Tonight my kids and I had the opportunity to attend a wedding reception at The American West Heritage Center in Wellsville for my cousin Tony Bodily and my other cousin Melissa Pugmire (no, they are not related to each other, it's just a small world...) It was so good to see family members from both sides of my family. I especially enjoyed catching up with Kenny and Teresa as well as Kenny's sister Melanie who came down from Washington-I haven't seen her for a few years and I loved chatting with her and cuddling her baby. My kids had a great time playing with cousins and going on numerous wagon rides with them. We ended up staying much longer than I had planned and it was nearly dark when we left. I needed to stop and get some bandaids for Kylie who had fallen and scraped her hands and knees so I thought I'd make a quick trip into Walmart-and then it happened. I lost buddy in Walmart!! It isn't the first time he's been "lost" and I'm sure it won't be the last. It seemed like forever although I'm betting it was only 5 or 10 minutes. When I finally found him I was beyond the angry stage and in the scared and sick to my stomach stage. He came from behind a rack of clothes when he "saw the top of my hair" and heard me calling his name. He was pale and shaking and had been crying. The first thing he said was, "mom, I thought you didn't love me anymore so you left me here!" This is the first time I remember him being sad or scared after having wandered away from me (or run away as is usually the case). We hugged tightly, with Kylie in the mix, and I reassured him that I will always love him and that I would never in a million years forget him or leave him behind. We all composed ourselves enough to check out and got in the car to head home.
A few minutes later we came upon the Logan temple-since it was late the lights were on and it was BEAUTIFUL!! Both kids oooh'd and awe'd as we drove around it and buddy said, "mom, that's so beautiful! I want to get married there someday. It's as beautiful as a butterfly. No, it's even more beautiful than that-it's as beautiful as you are, mom!" MELTED my heart! It definitely is a beautiful sight, especially at night when it's all lit up. I remember as a little girl being at my grandma Bodily's and being able to spot the temple through the darkness. It was like a beacon in the dark then, just as it can be now. It symbolizes that none of us are lost or forgotten and that One who loves us more than we can imagine will seal us His as it says in the scriptures. I'm thankful for the peaceful assurance that my family will not be "lost" forever even though some things in this life may separate us for a time. We are bound together through the blessings of the temple, and I plan to do my best to keep the covenants I made there that will allow me to be with my family for eternity.
