One view of Don-Mike's reception

Don-Mike & Amber's reception was Saturday, May 5, at the Whitney Church. About 5 o'clock, I ran into town to see if I could find the paper I had bought for the guest book. We'd been there since 2 p.m. My idea was to have people sign square pieces of paper & then put those papers in a scrapbook with pictures from their engagement, wedding & reception.

Burkley Balzar & one of Audrey's girls at the guest table ~ Photo by Melissa Owen Bodily

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So, I missed the first part of the reception. It started at 6. Luckily I had purple & navy blue cards to start out the reception. I brought lime green & white paper when I came back.

When I got there, some of the first people I saw were Grant Douglas Morgan, Kim Morgan Yamashita & their 3 adorable children, Noah, Isabel & Ben.

Isabel, Kim & Ben Yamashita. Behind Kim is Carl Cordingly. Behind Ben is my uncle Jim Anderson, sitting with Keith & Onda Taylor & Donna Anderson. In the line, far right corner is Don-Mike.

 I snagged the picture above from Kim's blog  The next two pictures are also from Kim's blog.

Isabel took this picture of Mother (Grandma Detta) & Kim & Grant with Kim's phone. It's a little blurry, but not bad.

Grandma Detta with Noah Morgan, Ben & Isabel Yamashita. Kim notes that Isabel is wearing her Easter outfit.

Noah stood up next to me & he is almost as tall as I am & he is only 8!!

New look behind the scenes

Wow! There is a new look behind the scenes. I almost forgot what I was going to write about!!

Today I finally decided I needed to get the invitations for Don-Mike's wedding mailed out, there are only so many days left. Don-Mike & I went down this morning & picked up most of his temple clothing. He & Amber will be going to the temple on Friday.

Back in January one of the clerks at the post office told me there were new mother-in-law stamps this year. It's the Chinese year of the dragon. We laughed. Don-Mike & Amber had just got engaged & I said when it came time to send out the invitations, I'd come in & buy some.

Eldon (Wilcox) was not at the post office today. I told the 2 ladies behind the counter I wanted to buy some mother-in-law (MIL) stamps. One clerk picked right up on it & quietly explained to the other clerk as she got a sheet out. I was surprised when she told me $5.40 for the sheet of stamps because there are only 12 stamps on a sheet. Stamps are 45 cents now. I can remember when they cost just pennies.

I asked them to tell Eldon I had bought some mother-in-law stamps. They said it will be a long time before they see him again. He is out with some health problems. I said I'd send him a get well card & let him know I got the MIL stamps.

It is so hard to say anything without hurting feelings. I don't know what his problem is. If he is battling cancer or some form of debilitating disease, ... If he will soon recuperate & be back to work ... or not. I referred to the Scott Krippayne song about God sometimes calming the storm & sometimes calming His child.

Sunday was a day of those uncomfortable situations. A missionary is home from his mission early. What do you say? A hug, only to discover he is painfully thin. A couple in the ward just lost a baby, born way too early , not even 24 weeks, yet she lived an hour and a half. I tried expressing my sympathy to the father & felt like I should have kept my mouth shut. An interview with the Relief Society president sitting in the back of the chapel with one of my ladies sitting in the foyer, probably hearing everything I said.

We went to dinner at the Texas Road House on Sunday for Nick's birthday. Don-Mike said one of his co-workers passed judgement on him yesterday at work. "You went out to dinner on Sunday & you're getting married in the temple?" Don-Mike said he felt like telling him we had an ox in the mire. There is no other time we can go out to dinner as a family. I told him in the scriptures it is not an ox stuck in a mire, it is an ass in a pit (Luke 14:5).

So, I just googled the phrase, "ox in a mire," & found a blog entry that I really like titled When Is Your Ox in the Mire? Here are a couple of wonderful comebacks.

So, the next time you are caught in a questionable Sunday activity, just say, “Sorry, bishop.  My ass was in a pit.  This was just one of those “ass in a pit” situations.”

