week of amazing experiences

i will add pictures once i get home, i did not bring my camera cord. i have been sitting in the airport again for 4 hours. i got the genius idea several weeks ago to ask one of our drivers who also works at usairways, to get me a buddy pass. it was so cheap, i was ecstatic. turns out there is a reason it is cheap. they overbook by 3 or 4, so the chances of getting on are nill. unless you camp out at the airport and get on the first flight of the day. they had 2 empty seats then. blah. who wants to be on a 715am flight? i was still snuggled in my bed. anyway, i had to buy a ticket on southwest on monday, for 300 dollars. today, i did the same thing. i have wasted many hours for being cheap, and i will not do so again!!! but i digress, the reason for the post is my amazing experience in slc this week. our choir, the evmco, was asked to come to slc and join with our sister choir, the ocmco, and record the messiah in america, the original oratorio written by our director, brett stewart. it was by far the most amazing experience ever!! there were over 400 choir members, and a combined orchestra of over 150. once the kids joined with us on friday, we had over 700 members on stage. it was spectacular!! i took several pictures of our amazing force, but am unable to post them because of copyright laws. we spent tues-thurs in intense, have to be silent, recording sessions. that is stressful. coughing is prohibited, and there are several of us that have coughs lingering for the last few weeks. tues was especially bad, and i was getting vertigo, combined with a severely upset stomach. i knew i couldn't continue like that, so i asked my father in law to give me a blessing before i left on wednesday morning. he did, and i immediately started feeling better. on the hour drive from provo where i was staying, into salt lake, i improved even more. i have never been more grateful for the priesthood in my life, and the knowledge and faith to use it. i was rejuvinated, and able to perform for the rest of the week. also, that day, i went through a live session in the salt lake temple for the first time in my life. it was beyond description. so beautiful, with the murals on the wall, and i loved moving from room to room as you progress. it was so moving, and the live actors they had, made such a difference to me!! i loved it!! i got to spend time with my sister every day, and my friends. i had some of the most spiritual experiences of my life, and was solidified in my testimony regarding so many things. we performed in the tabernacle friday night, to a sold out audience, and the sound was so crisp and clear and perfect in that building!! it was awesome. then saturday, we performed at 2pm in abravanel hall to another sold out audience. the entire organization was so exhausted from all the work of the last several days, that we did not perform to the best of our ability, but i hope our audience was moved despite our flaws. the soloists were stunning, and sounded perfect. i am so grateful i had the opportunity to do this. and that i get to go to choir every week and join in singing praises and being educated by such awesome people. i love it!! and now, i am very much looking forward to going home and seeing my husband and kids again. i had an awesome week, but i am more than ready to be home!!