The Reception

The reception was held at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. It was beautiful, fun and perfect in every way. It all was a direct reflection of Amber and Brandon.



They just had a good time !



One of the highlights of the evening was when they broke out in dance...these two goofy kids know how to have fun!


They left in a sea of sparklers. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

I am so thankful for Amber and her parents for making this day so beautiful. It was relaxing, it was fun, and it was perfect. Best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Brandon Moore on their journey through eternity.

A Sacred Experience

On June 30, 2011, Brandon and Amber were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.

I arrived on Saturday, June 25, to attend Amber's endowment session in the Draper Temple. I then spent the week staying in their basement apartment in Holladay.

On the morning of June 30th, Brandon and I awoke to a cell phone alarm going off. He realized he had Amber's phone in his pants pocket. It was 6:30 a.m. We had not planned to get up so early but it was the wedding day and neither of us was going back to sleep. Brandon crawled into bed with me and we spent some time chatting. I told him how proud I was of him, how he had done all the right things, how I loved him. I was excited for the sealing. I was also excited to feel my dad in the temple. I knew he would be there on this special day.



As we entered the sealing room in the Salt Lake Temple, we sat down. At the front of the sealing room are 3 chairs. The middle chair is for the sealer. The chairs on each side are for the witnesses...the men who witness the marriage. Usually the bride and the groom each choose their witness. Amber, of course, chose her father. Brandon would have chosen my dad if he was still alive. Because he was not able to be there, he chose his adopted dad, Skip Morgan. Skip has been a father to my children since their dad left. When Brandon returned from his mission, Skip invited him to move in with their family since we had moved four hours away from the town he had grown up in. Brandon did that. I knew Skip and his wife Jen loved him and treated him as their own.

Skip has multiple sclerosis. He often uses a wheel chair. He entered the sealing room in the wheelchair and stayed in it for the sealing ceremony.

As the ceremony began, I looked at the two witness chairs. Greg Adamson, Amber's father, was in one. Skip was in his wheelchair leaving the other witness chair empty. I knew at that very moment that my dad was sitting in that empty witness chair. I did not see him, but I could feel him.

It was a very emotional time for me. The ceremony was beautiful. Brandon and Amber are now sealed together for time and all eternity. The day was everything I hoped it would be for them. I was so grateful, that even though my dad has passed beyond the veil, the temple knows no boundaries. He was there to enjoy this wonderful time with all of us.

The last few months...

The last few months have been filled with so many good things. I didn't want to share until I could start from the very beginning...it's a very good place to start! As most know, it takes a little while to get wedding photos, and that is what I was waiting for to document the wedding of Brandon and Amber.

On June 29, we had the dinner at the Hidden Valley Country Club. The food was wonderful, but the really fun part was the photo booth which was set up. Here are a few pictures from that crazy night:

These two were made for each other!


Brandon and his boys...


The cousins:


The ladies who raised the boy:


The newlyweds of one month:


There were so many more pictures I could share, but I think you get the idea. It was such a fun evening full of personality and laughter. Photo booths rock!

A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend began on Saturday for me. My son Brandon and his fiance Amber came down to join me and Brooklyn for a night. We had a nice lunch on the outdoor patio - nachos and strawberry shortcake. Then we met up with Grandma at the cemetery. I have never been to "Decoration Day" as I have never lived by any of my families' graves. Now that my father is buried nearby - and he was a Vietnam vet - we were able to go and pay tribute to him. We decorated his grave and talked about the heroism he had as he flew 4 missions over Hanoi allowing many American prisoners to be released. He flew over 360 combat missions as a navigator/bombardier on the B-52 bomber. I know my dad doesn't like froo-froo, so hopefully the grave was to his liking.



The next day, Sunday, was my little sister Ginger's wedding. This date, May 29, was significant because it is my mom and dad's anniversary. She married a wonderful man who knew and loved her children before he even knew her. The wedding was held on Tyler's property in an open air barn. The ceremony went beautifully, but then the wind started blowing, the rain started falling and we all started freezing in the 46 degree weather. We chattered as we ate the BBQ lunch and finished off with the beautiful cake Ginger's friend had made. I had some favorite quotes during the wedding and reception. The mayor, who was marrying Ginger and Tyler said, "I have never seen two people more anxious to get married." Tyler said, "I do" at least 3 times before it was time to say I do! The mayor finally said, "I will tell you when it is time." He is a darling man and wept through the ceremony. He is so in love with Ginger and her with him. Laynie couldn't stop smiling. She said her smile was frozen on...and although that could have been true, I think everyone was just really happy for this new little family. Ginger and her kiddos will now call Meadow, Utah home. It is only two hours from here, so I know I will still see them often. Congratulations - and Tyler, welcome to the family. I hope you like us as much as we like you :)



