My runnin' girl

I'm pretty proud of my running girl Jordan, who is also a wife and mother of three. I'm very proud since I'm sure I couldn't run a 1/2 mile let a lone a 1/2 marathon and NEVER a full marathon that is 26.2 miles long. She even won her age group and averaged 9.44 minute miles for her 1st marathon ever. I'm in awe! Check out her account of the challenge here.

The importance of family vacations

NOW - 2011
THEN - 10 years ago 2001

I'm a believer in an annual family vacation. I've already mentioned the fact that we had the good fortune of enjoying an annual family vacation to California most summers because of the generosity of Rick's grandmother in providing the housing (which is always the most expensive part, right?) Some years we didn't go out of state or couldn't afford to go far, but we still took a family vacation. Rick would save up his paid time off and off we'd go. We've been all over our state with friends and family and it's been wonderful. We've seen a ton of sights and enjoyed the National Parks in our great state of Utah and beyond.
Some trips didn't cost much at all. We bought a huge family size tent and we went on different camping adventures with our friends the Philipps and their family. We also went to Bear Lake most summers and enjoyed the free extended family cabin and the beauties of that crystal clear turquoise colored lake. I'm a firm believer that "family fun" is a critical part in building and maintaining a strong family. Perhaps the best thing about family vacations, is that they provide an opportunity to be fully present with our children.

Here's how we did it...we saved up a little each month in a special account that went towards the annual vacation. Rick also received his paycheck every two weeks and since there are two months in the year with three pay periods, we'd use the extra money that wasn't needed for the house payment and put it towards a family vacation. It was money very well spent. There would ALWAYS be other things we could have done with the money (like home improvements or having nicer cars. etc.) but we opted for the annual family vacation and I'm so glad we did!

The "down side" of family vacations can be addressed in a couple of statements: high stress and consequently a sour attitude experienced by the mother in getting everyone one and everything ready (pretty much alone) for the trip, unexpected cost of some designer ice cream cones, unavailable toilets when needed (be it while driving in the car or on a subway), fast food restaurant people who don't speak English, and sleeping in close quarters with a variety of snoring, disruptive people who either don't go to bed early enough or won't wait up when summoned. These small inconveniences can be quickly overlooked however, for the greater good of family time. Sure, there would be crazy, annoying things happen on each vacation, but those make the best stories years later!

I love this "then" and "now" picture of our kids taken at Sea World 10 years ago. Don't you love it? They are wonderful children and they have chosen equally wonderful partners. It's pure joy to spend time together and this last vacation was no exception. Everyone got along famously. I just have one word of caution...be extremely careful when playing the game "THINGS." It can cause fits of laughter that are dangerous to one's health.

Family vacation in Oceanside

Digital slideshow created with Smilebox

Oceanside then and now

This is Rick's Grandma Pingree. She has a wonderful grandmother and a very generous person. When Rick was a little boy, she would take her daughter and three sons and their families to Capistrano for a beach vacation. Rick grew up loving the ocean. When we got married, Gram Pingree once again took her children and their children to the beach. The first year we went was in 1986 and we went for a week to a beach house in San Diego. Here are some pictures from that trip of our little girls Jordan and Claire with their cousin Catherine. It's one of my all time favorite pictures.
We also went to Sea World that year and 1 1/2 year old Dave accidentally threw his pacifier into the shark tank. Aunt Robyn reached and pulled it out since it was a needed item for a peaceful beach trip, risking her arm for a happy Dave and grateful parents.

Rick loves swimming in the ocean like no other person I know. He will even go at night, during the winter and will swim and boogie board for hours at a time. He's pretty intrepid if you ask me.
This was our beach house in Oceanside in 1987, compliments of Gram Pingree again. We all stayed in this spacious house for a week and had a wonderful time. Our kids came to LOVE the ocean as children and they all love to go in it and have a good time now.

Back we go again to Oceanside in 1988 thanks to Gram, this time with an expectant mommy Vonnie. Our kids loved to play in the surf and sand for hours at a time with the cousins and many, many happy memories were made.






