JON AND MINDI'S WEDDING TOPS THE MONTH'S ACTIVITIES

At the seminar

We were so excited when August 1st finally came around as that was the day set for Jon to take Mindi as his bride.  For this wonderful event, Ryan flew in on Wednesday and Andrea and Casey flew in Thursday evening.  We had a great time with Ryan especially when we attended one of Todd's seminars and then met Andrea and Casey for lunch at Zuppa's in American Fork.  On Friday evening, we all gathered at Mindi's home for a family dinner including Mindi's and our families. She had ordered Dickey's barbecue beef and I brought cream puffs and crepes with strawberries and raspberry toppings. We were glad to meet her family.  



On Saturday, at 5:00 p.m., the wedding ceremony took place in the backyard of one of Jon's bosses, Shawn Finnigan. He has an amazing house complete with a movie theater, a music room, a game room with four arcade games, as well as a basketball court, sauna, and workout room.  His yard was equally as nice and made a beautiful setting for the wedding and later the reception.  Mindi looked beautiful and Jon was very handsome. Their children (all 8) completed the wedding party with the girls wearing gold dresses and the boys grey pants and vests, white shirts and gold ties. Together they made an adorable wedding line.  It's been a long time since we've seen Jon as happy as he was on this evening. Many people came to the reception following the ceremony where they enjoyed a wonderful Moroccan buffet, with pizza cones and cupcakes for the children.  After the reception, we took Taylor home to South Jordan but brought the rest of the boys to our home to spend the night and next day with us. Jon and Mindi honeymooned in Mexico at a resort just south of Cancun. 

Such a beautiful family!!

Waiting for the wedding to begin

We took the boys home on Sunday evening but then picked three of them them back up again on Tuesday morning.  It was Jon's scheduled time to have them and so we filled in for him.  I picked them up and stopped for lunch at In and Out for a quick bite. During the day I took them bowling and to Granny's for shakes. They then watched a movie while I fixed dinner.  All too soon it was time to take them back home.  It was a delightful day.

The boys enjoying shakes at Granny's

The following Monday, we packed up all of Jon's things from our home and took them to his and Mindi's home.  We had decided that day was to be a play day for us so we took lunch -nto Keith and Judy Allred and visited with them before dropping off Jon's things. We then went to a movie...the new mission impossible film. For dinner, we met Victoria Gorneshavea from Moscow.  



She was one of our choicest, young, Russian friends. Victoria attended our BYU Pathway program as well as our institute class for a whole year.  We were excited when we could arrange to get together at Texas Roadhouse for dinner.  It was so great to visit with her and catch up on all the news from Moscow. The biggest news was that her brother Vlad, who also attended the Pathway program with us, is now the bishop of the Sokolniki ward.  We invited her to come to our home on Thursday where she could invite her friends to come say hello. She was very grateful to have a place to be with her American friends. We served soft tacos for a light dinner with cream puffs for dessert.  We were glad we could open our home to Victoria and her friends.

Victoria and two of her friends at our home

We were privileged to see another one of our special Russian friends on Sunday of that same week.  Masha, one of our favorite young single adults, came to Utah and invited her friends to a light dinner at Elder and Sister Blackwell's home in Highland. We were so excited to see Masha again along with several of our former missionaries. Elders Marks and Bass were there and when we saw them it was like being reunited with our very own children. I almost cried as they were some of our favorite missionaries. We spent much of the time visiting with Ken and Carolyn Pierson who traveled to Utah from Idaho just to see Masha. Ken and Carolyn are the couple whom we replaced in Moscow.  It was fun to see them as well as all those other friends from our mission.We left before the party was over in order to go the Kailee's niece's birthday. It was held at Jake and Nicolle's home in Cedar Hills.  We brought a 'Land Before Time' dinosaur play set for 3 year old Evelyn.

 

1. Elders Marks and Bass on the left and Ken and Carolyn Pierson on the right

A yearly tradition for
Paul and I

Sweet Carli enjoying her
plate of chips

The very following week was Education Week at BYU.  We look forward to this event every year, especially this year, as we have missed the last two due to our mission. As usual the classes were wonderful and very uplifting. We left each day grateful for the opportunity to have attended this amazing event. On Wednesday, we left campus early so we could pick up Carli and take her out for her birthday dinner. We went to Cafe Rio and had a great time. Carli is not shy and kept a conversation going the whole time.  Most unusual for a nine year old.  

Todd putting up their new TV and Paul
putting together their kitchen table

On Friday of that week, Todd and Kailee closed on their new home so on Saturday the movers came to Heber to move their piano and other heavy things from our home. They have been living with us for the last few weeks so they were very excited to begin this move into a home they should be able to stay in for many years. We met them at their home on Monday to help unpack the things the movers brought from their storage units in Pleasant Grove.  We spent most of the day with them and by the time we left, the house was looking like a home. They were so lucky to have found such a beautiful home in an incredibly convenient neighborhood in Lehi.  It is exactly the type of home for which they were looking.  We are so excited for them.

A picture of Dad in therapy
Picture sent from Deon who was there to help

Other happenings of the month included working in the temple each Friday. On the last Friday of the month we stayed and attended an endowment session. When we got out of the temple there were messages on my phone about my Dad.  He had been put in the hospital earlier that week and by Friday was not doing too well.  Apparently he had fallen a few weeks ago and hit his head.  The doctors discovered some bleeding between the brain and the skull which was the cause of his losing his strength and his ability to communicate clearly.  After being in intensive care for a day or two, the brain bleed had healed but he could not sit up or walk.  By Sunday, the doctors had released him to a rehab center where he began extensive physical therapy to try to regain the strength in his legs so he could walk again. As of this writing, he is sitting up in a wheelchair on his own and feeding himself. He still cannot walk but is slowing regaining strength in his legs through therapy and exercise. It may be a long process but we are praying for his full recovery.

An ice cream cake from
Dairy Queen -
Todd's favorite

On the last Saturday of the month, Jon and Mindi brought their family (7 of the 8) up to Heber. They had a great time playing outside, making rice krispie treats and watching a movie. The children spent the night while Jon and Mindi returned home for some alone time that evening. In the morning, after a breakfast of scrambled eggs and cinnamon rolls, Jon and Mindi joined us and we all went to church. Later in the afternoon, Todd and Kailee as well as Kailee's mom and dad, brother, and sister and her family (20 people in all) joined us for Sunday dinner of ham and all the trimmings including an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen.  It was a celebration of Todd's 36 birthday....crazy but much fun.  A great way to end an eventful month. 

Our first look at our little granddaughter....
and the first little girl clothes purchased by Kailee after finding out their baby's sex.
So excited for Todd and Kailee to be starting their family.