Friday: Parasailing and Laie Temple

Friday morning Greg and Susan watched our kids so we could go parasailing with Adam's youngest brother, Bryan.  

Adam going up!

Diamond Head as seen from the boat

Honolulu, HI

Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous at all before going up, and as it turns out, there was absolutely nothing to be nervous about, anyway.  Parasailing was much less of a thrill ride than I expected it would be.  It was sort of like being on a playground swing, just several hundred feet in the air.  It was really calm up there, though, not fast or crazy like I expected it would be.  But the view, as expected, was phenomenal.  I'm really glad we went; it's something I can check off my life to-do list, but I probably wouldn't pay to do it again.

Later that afternoon, we saw a beautiful rainbow over the ocean.  Again, photos can just never do it justice.

Friday night Doug and Heather, along with two girls who are students at BYU-H, came to the house and babysat all sixteen kids so all the adults could attend a temple session together.  Talk about a great way to end a trip to Hawaii.  Wow.  It was pretty special to be in the temple with Adam's parents, all of his brothers, and all of their spouses.  Adam and I don't go to the temple too often together at home--we take turns so we don't have to get a babysitter for the kids.  So it was great to have that time together, particularly in the Celestial Room where we were able to discuss specific spiritual promptings we had received.
I also absolutely loved sitting together with my mother-in-law and my four sisters-in-law, all dressed in white.  I am so grateful for them and the women and mothers that they are.  One of the things I miss the very most about living in Utah is the time after Sunday night dinner at G&G Marchant's home, sitting in the living room and chatting with all the Marchant women.  I love Adam's brothers--they are collectively among the best men I have ever known--and they are all matched by amazing women.  It was a wonderful privilege to be with them in the temple.  It was the pinnacle of a most memorable week.

I had hoped to get a picture of all of us together at the temple, but it didn't happen.  :(  We were in a hurry on our way in (getting out of a house filled with our collective 16 children on time is much easier said than done!), and after our session some of us stayed for a sealing session, while others went home.  So we didn't get a photo.  But, regardless, I will always remember what a special night we had.