Durochers Ditally Dot: Harris & MacKenzie Wedding - October 11, 2013 & Durocher Events

(Sorry for the tilted photos below....this program will not leave them correctly oriented! Argh!

My Dear Fine Missionary Sons,

My thoughts have been with you all week as both & all of you always are and I hope you know how awesome you are in the service of the Lord. The opportunities you both have to make your missions into the Best Two Years is all about attitude and I appreciate how well you want to serve in honor. I have prayed that Ethan is gifted with the language of understanding and speaking Spanish, and Morgan to be able to get the island lingo. :-) I have prayed for your investigators to listen to the Spirit as you bring His message of love and peace.

I'll map out the week here, but I hope not to make this letter too long as much has occurred. First though I will let you know that Michael is doing well. He has a huge bruise that wraps around his middle from his navel to all along his back on the left side. He gets stiff sitting too long and his stitches in his scalp are due to come out. All in all he's good and everybody is so glad he was not hurt worse, as you stated in your letter, with Thanks to God!

Wednesday Oma and Grandpa arrived from Nevada towing their camp trailer which ended up wearing a tire thin so they have to replace one. I went to see them at the RV park in Draper that night and then we met up again on Friday morning for Harris & MacKenzie's wedding at the Timpanogos Temple. The Jesses arrived on Thursday night and stayed here which I was delighted about. Annalisa and Apollo arrived later Friday afternoon. The wedding at the Temple was beautiful and the sealer did an amazing job of talking to the couple and others in the room about the importance of Temple Marriage and keeping the Spirit in the home. Photo's were taken outside the temple with the bride and grooms side of families. I didn't attach that photo of everyone, but I did attach one of just the grooms side.

The group then met at the Blue Lemon in Highland at an upstairs reception room and a wonderful lunch was served. Harris and McKenzie sang a song and a cool video was played of how they met and how Harris proposed. With a short afternoon break the Heller, Jesse & Durocher families met at the Red Butte Gardens at the University of Utah. Dean made sure he got to Utah, but had to take the 'red eye' back to Washington on Friday night late. Mike, Nick & family, David and Lindsay arrived with Annalisa and Apollo and we enjoyed the garden and the reception event with a nice buffet. The newly weds looked very happy. The day was very long for Oma and Grandpa, so I took them to their trailer and Annie & Apollo came home too. The Jesse's followed not long after. Big day, but very enjoyable.

Saturday David worked on Ethan's car and found the timing belt had broken, so he pushed it onto his car hauler that he brought with his truck and will take it up to Logan. Tamie and Maggie were working on her Halloween costume (Disney princess Bell from Beauty & the Beast) and I went back and forth with helping David and making food, and getting ready for Kami Escamilla's wedding in the afternoon. I went to the wedding where Annalisa was a bridesmaid and looked so beautiful. After the ceremony, I came back to the house and Rett, Everett, Tamie, Maggie, David, Lindsay and I went to Orem and checked with a couple stores for costume accessories, and then had dinner at Texas Roadhouse. The food was fantastic and the company very delightful. Afterward, David and Lindsay left for Tooele to stay with Mike and the rest of us helped with Maggies dress. I should have taken a picture of the yellow creation that Tamie did all herself! No pattern, just her ingenuity!

Sunday was Ron & Pam Lee's farewell as they will report for the Lubbock, Texas Mission in two weeks. They will serve in New Mexico on the western edge of their mission at an Apache reservation. Cool ehh! They both did a fantastic job and I was asked to say the closing prayer so that was neat. As we were leaving for the church, T&R were packed up for their trip to Nevada. Annalisa was ready to leave for Tooele to have Dave help replace the CV Axil in her (Morgan's) car. They also changed the oil. It runs better, but she still needs to fix the transmission motor mounts as it rattles around still. I brought the fixings to make Chicken Curry and Broccoli, which turned out great! Oma and Grandpa enjoyed seeing Nick and Mike's houses and visit with the great grandbabies.

Its been a full weekend with much joyful visiting. This is the last of a line of events from the time Ethan left on his mission so now the time will be spent on getting ready for Christmas. Seems far away, but it will be here before long and I always like to get a head start on the planning and budgeting.

All is well at home and know your family loves you and cares about the sacrifices you are making in the mission field. Since teaching the D&C this year, I often reflect on the faith of the early pioneer saints and their fortitude to carry onward as they came west. We in this day have different challenges, but pioneer in our own way the paths of our lives and the outcomes of our future posterity. What we do now really does matter to the generation that will come after us. Live clear of regret my children and know who you are to live strong and be right with yourselves and with the Lord.

I love you so very, very, very much and know I always support the people you are.

Mom <3>