Dave and Leadelle: From Mom June 5, 2016

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Dear Riley,

We have had one very perfect day and your sister is married and she and Cameron are off on their honeymoon in Monterey Bay, California. The house looks like a wedding bomb detonated inside it. ;)

H asked me Sunday night last week what she could help with. I asked her how much time she wanted to spend. She asked me to list the stuff out for her so I she could see what fit in her week. I sent that list out to all the family and those who had asked how they could help. That was likely one of the best things I ever could have done coming down the homestretch.

Everyone responded with the ways they could help and it was marvelous. We had Memorial Day and I finished my baking after the ward breakfast. Monday afternoon Grandma and L were here dropping off Grandma’s crystal for serving food at the reception. We took our family picture and had FHE, but it was a little crazy, truly.

Tuesday Dad and I got up early and took the tandem out to ride to the house we’d reserved for our Indian family coming in for the wedding. H showed up just as we were finishing breakfast and she and I took on 10 gallons of spinach artichoke dip. That is an impressive undertaking, be assured.

Wednesday I had a lovely and relaxing day finishing my dress and sewing sashes on the girls’ dresses. I went to work and picked up stuff to stock the Indian’s house. (I’m so tired of running errands) and the Indians began arriving that night. They had set up their itineraries to coordinate their arrival. But unfortunately the M’s were delayed and missed their connecting flight from Dallas. T had offered to pick up the Indians and he was there with a sign for A. Since the M’s were going to be over an hour more, he brought her home where we visited with her for a minute before taking her to the house we’d rented for them. T went back to the airport and brought the M’s home and the entire process was completed at 2 am. It made for a rough night’s sleep.

Thursday I had only the punch concentrate to finish and set up at the venue. H did my final Costco run. I’d asked people to come help, but it was really quite done and I was ahead of schedule with a clean house. (Don’t count on that happening again! But it was awesome.) Set up went quickly and the place looked beautiful. I had to take one last run to the store that night and then we headed out to dinner with our Indian family, besides S and P whose plane was delayed, Cambry and Cameron, and Cameron’s mother. I was so tired I could hardly eat. And I was feeling a little anxious that maybe I’d not planned well enough and things were going to flop.

Friday morning I was up at 5 after about five hours sleep. I felt so beautiful in my dress and jacket. Cameron’s sister C came and did Cambry’s make-up and ST came and did her hair. Dad made pancakes and took care of everything else. I rode up to the Salt Lake Temple with the Cam’s and everything was peaceful and easy. When we got to the temple, the sister asked about their witnesses. Oops! They had only told me to come with them, but had not asked Dad and Bro H to come that early. So I called and had Dad leave (thankfully he was ready!) and verified that Bro H was on the way.

And then the phone went off. I told Dad later in the day that I consciously decided that morning that I had been buckled into my seat on the ride and whatever ups and downs and twists and turns it took me on, I was going to enjoy the ride. So I wasn’t stressed. When the workers came and asked me if everyone was there, I twice said I hadn’t yet seen my husband. But I knew we wouldn’t start without him, so I wasn’t stressed.

Just a few minutes before the session was to start, I stepped out into the hall to get my mom a tissue and saw Dad as he recognized the Cam’s sitting on a bench in the hall waiting to be escorted into the sealing room. He was smiling and I knew I’d hear a good story later. Once Dad was in the room, I had a few minutes to pray. I asked Heavenly Father to help us know that Eric was with us and immediately, I knew that he was. I looked up from my prayer and caught L’s eye and we both knew that in the same moment we had sense that Eric was there. Witnesses confirming faith is a mercy from God.

President S sealed the sweet couple. The counsel he shared was quite short and very appropriate and then he proceeded to seal them. As he began the familiar words of the ordinance, I felt a power descend upon us. I don’t know how to say it better. I just clearly knew that there was authority behind the words. It was sweet and soon accomplished. Sadly, as he was instructing the couple on how he wanted things to proceed after, K and JH were shown into the room. It was their 13th wedding anniversary and she has felt so connected to them and was very determined to be there for the sealing. But Grandma P suggested that we couldn’t know for sure she would make it, so if she hadn’t shown up when everyone else who was expected to be there, we shouldn’t wait. K, like Dad and Grandma B, got lost inside the temple and didn’t get help soon enough. She was so sad. But I was so happy that she was there and could feel it and I could share the counsel and experience with her.

