Best Longest Day Ever or Utah Day One

    Wow was today long. Up at 2:30 am to get ready to go to the airport. At the airport by 3:30 am and then off to Atlanta and then Utah. I didn't think I could sleep on a plane, but I nodded off a couple times only to be awoken by my poor aching neck.
    I landed in Salt Lake City at 10:30 am and immediately knew I wasn't in the South anymore. It felt so weird to breathe, the air was so dry that my lungs felt strange.
    I was met at the airport by the awesome (returned) Hermana Stock. Seeing her again brought a big smile to my face, I had missed my big little Sister. She took me to pick-up my rental car and then we went to her family's place for a bit. It started snowing on the way there. Driving is snow is so weird, I feel like I'm stuck in a Star Trek warp speed moment.
    After a little time with Hermana Stock, I headed over to Bountiful to see another good RM (returned missionary) friend Sister Toone. It was so great to see her again. Together we went to Temple Square North Visitors' Center and took the tour for the Christus in the North Visitor's Center. The Christus was so beautiful. As I looked at the nail prints in the statue's hands and feet, my heart was both grateful and sad. I am so grateful that my Savior and Redeemer died for me and yet sad for the sorrows and pains He suffered in Gethsemane on my behalf. It strengthened my resolve to continue on the righteous path I began over a year ago, I will not have His sufferings for me be for naught.
    After Temple Square, I dropped off Sister Toone and headed down to Provo to see an RM that I I had not seen in almost a year.
    I picked up Hermana Coleman and we went to the Provo Temple. I was overjoyed to get to go to the Temple with her to do baptisms for the dead. I was sad last year that she went home before my baptism, but it made me smile that at last she was getting to see me in white. Another RM from Alabama, Hermana Simpson, joined us as I awaited my turn to do baptisms.
    I love going to the Temple, but this was such a different experience for many reasons.

1. I was going with one of my original pair of missionaries and that was so special to me.
2. There was a long line of people waiting to do baptisms. I am used to the Birmingham Temple, where there may be (at most) 10-15 people doing baptisms. I pray that I will live to see the day when our temple back home gets to be that heavily used.
3. There's this room full of chairs across from the viewing area (where you can see the font and others getting baptized, as you wait your turn) and we sat in there singing hymns with others for probably almost an hour as we waited our turn. I am used to time at the temple being full of hushed voices. I had the opportunity to sing my favorite hymn, "How Firm a Foundation", in full in the Temple. I was grinning ear-to-ear.
4. We only did a couple names and I'm used to doing ten, so it felt a little abrupt to be done after just a couple.

    After the Temple, the three of us went out for dinner. We went to Cafe Rio (a Mexican restaurant I had heard a lot about from different missionaries in Birmingham). I gotta admit, it was pretty good. I'm hoping that they'll expand and open a franchise in Birmingham.
    I was up at 2:30 am and am just now getting to bed. Seriously, best longest day ever!