Our Reunion

I can’t believe that it has been four weeks since I’ve written here. It has been an eventful at least last two weeks. A week ago Thursday, we left IF after my hair appointment and stopped in Blackfoot at Karen’s and picked up Bryan and Jessica and headed for Utah. Karl drove and Bryan sat in the front seat with him. Jessica and I sat in the back. It was a joy to be able to visit and talk with her. I heard many of her mission experiences that I wouldn’t have heard otherwise. I was able to share some of my experiences also at the FHC. We arrived at Mama’s in American Fork about 4:00 PM. we stayed and visited with her until about 5:45. I had called into Papa Murphy’s in Orem for two pizza’s that we stopped and picked up on the way to the Kims’. We had a delightful visit with them and their two sons. Grace was in IF visiting with her other Grandma . We left there about 8:30 to head back to Michael’s to spend the night. Jess slept on the hide-a-bed and Bryan slept on the living room floor. Karl & I slept were we usually did. I was able to show Tanya and Michael the new.FamilySearch and check out some names for her. It was very interesting. If we hadn’t had to get up so early to leave for Manti the next morning we would have stayed up later.

After my shower the next morning, I came down stairs and Jess was sitting on the floor with Kendra and Abbie sewing on the sewing cards. Abbie said to me, “Just why are you here, Grandma?” I answered that we had just come to spend the night. She then asked, “Where is your husband?” not where is Grandpa….it sounded so mature for a three year old. We left Michael & Tanya’s shortly after 7:00 AM. We had a very pleasant ride with more visiting. We took I-15 to Nephi and beyond because Manti and Ephraim aren’t well marked that way. We went about 14 miles further than we needed to and took the emergency vehicle turn around and headed back to Nephi. The turn-off was very well marked from that direction. We got to Manti about 9:15. Deborah and Jake’s sealing didn’t start until 10:30. We planned on being there 30 minutes early. We found the house that we lived in when Bryan was a baby and when Michael was born. It looked the same but different. If it hadn’t been across from the park we wouldn’t have been able to find it. There is quite a hill from the parking lot to the temple. I didn’t remember it’s being so steep. Of course I was much younger when we were married there. 46+ years ago. Just as we were approaching the temple we came across an older man with four younger men. They said that they were just killing time waiting for the sealing they had come for started. Jessica had noticed they were from Texas and mentioned it. So I asked which wedding they were there for. It was Jake & Deborah’s and he was Jake’s grandfather. Jake was the fifth generation to be married in that temple. That is why they had all come from Texas for the wedding. I decided that Idaho wasn’t really that far after all. As I first went into the temple I saw Mildred’s David standing there. I hadn’t seen him since before his mission…a few years before. I met a Sister Bailey who mentioned she was from the IF area. She said the IF temple was her “home temple.” It was delightful talking to her. I found out that she was Susan Wichham Butikofer’s sister, whom I went to nursing school with. (I saw Susan today after Stake Conference and told her I had met her sister in Manti temple.) We waited and visited in the bride’s waiting room for about 35 minutes before they took us up stairs to the sealing room. The sealer commented that one mother was here and the other was with us. I knew Mildred would be there and probably Daddy too but I couldn’t feel either one of them. Deborah said she could for which I was happy. She said she really appreciated our being there. I was the only one of my and Mildred’s siblings who was able to attend. It was very special. I’m thankful that Bryan offered to drive us down and back to Blackfoot. It worded out so well that way. We left the temple after our picture was taken as part of the group and the bride’s family and went to a hamburger place and ate lunch then headed for Blackfoot. We stopped in Provo on ninth North and ninth East at what used to be Carson’s market and is now BYU Creamery on Ninth and met a young woman who had served in Jess’s mission. We had some of the creamery ice cream (couldn’t pass that up because we don’t have the chance to have it that often) it was fresh strawberry and very good. We had a delightful time getting acquainted with another Jessica. We stopped at the rest stop at Brigham City and got to Blackfoot about 7:45 that evening. It turned out that Karen had been violently ill (Shani was too; they had eaten at the same place the day before) starting Thursday afternoon. She was feeling much better but very weak. Sandy did all the chasing and buying and getting ready for the reunion the next day.

The Kims got there about 9:30 that night. I’m thankful that they came. It was their 16th wedding anniversary that day. Kimberly’s mother & dad brought Grace down the next day. Grandma Robinson was there when we got there. Kent had picked her up (Karen was supposed to but was too sick) Friday morning. It was good to have her there too. My mother, Grandma Wendel would have loved to have been there but felt like she needed to be there to support Deborah and Jake and go to the reception the night before. I totally understand that. I hope she lives long enough to come to another one. Michael & Tanya and girls got there about 10:10 the next morning. Richard got there about 1:30 that afternoon. All of our children were there. Which was wonderful. But there were still nine missing. Richard’s wife, Téa, and his six children couldn’t come. Michael’s Collin was working at scout camp and couldn’t come (Bryan and Michael both missed family reunions when they were working at scout camp so I understand that.) And Bryan’s Chris who is on a mission in Chile also wasn’t there. It has been rainy all month long. It had rained all the days in June except for about three. It rained intermittently that day too. We were hoping that it wouldn’t rain while we ate because there were too many to eat in the house. We could have eaten in the shop but it was a long ways to carry everything. Kim’s nine-year-old Alex, when it started to rain and had rained for awhile, suggested a prayer. He offered it. It stopped raining and didn’t start again until after we were thro’ eating. Oh the faith of a child. It was cool but with sweaters and jackets we got along OK. There were five generations there with Great-great grandma Robinson there and Shani’s children. And yes, we did get a couple pictures of them as well as of all the other families. It went very well. Karen despite being sick and Sandy’s organization pulled it off very well. I appreciate all of my children and love them very much. They are good people and are teaching their children to walk uprightly before the Lord. And Shani and Brittany and their husbands are inturn teaching their children, our great grandchildren too.

The Kims left that night, Nathaniel had to give a talk in sacrament meeting the next day. Michael & Tanya and girls left after lunch after church. We were thinking of leaving for IF with Richard coming home with us for the night and Mom coming with us too because Karen & Kent were supposed to be over to Kent’s parents for that evening for father’s day. Kent’s father had been in the hospital the week before. About 4:15 we were in the kitchen and heard this sound, we rushed to the living room and rain was coming down in torrents and horizontally besides. The rain was pouring out of the rain gutters as if they weren’t even there. Then it started to hail really bad with almost dime sized hail. It came down for awhile; we were about an hour late in leaving for IF. We had a quiet evening. We watched Emma, my Story, neither Mom nor Richard had seen it. Karen & Kent came and got Mom and took her back to Blackfoot for the night then Karen would take her back to Pocatello to meet Paul & ElDene for her to go back home.
Richard left about 9:15-9:30 the next morning. He was driving a Suburban that Téa’s father had given them back to Buckeye. It was soo wonderful having him here. He seemed to enjoy being here too. He went from room to room looking at the pictures and looking at the changes. As I said before I am so thankful for my children and the people they have become.