Then the Two Shall be One (Gen 22:24)

Happy Couple

The Wedding went very well.
Because we were required to be at the Temple with our son by 7:45 a.m., we got a hotel in the city the night before.
All of my children, my cute little mom, and the bride's family then began to arrive. The young mothers who brought their children were allowed to leave them in a nursery (of sorts) inside the waiting area. It is equipped with tables and coloring books, a movie screen with a choice of three church movies, drinking fountains and bathrooms nearby. The parents have to supply the babysitters. So sweet volunteer friends, family and siblings showed up to help take care of the younger children.
The guests who were witnessing the wedding were asked to remove their shoes and put on little white footies. Then we waited in another room until they call us to the sealing room upstairs in the Temple.
The ceremony is only about 15 or 20 minutes long. It takes place in a Sealing Room. The families of the couple are seated on either side of the alter, which is located in the center of the room. Behind the guests on either side are HUGE mirrors placed so when the couple looks into them they can see their images continuing on into eternity. After everyone is seated, the couple is brought in and they sit on a love seat opposite the sealer and the dads who also serve as official witnesses and sign the wedding document. Next to the couple are the mothers and grandmothers of the couple. I sat next to my son and her mom and grandma sat on the other side next to the Bride.
The Sealer talked to them about marriage, commitment, love, unselfishness, you know all the stuff you need to think about when you "tie the knot." All my children and their spouses were in that room together. I got a little emotional at that thought, and don't remember specifically what the sealer said.
Here I would like to quote from my daughter-in-law's latest email:
"The wedding was nice. I'm not sure how much the bride and groom got out of it, but
the sealer had some really neat things to say. He talked about how the way we treat our spouses is evidence of our discipleship, and mentioned that since Heavenly Father often answers our prayers through others, we need to be actively looking for ways and trying to receive inspiration on how we can be an answer to our spouse's prayers. It's always neat to attend a temple sealing and be a part of that powerful experience."
It was touching and sweet. Kleenex was had by all as we reviewed the vows we all took when we were in their place. Then he had them kneel across the alter from one another and hold hands as he married and sealed them together for time and all eternity.
When it was all done, he invited everyone to greet the bride and groom as they filed out. The new couple were invited to look into the mirrors. We went back downstairs and put on our shoes, gathered the children and went outside to await the couple's grand entry. They wore special white clothes in the temple, so they changed into their wedding attire for pictures. Eventually they emerged all beautified and ready for pictures. I was totally taken aback and astonished to see that she had chosen to wear white bedroom slippers with her dress. It was not my choice of shoes, and when she had told me she was going to wear slippers, I didn't picture these. I pictured glass slippers or ballet slippers. But I am sure she was comfortable and her toes were warm, contrary to my uncomfortable but cute shoes.
Her sweet aunt did a dinner across the city at a church building and invited the family to eat afterwards. So after the pictures, S1 and his wife needed to get food into their little ones, so we walked to a nearby McDonald's. As we were heading back to the car, we saw the new couple wandering around the Temple grounds, the photographer already gone. They spotted the McDonald's sack and asked where it was, and they too headed to McDonald's. I thought it was so funny to see a beautiful bride in her really puffy Cinderella dress looking at the fast food menu, so I took a picture. S3 mentioned to his dad that his car smelled like Prestone and gave him the car keys. We went to the parking lot, found his car and added some water about the time the couple arrived and away we went. But as we were trying to get onto the freeway, we spotted the newlyweds parked by the side, with the hood up again. We stopped behind them added more water and hurried onto the Church for the dinner.
After a delicious dinner, and lots of visiting, most of us headed to D3's new home. It is an older home that needs some renovation, which they are jumping in with enthusiasm. Wall paper has been torn off and the scent of fresh paint greets the guest.
S1 and his family reside in a nearby state, about a 12 hour drive away. They graciously brought my sweet little mother who, at the age of 86, is still game for adventures. She is such an amazing little lady. I hope I can be just like her when I grow up.
This world is filled with all stages of life and we were surrounded by most stages, and as we ate dinner and visited, D3's father-in-law showed up with a U-haul full of his lifetime of treasures to store in part of their garage. It seems his livelihood has evaporated out from underneath his feet, not from anything he did wrong. His sweet wife will stay with his daughter as he goes on the road to pursue employment. At this stage in life, not yet ready for retirement and with a job loss, he has to start all over again. I am so sad for him and to lose him from our town. They were the only "family" we have in this town.
My mom who is enthusiastically living life like she is still 25 gamely comes on a 12 hour ride to see her youngest grandson get married. My youngest daughter has just purchased a house, and D2 announced she is expecting in May. Then the next day we all drove an hour south to visit S2 and his sweet little family. He had us gather around his Apple Laptop and watch a cute little movie that he, my talented graphic designer son made.



And so life hurries on. Halloween came yesterday, and my new little married couple called to tell us that they were home from their honeymoon. They had carved a pumpkin and purchased candy for the little Trick-or-Treaters, but no one came.
All I can say is. I feel tremendously blessed by a wonderful husband and father to my children, sweet children, the best in-law children in the world and the most beautiful 8 grandchildren I have ever known, with at least two more on the way.
Now as I sit here writing about the wedding and contemplating downloading my pictures from my camera to add to this blog, I am burning an Evergreen candle and playing Christmas music on my CD player. It has such a calming effect, if I could get by with it, I would play it all year.
But alas:
It is late and I need rest, so keep watching for my downloaded pictures.
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