Backgrounds

I had a hard time deciding what kind of background I wanted for my blog. Wedding? Don-Mike & Amber's wedding is coming up in 3 weeks. Birthday? Our April birthdays got jump started this year with Amber's birthday in March. Spring? After all, it is spring.

I chose spring. It was supposed to snow today, but so far, it is just rain. I can deal with rain. I live in a semi-arid climate, I know moisture is of paramount importance.

Yesterday was a glorious spring day. The sun was shining, it was warm & the sky was blue. I took Mother for a ride up Cub River Canyon. We only got as far as Albert Moser Campground before we turned around. The road hadn't been graded & the road was bumpy, much too bumpy for my poor, sore tummy. The road had some serious speed bumps too. I was driving sedately (Don's word), but the car was still kicking up dust. Dust & smoke is not good for Mother's asthma. Someone was burning at Deer Cliff Inn.

Now, I need to concentrate some effort on bills & my personal web site. The personal web site still has a snow scene as the background, as well as the Valentine's mailbox I mentioned the other day.

Don-Mike & Amber's wedding invitations came today. I probably should be addressing envelopes, now I have an invitation to make sure I get the right size of envelope.

New wedding date

New wedding date is May 4 in the Logan LDS Temple. Don-Mike & Amber are taking the temple preparation classes with Nate & Sydney Hale & Jay & Gale Hansen on Sunday evenings at 5.

Don-Mike has moved into the new addition, leaving Mother & I here alone. He comes over & spends a little while after work here with Amber

We found ties at Deseret Book. The clerk was so nice. His name is Kevin Anderson. His father's name is Jim Anderson from Tremonton. Not my uncle Jim. His parents are Jim & Betty Anderson. His father was a bishop in Tremonton. I wondered if Uncle Jim & his father were bishops at the same time. Jim was also a branch president in the nursing home in Tremonton a few years ago.

Anyway, he found 3 adult ties for us at the Deseret Book in Denver & 2 adult ties & 1 youth tie for us at the Deseret Book in Riverdale, Utah. I'll call Kim & Terri & see if they will pick them up for us.

Anger is a secondary emotion

I KNOW anger is a secondary emotion. I haven't arrived at that point yet, I'm just sick to my stomach, frustrated, irritated & ready to cry.

Amber's mother is now pushing for a civil ceremony on March 15 & then they can be married next year in the temple. Come on!! Whose wedding is this anyway??? Amber asked me tonight if Don & I were all right with them waiting & getting married in the temple on May 4. Of course, we're all right with it. I told her I'd be very disappointed if they didn't get married in the temple.

I had all these dreams for my boys. They would both earn their Eagle Scout rank, graduate from high school, serve full-time missions & be married in the temple. So 1 out of 8 ain't bad. Well, the marriages haven't taken place, so maybe I should've said 1 out of 6 ain't bad. Neither of them earned their Eagles, served full-time missions & although Don-Mike graduated from high school, he didn't get to walk with the graduates. The counselor didn't make sure he finished his online course & 2 hours before graduation, the principal & counselor show up at my door telling me my son will not walk. Nick dropped out of school, which is a whole 'nother story.

How do you explain a civil ceremony after they've already announced to the world they are getting married in the temple? Doesn't that make it look like they were sexually active, when in reality Don-Mike hasn't been a full tithe payer??

If they cave to Amber's mother, I will be angry, seeringly angry. (Is there such a word as seeringly? If there isn't, I just made it up.) Maybe I'll go talk to our bishop tomorrow after the block.

Set back

Even the best laid plans of mice & men often go awry, paraphrasing Robert Burns. Don-Mike came home from an appointment with his bishop tonight saying the bishop strongly recommends pushing the wedding back to June. Don-Mike hasn't been a faithful tithe payer. Don-Mike said he immediately felt relief.