In 1991 we went to San Diego for a week while Rick attended a conference. Mom went with us and we were able to spend time at the beach, go to the San Diego Zoo and Disneyland and see Phantom of the Opera. It was a trip to remember. The kids love to tell the tale of listening to Phantom all the way back to Utah...all 11 hours of the trip with me explaining the plot to Mom.


In 1992 we went back to Oceanside for a week at a beach house with Rick's family. The kids had a blast playing with their cousins and enjoying the sand, once again.




In 1996 we spent a day at the beach in Newport while we were there for a football game.
In 2001 and 2002 we spend a week at the beaches near LaJolla while visiting Rick's parents who were serving their LDS mission at the institute at SDSU.

When Rick turned 50 in 2005 his wish was to go to the beach, which is exactly what we did.
In 2006 we got off the a cruise ship and spend a half day at a great beach in Newport.
We've logged quiet a few days at the beaches in Southern California!

When we talked to our kids last year about the idea of us giving them a vacation for their Christmas present, they all said they wanted to go to the beach! I wonder why? Oceanside has become a favorite place to go and this year was no exception. It was one of the best vacation weeks ever! It was so great to be with our family and to enjoy the company of each other and make some more wonderful beach memories.

Trip planning in 2011

• We drove to our beach house in Oceanside using a GPS system
• We listened to XM satellite radio while driving
• Andy rented movies at Red Box on one town and dropped them off at another and watched those movies on the laptop in the car. He and Rick watched The King's Speech and loved it.
  
• Andy's radar detector kept us out of trouble
• We booked our beach house online, using a vacation rental site. We emailed back and forth with the property manager and we never spoke to a real person the whole time. We knew in advance about all the amenities and saw online pictures of each room in the house AND
  
• We took a tour of the beach house on You Tube so we could see what it would be like.

• Claire purchased our tickets to Sea World online and received a $20 a person discount code for purchasing online in advance.
• Claire checkout out Legoland online and found out how to get discount coupons which we applied to the cost.
• Claire purchased tickets to the San Diego Padres baseball game and the LA Dodgers game online, prepaying parking for an online discount.
• We watched the weather forecast online and planned accordingly.
• Dave & Courtney, Rich and Claire booked their flights online and checked in...online.
  
• We enjoyed wireless internet at the beach house and at a few points we had four laptops operating.
• There were some stealth recordings of our spontaneous dance and limbo contest that somehow appeared on Facebook.
  
• There was interaction on our 9 cell phones through calls and texting when needed.
• We hired a local photographer to come and take a family picture and looked at her previous work...online.
• We found a chapel to attend church and got the address and start time...online.
• We went to the San Diego temple and found the phone number to call to get the start times...online.
• And we went to the beach many times and went completely...offline!

How did we ever plan a trip and get around 20 years ago?

5-11-11

Progress report to keep me motivated.
11 in 11

1. visit 11 temples this year and do the the temple work for at least 22 of our departed ancestors

• 1. Provo, Utah temple-10 sealings for couples and sons

• 2. Provo, Utah temple - 5 initiatory
• 3. Albuquerque, New Mexico temple - 5 initiatory
• 4. Mesa, Arizona temple - 1 endowment
• 5. Laie, Hawaii temple - 1 endowment
• 6. St. George, Utah temple - 1 endowment
• 7. Provo, Utah temple - 8 sealings for couples, 4 sons, 3 daughters
  

2. lose 11 pounds

• I'm really struggling with this one. The more I exercise, the more hungry I feel. I need some advice...anyone, anyone??
  

3. read 11 books

• 1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

• 2. Heidi (a childhood favorite - loved reading it again)
• 3. Same Kind of Different as Me
• 4. The Forgotten Garden
  

4. organize & label 11 of our family photo books

• completed 4 books, starting in 1976 through 1982
  

5. visit 11 elderly people

• 1. G.G. 2. G.D.E. 3. M. Y. 4. L. B. 5. V. B. R.
  

