Saturday morning we started off with a wonderful breakfast then had grandpa time. My dad's life work was as a professor at Utah State University where he taught teachers to be teachers in the field of Industrial Education. He's a pretty darn good woodworker! He built a nice shop about ten years ago and we put it to good use. He had all the parts cut out for a shelf for everybody. He had people at each station to help, if needed, and before long everyone had a cute shelf to take home. I made Katie Anne's because she wouldn't come in the noisy shop. Instead she helped Grandma pick beans! I think my favorite part of the shop time was seeing everyone in the funny safety glasses!
We packed all the bikes up again and this time took them to USU for a tour. We all had spent significant time there, and most of us met our spouses there (collective sigh). My nephew has some physical and mental limitations but it was fun to watch him hang on tight to his brother and get his own ride around campus on the back of the bike. My dad has his portrait hanging in the hall of his building and despite what Katie Anne said, we think it's a nice looking picture! I should note here that it took great restraint and maturity not to take the dolly's out into the slick and shiny hallway and go for races like old times!
Our tour ended at, where else, Aggie Ice Cream! I think my niece, Andrea, there in the middle of this collage tells the story...YES! ICE CREAM! We were all delightedly sticky and it was a great lunch! If you were over 12 you got to ride your bike from USU the few miles to Providence. They had a couple of flats on the way and just when my sister stopped to give some a ride home, a lady came running up and asked if some of them could help move her piano! Nothing like having a bunch of good looking tall strong boys right where you need 'em!
That night was the big party so we went home and everyone did what they could to help prepare. The uncles started rolling in and we had some dinner and then we got dressed and headed to Von's Park, a nice secluded area where the kids could play and go on hikes, plenty of room for tables and set up, and beautifully decorated with trees all around. My parents, as you might know already, have a lot of friends and family and we invited them all. So many people have been affected by their friendliness, generosity, and genuine love that they seemed to all come out to support them! We had to get extra cake and there wasn't a cup to be found at the end (don't worry, we improvised with candy dishes, ladles, and drinking straight out of the big jug!). All in all, a great success and worth all the work and effort everyone made to celebrate.
My mom had gathered quite a few of her original wedding presents and displayed them on a table. So many of their contemporaries were delighted to look at all of the similar things they had been given at their own weddings. That blue suit is the one she wore on her way to the Salt Lake Temple. They had people come from far and near...the only downer of the whole evening was not being able to gab to everyone as long as we wanted!
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