Families Can Be Together Forever

This picture is not our most recent family picture but this is my family. Next month we are preparing to go the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity. We haven't picked out the temple we want to go through because there are too many to narrow it down to. But what is important is that my husband has made such a righteous decision to put his family first and make a covenant with Heavenly Father to follow him. I am so excited because I have been waiting for this day for my entire life.

"I have a family here on earth they are so good to me. I want to share my life with them thru all eternity. Families can be together forever through Heavenly Father's plan I always want to be with my own family and the Lord has shown me how I can.

While I am in my early years I'll prepare most carefully so I can marry in God's temple for eternity. Families can be together forever through Heavenly Father's plan I always want to be with my own family and the Lord has shown me how I can, the Lord has shown me how I can."

This primary song touches my heart every time I hear it or sing it. You will always find tears rolling down my face because I know that the Lord has given me a plan to follow and as I do so I will be blessed by having an Eternal Family. The time is so close for me and my own family to go to the temple and kneel at the sacred alter, dressed in white, holding hands and making the most sacred vow we could ever make. What a wonderful blessing waiting for me and my family and it's just right around the corner. Can somebody pinch me?

My Second Job Away From Home

So besides being a full time mom I am also a full time designer for The Cabinet Gallery. Rhett started the business over 12 years ago and couldn’t do it on his own. He begged me to quit my job working at Applied Financial and come to work with him.

Just thinking about that makes my stomach turn like it did back then. I couldn’t fathom leaving a stable good paying job to help him start a new company.

Well I decided that I would stand by my man through thick or thin, for rich or for poor. What an understatement! I went from having the perfect life to a stressed out, depressed, over worked, underpaid zombie. Those beginning years were the hardest years of my life. It’s so sad reading back in my old journals crying everyday because everything was so hard. But here we are now many years later, stronger and better because of the trials we went through.

We learned how to humble ourselves and kneel as a family to pray to Heavenly Father for guidance and help with our everyday struggles. I think Rhett was truly inspired. He had a gift and he wanted to share it. (As much as I didn’t want to follow his dreams.) He is very good at what he does and I think I have found my passion in life too. I love my clients, I love designing and creating furniture for their homes and businesses. I love being able to travel and meet so many wonderful and amazing people. I have made so many eternal friends. It feels so good to get invitation after invitation from my clients to come to their homes and have dinner with their families.

I owe so much to my Heavenly Father. He has blessed us far more than I deserve. We have the best staff we have ever had and we have the best clients ever. (I just don’t think that is normal, but I will take it.)

In this picture is a Ribbon Stripped African Mahogany Kitchen. This was a job we did for a client in Vernal, Utah. This client was one of my favorites too. Mark and I designed all of the cabinets in his house, and there were a lot of cabinets. I was so grateful for the trust he put in me by giving me the job. The day I met him was the day he was going to give his commitment to one of our very high end competitors. I think we did a pretty amazing job!

Am I able to write my thoughts and feelings too?

I have never been a wordy person and I was always so impressed with all of the thoughts and feelings that Karen and Diana would write on Dad’s blog but I just couldn’t do it. When I read Dad’s blog it seems like I wasn’t a part of much going on at the house. But really I was the person behind the scenes taking the pictures, cleaning and cooking for all of the many visitors that would come to our house to visit my sweet dad.

I don’t want to be like that anymore. I want to write my feelings about my life with my boys, my husband, my mom, my dad and all of my brothers and sisters and all of the many people in my life that have made my life so wonderful.

Hopefully I can keep the momentum going.

Here is dad's blog:

www.earlgrose.blogspot.com

Here I go!

I think I am starting to get the hang of this blogging thing. Most importantly this is a journal of my life. Since I was a little girl I was pretty good about keeping a journal. In fact I love going back and read all about my life and some of the things that I felt were important to write about. I especially loved to read about my courtship with Rhett. I can’t believe how vivid my feelings come back to me as I read through the pages of my sloppy handwriting and misspelled words. At least with the blog I can choose from cute fonts and I have a built in spell check. Plus I will take any excuse to use my MAC computer. LOL

Well now that I am a busy mom of four, running a business with my husband Rhett, trying to keep my house clean, magnify my calling at church as a Beehive advisor, read my scriptures everyday, workout and all of the other obligations I have - I haven’t done a very good job at anything let alone keeping a journal.

