I witnessed so many tender mercies this weekend-- some of which are too personal to write down-- but the entire weekend testified of how mindful Heavenly Father is of each of us. He wants us to be happy-- even when the things that make us happy are insignificant and trivial. The weather was a major blessing (or miracle) of the day. It had rained buckets for weeks before the wedding, and has poured since, but on Saturday, we had the most beautiful sunny day-- perfect for an outdoor reception. Another huge blessing was that everyone was healthy on the day of the wedding. The stomach flu was being passed through the family for the week before, and we were all worried about who would have it on the "big day", but no one had it (or has had it since as far as I know).
Ryan was able to reconnect with one of his favorite mission companions, Elder Salanoa, and his wife Nancy (who was a sister in their mission too). The Salanoas are Tyson's Aunt and Uncle. It was really great to get to know them better. I can see why Ryan has spoken so highly of them over the years, because they were very easy to fall in love with. I especially enjoyed hearing them tell stories about my sweet husband, and seeing their love for him. At the end of the night, Jeremy said (talking in his New Zealand accent about Ryan), "That's what I love about this guy, he is so unassuming, but has such a big heart."
Being in the temple with my parents and ALL of my siblings for the first time was really amazing. I love the spirit of the temple. The officiator was so good. He talked about how important it is to appreciate your spouse and TELL THEM how much they mean to you. He talked of being "one" in marriage, and as one-- being partners with God.
The reception was so fun. My Mother is an amazing woman (I have already hired her to plan my children's receptions in about 15 years, because there is no way I can pull off an awesome party the way she does). As I pulled my exhausted body into bed on Saturday night, I felt like I was smiling from head to toe. I am just so happy to be in the family that I am in. I am thrilled to have the gospel in my life, and a testimony of the eternal sealing power of the priesthood and the temple. I felt like I got to experience a little taste of how joyful Heaven is as we are surrounded by friends and family that we love. The only thing that wasn't perfect about the weekend was that is went by too quickly... well, that and the parking ticket we got-- but I suppose you gotta take the bad to appreciate the good, and man was it good!
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| Tyson's Grandma made the cake. |
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| My Mother made the arch. |
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| On the left is a photo booth that was really fun. On the right is the serving area. They had chocolate fountains, slush, egg rolls, orange chicken, wantons, cream puffs. YUMMERS! |
