Travel Log - Faith in Every Footstep

We find ourselves nearing the end of April having successfully had 7 temple experiences.  Though the temple experience is the highlight of the trip, the travel to the temple has been enjoyable and memorable.  The furthest north we have been is Bountiful and to the south St. George.  In the process of our travels we have went 1341 miles.  To put that in perspective, that would be like going from  Salt Lake City, UT to Chicago, IL (hello President Obama).   We have traveled through 10 counties,   29 Cities (Lawrence, Huntington, Price, Helper, Spring Glen, Spanish Fork, Springville, Provo, Orem, Lindon, American Fork, Lehi, Salt Lake, Bountiful, Clawson, Ferron, Emery, Salina, Gunnison, Manti, Richfield, Monroe, Joseph, Beaver, Parowan, Cedar City, Kanarraville, Washington, and St. George.)

Also rewarding from these trips are the people that we get to see and spend time with.  We have been able to see old friends and spend time with family.  This also includes the crazy trucker that followed us on Highway 6 and the many friendly Utah drivers that pack the I - 15.  

The fine dining that comes from these trips would make your lips smack (or maybe even have a heart attack).  Cafe Rio, Wendy's (drive through), Panda Express, and snacks in Gas stations top this list.

To compare such travels to those of the early saints crossing the plains would be impossible and should never be set side by side, for the comforts that we have and enjoy are merely the fruits of those faithful saints.  But as we travel the state in the comforts of our Dodge Durango one can't help but think of the sacrifice and toil the saints endured.  For each mile we travel we are grateful for every faithful footstep that those saints imprinted for our benefit.  It is in their footsteps that we desire to follow, not the roads and highways that get us to the temple.

Temple Trip #7 - Provo Temple

In the church we do a lot of things in "two's".  Companionships on the mission are in "two's". Home and Visiting teachers go out in pairs.  Pinewood derbies take two to make the winning (most of the time). Two counselors are assigned in a presidency, and at least two people do their home teaching each month!  It was this memory of "two's" that entered my mind as we entered the Provo temple on Friday April 17th.  My early recollection of the Provo temple is going there weekly with Elder Clark, my MTC companion.  These were great and sacred experiences but entering the Provo temple this time with my "eternal companion" was more rewarding and more enjoyable.  Joining us in the session to our surprise and delight were the Fauvers from our ward (it being ward temple night).

"Sister Pollastro's" MTC experience included temple trips with her companion but found that it had different scenery (Sao Paulo Brazil).

Making this experience possible were my brother Scott and his wife Janice who willing sacrificed a date night Friday night to watch Parker.  Scott threatened to have Parker crawling by the time we came back and seemed to look enough like me to trick Parker into not crying for the whole time.  Mckenna was singing us praises as it allowed her to stay awake later so that she could play with Parker.

Miles: This up and back trip tacked on another 169 miles.  Thanks to some sour worms we survived a late night trip arriving home shortly after midnight.

Temple Trip #6 - Bountiful Temple

Friday April 10-Saturday April 11

Easter celebrates the Savior conquering death and triumphantly declares His power to save and to heal.  Evidence of this can be found within the walls of Holy Temples which stand as a witness of the Living Christ that boldly declare that families are forever.  Traditionally I would spend my Easters hunting for colored eggs and anxiously await the arrival of the Easter bunny.  Not neglecting tradition but adding to the spirit of Easter was a trip to the Bountiful Temple.  We decided to do sealings together.  It was a wonderful experience where we could reflect on what our marriage means to us and the covenants that we have made.  This marked the first time since Parker was born that we have been able to do sealings.  The previous time Melissa knelt across the altar pregnant.  While Parker was in mom's stomach on the previous trip, this time he was in the watchful care of Grandma and Grandpa, eager cousins, and aunts and uncles.  In each case it reminded us of the importance of being born in the covenant and the reality of eternal families made possible by the glorious Resurrection and atonement that we celebrated this weekend.

In the spirit of family we spent the remainder of the night celebrating Carson and Christian's birthdays at the "Blue Iguana".  It was fun to be with family and to create memories.

