Kaitlyn Rae

 

FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014(written)

Kaitlyn Rae

Friday March 6th, 2014

Happy Birthday to my cutie patootie Kaitlyn Rae. This cute girl is married, works full time to help her husband get through school, and still manages to find time to visit her OLD MAMA and spend the day. 

I vividly remember the day Dr. Lepetich did my ultrasound and announced to us as he pointed and said, "you see that? it's a boy" What a surprise it was at her birth to hear him say "oops, it's actually a girl" I didn't believe him. Eric and I had picked out a name for our new little boy. We had the bedding made for a boy and bought clothes for a boy. Eric ran to Dillards and returned with some special darling girl clothes, something special we could take her home from the hospital.

We are so blessed to have Kaitlyn in our life. She has brought so much joy to us; she has a personality bigger than life--she always has and always will. People have always told me she looks so much like me. I can't deny that--she is a spitting image of me. Sometimes it even freaks me out when I see a picture of her. Seeing her grow up and become a strong woman is a blessing to her father and me.  It's been like seeing my childhood all over again, only happy. Kaitlyn is the gift Heavenly Father gave me, so I could heal from my childhood traumas. He has allowed me to see happiness, laughter, and joy through her.

I have often watched her and been amazed at her ability to simultaneously make us laugh and be in awe. She also has much of her dad in her- she is a good combination of both of us. I love you, Kaitlyn. You have been an inspiring young lady not only to us but also to our Heavenly Father. He is pleased with who you are. 

I loved watching the Temple being erected over the last few years. I have often driven by it or parked my car as close as I could to the grounds and said a prayer. Now as all the members of the LDS church humbly celebrate with great joy in our hearts, we will continue to pray for our hearts to be softened and our souls to be moved by the spirit as we try our best to become more like the Savior.

The dedication of this beautiful building has been a long but deserving wait. There is definitely something special in the air--I am personally so beyond happy and touched by the youth in this area who worked so hard over the past few months to sing, dance, and show never-ending faith as they danced in the pouring rain, Arizona needed the rain.

I have been to many Temples throughout the world, and I know I am being biased, but, in my opinion, this is the most beautiful Temple I have ever been in. There is always opposition when Temples are built. In 2008, when this Temple was announced, our Stake President told us to be prepared for trials to come into our lives as Satan tries to lead us astray. He said now more than ever, we need our testimonies to be strong, stay close to the Lord and continue to obey the commandments as we experience these trials. I have never forgotten that talk. A year and 3 months later, I was diagnosed with cancer. I could have easily given up on God and walked away. However, because of that talk, I could cling to my Savior and rely on Him to understand what I was feeling--going through that journey was the best thing that has ever happened to my spiritual growth. I'm in a good place in my life now. I have never felt the peace in my life as I do now. Here's to 2014 being a momentous year.