April in Rexburg falls hard on the expectations of those of us from slightly warmer climes. While this picture was actually taken in December near the Tetons, in April we are still greeted daily by the last remains of dirty, gray hills of snow. Drifts of crusted snow dot the landscape reluctant to melt, reminders of our struggle against nature and time. We've passed Easter, General Conference and Spring Break fooling ourselves indoors in short sleeves, looking out at the gray expanse. Such denial and expectation however breeds a lovely appreciation and keen awareness of the signs of spring. We love a dry driveway, the song of a robin, a newly found patch of grass, crocus peering up and snow squalls that melt before they touch the ground. We love the renewal of life we feel as we celebrate the resurrection of the Savior and hope for our own ongoing rebirths in the messages of our church leaders heard this weekend at General Conference. We love soccer, outside, in winter coats, with snow banks saving wildly kicked balls from getting too far away from us. We love any day the temperature hovers around 40. We love knowing that tennis and soccer will soon start and that school will be out just in time to really shed layers.Weather aside, the winter here was divided into three happy epochs; pre-Rexburg Temple dedication, the Rexburg Temple Open House and it's attendant flurry of activities and post-Rexburg Temple dedication; i.e. actually attending the temple. To members of the LDS church the temple is the ultimate expression of our faith, a symbol of eternity and what we consider to be the House of the Lord. Inside we perform ordinances that bind us for eternity as families and make covenants with God that will enable us to enter His presence after we die. We loved taking our children inside during the Open House as they will not return again, and then only on a limited basis, until they are 12. It is almost glorious beyond description and the feeling there unparalleled with that in other earthly structures. Elliott said Jesus ('jee-jee') for the first time in the temple. And, as we say, 'Out of the mouth of babes,' Jesus really is of central importance in the temple and in our faith.
And now, as Harry insists we declare: SPRINGTIME FINALLY!!
