Eve Before Flight to Tokyo

 We flew out of Salt Lake City, Utah.  On the way, we dropped our dog off with Ray's parents and visited with them.  We also stopped to say good-bye to Phil, Teresa, and the kids' cousins JoAnn and Bryan.  Then, we went down to Layton to see Grandma Maughan and visit with my parents for a bit.  Mom and Dad drove us down to our hotel in SLC.  We got all of our luggage into the hotel and then they took us to Temple Square to see the beautiful Christmas lights.  Kirstin was asleep for the night, so Ray stayed at the hotel with her and finished up some paperwork in preparation for our journey.  My parents dropped us off and left to take the Excursion back to my grandmother's to sit until we return to the states.

 It's been YEARS since we've been to Temple Square at Christmas.  The older girls were just babies and Tayla didn't remember it.  The kids were enchanted by the lights and decorations.  Everything was covered in Christmas lights.  Everything.

 Left to right: Christopher, Logan, Audra in stroller, Caitlin, Tayla, and Nathan.

 Between the Christus statue and the tabernacle is a life size, very beautiful nativity.  There is music playing as people walk around it.  Here are the shepherds walking toward the stable. 
While we were enjoying it, Dad showed up!  He decided that it was too late for us to walk as far as we had to walk back to the hotel, so he parked and came to walk around with us and then take us back.  Mom was exhausted and too tired, so she waited in the Excursion.
Over the speakers, someone began to read the Christmas story from the book of Luke.  Lights would light up the parts of the nativity as the story was read.

 Here are the wise men being lit up as the narrator read of their following the star to find the Christ child.

The spirit of the Lord was really strong as we listened to Luke being read and watched the lights come over the nativity.  It was beautiful, peaceful, and magical.

 Grandpa Kent with the kids as we walked around the temple.

 Looking at the temple through tree branches.

 Another nativity to the east of the temple.  More shepherds.

 Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus were in the pool that is normally a fountain.  They had these beautiful bubble lights floating around....it was absolutely gorgeous. 

 Shepherds on the other side.

 More Christmas lights as we walked back to the car to head back to the hotel.

The kids' reactions to seeing Temple Square at Christmastime:
Caitlin:  It was o.k.
Tayla:  It was awesome!
Christopher:  Incredible!
Logan:  It was cold and beautiful.
Nathan:  I was tired and wanted to go back to the hotel but they were o.k.
Audra:  Good.  I love Christmas.  It's mine.
I love this temple!  I love what it stands for, how beautiful it is, and the feeling I have when I walk around it or go inside.  I'm so glad we all got to see Temple Square at Christmas.  It's really quite an experience.