After the sealing and all the reverent congratulations were pressed upon the couple, Cambry and I were shown back into the bride’s room to get into her gown and get ready for pictures. She looked just beautiful. I asked her if she felt different and she said she didn’t. I felt so much the same. Really? After just a couple minutes, everything is different? It all kind of grows on you, really.

Cambry was the first bride that morning and so we had ample time and were not crowded or rushed taking the photos at the temple which is pretty good because we had an enormous group.

After pictures, I helped her back into her street dress and we were off to the luncheon in the Skyroom at BYU. It was just wonderful, a sweet and calm respite at the end of a hectic storm.

They had asked CB to play the piano and the guitar there and it was beautiful background. When he took a break to eat, Aleah went and played and it was quite beautiful. Then Cambry asked Elise to play Heroes. She resisted a little and then did it. The song starts out sweetly enough and then it abruptly becomes dramatic. The room grew quiet as everyone noticed the music for a minute. Cambry, Dad and I dropped a tear. She plays so expressively.

At the end of the luncheon, Dad shared some words before presenting his slide show. It was just perfect and we all loved it so much.

Things were perfectly timed, really. We had time to lay down for 20 minutes before going down to set up the reception.

Oh, I had wanted to have a picture of you to insert in the group pictures at the temple. But you got left in M’s car and couldn’t make it. So I took you down to the reception and set you on a table with a decorative bottle of M&M’s and some candles. But it kind of looked like a shrine to you, like maybe you’d died. So T added some dollar-store tall Jesus candles and he’s so happy to have caused plenty of people to wonder the significance.

The reception was a smashing success. We started just a few minutes early as smart guests began arriving. Within 20 minutes there was a line through the room which wound out to the other room and extended out the doors. I felt bad to see our guests waiting so long, but what is to be done? It was so good to see our old friends and dear loved ones.

We had brought 40 cakes together for a cake buffet and people loved all the choices and loved the cakes. They loved the dip and the bruchetta. It was perfect, well except that we had about twice as much food as we needed. That’s not really a problem, right?

As the event wore on, it was time to have the couple cut the cake, but the line had just barely come to the point of ending in the room we were in, so I didn’t want to diss those friends. But it kept consistent, so we walked down the line greeting our guests on the way over to the cake-cutting. They were sweet to each other with the cake, no face-smashing.

Cambry and Dad danced and made us all cry as they cried quietly together. Halfway through Cameron danced with his mom. Then C sang and AB played while Cambry and Cameron danced their first dance as husband and wife.

She changed out of her gown and into her street dress (the same dress as her bridesmaids) and they ran through our sparklers to their car and were off.

We cleaned up and dealt out the food and loaded up massive amounts of gifts and I was home by 10:41.

But don’t worry, I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t, exhausted though I was. I gave up at 2 in the morning and got out of bed and started straightening up, putting things away. I went back to bed after an hour and was finally able to sleep.

We had our Indian family over and we toured the yard. Then we went over to see Grandpa’s garden just as Grandma was setting out lunch, I know, perfect! And we visited with our family. Then the process of filling their bags for the return trip began.

And all too soon, S and P were off. I made tomato soup and cheese and crackers for dinner and then we drove up to Squaw Peak. I thought for sure we’d taken Mr. M up there, but he says no. Then Dad took them to the airport and I returned home.

Dad pulled in about midnight.

I want to get some sleep tonight. I was too weak to fast today, I would have been sick had I. But I did testify. It’s a tender time, marrying a daughter. But it has caused me to reflect and consider all the people who have helped me bring her along to this point. It’s overwhelming and I am beyond grateful for the goodness and mercy we’ve been granted through the community we’ve been blessed with.

I love you, son. I missed you, but more leading up to the day than I did on the day. When Parker goes to school in the fall, we will have only three kids at home. !?!

I hope you’ve had a good week (we prayed you’d be given compensatory blessings for having missed this important family event). Can’t wait to hear how those prayers were answered.

Love,
Mom

On the way into the temple.