Dear Riley:
When you travel internationally it’s common to mess up your circadian rhythms and we call it jet lag. I’ve discovered a similar phenomenon on the heels of recent events and I’m calling it wedding lag. We’re just exhausted, we’re tired all day but still have a hard time sleeping a full night and a difficult time getting to sleep once we retire. I suppose it’s a combination of the several weeks of going to bed well past midnight, the euphoria of a beautiful wedding nearly flawlessly executed, and the reliving the highlights of the day’s events over and over in your mind. There’s practically nothing I would change.
Friday started early. Cambry was up at 5:00 AM waiting for people to come and do her makeup and hair. I got up to catch some of the pre-wedding action with photo and video then decided to fix Cambry her last breakfast as Sister Parish. I got her fed, fed the kids, and went to get myself ready. Cambry and Mom left earlier and I was three minutes away from leaving when I got a call informing me that as a witness, I was actually already supposed to be in the temple. This was a revelation to me, but what was to be done?? It was 7:45 AM and the soonest I could get up there was 8:40, but I left almost immediately and hoped for the best. On the way I was delayed by an accident for an extra 10 minutes I didn’t have. About this time, my stomach started growling and I realized that I had fed everyone breakfast but myself. Oh well, too late to do anything about that.
I finally made it to the temple at 8:50 and hurried inside. Once in the temple I was quickly grabbed by a Sister temple worker who seemed to know just who she was looking for and was greatly relieved that I was there. She got the appropriate paperwork signed and I felt more at ease. Then they handed me over to a temple volunteer and that’s when the fun began.
He was determined to take me to the marriage wedding room even though I explained to him that I was supposed to be there 50 minutes earlier. He got turned around and went to the wrong floor on the elevator; he went left when he should have gone right; at one point he confessed to me that he had been working there for 9 years and it still felt like a labyrinth to him, which didn’t make me feel very comfortable; he walked me around a corner to a hallway which seemed to stretch for a half mile and we started the sloth shuffle way down to the marriage waiting room. Along the way he chatted pleasantly apparently oblivious to the time constraints we were under. We finally arrived at the wedding waiting room only to find it nearly devoid of people. “Well how about that………they must have taken everyone up to the sealing room!” We went back out into the hallway and met up with a sister whom I believe was searching for me in earnest.
She grabbed my hand and we fairly flew to some elevators where she pushed the button and then had second thoughts. She took me over to a small spiral stair case and said “The stairs are faster. Run all the way to the top.” I emerged three floors up 10 seconds later where I should have been all along and could see Leadelle (very relieved) at the end of the hall in front of the sealing room. On the way I passed by Cambry and Cameron sitting outside the sealing room visiting quietly with the temple President who would also be their sealer. I was the last one I the room besides the bride, groom, and sealer. I thought the entire thing was pretty funny and once I was in the building and had signed the official documents, wasn’t the least bit worried that they would start without me, but Grandma B was sweating bullets.
The ceremony was simply beautiful and beautifully simple. When you consider the far reaching impact of what transpires within a few paragraphs and less than five minutes of the sealing ceremony, it’s truly remarkable. The Spirit was so strong and witnessed to the correctness of the path, the blessings and fruits of good clean living, and the worthiness of these two individuals to be in that holy place. Both Cambry and Cameron looked so radiant and it truly felt like pay day for me; the culmination of everything we had hoped, prayed, and worked for since Cambry’s birth. I considered how quickly time flies and realized that Leadelle’s parents were about my age now when I married her 24 years ago. Now here they sat in the temple watching their granddaughter get sealed. It won’t be long before we’re watching our own grandchildren get married.
As it turned out, Cambry was the first one married in the Salt Lake temple on Friday. This meant that there was no one in front of us at the prime picture spots. Just as we were wrapping up, an enormous throng of people from three other weddings came around the corner. I was glad that we didn’t have to battle the crowds. The weather and lighting were perfect and everything ran like clockwork. After the main pictures were taken, the bulk of our wedding party headed down to Provo for the luncheon. We stayed behind for a few more pictures with Cambry, Cameron, and the parents. As we were walking back to the dressing room so Cambry could change, I walked a ways behind them. What a handsome couple! They turned a lot of heads and some people even asked if they could take their picture. As I watched Cameron escort Cambry back to the temple, it really sank in that I had handed my stewardship over to another priesthood bearer who would watch over, provide for, and care for my daughter. It’s a feeling difficult to describe, but for me it was filled with both joy and sadness.
The luncheon was a buffet held at the Sky Room at BYU and was a relaxing and enjoyable gathering. CB played the guitar and piano while we ate. I showed the video/slideshow I had worked on and there was a fairly long pause of complete silence at the end. I guess that’s a good sign. Anyway, it was a tender reminder of just how quickly time flies and how the young grow up and move on.
We hardly had time to rest before getting ready for the reception. Everything came together in an amazing fashion. Even the venue supervisor commented on how everything looked, and they’re accustomed to seeing a lot of events. The food looked amazing and the décor was stunning. People started arriving ten minutes early so we formed the line and began greeting the guests. The line very quickly grew out of sight and some people told me it extended out the doors. We tried to be gracious to the hundreds of guests and make them feel like their wait in line was worth it. I think we did a pretty good job moving people along but still some must have stood in line for 40 minutes and I never saw the end of the line until the end of the reception when we started moving down the line so we could cut the cake. Cake cut, bouquet thrown, wedding singer song sung, father daughter dance, bride and groom dance, sparkler tribute as they ran to their tastefully decorated getaway vehicle…and they were off on their new life together. It was all a whirlwind of activity and over almost before it started. I was elated that everything went off so well, broken that my once little baby was gone. (the daddy daughter dance was something I was told about the day before, and it fairly demolished me. To be fair, Cambry soaked my shoulder with her tears. (Thank goodness for waterproof makeup!) All said and done, I ate one meal all day and barely got a taste of the wedding feast. That’s how the day went.
