Sealing Day

Today we had the most amazing opportunity to take Ryan Phillip Richards to the temple and have him sealed to us and to have him become our child for eternity. It is amazing to me how special this blessing is in our lives and I am extremely grateful that I have been able to experience my eternal family this way.  I know that it would have been much easier having children born in the covenant, but when you are in the temple being sealed together the difficulty and extra effort are rewarded with the sweetest blessing.

We chose to take Ryan to the Vernal Utah temple to be sealed to us.  We awoke early to travel the 2 1/2 hours there and everyone was in a great mood.  Ryan was very happy and snuggly when he woke and both boys did great on the trip.  At one point they both said Whee for about 5 minutes with Ryan covering his eyes the entire time.  The weather was mild, but the wind was crazy - about 30 miles an hr winds.  Even as we drove home the skies were brown with dust.

We got to the temple and quickly changed the boys and then Grandma Gail and Grandma O took the boys to the Children's room while Steve and I got ready.  In attendance were both of our parents - Grandma and Grandpa O'Dwyer and Grandma Gail and Papa Bill Richards and our bishop and his wife, Bishop Mike and Sister Terri  Nelson.  We are so grateful that they came to support us. We also felt the love of many friends and family that were unable to attend, they sent their love with us.

Before the sealing, Steve and I had the opportunity to spend time in the Celestial room and ponder on our day and eternal families.  I felt such a wonderful feeling there.  I knew it was all worth it - the waiting, uncertainty, tears and joy.  Then the time came to go into the sealing room and the boys were brought in. Sean was wearing his white shirt and church pants and Ryan was dressed in white with a tie.  I wish I could have taken a picture of that (we used the temple clothes for Ryan and they don't let you take them out for pictures).  What cute boys they were and you could see their eternal natures in that room.  Ryan was being held by Grandma Gail who was going to help him at the alter.  He was very mellow (compared to his normal whirlwind excitement) and was laying on her shoulder and he was very calm. Sean was also pretty quiet for him as well.  I am sure they knew they were somewhere special. 

Before the ceremony the Sealer spoke to us for a minute and he asked Sean his name.  After proudly stating his full name, he quickly and not so silently "transformed" down on to the chair he was sitting on.  Sean might have known we were someplace special, but his personality still came out!

The sealing ceremony was very quick and Ryan was very calm. Normally he will fight you if you try to make him or force him to do anything and he did not fight having his hand held on ours.  During the actual ceremony a smile came across his face and he smiled the entire time.  Afterwards he hugged us so tightly and didn't want to let us go when it was time to get changed. Sean hugged us as well and we all stood in front of the eternal mirrors and saw our family go on forever.  What a wonderful experience, I will never forget this special day!

One special thing to mention is that before we came to the temple we had a family home evening about temples and what a sealing is and we used paper chains to demonstrate how without sealing we are just individuals alone, but with the sealing power we become an eternal family with bonds (like a chain) that can't be broken.  Ryan usually runs around during FHE and doesn't participate, but this time he seemed to listen just a little bit and helped with the chain. Then the night before going to the temple, we mentioned to Sean that we were going to the place where Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ come on earth.  He agreed and then said that all the good people come there too.  We asked him what good people? He said all the good people who don't live on the earth anymore.  We clarified by asking - do you mean those who died? And He said Yes.  Little children seem to be so close to the spirit and seems to just know things - as least our boys do.  When we got home from the temple Saturday night, Sean asked me, "Mom, can you set up a play date for me tomorrow at the temple?"  I am so grateful Sean was able to experience that and knows that the temple is the right place to be.  I hope he will remember this experience all his life.

Even though the wind was blowing I insisted on getting some pictures as we never got the chance when Sean was sealed (it was 5 degrees outside with wind at the Monticello temple and no one would even try it!).  So the pictures aren't the best, but I love them.  After pictures we got something to eat and drove right back home, taking a little longer because the wind got worse.  A long day, but wonderful day!

Ryan running around outside the temple. 

Ryan and Grandma Gail

So Happy, Ryan and Grandma Gail

Our Eternal Family - even with a boy who won't look at the camera!

There's my boy! love the mommy and Sean pictures.

Grandma and Grandpa O'Dwyer

Grandma Gail and Papa Bill Richards

The boys had this funny fascination with holding on to the pole - afraid they were going to blow away???

Steve and Val

   The next day, while Steve's parents were still here, we went to my parents house to give Ryan and name and a blessing.  It was a beautiful, simple blessing and Ryan was back to his normal squirmy self - as he sat on my lap with all the hands on his head, he was ok for a minute, but then suddenly he tried to move his head out from the hands and kept moving trying to get the hands off! And they kept trying to move with him so that the connection was there! So funny and so Ryan.

Steve O'Dwyer, Steve, Ryan, and Bill Richards