Families

On Thursday, Desi and Mason were married.  It was wonderful.  An eternal family was created.  I loved being in the temple with so many family members.  I loved the glowing smiles on the happy couple's faces.  I loved squeezing Adam's hands while I listened to the marriage covenants being made.  It matters. I loved that Adam pointed to a box of Kleenex before we went to the sealing room and said, "Do yourself a favor."

He wasn't wrong.

We went to a luncheon following the temple, hosted by Mason's parents.  It was lovely and Desi's and Mason's friends entertained us with their speeches and performances.  Accompanied by Liberty on the piano, my sweet nieces and Mason's sister sang "Young Love" which my sisters and I sang at Marianne and Robert's wedding reception.

I sat by Tabor so I would have been entertained even if there hadn't been a little program.

From there I went with my parents.  We spent a little time with my grandma.  She is 94 and understandably feeble.  It is a hard stage of life.  As I was watching her struggle in and out of the car while we tried to help her, I was struck by how much I love her.  She has always been a beacon of kindness in my life.  Her generosity and support lifted our family.

I went to Costco with my mom.  We separated, looking for the trail mix my mom was after.  I found it and then I started looking for my mom and I was transported back to my childhood when I would wander off at Albertsons and then scan the aisles for my mom.  Shopping with your mom is like riding a bicycle.

I rode to Nevada with my parents.  We stopped for dinner and I said I would buy them dinner and they would not have it.

They bought me dinner.  They said, "You're our Patty Punkety."  I have no idea where I got that nickname but it has been mine all these years and apparently it explains why I can't buy them dinner.

I stayed at my parents' house, an only child.  I think I could count on one hand the times that has happened.

We went to Marianne's the next morning.  She had a notebook of lists and directions and recipes.  Someone would ask her a question and she would rapidly flip through the pages to find the answer.  She was sending people all sorts of directions and smiling and thanking people right and left. She also kept making my mom sit down.

Which isn't an easy task. 

But Marianne is a force to be reckoned with.  I'd go into battle with her and her lists.

She and Desi were sort of the wedding dream team because Marianne was the logistical and culinary whiz and Desi had strong opinions and planning skills with the decorations and general aesthetic and they stayed out of each other's way.  Desi and Mason didn't get there until mid afternoon but Desi's roommates were there and they had been given their own marching orders.

Olivia hosted us all for lunch, which was a generous and genius move because Marianne's kitchen was sort of a war zone.

It all came together beautifully and I loved spending the day with my mom and sisters and nieces, churning out salads and following orders.

And, in full disclosure, giving a few.  I took the tablecloths in hand and I got a little bossy.

In the late afternoon, we took a break to get ourselves ready and I sat in my parent's living room, visiting with them and Tabor.

At the reception, the lovely reception, I enjoyed more visiting.  My parents sat with my dad's siblings down the table from where I was sitting with mine.  I love the way we gravitate to each other.

We stayed long enough for the cake cutting, bouquet throwing and first dance.  Robert and Desi danced together to a song Hyrum had recorded before leaving for Ghana.  Hearing that boy strum the guitar and sing while Robert and Desi danced....

Adam wasn't there to warn me to prepare with Kleenex.

Emma and Mark and I headed back to Utah (they had driven there that afternoon and Adam had to stay and work).

I drove awhile and then Mark took over.  

The conversation drifted to Mark's all too soon college adventure.  I started down the oft repeated refrain:  go to Institute!  Get involved in your ward!  Study!

Then Emma started talking to him and I buttoned my lips.

Her advice is about 1000 times more credible to him than mine.  

These few days reminded me of how grateful I am for families.  What an amazing blessing to be organized into groups of people that love each other and help each other and learn from each other.

And how wonderful is it that they can last forever!

I didn't take pictures, but I nabbed a few on Facebook, as is my habit.

Clarissa, Timeon, Marianne, Mason, Deseret, Robert, Liberty, Morgan and Carolina.  One of my favorite families in the world!

The bridesmaids.  My pretty girl is the 4th from the left, standing.

Clarissa and Timeon and Matty (Timeon's cousin) performed a Kiribati dance and it was awesome.

Carolina made and decorated the cake.  I could give you a whole run down of the unique contributions each of Marianne's children made to the affair.  It is a lesson in valuing variety. (I did outline it all for my kids because I loved it so much.)