A Special Anniversary

Today is the 9th Anniversary of the dedication of the Kona Temple! This past Tuesday, I attended the temple session that our ward was assigned to and was reminded of our experiences 9 years ago. Allow me to ramble a bit!

The temple had an open house for several days prior to the dedication. We had a baby due Feb 1st, so Shan and I had little to no assignments for the festivities. January 12th was the first day of the open house - a day for the VIPs (mayor, county council, local doctors and attorneys) to walk through the building. We took Teagan and Talmage for this first chance to see inside, and on the way out, a friend asked when our baby was due and if it was soon. With 3 weeks to go, I jumped up and down in the parking lot, saying, "This baby's not coming!" We all laughed.

The next morning, about 10am, my water broke. But I didn't really go into labor - I think I was telling my body that I had to wait and for once, it was obedient! 18 hours later, after getting really mad that I wasn't progressing as quickly as I had for Talmage (2 hours, start to finish!), Taggart was finally born! After no sleep and no eating for so long, I was completely wiped out. But the adventure was just beginning. Taggart was safe, but the placenta would not detach, so I was losing blood too quickly. The doctor tried 2 medications and tried to pull it out, but to no avail. She outlined for Shan (and a really dopey me) the 6 steps she would use, the first two already utilized.

Through sleep deprivation and drugs, I remember a couple of things clearly -- if the 6 things were tried and didn't work, then I would die; and second, I told Shan that his blessing didn't work. (Please don't EVER give me demerol again!) With that, they wheeled me off for emergency surgery and left Shan (also sleep deprived) holding an hour-old baby, wondering if I would ever return. I know he had the hard part, worrying and wondering what was next as I fell blissfully asleep. After an hour, I was back in recovery, with step #3 having worked. I was really pale with a low crit for weeks, but I was alive!

The doctor wanted to keep me in the hospital after all the trauma, but allowed me to go home after I promised that I really would stay home and not do anything. I was so glad to get home where Shan pampered me and his mom fed me really well! Taggart was a dream baby, quiet and a pretty good sleeper! I think I gave prayers of thanks every hour for weeks, that I had been allowed to stay and be the mom to Teag, Talm and Tag and the wife to Shan. I knew that if my time on earth was finished, the Lord had had the opportunity to take me home, so He must not have been through with me! I also apologized to Shan for showing a lack of faith under the influence of drugs -- the blessing he had given me HAD worked -- I WAS just fine.

Nine days after Taggart' entry to the world was the temple dedication. I still had not left my house, but there was NOTHING that was going to keep me from being there outside the temple for the cornerstone ceremony. We arrived early and brought a blanket for me to sit on. I may have walked slowly, with Shan carrying Taggart and holding on to me, but I was there. I found a spot at the base of a palm tree and just sat there, holding Taggart, while Shan kept up with Teagan and Talmage (age 7 and nearly 5).

President Hinckley, Elder Packer, and Elder Hallstrom were the dignitaries of the day. They came out from the temple to lay the cornerstone shortly after the dedication session had begun. President Hinckley asked for a couple of young children to come help him put mortar in at the cornerstone. Teagan was summoned to be one of the children, and Talmage did what little brothers do: he followed his big brother! They each got a moment to talk to the prophet:

GBH: What's your name?

TKJN: Teagan.

GBH: Teagan? Well, who took your teeth?! (Teagan had his front teeth missing for 3 years!)

Then Talmage had his turn:

GBH: What's your name?

TISN: Talmage.

GBH: Talmage? That's quite a distinguished name!

Shan's sister Jill was in a perfect spot to capture the moment with Teagan and Talmage being helped by President Boyd K. Packer and Elder Donald Hallstrom as they placed mortar there. Then, Teag and Talm triumphantly returned to me and Shan.

The crowd outside the temple took quite a while to disperse. No one wanted to leave! They just wanted to soak in the Spirit.

We have so many cherished pictures of that day. I will post a couple of them once I can find the software to install our scanner on this computer. My gratitude was augmented the next day when we got to attend the 2nd dedication session. Shan was in the bishopric at the time, so Shan and I got to be in the celestial room, just 20 feet away from President Hinckley. WOW. That's the only way to describe it!

So this week always reminds me of how blessed I am: I get to be the mom to 6 great kids, the wife to a wonderful man, and we have a temple of the Lord just 8 miles away! Not many people are here who were there for the temple groundbreaking, or there the day that the Angel Moroni went up on top, or there for the cornerstone and dedication, but we have been here for it all! What a blessing!