Our Indian guests felt so loved and welcome. They were beautifully adorned in their best ceremonial dress, which incidentally changed throughout the day with the most grand reserved for the reception. Uncle T was a God send and picked them up at the airport as they arrived. He happily made two trips to the airport on Wednesday evening on account of a delayed flight and ultimately went to bed around 2:00 AM.
Saturday was more relaxed, and we enjoyed our Indian guests and exchanged gifts prior to their departure in the evening. Such good and kind people! It’s amazing to me that such a deep love and friendship can spring from a business relationship which enriches our lives temporally, culturally, and spiritually for decades. I got back from dropping them off at the airport at about midnight.
I wish you could have been here. Uncle T played a joke on everyone and made your picture look more like a shrine. He even went and got some Catholic candles (definitely a strong Central American flavor) and set them up around the picture. All the P clan thought it terribly funny. Mom was going crazy over it but never had time to take them down herself and no one she petitioned to help her would remove them. It WAS pretty funny, but I’m glad the rumors of your death were greatly exaggerated.
Well, I’m tired and trying to get back on a reasonable schedule. Take care and work hard. We prayed especially that you would be extra blessed and compensated for your service during this time where your heart may be drawn closer to home and the events playing out in your absence.
Love,
Dad
The ceremony was simply beautiful and beautifully simple. When you consider the far reaching impact of what transpires within a few paragraphs and less than five minutes of the sealing ceremony, it’s truly remarkable. The Spirit was so strong and witnessed to the correctness of the path, the blessings and fruits of good clean living, and the worthiness of these two individuals to be in that holy place. Both Cambry and Cameron looked so radiant and it truly felt like pay day for me; the culmination of everything we had hoped, prayed, and worked for since Cambry’s birth. I considered how quickly time flies and realized that Leadelle’s parents were about my age now when I married her 24 years ago. Now here they sat in the temple watching their granddaughter get sealed. It won’t be long before we’re watching our own grandchildren get married.
As it turned out, Cambry was the first one married in the Salt Lake temple on Friday. This meant that there was no one in front of us at the prime picture spots. Just as we were wrapping up, an enormous throng of people from three other weddings came around the corner. I was glad that we didn’t have to battle the crowds. The weather and lighting were perfect and everything ran like clockwork. After the main pictures were taken, the bulk of our wedding party headed down to Provo for the luncheon. We stayed behind for a few more pictures with Cambry, Cameron, and the parents. As we were walking back to the dressing room so Cambry could change, I walked a ways behind them. What a handsome couple! They turned a lot of heads and some people even asked if they could take their picture. As I watched Cameron escort Cambry back to the temple, it really sank in that I had handed my stewardship over to another priesthood bearer who would watch over, provide for, and care for my daughter. It’s a feeling difficult to describe, but for me it was filled with both joy and sadness.
The luncheon was a buffet held at the Sky Room at BYU and was a relaxing and enjoyable gathering. CB played the guitar and piano while we ate. I showed the video/slideshow I had worked on and there was a fairly long pause of complete silence at the end. I guess that’s a good sign. Anyway, it was a tender reminder of just how quickly time flies and how the young grow up and move on.
We hardly had time to rest before getting ready for the reception. Everything came together in an amazing fashion. Even the venue supervisor commented on how everything looked, and they’re accustomed to seeing a lot of events. The food looked amazing and the décor was stunning. People started arriving ten minutes early so we formed the line and began greeting the guests. The line very quickly grew out of sight and some people told me it extended out the doors. We tried to be gracious to the hundreds of guests and make them feel like their wait in line was worth it. I think we did a pretty good job moving people along but still some must have stood in line for 40 minutes and I never saw the end of the line until the end of the reception when we started moving down the line so we could cut the cake. Cake cut, bouquet thrown, wedding singer song sung, father daughter dance, bride and groom dance, sparkler tribute as they ran to their tastefully decorated getaway vehicle…and they were off on their new life together. It was all a whirlwind of activity and over almost before it started. I was elated that everything went off so well, broken that my once little baby was gone. (the daddy daughter dance was something I was told about the day before, and it fairly demolished me. To be fair, Cambry soaked my shoulder with her tears. (Thank goodness for waterproof makeup!) All said and done, I ate one meal all day and barely got a taste of the wedding feast. That’s how the day went.
Our Indian guests felt so loved and welcome. They were beautifully adorned in their best ceremonial dress, which incidentally changed throughout the day with the most grand reserved for the reception. Uncle T was a God send and picked them up at the airport as they arrived. He happily made two trips to the airport on Wednesday evening on account of a delayed flight and ultimately went to bed around 2:00 AM.
Saturday was more relaxed, and we enjoyed our Indian guests and exchanged gifts prior to their departure in the evening. Such good and kind people! It’s amazing to me that such a deep love and friendship can spring from a business relationship which enriches our lives temporally, culturally, and spiritually for decades. I got back from dropping them off at the airport at about midnight.
I wish you could have been here. Uncle T played a joke on everyone and made your picture look more like a shrine. He even went and got some Catholic candles (definitely a strong Central American flavor) and set them up around the picture. All the P clan thought it terribly funny. Mom was going crazy over it but never had time to take them down herself and no one she petitioned to help her would remove them. It WAS pretty funny, but I’m glad the rumors of your death were greatly exaggerated.
Well, I’m tired and trying to get back on a reasonable schedule. Take care and work hard. We prayed especially that you would be extra blessed and compensated for your service during this time where your heart may be drawn closer to home and the events playing out in your absence.
Love,
Dad
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