As we descended Mayflower and into the outskirts of Park City, the dancer and designer spotted these beauties coasting the blissfully blue skies.  Three soaring hot air balloons, symbolic of the amazing morning ahead of us.

If you haven’t got your tickets to the Draper Temple Open House yet, go get them!  You won’t want to miss it…promise.

It was a special day: wonderful friends, a birthday girl, first temple visit with our entire family…

If you’ve not gone yet, the organization is a bit different than the other temple Open Houses I’ve been to (Las Vegas, Vernal, Timpanogos, & Snowflake).  Depending on your ticket reservations, you are to report to a nearby chapel, wait, watch a short presentation about Temples, wait some more, let the kiddos run out their energy in the Cultral Hall, wait, and pray that the buses at your designated chapel are making it up the hillside to the temple.

Our buses broke down before we boarded them.  🙂

Life with toddlers requires preparation:

• diapers, wipes & pull-ups
• sippy cups
• a picnic lunch
• books & music for the road (Signing Time soundtracks)

and a schedule of events

• fhe about going to the temple
• informing the kiddos about the chapel, movie, & bus ride prior to visiting the temple
• wearing blue booties inside the temple

Basically, preparing for smooth sailing. 

But the bus break down?  Now what?  The kiddos wouldn’t hold out much longer.  Lesa spoke to one of the organizers in our chapel who pointed out that “they weren’t turning anyone away.”  In other words, “Don’t tell them that I told you, but with your 6 toddlers and babies, just drive up there and tell them what happened.”  So we did. 

There were some tears when we did not get to ride “Lewis’ Bus,” but we managed to pass another bus broke down half way up the hill and explain our situation to the parking guy.  We could see the typical tents, but didn’t know where to go.  We asked another Open House helper who also didn’t know where the “start” was, but took us to the handicapped entrance.  “You’re kinda handicapped when you have all these little ones,”  he observed. 🙂

Our helper knocked on the large grey door and in we went.  It was wonderful.  The boys thought it was an incredible maze at first as they followed the plastic runway (no, there were no blue booties).  Gradually, we all settled down and enjoyed the various rooms, artwork, and our favorite rooms: the Celestial Room (“Jesus’ favorite room”), and a sealing room (where we were able to sit and listen to a little bit about temple covenants and the marriage ceremony. 

I especially enjoyed seeing artwork of Linda Curley Christensen, (from nearbyWallsburg), and the endowment room she and the Midway Art Association Members painted (the mountain view of the lake from the forest).

Outside, we took pictures with the newest lds temple and enjoyed a picnic lunch, as the kiddos enjoyed the melting snow…

Even now, my spirit soars like a hot air balloon, as I recall the beautiful experience…one to be remembered for years to come.