Once again I am blogging when I should be doing my math homework. I shouldn't even have to say that anymore because it happens so often! It should just go with out saying now. This last weekend has been filled with so many adventures I don't even know where to start! May be I will split them up into different blogs each day. Let's start with last Saturday.
Well I think I need to back up and mention that last week was a very LONG AND HARD week as far as school work is concerned. By Friday I was ready to fall over from sleep deprivation. I needed a break! So off to Utah I went. about 30 minutes before I planned on leaving my roommate Shelly decided to join and bring two of her friends with her. We arrived in Utah around 10 and I dropped them off at the airport. (no they weren't flying anywhere. It was a long story and it's better if you don't ask.) After visiting with my best friend in Ogden until 2 AM I made the journey down to temple square.
President Hinckley's funeral services were Saturday and I REALLY wanted to be right there in the conference center for it. I would have liked to go to the viewing but school and work kept me in Idaho until after 5 pm. I heard that the tickets for his funeral were being handed out Saturday morning first come first serve. So I got there at 3 A.M. I drove past the north gate, where they were going to hand the tickets out, expecting to see a line already wrapped around the temple gates. But to my surprise there were two people sitting out front. I found a place across the street from the conference center to park (right in front of the sister missionary's apartments coincidently) and sat there wondering if I should go try to line up or if I would be arrested.
Finally another car drove up and two people got out and into the line. I followed suit and realized that I was entirely unprepared for the 6 hours in the cold morning that lie ahead. I had decided that because I was going to a funeral I would wear a dress so i wouldn't have to change incase there wasn't enough time. But because I was sure it would be a bit chilly I brought a zip up hoodie, a nice dress coat, and a pair of snow gloves. Oh silly me. I forgot the fact that it was the middle of the night during one of the coldest months of the year. As soon as I stepped out of the car I knew I had completely overestimated my winter attire’s abilities. I quickly grabbed a pair of jeans from my trunk and was off to face the cold as best I could. Luckily I met some very nice people there at the temple gates who shared a blanket with me.
After exchanging names and handshakes we settled in for the long night of coldness that lay ahead. We chatted, complained about the cold, split a cookie from a nice temple worker passing by, tried to keep warm, played eye spy, tried to keep warm, and had a great time people watching as the line grew bigger and bigger behind us. Over all we had a really good time. Because we were the first in line and maybe looked the most frost bitten I was interviewed by about a total of 4 different news reporters trying to get the scoop on why people would stand out side all night with no sleep in the freezing cold just to get tickets to a funeral. The ones who were LDS realized that this wasn't just a funeral but the others listened to what I said and wandered off making notes. Who knows if any of it aired or made the news paper but it still was pretty exciting.
After a lot of waiting and shivering my new friends and I were finally handed tickets. It was pretty exciting and as lame as it sounds I really did appreciate the ticket for the sacrifices I made for it. I grabbed my heals from my car and got in one more line with my jeans, dress, hoodie and all. We got in and had amazing seats. I was six rows back from the general authorities. (I would have been closer had I decided to wear my tennis shoes.) The funeral was amazing and I am so glad I was able to attend. The spirit was so strong in that room and the prophets death actually became real to me. Before it was just some news that I heard. I would share with you some of the thoughts I had but I have decided this has gotten entirely too long.
Over all it was an amazing day and I am so grateful for the Prophet Gordon B Hinckley.
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