6. sew 11 items and give them away

• 1 skirt for Skippy, 1 blanket for Skippy, 1 skirt of Lauren, 1 skirt for Ellie, 1 skirt for Ada

7. go with Rick to visit 11 new places

• 1. drove around Utah Lake for the first time
• 2. North shore Oahu, Hawaii - including Waimea, Haleiwa & Sunset beach
  
• 3. Hike to Diamond head, Hawaii
• 4. West shore Oahu, Hawaii - including Waianae, Maili & Ko Olina bay

8. send birthday cards to 11 people I don't normally send to

• 1. A. K. 2. A. K. 3. D. A. 4. D. R. 5. D. S. 6. G. G. 7. T. S.
  

9. watch 11 old movies that I love but haven't seen for awhile

• 1. Dances with Wolves

• 2. First Knight

• 3. Mama Mia

• 4. Groundhog Day
• 5. A River Runs Through It
• 6. October Sky
• 7. The Little Princess with Shirley Temple
  

10. make 11 new recipes

• 1. Lentil soup (won't be making this again - it wasn't a hit with the husband)

• 2. Ziti Primavera
• 3. Cinnamon rolls (new recipe)
• 4. Easter Dessert

Easter Dessert
1st layer:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix and press into a 9 x 13 pan
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and cool

2nd layer
8 oz cream cheese (I use low fat)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup cool whip (I use low fat)
1/4 t. almond extract
8 drops yellow food coloring
Mix. Spread on crust

3rd layer
2 small pkg. instant pistachio pudding
3 cups milk
Mix until slightly think. Pour over second layer and chill

4th layer:
2 cups cool whip and 1 t. almond extract
Six or seven drops red food coloring to make pink
Mix. Spread over green layer.
Garnish with sliced almonds.
(one 12 oz. cool Whip is enough for this recipe)

Enjoy!

11. invite 11 groups of people over for dinner

• 1. Lacey & friends, Pat & Vern
• 2. Valentine dinner with the Mark & Colleen, Trent & Kelley
• 3. Cleofon group of women for luncheon
• 4. Ryan, Jill and Corbin C.
• 5. Dave's friends from college - Erick & Sam, Bryan & Kelly, Danny & Danielle, Kyle & Kayla
• 6. Cousin Margaret & family
• 7. Niece Syd & Adam, Danny & Danielle, Romney, Jesse
• 8. Ryan & Jill, Corbin & Loni (BBQ outside)
• 9. Denise, Lacey & family

A conundrum

This is a post that I've pondered for a long time. I was hoping to come to some sort of resolution in my mind about the challenge. I haven't. Not completely anyway.
I was reminded of this puzzle or conundrum while watching a movie a month ago that I particularly like called A River Runs Through It.
It's the story of two brothers growing up in Missoula, Montana. One makes good choices and the other does not. It's the age old story of the prodigal son only in this movie, the son who isn't making good choices doesn't come home. The ripple affect of his choices are deeply felt by those people around him who love him.

The conundrum is this (as quoted in various places in the movie):

Jesse: Why is it the people who need the most help... won't take it?

Older Norman: It is those we live with and love and should know who elude us.

Rev. Maclean: Each one of here today will at one time in our lives look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question: We are willing help, Lord, but what, if anything, is needed? For it is true we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don't know what part of ourselves to give or, more often than not, the part we have to give is not wanted. And so it is those we live with and should know who elude us. But we can still love them - we can love completely without complete understanding.

It's hard to stand by and see a loved one go down a road that is certain to be fraught with pitfalls and hard times.
It's hard to watch a loved one go through hard times brought on my their own choices.
It's hard to watch a loved one pour their love and attention on strangers and treat those who have loved them the longest and the most completely with indifference and apathy or even scorn.
It's hard to want to help but to have the offer rejected.
It's hard to feel distanced from a loved one when all you want is closeness.
It's hard to offer help and then to be rejected by a loved one who is offended that the help was even offered which caused embarrassment that someone even noticed that a need existed. .
It's hard to love completely someone who has rejected you, especially if that person is a close family member.
It's hard to be treated with indifference.
It's hard to be glossed over and over looked.
It's hard not to be included.
It's hard to be told that you want too much, expect too much when you don't really feel like you do.
It's hard.

