Things I'm learning

At my oldest sister's wedding when I was 14.

At my own wedding.

At a friends wedding a little over a year ago.*

I feel sorry for my kids sometimes. I have a severe character flaw: I think I am brilliant! Well I am, but I think I've got it all figured out when actually I'm just hanging on. I helped out with a wedding tonight, and was reflecting on my brother's wedding and looking toward my kids weddings. Oh my poor kids.

My brothers wedding was gorgeous. My mom did some amazing decorating and it was awesome.

The wedding I helped out with today, I didn't even attend. I just wanted to emulate Debbie, who came in pants and stayed in the kitchen. They couple had bought wonderful prepared food and tons of it. So mostly I just took off lids and arranged things. I'm sold!

Croissant Sandwiches
Roll up sandwiches
Fruit bowl
Veggie platter
Cheese tray
Meatballs
Hot dogs
Cookies
Chocolates
Mixed nuts
Wedding mints
2 Cakes
Water bottles in a cooler
Punch fountain (Meg if you read this, you don't mind that I used your drink fountain!)

Wow! They only needed about 1/4 the food they had brought. Something I learned from my brothers wedding was to avoid things you needed to heat up in the oven unless you have 4 ovens. This wedding had crock pots for the hot items.

And on the subject of decorations, since I plan to just have church receptions for all the kids unless G's mother in law wants something different... I'm going to have lights, tulle and table cloths in white to which they will choose accent colors and flowers. And I'm going to find the wedding march and put it on my ipod playlist so that I'm ready! I tunes has a harp arrangement I sort of like. But of course I'm going to make it required for all my children to learn the wedding march on at least 3 instruments. Sure.

My wedding was awesome. We were married in the Jordan River Temple at 10AM. My father in law took pictures. My in-laws took us all to a lovely restaurant of my choosing for a private lunch. Then P and I ran away while my family took care of providing a wonderful reception in my moms back yard which she had manicured for the occasion. My friend A from BYU played the cello in the balcony above the reception. It rained but J had brought his croquet set and it was wonderful. So many wonderful people came thanks to the many invites sent out by our parents. I'm so grateful that I got to be an oblivious princess on that day.

So I feel sorry for my children that they will have a Mother-of-the-bride-zilla if they're ever lucky enough to find someone their parents will let them marry.

I was glad that today I got to help out. P was home with all 3 kids for almost 5 hours. Bless him for making so many wonderful things possible in my life.

Dear mom, My wedding is such a happy memory for me. Thank you.

*Note: P doesn't usually wear a t-shirt to a wedding. But on this magical day G wet his pants, while he was riding on P's shoulders... So we changed the boys and went to the wedding.