One of the special things we get to do with our sweet daughter now that she is 12, is take her to the Temple to perform baptisms for the dead by proxy. When I was growing up, you only were able to go once or twice a year with your youth group. Now the youth are able to have recommends for any time they are able to go. Combine that with living just 3 minutes away from the temple, and this is a lovely activity that we will be able to do so often!
We took Olivia up one day after school. The most beautiful thing about the whole experience was how quiet and peaceful and warm it all felt. All the noise – the literal and figurative noise – of the world fell away, and we were able to have these slow, peaceful, beautiful moments with our daughter. I felt that Heaven must be like that – just beautiful and peaceful, all the time.
After going to the temple, we went to the top of the hill to get treats at a little diner up there. But then we realized neither one of us had brought a wallet. So we went back down the hill, swung by home, and then went up to Einsteins for hot chocolate.