I believe that these are some of the most challenging situations in life. The human relations family situations. The situations with people you know well with whom you should have an ongoing loving relationship.

It's so much easier to just withdraw and not deal with them.
It's so much easier to avoid. To be quiet. To give the silent treatment. To give "the look." To talk about them to other people. To judge. To make them out to be the bad guy.

But that doesn't feel right. It isn't right. It isn't the answer.

The answer (as stated above) IS love. It is. It's unconditional love, without fully understanding.
But sometimes it's so very hard to do this. It's so much easier said than done. It takes more strength and determination than a mere moral can summon. It's takes Godly courage and strength. It's takes the intervention of the Lord's atonement. It's takes accessing a power greater than our own. It's takes acknowledging our complete and utter dependence on Him. It's takes turning the burden over to Him.
There really is no other way.

What do you think? Talk to me sometime about this topic if you would like to.

The worth of a Mother is...

for now and for always. Pass the torch.

~The Influence of Mothers ~ by Sheri Dew.

The subject of motherhood is a tender one that evokes some of our greatest joys and heartaches. This has been so from the beginning. Eve was "glad" after the Fall, realizing she otherwise would not have had children. And yet, imagine her anguish over Cain and Abel.

Some mothers experience pain because of their children; others feel pain because they don't have children; and yet others live with the nagging feeling that they could or should have done better with their children. As women, we can be hard on ourselves.

I have had the joy of working with women and their families on almost every continent. From one culture to another and I have seen exactly what he described: When mothers are strong, their children — regardless of the challenges they face — tend to be strong. When they're resilient and filled with faith, their children are likely to be resilient and filled with faith.

It was no doubt curious to those at the American Mothers Convention that an unmarried woman without children would be invited to address them. But I care deeply about motherhood precisely because of my life experience. The doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which I am a member, are clear: that the family is ordained of God and that there is no pursuit for a woman more ennobling than motherhood. Period.

My faith means everything to me. So as the years have marched by and my hopes and prayers for marriage and motherhood have as yet to be answered, I have wrestled with what motherhood means for all women.

Why do I feel deeply about mothers? Because I know exactly how it feels to NOT have the privilege of fulfilling the foundational aspect of a woman's divine nature–which is bearing and nurturing children. For a woman of faith, nothing fills the void of not having children. Nothing.

Truth #1: Motherhood is a sacred trust from God.
Truth #2: We tend to define motherhood as maternity, but the word "mother" has layers of meaning.
Truth #3: Mothers can do more than any others to cure the problems that exist in our society.
Truth #4: Satan is real, and he has declared war on women.

• The adversary understands full well that those who rock the cradle are strategically positioned to rock his diabolical empire. Thus, today his destructive myths about women and mothers abound. Here are just three:

• Myth #1: Men are more important and have all the power, so if women want to have influence they should be more like men.

• Myth #2: A woman's value is based solely on size and shape.

• Myth #3: The only worthwhile validation comes from outside the home, and thus, motherhood is a waste of any talented woman's time.
  

Truth #5: Mothers have more influence than they realize.

On this Mother's Day, I pay tribute to my mother and to the other "mothers" in my life whose collective influence has been life-altering. And I thank Heavenly Father for giving his daughters the most ennobling gift of all: the privilege of motherhood.

The worth of a Mother is...

immeasurable and never, never ending.

Before I was a Mom -

I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom -

I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -

I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots...to do stitches. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Before I was a Mom-

I didn't know that when those babies got older and moved out to homes and lives of their own, that I would still think of them each day and remember all the good times we shared when they were growing up in our home. They'll always be a part of our home, no matter where they live. They'll still be my babies.

And remember that behind every successful mother......

is a basket of dirty laundry.