Diana got my blog started several years ago when I had Kaleb and she even started the posting for me so that it would be easy for me. Well for some reason I just wasn’t interested until now. I learned some fun things at YW last Wednesday that really sparked a little fire inside of me.

I also felt it was important to get mom started with her own blog because she has so much inside of her that she needs so share with her family and even the world.

So here is my attempt to pick up where I left off four years ago.

After dad passed away we took a much needed trip to California. (I had to do some work in Long Beach and so we made a trip out of it) We were able to go to the Aquarium of the Pacific where we saw so many amazing sea creatures, touched the sharks and feed the birds. We also were able to visit Universal Studios for the first time. I had so much fun with daddy and the boys. I needed a break before I went bananas. I can't wait to go back to Universal Studios one day wasn't enough to enjoy all of the fun rides. We went during Halloween time and so the entire amusement park was decorated. It wasn't crowed like Disneyland and so I think we will be coming back soon. I love the picture of Jayden pretending like he was kissing a girl or something....

Jayden Singing

Ok so maybe I have lots of favorite videos but I have to admit that this one is one of my favorites because this video captures what a sweet little boy Jayden "can" be. I don't know how he learned the lyrics to this song because it's not a song that a three year old boy should even be listening to. (Thanks a lot Uncle Paul!) Jayden is sweet and I love that he had such a soft little voice. His smile in this video melts his mommy's heart every time. This is the only video I have of him not being a stinker - LOL! I love my little Jayden so much! I hope that he will never forget that I think that he is so special. Love you JJ!!

My Favorite Video of All Times

This is my favorite video that I want to cherish forever. This is a clip that I took of Rhett and Jayden when Rhett was five and Jayden was three. Christian was just born and so I spent a couple of weeks working from home. I don't want to ever forget how cute they were. This really captures the cute personalities they have. I love listening to their voices. Even after five years they have changed so much. They are still my little boys but are growing way to fast for mommy. Enjoy!

Kaleb's Dancing Performance at Menchies

All of my boys are dancers but nobody dances like my three year old Kaleb. He can move his little bon bon forever. This is a video of our family night at Menchies. He wasn't even dancing to music. I don't know where he gets all of his energy. (I guess it could have been from all of the yogurt covered with mountains of candy) I hope you enjoy this video as much I do. I could watch it over and over again.

Christian and Jayden

My five year old and my eight year old. Two of my four boys with personality! Their will never be a dull moment in our house with these two rambunctious boys. Jayden actually learned how to do a back flip last year and how you may ask? On my family room couch! They are both so acrobatic. They are my two little monkey's jumping on the bed. No broken bones yet - knock on wood!!

Rhett's First Sacrament Talk

Good afternoon, for those of you who don’t know me, my name is Rhett Collins preceded by my beautiful wife April who you just heard. In case I begin to crumble early I want to take this opportunity to publicly express my love for my wife and children. I was told not to do this because they say if you begin a talk that allows your emotions to surface and you may not recover and no one wants to listen to ten minutes of blubbering from a 25 year old man. (Rhett is really 42) For this I will do my best to try and contain my emotions.

Topic: Missionary work. Many of you may be wondering what Rhett Collins knows about missionary work. I would be the first to admit the answer to that question is very little. However, what I do consider myself to be is somewhat of an authority on is, how to evade, dodge, duck, or completely avoid missionary discussions and missionary meetings. In fact if there were a missionary dodging hall of fame I believe I’d be right there at the top of the list. I’m not proud of this statement given the fact that many of these individuals were doing nothing more than trying to fulfill their roles as worthy saints, were not just actual missionaries or what I refer to as name tag missionaries, but they were my own family members, they were my close friends, and neighbors, many of whom are sitting in this very chapel this afternoon.

