Greet Our Newest Family Member!

Saturday brought the Payson Temple Groundbreaking ceremony.  We had VIP tickets...got to park right behind the site, sit 3 rows back with all the Stake Presidents, and get a gold shovel!!!  My impression was how beautiful a setting it was with snow on the mountains, rain on our heads, and a very special spirit of peace and happiness settled over us.  It was a great opportunity for us since we have never participated in a ground breaking ceremony before.  I sat straight in front of Elder Oaks whom we named our last baby after.  However, I could not see him first because of the umbrellas and last because the person in front of me totally took up any view in front of me.  It's okay because I know how he looks.  It was a very special opportunity for us to be there and something we will remember.

Oaks welcomed the 26 LDS stakes in the new Payson Utah Temple District from Spanish Fork, Payson, Mapleton, Salem, Santaquin, Goshen and Delta. He then referenced some of his own connections to southern Utah County, including giving his first talk while attending the Park Ward in Payson, meeting his late wife, June Dixon, at a basketball game at Payson High School in 1951 and playing in a couple local events with the Payson Band.
"You can understand my special pleasure in hearing the announcement of the temple in Payson and the joy I felt when President Monson assigned me to be the presider of this ground-breaking," Oaks said. "The Payson temple will be a visible influence on millions passing both by day and by night. But we pray that the temple will be much more than a symbol and a source of pride for the saints in this part of Utah County."
He encouraged LDS members to be temple worthy and to attend the new temple to receive blessings and strengthen families.
Following his remarks and the closing exercises, Oaks invited the four general authorities in attendance to shovel a scoop of dirt from the shallow trench, followed by the 26 stake presidents in the Payson Utah Temple District, then local government officials, and lastly, any 12-year-old ordained deacons.
Oaks noted that he purposefully excluded women from the ceremonial shoveling out of respect for them because of the muddy conditions in front of the podium. He didn't want their shoes to get soiled.
The Payson temple will serve approximately 78,000 Latter-day Saints from Spanish Fork to Nephi, helping to alleviate the pressure on the Provo temple, which is one of the busiest in the world.

Read more: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/south/payson/article_bda1dd49-4d9f-5bda-8ef1-4f49f99c3721.html#ixzz1aV8fvAog

The best news however was yet to come.  On Monday, Brooke called and said she was at the hospital.  We were so happy to hear that since her due date was the day before and she was pretty miserable.  We waited until we got the call from Whit saying..."You'd better hurry and get here so you can see this cute baby!"  We inhaled our dinner and ran to the car.   He was right...what a sweet, cute baby.  He was born at 5:30 p.m. ( they had been at the hospital since 3 a.m.)  and we are excited to have Winston Bryce Anderson join our family!