Kissin' Cousins and the Week of Love!

Yes'm, that is just what our week was like, showin' the love.

On Monday Emily, Becca (and offspring) and I went shopping for wedding outfits for the big event.  Love the picture above, snapped by Emily!!  Emily and Becca both found outfits, and I found a top ... alas ...

 

On Tuesday I went on an all day Show Your Love Service tour, with the We Can ladies, we started with lunch ... then we went to the Christmas Box Club ... which is actually a little room in a Provo Government building where volunteers gather items for use by children being inducted into the foster care system.  These children often come with just a diaper, winter and summer, and clothing disbursments are not made until they are placed and paperwork in completed, which can take a week.  This small room is stocked and staffed by volunteers.  Caseworkers stop here with children who choose a few items to tide them over until they are settled.

 

 We came for a tour and brought  21 sets if summer pajamas, as that is what they are low on at the moment.  This is the same organization that collects the larger receiving blankets used by specially trained foster parents in swaddling drug addicted newborns, that our group has donated in the past.

 

We showed more love by going to a church building in the Timpview area of Provo where they have been stitching and stuffing homemade teddy bears for children who have been sexually abused for the last 20 years.  We spent a couple of hours stuffing teddy bears and hearing some pretty touching stories, before heading home.

 

I got home just a half an hour after Dad had dropped Grandpa at the house, and had headed to the temple for his regular shift.  Spencer has been working as a veil worker on Tuesday nights, and since Dad is the veil coordinator, he gets to see him.  I know Dad loves that and will miss this special connection, when Spencer and Brittney head to Cambodia next month. (Yep, headed out to spend 3 months loving and serving their fellow man!)

 

Wednesday and Thursday were normal work days, and I managed to get a lot of the pennants done for the wedding. I love doing them, and can't wait to see how they look. Now what is more romantic that working on decor for a wedding?  I was definitely feeling the love!

After work on Thursday I headed to Ann's new house for book club... now I just wish it was a love story, but our book was about an 11 year old girl, who is a scientific genius, and who solves a murder, so maybe not so romantic.  But Ann's new house is LOVE-ly.

And how romantic is this wedding invitation and picture tucked behind her intercom system, definitely a smidge of Love there!

Friday morning Dad and I took grandpa to Emily's for the weekend (where he certainly got lots of loving), then, when Spencer and Brittney got to Payson, we all headed out on a 8 hour drive ... to Cody, Wyoming, the City of Love, or is it the City of Buffalo Bill, I forget. Well, traveling with soon to be weds, is DEFINITELY romantic!

We arrived in the evening and got to help a little with the set up for the open house the next day.  Brittney's mom Cathy is super capable, and had matters well in hand.  Britt's Aunt Karen, and Grandmother Pat, were there to help and everything was just charming.  Cathy had made a 1,000 paper cranes, which are good luck in Japanese tradition.  Everything was just perfect, definitely a labor of Love!

 

 

The drinks looked amazing!  The muffins were lovely AND delish!

 

Everything went well at the open house Saturday morning, where everyone stood around eating the breakfast foods we all LOVE and  visiting ward family members who have loved Brittney all of her life.  Cathy made the charming, and simple cake, an exact copy of one that Brittney loved on Pinterest.

After the open house Dad and I hit down town Cody, visited some second hand stores and found that both of the nice antiques stores in town are closed, as the season doesn't start until mid May, darn.

But we did have fun checking out the touristy spots, and even ran into Cathy and her mom and sister at one of the stores.  Aren't the hats LOVE-ly?

 When we got back, it was fun to watch Brittney and Spencer opening their gifts.  Brittney was amazed by the love and generosity of her wonderful friends from home. 

Later we watched a romantic movie, The Wedding Planner, which was fun AND romantic!

And look at the adorable bedroom where we got to stay ... isn't it so ME? I LOVED it!

This last shot was taken before we headed out to church, after which we all had lunch together, then Dad, Spencer and I headed home.  We got to Emily's just before 10 to pick up grandpa, who had refused to allow Sam to take him home to sleep the night before, as had been the plan.  But when Grandpa saw Dad he was all cooperation, well until it was time to get out of the van at the home, but we worked that out too.

 

Yep,it was a wonderful week of celebrating all kinds of LOVE; romantic love, new love, the love of one's fellow man, the love of old friends and family, and even some 'kissin' cousins' kind of love! 

So just let me tell you all how much we love you, and how important you are to us.  We hope to be able to see you all at the wedding festivities this week end.

XOXOXOXOXO