The fun continued into Tuesday when we made a quick trip up to Sandy for Amber's family bridal shower. I had to work that morning and the next afternoon, so when I say it was quick, I mean it! The shower was at her Grandma's house and it was fun, delicious and beautiful. We had enchiladas, taco salad, key lime pie, chocolate covered strawberries and lots of other yummy food. The party was fun and Brandon arrived for the last half. It was so fun to see those two kids again. I am so excited for them to begin their married life together. Their marriage has been five years in the making as they began dating two years before he left on his mission. As the dutiful mother-in-law to be, I gave them their bedding with some fun bedroom games. Let's hope they don't open them until the night of June 30th!



We stopped by the old neighborhood to drop off a few wedding gifts and were lucky to see a few friends. It was nice to see their smiles and feel their hugs. And then we were off again to drive back South. We stopped and stayed the night in Meadow at the newlywed's house. They didn't mind us crashing there as we helped them move in some stuff and got the beds set up. Thanks Stewart family for hosting us while you were still on your honeymoon!

It was a very busy four days, but I wouldn't have traded any of it. Each event signified that families are the most important thing in this world.

Brooklyn's New Ride

Where does the time go? My baby girl will be sixteen in a couple of weeks. I was surprised when she said she wanted her first car to be a truck. She said she wanted to haul around her dog and garden supplies! She gets embarrassed when I say this, but she is working so hard to make the backyard look nice. I do the front yard and she does the back yard. She researches different flowers, buys and plants them, and even learned how to hook up the drip system. She is a very hard worker and it shows with how the yard is taking shape. We even hung the tire swing this week!



We could use another vehicle in the family, so we were mui excited to find this 11 year old truck that looked brand new and nearly was with only 69,000 miles on it. After purchasing it, we took it to a repair shop for inspection and they said they couldn't find one thing wrong with it...SCORE!!!

I love that Brooklyn now gets to do her practice driving in her own car instead of mine :) We have been driving about 45 minutes a night to get her practice time in...and with gas prices what they are...it is pricey!

We were able to go to the city dump yesterday and bring back a load of compost for our garden because we now have a truck in the family. Sad thing was, Brooklyn had just washed her car the day before. Oh well.

Enjoy your new car Brooklyn...you look good in it!

One Blessed Mama

Mother's Day rocked for me this year. Actually it rocks for me every year because I have 3 great kids.

Brandon surprised me on Saturday night by showing up at the door at about 9:30pm. I was jumping up and down, squealing with delight. I was even more excited when he said he would be able to stay until Tuesday morning. I had a beautiful time with him and he even took me on a date! Thanks Brandon for being the perfect son for me. You made your mama so happy :)



One of the most magnificent blessings that comes with being a "missionary mama" is that my son is able to call me on Mother's Day. This year we were able to skype. It was wonderful to see his face and hear his voice. Because the electrical outlets in this house burn up my computer cords, we have to plug the computer in the bathroom GFI outlet to charge it. We spent 3 hours skyping with Elder Moore and much of it was spent sitting on the toilet with the laptop sitting on the bathroom sink. This shot was in the beginning before it died! It was so fun for Justin to be able to skype with his brother and sister, cousins, his aunt and his grandma who were also here for the big event. He was also able to meet Ginger's fiance Tyler for the first time! Elder Moore, thanks for spending time with me on Mother's Day. I love you and am so proud of you.



Brooklyn gave me a beautiful red geranium for Mother's Day. I love it...but the best gift of all was watching her receive her Young Women's medallion. She has worked so hard to complete her Personal Progress (with little help from me) and I am so proud of her. She received her medallion on Mother's Day and the next Sunday she was honored at an amazing Stake Recognition Night. The decorations, the speakers, the feeling of it all was perfect. Brooklyn is a wonderful daughter and she brightens each day of my life.



This year my mom, Ginger and her fiance Tyler and her kids came to join us for Mother's Day dinner. We had yummy Coconut Chicken Curry with mango salsa and some delish banana splits for dessert.

When I was a younger Mom, Mother's Day was always a painful day. I do not know if I expected to much from my children or from myself. I have learned to not have expectations....to just let the day flow. When this happens, I am always blessed to overflowing. This was a perfect day. I may not be the perfect mom, but my children let me know I am the perfect mom for them.

Thank you Brandon, Justin and Brooklyn for giving me the best gift in the world...that of being a mother. I love each one of you with all my heart.

Live Your Best Life