Searching For A Princess: September 2012

The Saturday following Amanda's adoption finalization, we were able to take her to the temple with us to be sealed. That also happened to be our 12 year wedding anniversary. We didn't plan it that way (since we had no control over when our adoption would be finalized), but we thought that was a great way to spend our anniversary. We also decided to have Amanda sealed to us in the Jordan River Temple because that's the temple we were married in.

A "temple sealing" is our religious ceremony for creating eternal families. Usually, that is a temple wedding. Children who are born to parents who were married in the temple are considered already sealed to them. The only children who are sealed to parents are those who were adopted or whose parents are sealed after the children are born. Most adult members of our church attend temple weddings from time to time, but Wayne and I had never been to a live sealing of a child to their parents. In fact, a lot of the volunteers who help at the temple hadn't helped with a sealing like that, so we were kind of a novelty for them.

To enter the temple for any reason, a church member has to "be in good standing." That means they are interviewed and found worthy by their church leaders to go to the temple. Daniel and Benjamin even had to do that because they are older than 8 (younger children are exempt), but it was mostly questions like if they were excited to have Amanda in our family and if they are good kids. Children are only allowed at temple sealings if they are the ones being sealed or if their sibling is being sealed to their parents, like in our case.

The first thing we did at the temple was take the children to the youth center. Some really nice temple volunteers took good care of them while we did the paperwork and other preparations for the sealing. My mom also stayed down there with them. They had books, toys, snacks, etc. to keep the kids busy. They watched a video that told the boys a little more about what happens in the temple. One of my mom's friends who happened to be helping at the temple rocked Amanda until she fell asleep. The kids were in the youth center for about an hour. When it was time for the sealing, the boys dressed in white clothing the temple provided, and Amanda wore her white dress that we bought for the occasion.

We were sealed together in a beautiful room in the upstairs of the temple, with family and friends as witnesses. All of us, even Daniel and Benjamin, had tears of happiness by the end of the ceremony. Amanda was quiet and seemed very thoughtful. We looked into the mirrors they have on the walls of the sealing room that reflect into one another and symbolize eternity. And our family just felt so whole. It was such a happy day for us!