The worth of a Mother is...

incalculable, right? Who in their right mind would do what mothers do, day in and day out? Who in their right mind would take on a job that requires being present and accounted for 24/7 to infinity and beyond? Who in their right mind would take on the responsibility of being RESPONSIBLE for another human being or even multiple human beings? Who in their right mind would willingly march into a job that they may not be completely qualified to have yet they do it with a smile on their face? There is no test to take, no practical exam to pass, no training involved, no expectations clearly outlined, and yet women often jump at the chance to be counted among the ranks of Mother. it is the most important and fulfilling job in the whole wide world. People sometimes pay big money to have children and some pay big money to pay someone else raise those children. Mothering is a complex undertaking yet it is completely simple and serene at the same time. Mom's are worth a lot. Their value cannot be underestimated. Try putting a dollar figure on what they do. If they were paid even a small amount for the tasks that they perform, this is what they would make financially. And just think...there is a lot more they do that isn't even on this list. They're obviously not in it for the money. I wonder what's in it for them?? Stay tuned.

The Mother's Day Index 2011

Mom job	BLS occupation used	Hours per week/weeks per year	Hourly wage	Weeks per year	Annual Mom cost
Cooking	Cooks	14 hrs./52 weeks	$9.53	52	$6,938
Driving	Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	9 hrs./52 weeks	$13.43	52	$6,285
Helping with homework	Other teachers and instructors	10 hrs./40 weeks	$17.85	40	$7,140
Taking care of the kids	Child Care Worker	40 hrs./52 weeks	$9.95	52	$20,696
Nursing wounds	Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses	2 hrs./12 weeks	$17.90	12	$430
Cleaning up	Maids and housekeeping cleaners	10 hrs./52 weeks	$9.40	52	$4,888
Planning parties	Meeting & Convention Planners	64 hours a year	$23.11		$1,479
Summer activity planner	Miscellaneous community and social service specialists	40 hrs./12 weeks	$18.18	12	$8,726
Haircuts	Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists	0.5 hrs./52 weeks	$11.55	52	$300
Shopping for the family	Personal and home care aides	3 hrs./52 weeks	$10.13	52	$1,580
Family finances	Accountants and auditors	0.5 hrs./52 weeks	$23.83	52	$620
Yard work	Grounds maintenance workers	1 hr./52 weeks	$10.83	52	$563
Fixing up the house	Interior Designers	40 hours a year	$24.99		$1,000
Finding out what the kids are up to	Private detectives and investigators	40 hours a year	$19.78		$791
Total annual Mom cost: $61,436
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

There's oil in them thar hills

North Dakota. We drove there six years ago. It was very far away. There wasn't much going on, but we went, we saw, we did. We also checked it off of our 50 states list. Little did we know that we were walking on a oil mine. Seriously.
My friend Sue B. sent us this information. She stays well connected to current events and I appreciate her keeping us informed.

"About 6 months ago, the writer was watching a news program on oil and
one of the Forbes Bros. was the guest. The host said to Forbes, “I am going to
ask you a direct question and I would like a direct answer; how much oil
does the U.S. have in the ground?” Forbes did not miss a beat, he said, “more
than all the Middle East put together.” Please read below.

The U. S. Geological Service issued a report in April 2008 that only
scientists and oil men knew was coming, but man was it big. It was a
revised report (hadn’t been updated since 1995) on how much oil was in this area of the western 2/3 of North Dakota , western South Dakota , and extreme eastern Montana …… check THIS out:

The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska ‘s Prudhoe Bay,and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign oil. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates it at 503 billion barrels. Even if just 10% of the oil is recoverable….. at $107 a barrel,we’re looking at a resource base worth more than $5….3 trillion.

“When I first briefed legislators on this, you could practically see
their jaws hit the floor. They had no idea.” says Terry Johnson, the Montana Legislature’s financial analyst.

“This sizable find is now the highest-producing onshore oil field foundin the past 56 years,” reports The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. It’s aformation known as the Williston Basin , but is more commonly referred to as the‘Bakken.’ It stretches from Northern Montana, through North Dakota andinto Canada . For years, U. S. oil exploration has been considered a deadend. Even the ‘Big Oil’ companies gave up searching for major oil wellsdecades ago. However, a recent technological breakthrough has opened up the Bakken’s massive reserves….. and we now have access of up to 500 billion barrels. And because this is light, sweet oil, those billions of barrelswill cost Americans just $16 PER BARREL!

