Dearest Family,
CONGRATULATIONS TO JESSIE AND JARED!!! We
all had such a WONDERFUL day on Friday - February 18, 2005 and I hope I
will be able to put in writing the events of that day in such a way that
are as memorable as they should be. It was REALLY a perfect day, a
little cold but no rain or snow as was predicted by the weathermen and
since we have had SO much rain today I have been thankful it didn't
happen on Friday.
Jeannie invited me to go with her for the
day and as I was with her I realized how little I know about parking and
getting to all the places we were supposed to. We left my condo about
8:15 on Friday morning and parked in the conference center parking lot
and then walked to the Salt Lake Temple - we were there right on time,
nine a.m. I don't know how many weddings they had that morning but it
didn't seem as crowded as other times I have been there. We saw Ron on
the street as we passed to go park and we found out he had taken his
Father, Sue & Mimi to the temple just before that. Jennifer Richards
was the first one we saw in the marriage waiting room and then we found
Ron's family. We had a good visit with all of them before others came;
Ron, Bob & Claire, Jon Richards and his mother Vera, good friends of the
Richards who had come from Texas, Susanna & Steve, Ricky, Russell & Mary
Ann. and then Ann who had been with Jessie helping her.
Jennifer Richard's Father, Brother Davidson
(I didn't get his first name) had come from Texas to perform the sealing
session and he did a WONDERFUL job. I was a little disappointed that he
didn't mention Jessie's namesake, Jesse Lynn Mellor but he couldn't have
known about him. He is such a sweet, humble man and endeared all of us
to him as he gave Jessie & Jared VERY important advice. The sealing
room was full with many of our family members and friends of Jessie &
Jared who had been to the temple either for weddings or as
missionaries. I LOVED IT!!! Rick was SUPER busy with his work schedule
that day and was in Logan and couldn't make it to the temple in time,
Michael, Staci, David & Greg had school classes and couldn't be there.
We all posed for pictures outside the temple
where it was quite cold and I was happy to see Jessie in a beautiful
white cinderella fur robe and I was also happy I had decided to wear a
sweater under my black suit instead of the thin blouse I had planned to
wear. I will always remember Grandpa Russ sitting in his wheelchair
with his favorite white baseball cap on - actually we had to kinda'
force him to wear it so he wouldn't catch cold.
There were many pictures taken and we kept
hoping John would make it but Bob called him on his cell phone and since
he was still at his office we decided he wouldn't get there in time.
Jean, Ricky and I found Sarah who had driven
in from the University and we went to the food court and would you
believe we had diet cokes and French fries???? THEN we found John and
while Jeannie went with Sarah to change her parking place and since he
was starving he got a plate of "sushi" to share with Ricky & me. Ricky
looked at me with those "Barji eyes" and said "Grandma I have never
tasted sushi" - Ha!!! He was a good sport and ate some and that is a
fun memory for me.
We all met at the Alta Club and it is a
BEAUTIFUL place where they had all kinds of drinks set up and also some
large round tables where we could sit and visit. I was THRILLED to find
Ron's sister Joanne and her husband Earl Fulkerson there - I haven't
seen them since Ron & Ann were married. They had brought Grandpa Russ
from Idaho - we had a good time visiting with them. The Richards'
family had made a video of Jessie & Jared and we all enjoyed watching
that and I am impressed with Jared's water skiing abilities - he is
almost as good as Jessie - Ha!!!
THEN they served lunch so we all went into
the dining room - I'm not sure but I believe there were at least one
hundred people there. The food was just delicious and I sat with Bob &
Claire and John and we were fortunate to sit with friends of Jennifer
and Jon (Leslie & Robert, I think) and they were just delightful to
visit with. Leslie kept telling us how impressed they are with Jessie
and I believe she did this because of what Ann had said in a little talk
she had given during the luncheon where she said they had been invited
to the Richard's neighborhood and she was convinced their neighbors
wanted to find out if they were "good enough" for Jared - Ha!!!
John had to leave after the luncheon to
catch a plane to go to Texas where he was going for a "horse show". I
must mention that he was dressed perfectly in a black suit with a
burgundy tie and I'm not sure he was in any of the pictures showing
this. It was fun to see Jimmy in his "docker pants" (is that right?)
and tennis shoes and the look in Ann's eyes as she told about buying him
a new suit with a burgundy tie. He wore that later that night for the
reception and he is one handsome young man and "cleans up pretty good" -
Ha!!! He was VERY busy taking LOTS of pictures and helping with Jackson
and Caroline who are absolutely gorgeous. Lee Anna was also VERY busy
helping in every way she could. I admire Susanna & Greg and how they
handle those little children - SO patient and kind!!!
I rode with Jeannie to Provo after the
luncheon and she dropped me off at the Woolley's home and she dressed in
blue jeans and shirt to go to the reception place to see if she could
help Annie. I had a WONDERFUL time playing with little Jackson - he
sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for me and he knew all the words and
Susanna told me he substitutes "Dinosaur" for "Diamond" in the sky most
of the time. He is such a sweet and pleasant little boy and that was a
VERY long day - Greg took him home early in the evening so he could go
to bed. Caroline is just beautiful with those HUGE eyes. Susanna had
taken her porta crib to Ron's office and she put her to sleep during the
reception and she slept until it was over.