My story of missionary evasion begins some 22 years ago back in the late 80's. While on my way to a blind date I approach the apartment building, I make my way up and I knock on the door, it opens and their stands the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. From that moment on I knew my life would never be the same. While out on our first date April informed me she planned on going on a mission. I remember thinking to myself, we’ll see about that. After all girls don’t go on missions or at least that is what I thought at that time. I also believed at the ripe old age of 20 that I was far too cool for her to resist and there was no way she was going to traipse around the world preaching to others when she could stay here, get married to me and raise a family. After several dates, (I know many of are you are wondering how I ever got a second date - I can only attribute this to poor eyesight and a somewhat depleted pool of eligible men who reside in Tooele County at that time.) As I stated after several dates April asked me to come out to Tooele and meet her family. I thought ok, since I was madly in love with this woman it would only be appropriate that I go out and meet her family, besides I knew her dad was serving in the military overseas for a couple of years and I didn’t have to worry about him (at least for now anyway). Besides how bad could it be? After what seemed like a three hour drive when we entered Tooele County I had a green shirt on under my coat as it was winter time, and after a wonderful day of sledding and meeting her amazing family we left Tooele County headed back to Salt Lake only now I was wearing a two sided oversized red and white shirt with a giant bull’s-eye that said convert me. How did this happen? How have I fallen head over heels for a woman so committed to her religious convictions when for me my only commitments were to when and where the next social gathering was to be held and what beverages were being served. Was it because she was the only woman I’d ever met with the ability to fend off the powers of persuasion and peer pressure to do things she knew would not be acceptable to her Heavenly Father? She hadn’t even left for the MTC yet and still she had a profound way of leading by example, and that as a young woman at any given time she was being observed by others, and she would not let her Heavenly Father or herself down. This fascinated me and as a result I fell that much harder for her.

Well after 6-7 more months of dating I guess all of my cool must have worn off because as it turns out it was quite easy for her to walk away to fulfill her lifelong dream of serving a mission for her church. Within a short period of time off she went to the MTC. Shortly after that she left for a short stay in Florida, and then on to her final destination the Philippines where she would serve out her full mission. Why do I use this as an example of missionary work? Because I discovered that as hard as I tried and as much as I pleaded with her to stay (heck I even proposed to her) I could see that I was no match for her love for the savior. Had I been a dashing millionaire who could make all her dreams come true nothing could stop her from fulfilling her obligations as a saint.