That’s enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 2041 years straight. And if THAT didn’t throw you on the floor, then this next one should – because it’s from 2006!

U. S. Oil Discovery- Largest Reserve in the World

Stansberry Report Online – 4/20/2006

Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies the largest untapped oil reserve in the world. It is more than 2 TRILLION barrels. On August 8, 2005 President Bush mandated its extraction. In three and a half years of high oil prices none has been extracted. With this motherload of oil why are we still fighting over off-shore drilling?

They reported this stunning news: We have more oil inside our borders,than all the other proven reserves on earth. Here are the official estimates:

– 8-times as much oil as Saudi Arabia

– 18-times as much oil as Iraq

– 21-times as much oil as Kuwait

– 22-times as much oil as Iran

– 500-times as much oil as Yemen

– and it’s all right here in the Western United States .

HOW can this BE? HOW can we NOT BE extracting this? Because the
environmentalists and others have blocked all efforts to help America become independent of foreign oil! Again, we are letting a small group of people dictate our lives and our economy…..WHY?

James Bartis, lead researcher with the study says we’ve got more oil in this very compact area than the entire Middle East -more than 2 TRILLION barrels untapped. That’s more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil in the world today, reports The Denver Post.

Don’t think ‘OPEC’ will drop its price – even with this find? Think
again! It’s all about the competitive marketplace, – it has to… Think OPEC just might be funding the environmentalists?

Check it out at the link below. GOOGLE it, or follow this link. It will blow your mind.

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911

And to think that we have family members working in various ways in North Dakota to tap into this oil. I'm very happy about that and wish them all well!

Also, Claire just tipped me off to this article about the oil fields in North Dakota in her beloved New Yorker magazine. Check it out here.

iPreserve

One of Andy's summer jobs is selling services to digitize important memories or files. It's called iPreserve. You can check it out HERE.

• Do you have old slides or photos that you would like to have digitized to preserve them forever?

• Do you have tapes from video recorders that are all jumbled and disorganized?
• Do you have old VHS tapes that are fading and losing their picture quality?
• Do you have business files that need to be saved but are taking up too much space?

Just contact Andy at aromney@ipreserve.com to find out more information. He's ready to talk to you about this new opportunity to get your keepsakes digitized and put on CDs or DVDs.

iPreserve provides the following services:

• Photos
• Videos
• Audio
• Slides
• Negatives
• Film
• Documents
• Extra Services

no explanation needed

The classy Brits

In case you need to brush up on your Royal history, may I suggest three movies? They are all so extremely well done. If you watch them in order it will make more sense.



It's been so much fun to watch the royal wedding. I may be a little girl at heart that loves a good fairy tale with a happy ending. This story came complete with princesses, princes and wicked step mothers and really cool hats! It's about the nice girl who makes good and finds her prince charming. It's about watching all that is royal that we here in the US don't have. It's like having all the holiday celebrations wrapped up in one complete with party favors, decorations, horse drawn carriages and authentic English food to boot! It's about celebrating and happiness. I was dying to see what Kate would wear and she didn't disappoint. I thought her choice of wedding dress was so classy and lovely for the wedding of the decade that was being watched by a billion people. What's not to love about a little escape from reality while listening to really cool accents?
Our daughter Claire held a very fun and festive royal wedding party on the day of the wedding. It was a smashing hit. Here are some pictures of the celebration.
Also of note is the fact that Jordan's in-laws are living in London serving an LDS mission. They got to watch all the festivities. Jake's brother Christian and his wife Sarah were on the street in London and took these fun pictures. It's great to read Sarah's write up and hear about what happened from their perspective on the street. What an event to remember!
In case you didn't get enough on the wedding day, check out this official wedding site to see some great photos.

I love this photo. It shows Kate helping out a little flower girl who is overwhelmed by the sound of hundreds of thousands of adoring fans cheering and the sound of fighter planes flying overhead. So sweet. She'll be an awesome Mom someday!

Congratulations to Kate & William.

I hope their marriage is a long and happy one.