Tales from Happy Land

Hi! It's been a crazy week! I wish I had one more day to recover from the weekend. 😅

On Tuesday during school we had a Zoom meeting to do watercolor. It worked out really good. One of my students' moms did it for us. Zoom is kind of like Skype, kind of like those meetings we did with your teachers at K12. Anyway, they painted a dog. I love art time!

Thursday we went to coding club for Jill and Harry, Bubby, and I hung out at the library. We left Timmy home because he didn't eat beans. I took a picture of him bawling because I'm a mean mom. 😅 While we waited for Jill the two little guys actually got bored of the computers. They found that they can roll the library stools around and that they can stand on them too. There's a picture of them on a library stool too.

Around Wednesday (or was it Monday?) I found out that I was supposed to make a Crock-Pot full of soup for the wedding lunch, and also Rachel asked for my chocolate chip cookies. I was kind of annoyed. I decided right away that I'd make chilli. And then a few days later I asked if anyone else was making soup, and mom said yeah, so and so was doing such and such and Anne was making chilli. Darn! So I made pig chowder instead. It was Friday morning and I'd been out shopping, and I came home and made that soup, chopping everything by hand because I forgot I had a food processor. It turned out yummy. And at the same time I was trying to bake the cookies and overcooking almost all of them. Then I left the soup out to cool because it was too hot to put in the fridge. I put the lid on so it wouldn't get stuff in it or something. But when we got back that night it was frothy and bubbling on top even though it wasn't being heated. The whole thing was rotten. Papa suggested that I just buy some soup that was already made, but I couldn't do that. I woke up early on Saturday and bought more ingredients and made a new giant pot of soup. It was good.

On Friday night we packed our church clothes in the car and picked up pizza to eat while we drove to Globe for the reception. There was very little in the way of decorations, but they had Cornhole and other games. And they had bags of popcorn and cotton candy. And hot dogs. They didn't have a line. Everyone just mingled and talked. It was fun. Alex's mom and mom's cousin came too. They were nice, and they did speak some English. They're not members, though, so they couldn't be at the sealing the next day.

We got to bed at midnight that night, without any dawdling. We took a while to leave Globe because Mom, Dad, Rachel, Susie, and Susie's boyfriend needed a hotel room in Thatcher, and everything was booked. Papa helped them find something. It was like the last possible hotel he could try, and it didn't look very nice, but it sounds like it wasn't as bad as El Rey, so thank heavens for that.

On Saturday we took grandma a can opener at the church where she was making posse stew. It was at the Thatcher Stake Center. Kenzie had worked really hard on it, and it was beautiful. She even had white covers on all the chairs. She decorated the Relief Society room too for a ring ceremony. They wanted that because Alex's mom couldn't be in the sealing room.

We got to the Temple, and I realized I'd forgotten my recommend. I saw Bishop outside at the Temple, but he was there with his family because his son had just gotten married. I didn't want to go bother him. I went in and found Brother Palmer, and he had me fill out a paper. They looked up my recommend, which I had just barely renewed, and Brother Palmer signed my paper and signed it for me, and now I have a souvenir in my journal from Rachel's wedding day. ;) Rachel told me later that she had been nervous because the marriage license from the state (you have to get one of those and take it with you to wherever you get married) said the wrong marriage date on it. I don't know what they did in the record office, but they did go ahead and get married. :)

While we were waiting to go in a lady sat next to me who is named Katie and was Susie's companion on her mission and later became a good friend of Rachel's. She was so fun to talk to. And then we went in the sealing room. Katie and Dan were the witnesses, which was so cool! Katie's signature is on those certificates! Rachel's dress was off white, so I think she wore a different dress for the sealing, but she looked so beautiful and happy. It was just wonderful! I cried thinking about how I've known Rachel for almost her entire life. I watched her grow up, and her she was, all lovely and getting married to such a wonderful man. Very cool. I was happy that Becca was crying too and not just me. ;)

Afterwards we had pictures. They took a picture of everyone who was there, and then they made us go get our kids to be in some pictures. Thank goodness they were all mostly dressed by the time we got there. Then we finished the too many pictures and went to the church.

Then there was a lot of bustle getting finishing touches on lunch. It was after 1:00 and all the littles were hungry. In the hurry a little kiddo knocked over a door that had glass in it that was leaning against a wall in a row with other old doors. It was for decoration. It almost fell on one of Kenzie's twins, but she grabbed her girlie and stuck her had out to catch the door, but the window shattered and cut her arm all up. It was so scary. Poor Kenzie!

After more bustle and getting Kenzie all bandaged we did the ring ceremony. I've never been to one. All I knew was that Aaron and Papa would both speak, and that Papa would be saying something in Spanish so Alex's mom could understand. They had an opening prayer I think and then Aaron talked about marriage, and he did great. Then Papa talked. He did great too. He spoke kind of quietly, but mostly everyone wouldn't have been able to understand anyway. But he was kind of talking to only those guys on the front row. Then Alex and Rachel got up, and they each said something about the other and then put the rings on each other's fingers. And then Becca played Let Me Call You Sweetheart, I'm in Love with You on the piano. And then Joe said a closing prayer and blessing on the food and then we could finally eat! The kiddos did a great job waiting so long. I was impressed.