For the first time in my life I had an up-close look at the power of God and the influence of our savior Jesus Christ. Upon April’s return from her mission I had surrendered myself to a life of intoxication and reckless behavior, and although her brothers and sisters cared enough about me to try and keep me from a complete path of self-destruction it seemed as though there was no hope for us getting back together. It wasn’t until a few years later that I received word that April was seriously dating another individual who was a devoted member of the church and it looked as though marriage was on the table. I remember that moment as if it were 5 minutes ago being overwhelmed with the idea that I had lost the most precious person to me in the world. I was so blinded by Satan’s temptations for relationships and worldly possessions that held no meaning that I couldn’t recognize the only real relationship I’d ever experienced was walking off into the sunset with someone else. After receiving word through one of April’s roommates that things had become a little rocky with her new found love, like a hawk hovering over a field mouse, I swooped in for a second chance. She certainly didn’t make it easy on me and made it very clear that in order to be a part of her life I would have to correct most if not all of my bad behaviors. Worse than that she said I had to meet her dad. I dreaded this day as I knew he was a lifelong military man that stood about 6' 4” and 290 Lbs. My definition of military meant: discipline, structure, and obedience to your country. Add to that a marvelous father and husband with an overwhelming faith in Christ and our Father in Heaven and you’ve just described Earl Rose Sr. Traits and characteristics of which I possess none. I knew upon meeting him that I would more than likely be a huge disappointment. This was confirmed when the day came that I took it upon myself to drive out to Tooele to ask for his first and oldest daughters hand in marriage. He and his wife Susie (who I’d grown quite fond of) and his oldest son Earl Jr. were all present which was a good thing in case he decided to strangle me. Upon my request for April’s hand in marriage I was not surprised to receive a hearty 6' 4" 295 Lbs. NO, I’d really rather you didn’t. I was however very surprised to see April’s mother Susie come to my aid with tears in her eyes pleading on my behalf that how did he not know that this wasn’t a test of faith for their family, and that he should reconsider. That moment changed my way of thinking forever. It sealed my belief that most members of the LDS faith are all accepting of anyone and everyone regardless of past transgressions and will do everything in their power to aid and assist you in your personal struggles - membership or not. Thankfully Earl is a compassionate man and did not run me off with a shotgun but rather insisted it was April’s decision and although he did not approve he would not try to persuade her one way or another. After April and I were married It took me some years to figure out that it wasn’t that Earl didn’t like me or approve of me personally but that in his eyes I or any other individual for that matter not striving for a personal relationship with our savior and a goal of nothing less than a temple marriage was not worthy of his daughters hand in marriage. I’m proud to say 22 years later that there is no higher priority on my list. As I pondered the topic of missionary work and the influences of the amazing young men who have dedicated two years of their lives to the spiritual improvement of people such as myself and others, my mind continuously wanders back to the other missionaries who quietly wander our church halls, our neighborhoods, grocery aisles, our elementary and high schools, it is my testimony that as a lifelong observer of people of the LDS faith, it is you the quiet, soft spoken individual who whether you recognize it or not are incessantly impacting the lives of those whom are observing you. Just when you think no one’s paying attention, I promise you we are. Your actions are on display for all to see and have a lasting impact on the way others struggling within them see and view our church. It is you the quiet yet discreet missionary who has elevated the standards of missionary work to a new level through your persuasive example and your thirst to share the scriptures with those of us who might seem less interested in learning. For all those who answer the phone, even when the caller i.d. reads Joel Hair and you know nothing good can come from answering this call, you do and because of your willingness to accept the call, you bless and enrich the lives of others through your participation. I can tell you even as a nonmember for so many years as I sat far in the back row and listened to the heartfelt testimonies of the people in this ward that there is no stronger form of missionary work. It is a privilege to stand up here and be on the same level with this bishopric, Bishop Bradshaw, Brother Joel Hair, and Brother Roberts are an inspiration to me through their example of sacrifice and endless dedication. You inspire me not only as a new member but as a father and a husband. Finally in closing, I want to publically acknowledge my love for my extended family of brother and sisters in laws, whom I thought over the years I would at least have been able to drag one over to the dark side with me, as most of you know I was unsuccessful in that attempt. Your examples are a mark of your upbringing but as we all know it takes a lot of effort to maintain those standards set forth by those before us. And to my mother and father in-law, the world’s most amazing missionaries, who never preached to me out loud who never made me feel like an outcast because of my unwillingness to conform, I strive to be more like you. You are the closest example to Jesus in human form that I’ve known in this lifetime, and as I accept my new role as a “missionary” of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I will always do my best to represent our faith just as you always have and still do and I say these things humbly in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

My Talk about Temples

For those of you who do not know me, my name is April Rose Collins, my husband is Rhett and we have four beautiful and amazing boys, Rhett 10, Jayden 8, Christian 5 and Kaleb 3.

A little over 5 years ago, we were living in Stansbury Park, I was 7 months pregnant, working 6 days a week and commuting two to three hours a day. Close to having a new born baby, I didn't know how I was going to keep up with my rigorous schedule. Rhett and I talked about our options and decided that we needed to move to Salt Lake so that I could be closer to work and be able to spend more time with my boys. One night as we were picking up Rhett and Jayden from my mom and dad's house in Tooele, we broke the news to my parents that we would be moving. They were so disappointed, they didn't want us to leave and especially take their boys. Without even having to discuss the situation, Rhett and I knew what we needed to do, we looked at each other, his eyes sparkled and then we asked my mom and dad if they wanted to move with us. They didn't even hesitate to answer, they had lived in Tooele for most of their married life, they had so many friends in Tooele and my mom had such a beautiful yard that she had been beautifying for years. I thought it would be a little harder to convince them into going with us but unanimously that answered, “Yes, we would love to. And that is where the merge of our two households began.

