This last Friday Todd and I had the pleasure of going to the temple with my parents and Holly & Seth.   Todd was so exhausted from his trip that week in Washington that he and I opted to do the shorter sealing session that evening.  I called Dad to let him know what we were doing and not to expect us in the regular session, he understood and I asked if he had any family names he wanted us to do.  He said that he had like 16 or so but that they were promised to their Ward who was planning a group sealing session later in the month.

After I hung up the phone Todd laughed and said, “Your mother will never stand for it.  I bet she makes your Dad do the sealing session with us so that she can be with you.”

I said, “Well, Dad seemed pretty set on doing a full session.”

And sure enough, who do I get a call from not an hour later?  Dad saying that they would all be joining us in the sealing session!  Hahahahahha  Point Todd.

We went to the temple that evening and got settled into the session.  Dad even brought his names in saying that, “It was fine. The Ward has plenty to do.”  (Tee Hee)

I would like to take a moment to say that I never intended on them joining us in the sealing and that what transpired was not some orchestrated event to get my way for the evening.  Now moving on…

Holly had never done sealings before at the temple so it was a new exciting experience for her to relive her own wedding promises on behalf of her own ancestors.

(For my nonmember loved ones – Temple sealings are an LDS ordinance performed in the temple eternally uniting a husband and wife, or children and their parents.  In our church we believe in eternal families under the sealing powers of the priesthood. And that work can be done vicariously for our ancestors so that we are all sealed as a family forever in the hereafter.  Its a beautiful thing to have your family forever and ever!)

So its Holly and Seth’s turn to be proxy and Dad and Todd are acting as witnesses.  As Lacy (the sealer and old friend of the family) begins he seals the first couple on the family file cards for time and all eternity.  And then pulls a second card from the stack.

Mom says she looked over at lacy as he said, “Oh this one going to be special.”  I didn’t hear him say that but I did hear Dad and looked over as I saw him reach for the card and say, ” That’s my Mom and Dad.”

He had no idea that day that that card was in the stack of sealing ordinances to do.  In fact he thought the sealing had already been done.  And so with tears in our eyes we watched my little sister (Who wears the ring belonging to the very woman she was doing the proxy for – our Grandma Walker) in her wedding band, and her new husband act as proxy being sealed for all eternity on behalf of Dad’s parents.  It was such a beautiful moment, words can’t quite express.

When I think about the events leading up to that night.  And how we decided to go to the temple spur of the moment the day before.  And how Todd was too tired to go through a full session.  And how Dad had already promised the names for someone else to do the work but changed his mind not even remembering whose names were contained within those cards.  How it happened to be Holly and Seth turn as proxy, and Holly’s first time ever doing sealings, and her wearing our Grandmother’s ring.  All leading up to this incredible experience, I stand in complete awe.