The ceremony was late in the afternoon, so we spent the morning making lasagnas and desserts for the dinner we were having afterwards. I had timed everything out and so around noon I headed up to my mom's to drop off the food (the dinner was at her house afterwards.) I stayed for a little to chit chat and help organize things, then headed back home. We needed to leave our house at 2:30 and we all needed to shower and get ready. On the way to my mom's I had noticed a lot of traffic on the freeway going southbound, so I had decided then that I would take the feeder to avoid that traffic. On the way back, I saw the traffic ahead and got off the freeway. I'm not sure why I made this decision because usually the feeder is never faster than the freeway, but I made a split second decision and went with it.
The traffic was horrible on the feeder. It turns out the road closure was on the feeder not the freeway. At one point there was a spot to get back on the freeway, but all I could see ahead on the freeway was lots and lots of traffic and not knowing the problem was the feeder, I stayed on the feeder. After sitting for 45 minutes, I started to really panic. I called my mom and asked her to tell the temple we were coming but were running super late. My mom was planning on arriving at the temple at 3:00 with us to get the kids changed in their white clothes while Zane and I changed. I then started my million calls to Zane explaining everything he needed to pack, how I wanted Lili's hair, and other instructions. When I got home, I knew I would have to take the quickest shower ever and get right back into the car. I can't tell you how thankful I was that I had just cut my hair even shorter making it super easy to do. Zane was awesome and had everything together.
After the phone calls I just started praying asking God to part the cars like He parted the Red Sea. Unfortunately, that miracle didn't happen for me. The worst part was when I realized that the road closure was on the feeder and watched cars zip on the freeway on the overpass that went on the other freeway that leads East to my house. The slow part was on the cars trying to go West and the cars exiting to the feeder that was shut down. I was so tempted to try to drive over the curb and get back on the freeway. I was more scared though that my mini van would get stuck.
In the end the 20 minute drive home took me an hour and a half. It was horrible to be so helpless. We were 30 minutes late to the temple. Some of our guests arrived before us. Luckily we didn't really need to be their an hour early and so we were ready to start by 4:00.
After all the rush, Zane and I sat in the Celestial Room for awhile waiting to be brought in the sealing room. Finally a temple worker came and told us that the Sealer that we asked to do the ceremony wasn't there. We just laughed and said any Sealer would do. We just wanted to get going on the ceremony!
Down in the kid's room, my mom and another temple worker were getting my kids ready. The temple worker told me later that my kids were so well behaved and wonderful. I don't think anyone has ever told us that before so it really was a special day!
Finally it was time and Zane and I were brought into the sealing room where all of our guests were waiting. The kids were brought in next. They really did look all angelic in white.
We don't take pictures in the temple so this is right outside.
The sealer said a few words, and then Zane and I knelt across from each other on the alter. The kids (because they have already been sealed to us) stood up to watch on the side and then Talmage's hand was placed on ours for the ceremony. My friend and Talmage's birth aunt held Talmage. I love this because she was the one who brought Talmage to us. She told her sister about us and really pushed for the adoption. Talmage is part of our family because of his courageous Birth Mom who chose to place her baby with us and my friend who felt strongly that God wanted us to be her nephew's parents.
During the ceremony, Talmage kept his eyes on Dallin who was straight across from him the whole time. Everyone commented afterwards how he fixated on Dallin and of course Dallin made him smile. I have felt very strongly from the beginning that my kids all knew each other up in heaven and imagine that they talked about how they would find their way to each other on Earth. I love the bond between them all. Talmage kept his hand on ours the whole time and was happy and content during the ceremony.
After the ceremony, our guests congratulated us and we tried to get all our kids to look in the mirrors. The way the mirrors are arranged you can see the family's reflection going on and on and never ending. I don't think they caught it but I do think they understand that the temple is a special place and that our family is important to God.
Our family with some of our guests.
We were lucky that the finalization happened right after vacation so that everyone was still in town minus my brother-in-law Derrick who had to get back to work.
Christina (Birth aunt) and her daughter with a sleepy Talmage.
Grandma and Grandpa
Talmage getting some one-on-one with Grandpa.
After the sealing ceremony, we had a wonderful dinner at my mom's with Talmage's birth family to celebrate our forever family. I found out then that my brother's plane had arrived an hour late and he barely made it to the temple. It is amazing that it all came together in the end!
On Sunday, Zane gave Talmage his baby blessing at church. My dad, Jared and Clayton (my brothers), Bishop Gutke, and Talmage's birth cousin Hunter who just got off his mission stood in the circle. My sister Haley's family couldn't make it because by then the vacation virus had hit their family and they were at home super sick.
We had one super special weekend. I'm so grateful for my family. Zane and I are humbled with how God has blessed us. We fasted and prayed for 6 years to have one baby. Zane and I wanted a big family, but after all our difficulties we were just asking God for one and we would be content. Six years later we were in the temple surrounded by four beautiful children and feeling overwhelmed with the love God has for our family. We have seen so many miracles as God has lead us to each of our children and are so grateful to our four amazing birth mom's.