The reception could not have been better. I
have some pictures of Ron's building during its construction but I
haven't been there since then so it was a REAL TREAT for me to be
there. IT IS FABULOUS!!! I have never seen more beautiful flowers and
whenever I would compliment Ron about something he would say, "Tell Ann,
she has done it all". I was SO happy to receive some pictures from
Claire last night on the internet that showed the flower arrangements
along with the tables and their decorations - Jessie told me their
neighbor who is a professional florist did everything with Ann telling
her what she wanted. The bridesmaids held beautiful baskets full of
flowers and the handles were jewel and pearl strings and my corsage and
Veras have miniature irish flowers along with white flowers and purple
ribbons.
The reception food was "PURE GOURMET" and it
was served with young men and women carrying HUGE trays throughout the
group of guests. I had two favorites: skewers with freeze dried
tomatoes and fresh basil and cortellinis (sp.?) on them and then the
most delicious miniature chocolate mousse with mandarin oranges on top.
The chocolate dipped strawberries were the sweetest and largest ones I
have ever eaten. I couldn't believe it - they kept bringing trays
filled with all of this and there were SO many people I kept thinking
they would surely run out but they didn't. Jared told me his family had
invited 800 guests and I believe everyone of them came.
I want to record the members of our family
who came - I know Ann & Ron are overwhelmed with the love and support of
each one of you and I couldn't be happier. THAT'S WHAT IT IS ALL
ABOUT!!! The Weinerts were all there except for Barji, Boyd, Preston &
Gracie who couldn't come from Phoenix - Ricky brought a darling young
woman, Holly who is from Anchorage, Alaska, Mary Ann & David, Sarah and
Greg Baumgartner (her fiance'). The Bob Mellors were all there; Bob &
Claire at the luncheon and then Claire, Michael, Staci, Laura, Brett &
Katie at the reception - Bob was on call and couldn't leave Davis
County. Brett took a million pictures so some of them HAVE to turn
out. I was THRILLED to have Lee Anna's friend boy come, Zenoch Bishop -
he is from Brigham City so he is VERY special to me. I wish John would
have come for the reception but as Ann has always said "You do what you
can do" and that is a good slogan. John was there for the luncheon. I
also wish the Roy Mellors could have been with us - they would have
LOVED it and I could just see Timothy & Jesse throwing the special bio-degradeable
rice on Jessie & Jared as they left the reception. I could also see
Emily with Katie and I wonder if she is wearing the special "hairdo"
that Katie wore that night - it was BEAUTIFUL!!!
I have never seen Laura wear her hair the
way she did that night and I LOVE IT. I hope we all get pictures of
some of these family members - the kind of pictures we can hold in our
hands and show to other people - Ha!!!
JImmy decorated the "Just Married" car and
it was darling - it must have had dozens of shaving cream on it along
with balloons and it was SO fun to see them drive off. I bent down to
pick something off the ground and Mimi saw me and came running with her
bag of rice and dumped it on my head - I am still brushing it out of my
hair. She looked quite disappointed as she said "I used all of it".
She looked just beautiful in a very "fancy" dress and she acted like the
queen she is. All of Ron's family was there - Sue & Calvin Grondahl,
their children Carrie and her husband & baby girl, and sons Eric and I
have forgotten the name of their other son. His sister Joanne & her
husband Earl as I mentioned earlier. Grandpa Russ is doing GREAT for 88
years of age!!! My sister-in-law, Cherly Forrest came all by herself
and I REALLY appreciate that - she loves all of you. My neice, Paula
Pack and her husband came at the very end and that was nice too - I
don't know if Ann & Ron invited any other members of Lynn's family but
if she did, they didn't come. They never do.
I always LOVE to be with my family and on
the way home from Provo Jeannie and I talked about everything and I got
the impression that Jeannie thinks I am quite prideful in thinking our
family is better than anyone elses AND THAT'S OKAY AT MY AGE!!! I LOVE
ALL OF YOU SO VERY MUCH AND IF YOU WANT TO DO ANYTHING REALLY WRONG
PLEASE WAIT UNTIL I DIE.
Jessie and Jared "held up" and were VERY
gracious all night - they make such a perfect couple. Annie had dozens
of pictures of them enlarged and they were on the walls of Ron's
building and they added SO MUCH as people waited in line. Whenever I
talked to Ann about the wedding plans she would say "It's all Jessie and
Jared" and I could see alot of Ann in everything too. I hope both Ann &
Ron can rest for the next couple days and REALLY enjoy Susanna, Steve,
Jackson & Caroline - they can stay until Tuesday because of the
President's Day holiday tomorrow.
I want to mention too the large baskets of
those delicious Kara mint truffles wrapped in silver with the words
"Thank You" on them for the guests to take as they left. SUCH A
THOUGHTFUL GIFT!!!
We had our annual "condo meeting" last
Tuesday and met the new condo managers. Our village is now under
professional management and I AM THRILLED BEYOND WORDS!!! Margaret and
the Guthries will no longer have anything to do with the rules and that
is a HUGE improvement. Our dues will probably be higher but even then
it will be much, much better. We still have a condo board and people
who live in the village will have control over many things but the
members of the board are mostly all new.
WOW - you will never read all of this but it
is mostly for genealogy anyway. I think that's all the news.
I LOVE EACH ONE OF YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. Grandma B
XXXXXOOOOO