Lights! Camera! Freeze!

The Amonetts made their annual family sojourn to Salt Lake City to experience the lights at Temple Square the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Wanting to enrich Xavier's experience and enhance his personal memory book which will never find a home bound on cardstock and cut outs, I invited family members to join us; however, I fail to remember inviting Jack Frost along for the journey. Jack has been nosing in our family outings from Thanksgiving through Flag Day in recent years. I don't know if he is receiving enough attention at the North Pole or if I need to change my perfume, but he is starting to feel like a stalker. Perhaps Jack is "bitter" because in all the claymation television specials, Rankin and Bass failed to find him a wife to warm his heart and soul. Thankfully for us, even the chill of subzero temperatures could not dampen our enthusiasm as the warm glow of the temple is enough to melt even the chilliest of hearts.



Our evening began with Xavier's first "train" ride into the city. Xavier is infatuated with trains, and his clever daddy had the idea to park about 20 minutes south of the city to catch a ride with the Utah Transit Authority. After all, Trax is the next best thing to catching a ride with Thomas. Xavier was so excited to board the germ-infested public transpo that he didn't even notice Thomas, Percy, or Sir Topham Hatt were MIA. At first, Xavier's mood was chilly; he squawked and gave me the "talk to the hand" gesture when I aimed and clicked the camera. All was well, however, after he traded his beanie for Thaus' beret. While the conductor walked through the aisleway visiting with the passengers, he discovered it was Xavier's first time on UTA and invited him to explore the head car. He even let X push the buttons!



Even though the light displays are the same from year to year, I never tire of seeing them. There is a comfort about them, much like the crackling of a fire and mom's homemade cinnamon rolls. Note to self: Write the church headquarters about amping up the guest hospitality services for their visiting patrons. When do we ever celebrate an occasion without tied quilts, red punch and mysterious green jello anyway?



Have I mentioned Xavier has a flare for the dramatic when communications collide with cameras? His displeasure with forced photo sessions, noted by the arching back, screams, and hands to the face, will almost always propel me into guilt mode. Since the I waited eleven years for you and you owe me a picture speech has long lost it's allure, I have since turned to alternative forms of persuasion. Surprisingly, my methods never seem to instill success as Xavier is wise to my guilt traps. Instead of admiring the light displays and posing at the appointed intervals, he insisted on stopping every ten feet to play in the dirty snow and introduce himself to dogs as they passed by. I finally had to revert to drastic measures to catch his attention. Hey X, there's a cute girl watching you! I relish the sweet smell of victory and capturing the sweet animations of that beautiful little face. (See below.)



At the ripe old age of three, Xavier is full of surprises in both action and deed. Thaus and I did a double take on the number one stunner of the evening: Xavier held his Grandpa Charles' hand! Normally, Xavier is much too cool and reserved to hold anyone's hand in public, unless we are at home and he thinks you have forgotten the way to the pantry and the shelf where his fruit snacks are housed. He will often grab a free hand and coaxingly entreat, "C'mon, Mom, I'll show you."



Pay no mind to the tree branch homing in on Thaus' head. Poor little branch was so cold it was searching for the closest available heat source. Notice how it didn't veer towards me.



Before leaving the temple grounds, I forced everyone into the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to thaw our toes and peel our frozen eyelashes apart. I also saw a photo opportunity waiting in the wings, and I am much too neurotic to pass up a good photo shoot, no matter how uncomfortable the elements or my subjects may be. While most of my party was ready to leave and pled for early release, I announced to Thaus, "Don't you know everything I do is centered around the photo possibilities? Some women create memories, some women craft masterpieces, while other women change the world with their service. However, my life's ambition is much more intense. I have a blog to write!"

I love visiting the Salt Lake Temple. I also love that it was much less crowded this year. I wish I could say the same for the women's restrooms. When the lines are long, I have too much time to people watch. Do you know how many adult women and teen girls do not wash their hands after using a public restroom? I fear I may have to hold regular seminars for the good patrons of the temple. Perhaps I will include this suggestion in my letter to church headquarters. I'm sure they will be impressed with my impeccable skills of observation and willingness to give back to the local community. 'Tis the season for service...and eradicating germs everywhere!