Saturday April 11

The "family fun" wasn't complete without participating in the MS walk in downtown Salt Lake.  Parker's MS experience was more of a "stroll" with Grandpa Carl.  Right after the MS walk we had lunch with Brittany at "Rumbi's" and stopped and visited Scott, Janice, McKenna, and Spencer before returning home after this whirlwind family tour.  But hey, isn't that what Easter is all about anyway?

Total Miles: 318 Miles

Temple Trip #5 - St. George Temple - Saturday March 28th

For our fifth temple trip we headed south where our temple trips ultimately began.  It was like taking a step back in time to a time when Melissa and I were dating.  If my memory serves me right we would do a session together early on a Saturday morning and I would wait patiently on the temple grounds waiting for Melissa to complete her temple work assignment in the temple.  It was during these moments outside the temple that visions of temple marriage lingered in my mind as I anxiously wondered if such revelations were occurring to Melissa.  No doubt these trips brought much peace and stress.  It's funny how revelation is a two way street.

Four plus years later we see a different scene.  On the scene is now an 8 month old son and grandparents  who graciously accepted the opportunity to stroll Parker all over St. George occasionally stopping to watch a baseball game or other sights around town.(This peaceful stroll came as a result of Parker's not knowing who was pushing him.  No discredit to grandma and grandpa but Parker is a "mama's boy".)  The weather was beautiful as signs of spring were evident all around us.  Gone were the stresses of the dating scene and all that awaited us was a peaceful session within the walls of the Lord's house.

A trip to the St. George temple is never complete without a visit to the outlets and shopping.  Lunch at Panda Express and some shopping bags completed a successful and rewarding trip to Utah's dixie.  

 

Total miles: 510 Round trip

Travel highlights:  Melissa throwing up in car 3 times on the way home.  Going through a wind storm and a snow storm.  Changing Parker on the drivers seat as he tried to hang like a possum from the steering wheel!

Temple Trip #4 - Draper Temple Dedication via Castle Dale Utah

Temple in Castle Dale?  Not as of yet but for one day we felt as if that were the case.  After spending much time discussing and finalizing logistics for a babysitter we were fortunate to have our great friends the Jeffs watch Parker as we participated in the Draper Temple dedication.  It was nice to join our neighbors and friends right here at home for this sacred experience.  In the spirit of responding to President Monson's request to always remember this experience we will forever remember this experience as one where we felt to rededicate our lives to living a Christlike life.

To top off the experience the Jeffs treated us to some tin roof ice cream.

Miles traveled:  4

Temple Babysitter - Oh so close!!!!

One of the great challenges of getting to the temple just might be finding a babysitter.  It isn't due to the fact that there aren't any willing, its the parents willing to give their son to somebody else.  So after a few successful babysitting experiences we ventured twice to get young women in the ward to baby sit for us as we went to the Manti temple this month.  When success seemed eminent something came up or in Melissa's case literally came up (from her stomach) that prevented us from having a couple of more temple experiences.  Despite these few setbacks we continue to muster up enough courage to continue to ask for babysitters, though at this point it feels as if we are the boy that cried wolf.  All in all we are grateful for willing babysitters who are eager to serve.

Temple Trip #3 - Draper Temple Open House

Valentines was appropriately spent where Love has no bounds and where families are eternal.  This Valentines was spent with Devin's parents, his brother Scott and his daughter McKenna.  This trip also was Parker's first temple experience.  Feeling of the solace and serenity of the temple and having seen the baptistry, Parker was soon fast asleep in the stroller he "borrowed" from his cousin McKenna.  Truly he is already catching the spirit of the temple!  This trip was highlighted by watching a video at a nearby church building and a bus trip up to the temple.  Being in this house of the Lord led to awe and wonder at the beautiful paintings, murals, and wood work that filled the temple.  The Celestial room left us with a sense of wonder and amazement at the beauty and reality of eternal families.  The completion of the open house taunted sugarless parents with refreshments in the cultural hall of a nearby church.  Luckily for us they also had water.

Just waiting and waiting...

Wahoo!  No car seat!

Preparing for future temple trips!

 

One happy family!

The trip was only complete with a Valentines shopping trip and a night with our friends Chris & Ali, Dan & Laura, and Emily.

Total Miles:  190 Miles