We spent the last week in Kent for our daughter Darci's wedding to Jeremy Black. (He is a great guy! More later on that...) It's a little strange being guests in our own home. Courtney & Tyler have kept it up well (I'm sure with a little scrambling at the last minute like all of us...).The first several days of our trip we spent some time with our friends, going out to lunch and spending time with the Smiths, Carlsons, and Balls. (Others were tied up with other events, and I'm sure the Hortons would have been included if they had not moved to Minnesota.) It was fun to reconnect, and share mission stories!! It made me realize what a life-changing experience a mission is, even for senior couples! So many experiences and so much learning are crammed into a short period of time!! We miss our friends when we're gone!
The wedding and reception were great. It was nice to spend a little time with Jeremy’s parents, Cindy and Don. Don retired from Boeing this year, so we have a lot in common, and Cindy is a school principal. We felt really comfortable with them, and I think we could become great friends if we get the chance! We are so proud and thankful that our kids are all such productive, good people! It was rewarding to see them all working alongside each other at the reception. Avery and Chris’ wedding present to Darci & Jeremy was Avery acting as wedding planner (she coordinates corporate events for her work), so she was in the middle of everything, and everyone (especially Chris, Angie (came from Utah without her kids) and Stephanie (after Jay took the kids home) worked for several hours getting the site disassembled and things organized and put away. Avery hasn’t had as much interaction with the family due to work and other conflicts, and I feel like the help of her sisters will really help bring us all closer!
My mother was able to come from Utah for the wedding, along
with my older brother, Randy, and it was wonderful to see them (although we
didn’t see them as much as we would have liked) and feel their support!! Although
she hates to hear it, Mom continues to be an inspiration to all of us!
What a great example of doing everything possible to remain productive and
enduring righteously to the end!! My sister Sara and her husband Ken also
came, and also their son Konrad, and his wife, Ashley and daughter
Kimber. It was also really fun to see Stephanie’s kids dance and have
fun, too. I left out Stephanie’s husband Jay-- All he did was perform the
wedding, and do a fantastic job giving just the right mix of marital advice and
teaching to a whole room of non-Mormons!
We heard many positive comments on Jay’s advice and
comments, and also many comments from co-workers and other friends on how
wonderful they think Darci is, and what an impact on their lives she has
had! (I told Darci that it felt a little bit like her funeral, hearing
all those eulogies!) Jeremy is a really good guy, and we think they will be
very happy together!!! It was a wonderful week, and wonderful to see a
bunch of the people we love! It reminds you what’s really important in
life!!
We are also excited to get back to the mission field!
Through the miracle of cell phones and email, I was able to limp along doing
most of my mission functions while we were home, but we missed the interactions
with the missionaries (both junior and senior). We also missed being in a mission meeting with Elder Holland, and we will be happy to get
back to our normal routines! Right now we are flying home—45 minutes from
JFK airport. Sister Peterson will pick us up, take us back to our little
apartment and little (queen-sized) bed, and we will continue to love it!!
We love our family and friends, and love to be with them, but now is our time
for full-time service to the Lord, and we love it!!! It’s hard to imagine
being happier!!!!!!!!!!!
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