My parents are Earl and Jesusa Rose and they are the most loving parents I could ever ask for. My dad is a Marine - big, strong and gentle who married his beautiful Filipina. She is small but has the biggest heart, she is full of compassion and love for life and all those she comes in contact with.

I am the oldest of seven children; between us seven there are 29 grandchildren. Ours is a family full of love and derived of faith. This love and faith is the result of our wonderful parents who taught by example the importance of kindness, generosity, hard work and dedication to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In January of 2010 my daddy was diagnosed with Leukemia. This is an ugly disease that has rocked our world; this last year has been a rough one for our family. We have had a roller coaster of emotions, lots of ups and downs and hours of earnest pleading with our Heavenly Father. But it has also been a wonderful year full of powerful priesthood blessings, miracles, family togetherness, hope and love. This trial has increased our faith in our Savior Jesus Christ and his eternal plan. I know that families can be together forever and we have the opportunity through temple ordinances to be together for eternity.

President Monson spoke in this last April conference about the importance of temple ordinances in his talk entitled The Holy Temple - A beacon to the world. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to share his important message to you today, because it is so close to my heart.

He said, temples are more than stone and mortar. They are filled with faith and fasting. They are built of trials and testimonies. They are sanctified by sacrifice and service.

The first temple to be built in this dispensation was the temple at Kirtland, Ohio. Construction of this temple was a huge sacrifice. Most of the church members were poor, and yet the Lord had commanded that a temple be built, and so they did just that. Then, after three years all that had been painstakingly completed, the Saints were forced to leave Ohio and their beloved temple. They eventually found refuge—although it would be temporary—on the banks of the Mississippi River. They named their settlement Nauvoo, and willing to give their all once again, they erected another temple. Persecutions raged, however, and with the Nauvoo Temple barely completed, they were driven from their homes once again, seeking refuge in a desert.

The struggle and the sacrifice began once again as they labored for 40 years to erect our very own Salt Lake Temple.

Some degree of sacrifice has ever been associated with temple building and with temple attendance. Countless are those who have labored and struggled in order to obtain for themselves and for their families the blessings which are found in these holy temples of God.

President Monson asked: Why are so many willing to give so much in order to receive the blessings of the temple?

His Response: They are those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple who know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings. There are never too many miles to travel, too many obstacles to overcome, or too much discomfort to endure. They understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort.

While preparing this talk I learned from my mom that when the Jordan River Temple was being built local members were asked by church leaders to fund the construction of the temple. I was only eight years old at that time with 5 younger siblings and another on the way, and times were not easy. I didn’t know this but my dad sold his favorite motorcycle so that he could honor his obligation as a member of the church. He didn't want me to share this story because he is a humble man. We usually find out wonderful things he has done through other people. But to me this was an amazing example of my father's faith in the gospel.

President Monson said that if you have been to the temple for yourself, your sacrifice could be setting aside the time in your busy lives to visit the temple regularly.

I have had several opportunities to receive ordinances in the temple for myself, for people I don't know and for my own family members. Several years ago I had the opportunity to go to the Manila Temple in the Philippines with several of my brothers and sisters, their spouses and my mom. We were able to perform the temple work for my grandma, grandpa and my mom's brother who died tragically at a very young age. As we all gathered in the temple sealing room to have my grandparents sealed for time and all eternity, we felt an overwhelming joy. To share that beautiful experience with my siblings and my mom is something I have always and will always treasure. What we were able to accomplish in just one day will have an effect throughout eternity. And I am so thankful and blessed that I was able to be a small part of helping my family members to receive their saving ordinances.

There is much to be done in our temples in behalf of those who wait beyond the veil. As we do the work for them, we will know that we have accomplished what they cannot do for themselves.

