Preception

July 15, 2012  !!!!!!! 
Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Elder Alex,
I get to actually write you on your birthday. I've been thinking about you all day.  21 years ago...what a great day for me and dad. Then you and me got to stay in the hospital for seven days. Woohoo. What fun. Dad snuck some food in for me from outside sources, so it felt more like a vacation. I spent most my time washing my hands so I could be allowed to come into your germ free room and hold you with all the little tubes connected to you. At least they had a nice rocking chair for me. I was so crazy about you and I was supposed to go home on the fourth day, but since they knew dad because he was doing his residency there, they agreed to let me stay, something I'm sure they have a rule against now. I can't remember being really worried about you even when they didn't know what was going on at first. Somehow I just knew you'd be okay and it would just be a matter of time. I felt at peace. And the rest of course is history.

I hope you had a wonderful birthday. I hear that birthdays in the mission are some of the sweetest because of where you are and how you feel.

Okay. I just got a little bday present. Christy Johnson just wrote and sent a picture too. She said very nice things about you and is going to try and send us a copy of what you sang. I love that you are still doing those firesides and how fun that you've served in so many places because now you're seeing all your old friends. I have to say that your mission has been unique on so many levels.

So I am sitting right now in a hotel room in rexburg. We left Canada this morning and brought Kirk back home but it's too late to keep going, plus I want to look at some of the new changes around campus here. Kirk has a final early tomorrow morning. It was so weird having a reception for he and Sarah or "perception" as we called it, then we take Kirk home. 

The whole Canada trip was awesome. We drove to Cranbrook on Thursday and after making introductions to the new inlaws, one of their friends, Fred robertson, took us to his condo in a small Bavarian town called Kimberly. It looked like it could have been straight from Switzerland. The condo was beee-utiful. The next morning when Sarah came up, we explored Kimberly where they just happened to be having an accordion festival. There were a couple hundred older couples there dancing in the middle of the square too, you know that old fashioned German style dancing. My dad would have loved it all. They even played the beer barrel polka.

Then Sarah took us on a short hike to a waterfall. Everywhere we looked there were huge mountains, babbling streams, clear lakes, deer wandering the streets. I think the Luschers planned the whole city to look this way so we'd fall in love with it and want to stay. And I was pretty swayed. If it just wasn't in the middle of nowhere. I need at least an airport nearby.

Then we went into Cranbrook to the church to help set up. Sarah's dad had built this wonderful gazebo that had the head table in it. Her mom had special ordered a lasagna so we could all eat dinner at the church while we were working. Afterwards we went to their house and hung out and played wits n wagers, the game we brought for them. They loved the game! 

Friday night a huge thunderstorm came through and it reminded me of the south, loud crashing thunder. On Saturday Kirk went into town first to get ready for a photo shoot. We explored all around Cranbrook until photo shoot time. Dad and I went with Kirk and Sarah to this old school where we had to keep Kirk from seeing Sarah. The with Sarah placed right behind Kirk, he turned around to see her for the first time in her dress. Their friend, the photographer was trying to capture all the emotion of the moment. I'm not sure how well that worked out, because the most emotion was coming from me and Sarah's mom, Dee. Kirk looked so handsome. Then the Mosquitos made their appearance and man, they came in by the hundreds. It was our job to keep the bugs off Kirk and Sarah so they could relax for the photos. I'm sure it looked so funny from far away, people slapping the bride and groom all over the place. Some kind of strange Mormon wedding ritual.  

Then back to Luschers for some Chinese take out and off to the church for the preception. People were there waiting a half hour before it started. We stood in the traditional line for the first thirty minutes, then the bishop who was also the MC asked everyone to be seated. The bishop started in from the beginning with jokes. He was a great MC, told made up stories with half truths about all of us. The Luscher sisters got up to the mic and talked about their sister. Then they had written a dialogue of Kirk and Sarah on the plane to Nairobi. Kirk and sarah had to read exactly ht they had written. It was very funny. Then Sean, Kristina, Leah and Nikki got up and talked about Kirk. It was short and sweet and Nikki was frantically practicing her part beforehand. Then kirks new brother in law showed a slide show of Kirk and Sarah throughout their lives. It was very cute. Afterwards, mom and dad Luscher got up and made a toast to Kirk and said some very nice things. Then dad and i got up and toasted Sarah. Then Kirk and Sarah got up and gave a very nice thank you to all those who had helped them. Kirk did such a great job speaking. You would have been proud. 

The food served was all desserts, cheesecake, chocolate fountain, cake pops, cookies, etc. then we had the massive clean up which went fairly fast with so much help. We hung out with the Luschers for a bit at their house afterwards just talking with everyone. It was kind of funny that Kirk and Sarah were both there with us after their reception. You don't usually see that.. 

For this reception, they asked everyone to only bring cash or gift cards since they were taking everything down to the states. 

That brings us to today. We all managed to make it through the border crossing both ways. They actually get pretty tough at the border these days and we had to be careful what we said.

All in all it was a perfect weekend. I wish I lived closer to Sarah's family because I could be very good friends with her mom. So many people there pulled us aside to tell us how awesome Sarah was and that they had known her since she was little and that she was one of the most caring, sincere and fun loving person they had ever known and they each said that she was the real deal. I can't tell you how lucky Kirk is. I can tell how perfect they are for each other. I'm sure you'll see it too. There was definitely divine intervention in this relationship. 

So now we are back to Eagle for two days, then back to Idaho falls on Thursday. Kirk and Sarah will be sealed on Friday at 1:30pm our time, so between 2:30 and 3:00 your time, take a moment to think about what will be happening in our family. I know we will feel your spirit and love there with us. 

Dad had one picture on his phone. I'm so sorry I don't have any other pics with me for you to see, but youll get plenty next week.

I hope you had a spectacular week! I can't wait to hear from you, as usual. Your letters make my day!!!


Love you much,
Mom xxoo
Sent from my iPad