I'm going there one day.

I'm done caring about what people think of me. As long as I'm happy and being righteous, we're okay, right?

So, I'm a dreamer. Always have been, always will be. My recent dreams are becoming daydreams and I hope that this day will soon come for me. It seems that everywhere I turn, there's an engagement happening or a wedding in a few weeks. Living at BYU-Idaho will do that to you. You can't blame me for thinking about my own wedding day, especially since one of my best friends is going to be married in my temple this May, and I've been asked to be apart of the wedding.

The Oregon Portland temple is absolutely stunning; probably one of the most beautiful temples on the earth today. I may be bias, but you have to agree that the architecture is magnificant. My dream is to be married here one day, to my best friend and future eternal companion. I dream of wedding colors and walking through the temple doors on a beautiful spring morning. I dream of sunflowers and red roses, with red, green, and violet trimmings around the temple in the form of family and friends. I dream of my dress, pure white and flowing, with a headband accessorized a beautifully done half-up curled hair-do.

This temple is tucked away in the forever evergreen trees right off the freeway in Lake Oswego (surprise! The Portland temple isn't actually in Portland). It is home to me. It will always be home to me. The northwest has been so good to me, and I wonder that once I begin my own family if I will end up here once again. I know that I would love to see the east coast and live in the Virginia/Carolinas area. From what I've seen, it's just as beautiful as the Pacific Northwest. I dream of a home, comfortable and warm, inviting the spirit and having no contention within those walls. I dream of a backyard perfect for company and even more daydreaming. I dream of the kids that Heavenly Father may bless me with, and what I would shout to them when my superior home cooked meal is ready. Sara... Lucas... Kaden... Madalynn... maybe even Austin. I dream of the family pet; a protector and best friend: a golden retriever.

One day, may I look into the reflecting pool of this home away from home and see my dreams. May I see how much closer I am becoming to our Father in Heaven and yet how much work there is yet to be done. May my family be sealed there for eternity and that perhaps, maybe one day, my present family can join with me in these blessings.

As the spirit of Christmas is coming, we think about Jesus Christ and his birth. We think of that precious story and are so grateful for what he has done for us. What a wonderful miracle it was, and was a miracle it is today to live on the earth at this time. To partake of the blessings we earn and deserve through the unconditonal love our Heavenly Father gives us.

May my dreams one day come true, and may you find yours one day, too.