I sat them down a few nights ago, the night I took the picture with my phone (which Amber's mom didn't like me posting on Facebook). Anyway, I told them the place was more important than the time. They both agreed & tonight Don-Mike told his bishop what I had said. The bishop said it couldn't be said any plainer than that. Don-Mike, of course, reminded me of that when I expressed my disappointment in having the wedding pushed back to June.

As Don-Mike pointed out, the invitations haven't been printed. The tablecloths have been ordered, but, of course, they can be canceled. They are not here yet.

Don-Mike's engaged

Don-Mike and Amber

We are so excited to welcome Amber Hayes into our family. Amber grew up next door to us. They moved into the house north of us when Amber was 10. I think it was earlier, because Amber would have been 10 in 1992. Daddy died in May of '92. They already lived there when Daddy died. Amber remembers 10. We moved to Preston in 1995. It was going to be a short sojourn, but almost 17 years later, we are still here.

Mother & Daddy, Mother's parents, Fred & Jennie Porter, & Don & I were all married on Dec. 15 in the Logan LDS Temple. This year December 15 fell on a Thursday. Mother & I decided we were going out to dinner to celebrate our anniversaries. I told Don-Mike, who had a rare Thursday off, he was welcome to join us unless he had a date. Mother said he could bring his date. I was scandalized. "Mother! You don't bring a date to a family dinner unless it's Amber ... or (my brain was racing frantically. I couldn't think of anyone else I would be comfortable with.) ... Amber. You don't bring just anyone to a family dinner."

A couple of hours later, Don-Mike & Amber show up to pick up Mother & I in Don's car. Oooo-kay! I thought back to our earlier conversation & thought it was nice he had brought Amber. I love Amber. I seriously wondered if it was date, but ... wasn't sure. It's best not to assume when you aren't sure.

Mother & I sat in the back seat. We met Don & Nick at the Golden Corral. They went down in Nick's Corvette. After dinner, Nick wanted Don-Mike to go with him. Don-Mike didn't & Nick stormed out. Don said he didn't start talking until they were almost to Richmond.

As soon as Nick & Don left, Don-Mike jumped up & said, "I'm on a date! You don't just walk off & leave a DATE!" Amber & I looked at each other. "Oh! It IS a date!"

Their next date was a movie night at our house. Don-Mike rearranged the front room so the couch (love seat) is in front of the TV so they could sit together. By the end of the evening, Don-Mike had his arm around her. I put Mother to bed & I hissed, "Mother! He's got his arm around her!" Mother said, "I saw that. I've got to get my temple recommend so I can go to the temple with them."

He spent Christmas Eve with Amber's family. They went to a party at Ian & Heather Porter's on New Year's Eve & stayed out til 5 A.M. They were in good company though. Besides Ian & Heather, there was Mike & Natasha Porter & Ian's brother Cord. And, of course, the babies. Ian & Heather's daughter Xandi & Mike & Tasha's son Dominic.

Don-Mike had big plans of how he was going to ask Amber to marry him. I told him Bill Fish had asked Gwen to marry him by pushing a conversation heart that said, "Marry me." to her plate at the Senior Center dinner on Valentine's Day. Don-Mike said he was going to buy a heart-shaped pizza with "Marry me." on it. In the end he just blurted it out. Amber said he looked through all the conversation hearts she had given him, but couldn't find what he wanted.

I told Don-Mike when we talked about how to ask her to marry him that he didn't have to wait until Dec. 15 to get married. The place is more important than the date. The original date was June 15. They moved it up to March 15, which is a Thursday, & the reception will be Friday, March 16, in the Preston 1st, 5th & 8th Ward building.

Mother & Amber have always had a special bond. As have Mother & Don-Mikel. It's a good thing, because they will move in with Mother, here at 425 N. State until we can get the house finished on First East.

Bonnie's wedding

Some pictures of Bonnie's wedding.

President Cornell Porter giving some advice before he pronounced them husband & wife. I took this picture from my seat. I was sitting behind Bonnie's mother, Gloria or Gigi.

 

Don took this picture of Travis & Bonnie leaving the church for some pictures.

Bonnie looks so happy.