A Mother-Daughter Trip: Part 2

As I mentioned in Part 1, the Bionic Man gave Endeavor and I airplane tickets for a trip to Connecticut.  We were there this past weekend, and we had the most marvelous time!  It was pure joy to see so many of our dear, dear friends, and to participate in a very happy occasion.  It was also really special to have time with just Endeavor and I together.  I've always enjoyed her--after all, she's my daughter!--but it just seems like the older she gets, the more fun we have together.  Oh boy, did we have some good laughs on this trip!

At the end of Part 1, Endeavor had requested a hairstyle for the big event worthy of Pride and Prejudice.

Once we arrived in Connecticut, we stayed with our "almost relatives", the Younger Bingham Family.  (Practically a Pride and Prejudice name!  No wonder we love them so much!)  Endeavor's best friends and fellow flower girls, Rachel and Erin Bingham, agreed that Pride and Prejudice hair was in order for their duties.

We enjoyed a day of beauty, spending hours on hair and nails.  At least the girls' hair and nails.  Bethany (their mother) and I decided 15 minutes of preparation was sufficient for ourselves.  We didn't want to blind the crowd with our beauty--we're thoughtful, that way.  Oh boy, were those three girls pleased with the results!

Here is Erin:

And Rachel:

And Endeavor:

We didn't want the flower girls to upstage the bride, so we limited them to a maximum of two flowers in the hair.

The first event of a very eventful weekend was a dinner party at our other "almost relatives'" home, the Older Binghams.  There, we met the groom's family (oh, the Becketts were sooooo nice!) and ate Uncle Morris's delicious dutch oven potatoes, chicken, and banana cream pie.  I've missed those potatoes almost as much as I've missed Uncle Morris and Aunt Bonnie and all the other Binghams.

The Pride and Prejudice hair was for the second event, the pre-wedding reception, where Rachel, Erin, and Endeavor were flower girls.

The setting was gorgeous!

Would you believe that is the multi-purpose room of the church building?  There are basketball hoops in there somewhere, but you certainly couldn't see them.  The gorgeous decor was done by LeeAnn Sanville, another friend.  She had lots of help from other friends of the bride's family--they are such good people, there were so many who wanted to be involved!

The whole thing was just beautiful, my pictures just don't do it justice.

The mural on those panels was painted by this darling seventeen year old, another friend of the family.  (Sorry that I can't remember your name!)

I think she's got a "blossoming" career!  Isn't that amazing?

It was so fun to celebrate with the Binghams, the Becketts, and to catch up with other friends who I haven't seen in almost two years.

Here's the beautiful bride-to-be, Loralee, dancing with her father.

Even cleaning up was fun!

This is the first wedding I've ever been to where the wedding reception was held the evening before the wedding ceremony.  I was curious about what that would be like.  Guess what?  It was wonderful.  So wonderful that when Endeavor gets married someday, this is how we are going to do it!  I loved the fact that we could all enjoy the fun reception one day, and then completely focus on the sacredness of two people committing to one another for eternity the next.  It was so wonderful to just enjoy the ceremony without having to hurry off to the reception.

You just couldn't have picked a more beautiful day for a wedding.  

Loralee and D.J. chose to be married for time and eternity in the Boston Temple, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It is the closest temple to the Bingham's home in Connecticut.

Temple weddings are very special, and different from the traditional, church weddings that most people attend.  If you would like to learn why temples are so important to Mormons, you can go here.  Or you can watch this video.  (And while I was looking for that video, I found this one, it is hilarious!)

The wedding ceremony was so, so beautiful.  It was attended by family and close friends.  The children waited outside--these little girls loved running around the beautiful gardens in their pretty dresses!

After the ceremony, we all waited outside for the bride and groom to make their big exit.  It was fun to visit while we waited with anticipation.

We all cheered when the bride and groom joined us outside.  

It is such a big deal for a Mormon couple to be married in the temple.  They have to make lots of good choices long before that day, so that they'll be worthy to enjoy the special blessings of eternal marriage.  The requirements for entrance into a temple include a commitment to living the Lord's commandments, being faithful and active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, abstaining from addictive substances such as coffee, cigarettes, and alcohol, and being chaste before marriage.  So, you can imagine the pride and joy that parents and friends and former youth leaders and teachers feel when two young people choose to marry in a temple.  

This was how the happy couple responded when someone in the cheering crowd yelled, "Speech!"

Could anything be more eloquent?

Loralee and D.J. are such a special couple.  We enjoyed meeting D.J. and his wonderful family, but I still can't believe sweet Loralee is old enough to be someone's wife!  They are going to be so happy together.

Thank you, Loralee, for setting such a good example for Endeavor!  She loved every moment of your wedding and the accompanying celebrations (as did I!).  We were so happy that we could share your special day.  We're so proud of you and D.J.!

Well, as you can see, our Mother-Daughter trip was a success!  Endeavor was thrilled to be a part of the big event, and we both loved spending time with  many people that have been an important part of our lives.  Thank you, everyone!  And thank-you, Bionic Man, for making sure that Endeavor and I received the perfect birthday gifts.