Temple Day!!!

May 26th was a very very busy day for us!  A few months ago my friend Kristen got engaged to her then boyfriend Mark and set the wedding date as May 26th at the Portland Temple around late morning.  Interestingly enough our friends TJ and Jasmine (who had been engaged for over a year and finally got the right approval from the Switzerland and US governments for her to come over here as a US citizen) also set their date for May 26th at the Portland Temple early afternoon.  And I was asked to be a bridesmaid and Reed was asked to be a groomsman! 

While Reed and I were planning out the day we decided that we might as well go super early and do a session of our own.  I was super excited because it would be my second time through the temple and my first time at a different temple!

The day of the 26th we left early and got to the temple without any problems thanks to help from our GPS Unit named Magellan [pronounced Mag-uh-Lynn] (not to be confused with the brand name Magellan...haha).  We checked in and the temple guy said "Welcome to the temple Sister Jacobsen" and I about peed my pants with excitement about being called Sister Jacobsen!  The session was fabulous and I really did quite well. Reed was very helpful and supportive and it felt amazing to be there with him. 

While in the locker room I noticed my friend Kristen getting ready for her sealing.  I went over and congratulated her....she looked super pretty and excited although she admitted to being super stressed out at the moment.  I was glad to see her! 

Back outside we had our lunch of cheese sticks, apples, and goldfish crackers while waiting for the wedding party to show up. 

TJ and Jasmine's sealing was wonderful....it reminded me of Reed's and mine so I naturally started crying.  I don't think I'll EVER be able to see a sealing without getting a little misty eyed.  =)  Afterward, Sister Bentley came up to us and said "you two are positively glowing!  I know you can't wait to be married too" and then we had to admit we are an old married couple now.  But it was nice to know that we are still glowing!  haha

Back outside the temple we stood around for pictures.  Reed and Tony Vetter were the groomsmen that attended and they had a bunch of fun chatting and clowning for pictures.  Tony's wife Natalie brought a camera so she was able to record some of the antics.  There were a lot of people speaking German because all of Jasmine's family came from Switzerland.  So every once in a while someone would be speaking and I'd be focusing really hard on what they were saying and then Reed would be like "that's not English". 

Our favorite part of the ring ceremony later that evening back in Olympia was when the ring bearer, who's like five years old managed to have the juiciest sneeze on the rings.  Then he wiped his nose with his hand and then placed that hand in TJ's hand.  I looked over at Reed and we both were busting up laughing!

We managed to get to both receptions (TJ and Jasmine's and Mark and Kristen's) before the night was over.  By the time we got home we were exhausted but really happy with how the day went.  A day dedicated to the temple is really a good day.  We can't wait to go back!