Trip to SLC

We made our annual trip to Utah a few weeks ago. What a beautiful place Temple Square is at Christmas time. It was short time, but we were able to see everything we wanted to. We even had snow!

We went to This is The Place monument and were able to walk through the little town that they have built up there. Emma even got in some snowballs!





On Sunday we were able to go to the Spoken Word. Kendall, my dad and the boys were able to be in the conference center with the choir while the taping was happening for the actual broadcast, while Emma and I were in the conference center theatre.



After the broadcast we went over to Temple Square and took some pictures.





I can't think of a better place to be to start the Christmas season than with my family on Temple Square at Christmas time. What a wonderful spirit you feel on Temple Square.




Here is part of the talk written by Lloyd D Newell at the Spoken Word:

" At this festive time of year, we go to great lenths to assure that we have a happy holiday. Family traditions take on special meaning as we prepare favorit foods, light candles, hang ornaments on the Christmas tree, and sing the carols of the season. We do all this because we want to have a "good" Christmas. But how do we really judge theq uality of our celebration? We might consider the cost and number of gifts we give or recive. We could compare our elaborate decorations with those of our neighbors. Is our Nativity scene larger than the one down the street? Does our Chirstmas tree have more lights? Or maybe we could judge the quality of our Chirstmas by things that are harder to measure but more important. Do our friends and family feel remembered, included, and cared about? Are gifts lovingly given withou exceeding the spending limits on credit cards? Is the focus only on fun or on the real meaning of the season? Successful holidays are determined not by the size and expense of the production but by the little things that may even go unnoticed - the light in the eyes of a child as he wraps a homemade present, the smile and laughter of one who is often lonely, the joy of lovingly seving someone in need. When the material gifts are worn out and forgotten the memories of love and the feelings of joy will still be cherished."