Then later in the month, my nephew was getting married. This is the first of my parents grandkids to get married. Garret is my oldest sister's 2nd oldest. He found such a wonderful young women, they have known each other for at least 5 years and I think they both knew they were going to be married but they were just waiting for the right time. They met in VA going to college together.
It was such a great weekend. I wish I had pictures to post, but I left my camera at home. It was a very busy weekend for me... I went to WA alone... can you believe it? My first vacation ALONE since Emily. Poor Robert stayed home the whole weekend ALONE as well, although he wasn't really alone, but maybe more like ON HIS OWN with all the kids.
I got a call one morning, "Where are the little girls' clothes? I can't seem to find them." My answer was something to the effect of "the dresser in Amber's room holds Amber's clothes, and the dresser in Samantha's room has Samantha's clothes in it." He then needed to help finding socks that fit them, which that one was totally understandable since they are kind of hiding in a box and not just in a drawer somewhere. Poor guy. He told me he "missed" church, Amber had been coughing and Samantha was crying. Later he just said, "okay I wuzzed out." I wish I could use the exuse sometimes.
I spent the most of the weekend with my parents, I got in to Portland at like 6:40 pm on Thursday night. We got something to eat and then went home, stayed up talking until late and then had to leave at 6:45am the next morning to make it back to Portland to attend the temple for the endowment session of Garret and his beautiful fiance, Toney. That was a long morning, we got done had lunch in Portland area, went to the book store, and then got home about 3ish. We needed to be back at a rehearsal dinner in Chehalis where the reception was going to be. I was able to take about an hour nap. We headed up there, and didn't get back home again until around 10ish I don't think.
The next morning was the wedding Sealing at the temple, which again, meant we needed to leave again about 6:45am. My dad was to wake me up at about 6:15am and I woke up at like 6:30 and was wondering why he didn't wake me up yet. No one was up so I thought, well I go wake them up. I woke them up and they SLOWLY got ready. My dad's clock had reset itself for daylight savings time so it was only saying 5:30 instead of the real 6:30 time. My dad goes and takes a shower. I am trying to get ready but all my stuff is in the bathroom that my dad is showering in. My mom is still in bed thinking we still have an hour... finally my dad notices a different clock that says it is really like almost 7am now. He then told my mom she should get up. Then it all started to make sense, why my dad was taking his time in the shower and why my mom was still laying in bed not getting ready. It was funny to think about later.
We get to the temple, or almost there and I decide to call the girls and tell them hi. As I called them I realized I didn't have my temple recommend. I wouldn't be able to go into the temple for the sealing. I was so bummed. Robert said they would call my bishop or stake president. He would call the Stake President and let them know I was there without a recommend. He didn't want to bother him if they weren't going to call. We went in and talked to the front desk people, they took my info and came back later saying that my bishop just went for a run and my stake president was new (since our stake just split awhile ago) and wasnt' sure who was or wasn't a recommend holder. I knew if he knew who I was, the wife of Robert one of his high councilors he would okay me. Some how... I was able to get in. I was SO thankful! I felt pretty dumb for not having my recommend.
I helped Toney with her LONG hair for pictures at the temple. She has hair all the way down to her thighs. It is super LONG. They did a few pictures, I took a few lame ones on my phone that didn't even really turn out. My parents and I left and I went to go help my sister at her house with whatever she needed. She was pretty stressed and worn out with all the wedding stuff. Not to mention Garret is in the military so he was stationed in Texas at the time and Toney was living there too so neither of them were even in WA to do things.
The reception was beautiful, Toney's mom made the wedding cake, which was fabulous... and Toney's dress was amazing! They had all sorts of food there, it was crazy. They had tables assigned to families. I sat at a table with my 2 brothers and one of my sisters. One of my brothers and his wife left early to go be with their son at a football game, so just the 3 of us where left. Well I take that back, Garret's sister and her boyfriend were at our table too but they were pretty quiet. Somehow during one of the speakers I started laughing because my brother was stealing food from my dad's plate. It was a joint effort, my sister would poke my dad and when he looked at her, my brother would poke his fork into something on my dad's plate. My parents and one of my other sisters where sitting at a table just in front of us. When I started to laugh, I could not stop. Any time I looked at my sister I would just start cracking up. I was covering my whole face with a napkin and then I would pull it all together and stop laughing. I would remove the napkin and as soon as I looked at Tracy, I just lost it again. I was about to walk out because I wasn't just laughing a little, I was laughing loudly and noticably. I finally pulled it together.
I felt for my sister and the joy and pain all wrapped up in the same bundle. Her son leaving her family to become his own family... yet it is so wonderful to see him and his wife, they truly love each other and you can see it the way the look at each other. They compliment each other so well. I know my sister was on the edge of tears the whole weekend, several times I saw her try to pull it together while trying not to lose it.
At the reception my sister danced with her son, Garret to the song A Mother's Song which was such a great song. If you click on the link it will take you to YouTube with a video of the song. It is really great. I couldn't help but to just cry listening to the song and watching them dance. (And of course also imagining my sisters heart and all the emotions she would be going through.)
My weekend seemed really short, even though I came in on Thursday night. Sunday I went to church for the first hour and then went to see a best friend, but she was home yet so I thought I would stop by and see my sister and her daughter. Which... that sort of worked out, my sister was gone too but I was able to chat with my neice and I don't get to see her much so that was good too. She just had homecoming so she was all really excited about that still. I did end up going to see my friend (or my BFFFFF as Lauren would call it) but I was only able to stay a short time. I also got to celebrate my brother, Kelly, and his wife's son, Parker's first birthday, which another one of my friends was there too so I was able to score on that too. My brother and family have came to visit us here before. It was great to see them and their other 2 kids. Again, it was just so fast, I wish I would have been able to spend more time and with everyone.
It was as it is always hard to give those hugs and kisses and leave my HOME to go to my new life and home that I have now with my own family. It always makes me a little sad that my old life/home is so far away from my new home/life. I also couldn't help to think, I still have a round trip ticket that I didn't use so that means I have another trip to plan to WA. : )
Here is the song that I was talking about... A Mother's Song
1 comment:
It sounds like a great trip and a much needed getaway alone for you, busy mother of 5. Those family moments are so great. Glad you could be there for it all.
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