Kenzie had so much fun being in charge. She kept getting on the microphone and saying, "Now it's a daddy daughter dance. Now it's a mother son dance." And all that. There was lots of soup and some rolls and salad and sheet cake. Brookie had made a cute little wedding cake. It was just a plain little white frosted cake with a ribbon around it. It was cute. Jocee caught the bouquet, and Benji caught the garter, even though he thought that was super weird.

We threw rice and blew bubbles we Rachel and Alex walked down the sidewalk to their car. Then Dan drove up in their car. He and Susie and Susie's boyfriend Chaz had written on it with frosting, and they got some rope and tied on some of the cans from the posse stew on the back. And away went Rachel and Alex. We got them a hotel room for their wedding night at the Hilton here in town. I wish we'd had time to decorate it. For Aaron and Kenzie we borrowed the hotel key and put chocolate and sparkling cider and pretty glasses in their room. We didn't have time this time. Darn!

Susie's boyfriend Chaz has a cute little 1 1/2 year old named Dawson. I don't know anything about Chaz. Except that he loaned them the ladder ball game and maybe some others for the reception in Globe. He also lent mom a Crock-Pot. He told me that it's the second time in the five years since he bought that Crock-Pot that it's been used. The first time he made jack rabbit stew in it. He said he turned it on high and left for church. He came home and found. It boiled over all over the kitchen. He said there was congealed jack rabbit fat here and there and down in the switch. All over. Ha ha! So yeah, he's a nice, talkative, helpful, friendly fella who has a cute little boy. But that's as much as I know.

We took a long time taking down all the decorations. All the ribbons from the chairs had to be folded just so. Kenzie had borrowed almost everything from a lot of different people. After we were done putting it all back in the boxes she spent a long time taking it all back to people. The rest of everyone except Dad (and Alex and Rachel, of course) came and got a popsicle at our house. That was fun. :) And then we went to bed exhausted.

Aaron, Katie, and Becca all came with their families to our sacrament meeting. We didn't get to sit with them, but Becca sat across the aisle from us, and Papa was able to help calm her children with a notebook and pen and some cocoa roos. :) They all left after sacrament meeting. Becca and Austin hit the road because they have to be back home so Austin can teach tomorrow.

Benji made potatoes layered with onions and bacon, and we took it to Aaron's house for dinner. It was kind of a potluck. There was leftover posse stew and some other soup, plus our potatoes. And Kenzie made her yummy rolls. I love those! Aaron made us all come out in the freezing cold to play nine square. It's actually really fun. If you haven't played and his nine square frame hasn't broken before you get home I'm sure he'll love for you to come and play. :)

And that catches you up!!

Love you so much, Hyrum!! Have a wonderful week!

Love, Mommy

Other pictures I didn't talk about:

Bubby and Henry

Jill in her new dress that I bought for Rachel's wedding. She really needed some long ones anyway. And this on has pockets! The ones at Walmart are all short, and Jill's too wiggly for short dresses.

I was so excited to find this book for sale at the library. I bought it. Longfellow is one of my favorite poets. This poem is one I used for a speech piece in high school. I had to cut the poem down down, and I never felt like I did a good job with with the cut or the performance of it. But it's lovely poetry.

I let Timmy make a mug cake. 😅

Rachel at her reception in Globe. Becca did all the flowers. They were all fake flowers, but they were beautiful.

I'm so mean. Timmy was not allowed to go to the library or play on computers or anything until he ate 18 beans. It went on for like a week. This particular day I told him that, no, he couldn't go to the library. Usually I am more lenient, but Papa said. Anyway, his crying was over the top ridiculous this time. Doom and gloom! I don't know why I took a picture. Surely he'll laugh too when he's older. (He did eventually eat the beans, but we had to go to some pretty great lengths.

New dress!

Library

Timmy made a mug cake. Guess what flavor. ;)

The beautiful bride Rachel

Rachel and Alex

Cool kids playing in the hall. I don't think Teancum ever came into the reception.

Michael wandered around wishing he had someone to hang out with. So be hung out with balloons and me. ;)

Jill took a picture of Rachel and Alex and them did a selfie with them too.

That's Katie in the white hat. :) She's still the same Katie. Nothing really rattles her.

Harry got hurt

Timmy got cotton candy

Papa holding Rachel's flowers

Papa writing while Rachel and Alex open cards and presents

Michael and Benji watching the present opening

Someone untied this ribbon from a chair. Joshua wrapped it around his face because why not?

These two things we're in the tables at the Globe reception. I thought they were fun to read.

Behind Benji you can kind of see those doors that fell. The whole row of them is behind the bride and groom table, and they were draped together with lights and fabric, so when one fell they all toppled together. The one with the glass is the only one that hurt anyone. It's the one on the far left by the lady in the blue dress. That lady is Alex's mom. Also, Benji liked my soup best. ;)

Papa holding Joe's baby Asher outside the Temple. (My photos always load into the email out of order.)

Rachel and Alex just stepping out of the Temple

Benji dancing to Cha Cha Slide

Cutting the cake

But by holding rice and bubbles, all ready to do his duty

Benji and Michael

Bubby photo bombing the father daughter dance

Throwing rice and blowing bubbles

Nine square at Aaron's today

That's all! Love you, my boy!!

Nature walk

I let them roll all over the hills and blow dandelion fuzz before they drew something they saw outside in nature. That lady standing there is Emily Crapo, my guide support.