Something You Don't See Everyday

Due to technical difficulties, and the fact that I had other stuff to do today, this post was written on a different date than it was posted.  The original words I have written are unchanged.

So Sunday was my birthday.  It was awesome.  I went to my mom's to share my birthday cake and drop off two of my children for a sleep over.  But Monday and today (okay, well, technically it is the 13th, but I haven't gone to bed, yet.  So let's pretend it is still the 12th) were better.  Let's start with Monday.  Because Monday came before today.
Monday, I got up insanely early.  5:00 a.m.  I woke Riley up insanely early also.  5:51 a.m.  We got ourselves ready for the day, and headed to Camp Fife with the other kids and leaders in our Wolf and Bear dens.  What a freaking fun day!  There was BMX bike riding, rock climbing, craft, zip line, nature walk, lunch, a visit to the trading post, bb guns, and archery!  The only thing I didn't do was the bike riding.  Those bikes were just too small for my giant body. :D  Riley didn't want to go on the bike ride, so we convinced him to go with the Bear leader.  He got on the bike, and she held onto it while they went together.  It was awesome.  I think he was afraid of going over the small hills and the twists and turns in of the course.  When he was done, he realized it wasn't so bad.  The other thing he was afraid to do was the zip line.  I asked him if I did, it would he do it, too.  He pinkie swore, and when I was done getting pictures of all our boys going, I went up to put on my harness and have a go.  Seriously.  So fun.  Riley did it, and later told me he wished he hadn't waited so long to go, so that he could have gone more.  He only got to do it once because our time at the zip line station was almost over by the time he went up there.  He got himself a pocket knife at the Trading Post.  He was really excited.  After Camp Fife was over, I took Riley to Grandma's on the way back home.  He was jealous of his brother's getting to sleep over, so I arranged for them all to sleep over one more night.  As we left town, I drove the rest of the boys in my car past the temple being built.  They seemed quite intrigued by the idea of a temple in the process of being built.  I think it was good for them to see it.  After I got home, I got ready for my date with Kurtis.  We went to dinner and a movie.  We saw Super 8.  I will have to review it for you later, but I really enjoyed it.

 My birthday presents from Kurtis and the boys. :D

 Yes.  Yes, I did set off the smoke alarm. :)

 BMX bike course.  Go, Riley!

Riley and the rock wall.

 Riley enjoyed the craft.

He was nervous to jump, so he sat down and slid off.

 Wheeeeee!

 

Our awesome Wolfs and Bears!

Checking the sights.

 I hit the target twice!

 "Pull your elbow back far enough that you hit my hand."

Riley only shot the arrows once.  After that, he was done, and spent the rest of the time explaining the game Minecraft to one of the Venture scouts.

 I have excellent form.

Check out my target.  Not bad for not having done that for about 20 years.

Today was really awesome as well.  I drove back to my mom's house to pick up the boys and take them to see something you don't get to see every day.  They put the Angel Moroni on the top spire of the Brigham City temple.  It was quite the experience for me.  When I got to my mom's the boys said they didn't want to go.  I said, "Fine.  I don't want to make you."  I was actually kind of disappointed.  This is an amazing thing happening in the place where I grew up.  I don't think I will ever get to see something like this again, and it's quite likely that my children won't either.  But I went with out them any way.  My mom dropped me off and left me to go walk down the street by myself.  She wanted to go to a nearby church building to watch due to the pouring rain.  As I was walking down the street, I saw an old friend that I haven't seen in years.  It was so fun to catch up with her for a few minutes.  But I really wanted to be closer to the action, so I said farewell, and went on my way.  The rain soon stopped, and I closed my umbrella.  As I got nearer to the temple, I could see the statue of the Angel Moroni hooked to its crane.  I almost burst into tears at the sight of it.  It was a reaction I wasn't expecting.  I guess I still can't believe it is happening.
My brother, Rodney came up to see it as well, and so we found each other, and sat together to watch.  But it was too windy.  They took a crane up to test the wind, and the ropes hanging from the bottom were flying at a near 90 degree angle.  That's just far too dangerous.  So we waited some more.  The original schedule was that the angel would be placed on the temple spire at 12:00 p.m., but they weren't able to put it up until 2:00.  Rodney and I killed time by talking about anything and everything.  You know, that is what is so awesome about Rodney.  He has this way of making you feel at ease.  Like you could tell him anything, and your secret is safe with him.  He's very non-judgmental that way.
Then the sun came out, and the wind died enough, and the heat sat on us, threatening to smother us, so we hid under my umbrella again.  It felt like we were in a really small nylon tent, and my legs are so sunburned right now.  They feel like they are really close to an electric heater, and I can't turn around and warm up the other side or move myself further back so the radiant heat isn't so intense.
It was worth waiting for.

 The men are going up in the crane to check the wind.

 I walked down the street and suddenly, I saw him.

 After waiting two hours, they finally started to lift him in the air.

A shot of both cranes.

 

 

They almost have him.

 He is facing east.

 

The men go down for a minute.

 He is majestic.

 

Here, they are putting something inside the statue.  It looks like a really long caulking gun.

 Later, as I was driving to rehearsal, I looked up at the spires and saw that a ball had also been placed on the other spire.  I didn't see that happen.

What an amazing day.  

The temple should be completed in late 2012.