How It All Came About

Ok first of all we need to flashback to about 5 months ago (January). Josh and I were able to join my mother's side of the family (The Hawkes') to do the temple work for my Grandpa Bob and  Grandma Iris. We met one January afternoon at the Brigham City Temple. This sealing was extra special to me because I am named after my Grandma Iris (my middle name is Iris) and although I was young when she passed away, I've been able to learn a lot about her through writing her history and hearing stories from family members. I even wore one of her pearl necklaces that my mom gave me to remind me of her (picture below).

This whole entire experience was absolutely amazing and indescribable. Being at this beautiful recently built and dedicated temple with family who have been my example my whole life was so powerful. After the endowment session, we met in a sealing room. While we waited for the sealer to get there, it was so humbling to sit in this pure white room and feel the spirit so strong. As we did the work to seal Iris and Robert Lawrence Hawkes together I got to stand in as proxy for my grandma, which meant the world to me. Through this experience and many others I know that families can be together forever through the proper power of the priesthood.

A few days later as we were laying in bed (and I was just about asleep) Josh said something along the lines of, "Hey, I want to talk about something." Those words got me excited and nervous all at the same time so I was instantly awake and ready to listen. He explained to me that as we were in the sealing room, the sealer was discussing eternal families and multiplying and replenishing the earth, he felt a strong feeling that we needed to start a family. I didn't quite have those same feelings in the temple, but I knew if those words came from Josh, a worthy priesthood holder, and through much prayer and fasting, we knew this was right for us at this time.

To make a long story short, and to leave out unnecessary details ;)  within a few months I found out I was pregnant according to the pregnancy test. When I broke the news to Josh, we were filled with joy and couldn't wait to bring a little one into the world.