day would come when a temple would be built in your own midst here." 

As you can see from the pictures, they added a second dome when they made it into a temple.

Reflecting

Today I went to visit a friend at the hospital in Yakima.  As I pulled in, I had a wave of memories come over me from the last time I pulled into the parking lot.  I was nearing my second trimester of my pregnancy with Cannon.  I had been on bed rest because of the bleeding I was having.  I was going to the hospital to meet with a doctor from Seattle to review our ultrasound results regarding Cannon's precarious condition.  I remember Laura being with Kent and I since she was helping us out while I had been on bed rest.  The three of us were led into a small conference room and we were seating around the table to wait for the doctor.  It seemed like a very long time before he came in, and yet I remember thinking I didn't have enough time to collect my thoughts before we were told the results from the ultrasound.  It was then that he proceeded to tell me that I no longer needed to be on bed rest because my body would naturally abort the pregnancy if that is what was to happen once my body realized the fetus wasn't healthy.  I understand the medical side of it, and I am amazed that our bodies do know when something isn't right and can usually take care of things on its own.  I have also come to the understanding that this is a very personal and individual experience and that it is not just black and white. I'm not saying that I would never have another child but I am also not saying that I would have another child without heavily considering the life a Menkes child has to endure.  In this case, all I heard was that if this baby isn't perfect, it's not worth working so hard to keep it alive.  As I walked into the hospital today, carrying my little Cannon in my arms I thought, "I would love to see that doctor today and show him Cannon."  It was then that I had the realization that not everyone would see Cannon's life as a success.  Maybe to that doctor he would see me bring Cannon in and think, "I knew that things would've been better off if her body would've naturally aborted."  My heart was pricked in thinking that maybe some would see me as a selfish mom that wanted her baby here at all cost.  I was immediately reassured that Cannon is exactly how he is supposed to be.  He is exactly WHO he is supposed to be.  I am so very thankful that my body knew what needed to happen to fight to keep this fragile little baby alive to be a crucial part of our family.  Cannon has been the light in our lives that we never could have imagined.  Kent, me, Ethan and Ella are better for having the tender blessing of being in constant contact with a true angel on earth.  We have come so far in the last three years since that appointment and I am so thankful that I have the honor of being chosen to be his mom.