Our Temple Sealing Day

21 May 2011: Mary and Ed exit the Snowflake Temple after their sealing.

It has been 11 weeks and a day since Ed and I were sealed in the temple, and I'm finally ready to post pictures from that wonderful day!

21 May 2011: Mary and Ed on the temple grounds after their sealing.

Our photographer friend, Eugene, got the pictures back to us more than a month ago, but I was pretty preoccupied with planning my daughter's wedding at that time.  It took me awhile to go through the 260 photographs he took (I am not exaggerating) and choose just 15 to share on my blog!

Ed and I met online on April 1, 2010.  We met in person on May 14, 2010.  We were married before a judge with just my three children in attendance on May 21, 2010.  We had known each other exactly 50 days.  It was an absolute leap of faith.

21 May 2011: Mary and Ed with Mary's daughter Sarah (age 21).

Sarah went through the temple for her first time just before our sealing.

At the time, a civil marriage was our only option.  However, we knew we didn't want to be married just "until death do you part" or "for as long as you both shall live."  We both believe strongly that God planned for families to be together in the eternities, so we made a commitment to each other that we would go to the temple on our first anniversary and be sealed together for time and all eternity under special, binding priesthood authority.

21 May 2011: Ed and Mary on the temple grounds with Ed's mom, Caryl.

The first year of our marriage was filled with challenges and adjustments, but we kept that commitment.  On our first anniversary we knelt across the altar from each other in the Snowflake Arizona Temple and were bound in marriage for eternity.

Mary is joined by family friends Julie and Cindy (at left, who are sisters)

and her sister Karla and her brother Jeff (on either side of Mary).

When Ed and I were married civilly, we didn't tell anyone besides my children and one friend.  We didn't have any type of celebration because, to us, that wedding was only to satisfy the law and be together until we could be married under God's law.  We did enjoy an amazing honeymoon cruise, but no bridal showers or receptions.  We just embarked quietly on our lives together.

Ed and Mary's one-year-old wedding rings above the temple's fountain.

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Instead, we decided to invite all of our friends and relatives to celebrate with us on our first anniversary, after our marriage had been solemnized and bound forever in the holy temple. 

21 May 2011: Our Open House on the evening of our sealing.

And we did just that.  We invited all the important people in our lives to rejoice with us at an Open House held on that evening after our sealing.  More than 70 people joined us for food and fun and a wonderful time together.

21 May 2011: My niece Mariah took this shot and made it her own.  I love it!

21 May 2011: At the end of the evening, Ed finally gets a chance to relax

and enjoy some refreshments!

It was an incredible day and I'll remember it forever.  Thanks for sharing it with us!