One of the things on my December "to do" list was take the family to see the beautiful temple lights. We planned it for Family Night on the first Monday of December, but it ended up raining all that afternoon and night. Then we thought about the following week, but something else came up, and before we knew it, Christmas was only 4 days away. So we finally made it on December 21st, the last Monday before Christmas.
That was a big mistake! Apparently, just about every other family in the valley had the same idea. The temple grounds were packed like I've never seen them before. Wall to wall people just inching their way down the paths, weaving in and out among bundled up moms and dads pushing kids in strollers while trying to keep an eye on their walking little ones. It was crazy! One of my kids said, "There's more people here than at Disneyland!" I smiled and said, "You might be right!"
So...even though it wasn't exactly ideal conditions from a crowd perspective, we still got to see the amazing lights, and we spent the night together as a family. I love that! Of course, what FHE would be complete without treats, right? So we capped off the night with a little DQ action. No, not the DQ by the temple because that, too, was insanely busy. Instead we drove a couple of miles to the next closest one and indulged in chocolate shakes and peanut buster parfaits and Oreo blizzards. Oh, and one large order of fries for good measure. Afton watched as the worker made the swirl on a sundae she was preparing, and asked me if my swirls used to look like that.
Oh, those were the good old days. I worked at DQ from the ripe young age of 13 (the end of 7th grade) until the first month of my freshman year at ASU. Five and a half years! Yes, I think I started working illegally, but I sure felt like hot stuff having a real job in the seventh grade. I am pretty sure that no other kids had good paying minimum wage jobs like me! They were all babysitting or throwing papers for cash at that age.
Our kids have heard all my DQ stories of old and believe that I was the master of the DQ swirl. (Maybe because I've told them that so many times!) They were duly impressed a few years back when we ate at the buffet at Amazing Jakes where they have a soft serve machine in the dessert section.
It was just like riding a bike.
My auto pilot kicked in and I made a perfect three tier sundae, complete with the ultimate DQ swirl and all. The girls marveled at the creation and each asked for one of their own.
They've heard all about the zillions of blizzards I whipped up, the super fun nights that my cousin Julie and I had working the Drive Thru, the Friday night shifts after the Toro football games when pretty much the whole campus showed up for food, the perpetual stripe of ice cream across my bosom from the blizzard machine, and how I hated the smell of ice cream after a couple of years. Yes, ice cream has a smell believe it or not!
I've also told my kids about how DQ was my springboard into the "real" work world. It was my first job, my first chance to really have independence and bigger responsibilities in life, my first opportunity to manage my time in any real meaningful way. I shuffled school, violin, student council, year around high school sports, social life, church activities, and work all my growing up years. I worked year around - usually 3-4 days/week during the school year (1-2 days during the week and 2 days on the weekend), and then a little more during the summer months. That job, working at the family DQ, taught me so much about managing money and time and priorities. I am grateful that my Grandpa Harry, and Uncles Dale and Jim had the foresight to start that business. It gave all of us Goodman kids a great opportunity to work. That, coupled with the chores we always had growing up and the great work examples of our parents, helped us learn the value of hard work.
And you know what? I've been working ever since. Ever since May 1985. I know the world is a little different now, but I sure hope that our kids find a good opportunity to start working at a young age, too. For them, it might be working at RMB Properties (actually, they already do a little work there cleaning the office and metering envelopes and such). And they are getting some good work experience doing yard work with their grandpas. Whatever it is, I want them to all have jobs growing up. I think today's kids would be so much better off if they had to work a little for the things most have come to expect as basic necessities.
Oh...that was a long digression for sure...Back to the temple lights. Here is our family together in front of the Mesa Temple. A kind stranger walking by saw me trying to gather the peeps together for a shot and offered to take our picture.
My favorite part about the annual temple lights is actually the nativity set up on the southeast part of the temple grounds, just up from the reflection pool. I love looking at the humble setting where our Savior was born. I've often thought what it must have been like to give birth to a baby in a stable over 2000 years ago. Just knowing what all the aftermath of the birth is like - all the mess and all the care that the nurses typically give. Had I been born in Biblical times, or even in a third world country today for that matter, my birthing experiences would have been nothing like they turned out to be. Mary was a remarkable chosen woman for sure.
I am the luckiest mom and wife in the world. I love these guys more than anything!
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