President Joseph F. Smith stated, “Through our efforts in their behalf their chains of bondage will fall from them, and the darkness surrounding them will clear away, that light may shine upon them and they shall hear in the spirit world of the work that has been done for them by their children here, and will rejoice with you in your performance of these duties.”⁵

I felt so inspired by that profound statement. I feel so determined to not only attend the temple more regularly but to do the work for my own ancestors. We have so much work to do for my mom's family since she is the only convert in her family and one of the first members of the church in the Philippines. Rhett is also a convert and the first member of the church on the Collin’s side of the family. There are so many loved ones waiting, it is our responsibility to make the time for them.

President Monson continues to say:

If you have not yet been to the temple or if you have been but currently do not qualify for a recommend, there is no more important goal for you to work toward than being worthy to go to the temple.

Until you have entered the house of the Lord and have received all the blessings which await you there, you have not obtained everything the Church has to offer. The all-important and crowning blessings of membership in the Church are those blessings which we receive in the temples of God.

The world can be a challenging and difficult place in which to live. We are often surrounded by that which would drag us down. Our prophet has promised us that as we go to the temple, and as we remember the covenants we make within, we will be more able to bear every trial and to overcome each temptation. In this sacred sanctuary were we will find peace; we will be renewed and fortified.

I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for hearing my prayers. I have longed for a temple marriage and to have the opportunity to be sealed to my husband and children. I remember little Rhett asking me what would happen to our family if we were not sealed. It broke my heart to tell him that we would not be a family forever. He was so hurt but was even more determined to do whatever he had to do to make sure his family would always be a family. I don't remember a prayer that he or Jayden didn’t ask Heavenly Father for their daddy to be baptized so that our family could go to the temple and be sealed forever. At first I didn't know what Rhett would think of their prayers but their prayers did melt his heart and he started to recognize for himself the importance of an eternal family.

Because of the love Rhett has for me and our children he was finally baptized in February of this year. What a miracle and a relief it was for me to finally witness what I had only dreamed about for 20 years. I always knew he would baptized, I wouldn't have married him if I didn't know that it was going to happen.

This is just the beginning for our family. We are now preparing to go to the temple in March of next year to receive one of the most important ordinances a family can receive, it will be the happiest and most important day of my life and the lives of my family.

I am so grateful to our loving bishop and so many of you who have touched our lives and who have cared so much for my family and especially my parents who have been going through the most difficult time of their lives. I know that it has been through you that Heavenly Father has blessed us and helped us with this journey.

Brothers and Sisters, I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have a testimony of his eternal plan. I know that families can be together forever and that my family will be together forever. Our Heavenly Father loves each one of us. We are so blessed to be surrounded by so many beautiful temples. I know that it is only through the temple ordinances that we can truly be happy for eternity. And I want my dad to know, that I am so thankful that he is here today. Not only here at church but alive. Dad I also want you to know that we will only be separated for a short time, we will all miss you so much but we will be reunited once again because our family is forever!

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

This was a typical trip to the hospital. Dad would need to get his weekly blood transfusion to keep him alive. Towards the end of his life it got harder for him to get to the hospital. He couldn't even get out of bed by himself anymore. We would have a transport company take him to the hospital and he would stay overnight for his transfusion. Mom never left his side. She took care of him and did everything for him. I know that he survived as long as he did because of the unconditional love she had for him.

This picture was taken at Alta View Hospital which was not very far from our home. Dad was out cold for almost two days. It was nice to see him sleeping so peacefully. Jayden, Rhett and Christian were giving him a giant love. The boys loved their Grandpa Rose so much. We felt so blessed that we were able to live under the same roof for the last five years together.

My Sweet Daddy

Everyone loved my dad. This is a typical sight to see him being loved. I miss him everyday and can't wait for the day that we will be reunited again. Sometimes I just talk to him as if he were in the room with me. This picture was taken a month before he passed away. In this picture is Hailey, Christian, Mom and Kaleb in the wheelchair. I think Kaleb is sad because there isn't enough room on grandpa's bed for him too. This is dad's hospital bed that we set up in the living room since it was impossible to get him up and down the stairs. Especially when he had to go to the hospital at lease once a week.