Jaiden and Jason's Wedding!!!

May 9: Today Jaiden and Jason were sealed for time and all eternity in the St. George Temple!!

The sealing was at 10:15. Jaiden and Jason (and we as escorts) were supposed to be there at 9:00. Rick's sister, Julie Yearsley, came over to our house at 7:45 to do Jaiden’s hair. She did a fantastic job, as usual, and Jaiden looked absolutely beautiful! 

Rick, Jaiden, and I were soon on our way to the temple. Jason was staying with the Marks family at their Airbnb and would meet us there. As soon as we were in the car on our way to the temple the magnitude of what was about to happen finally hit me. I started feeling so many emotions and was soon wiping tears away. We arrived at the temple and went into the recording room where we were helped by our neighbor, and ward member, Shan Gubler. Brother and Sister Tew, who used to live in our ward, were our helpers for the day, and so it was fun to have people we know taking care of us!  

We got the bride and groom situated where they needed to be and then Rick and I went to the marriage waiting room. Jenna had left at 9:30 to pick up Audrey Williams (her best friend, Clarissa Williams, had to work) and go to the visitor’s center to watch the grandchildren during the sealing. Jenna's boyfriend, Ethan, also met them there to help. Karla Seamons made the bridal bouquet and bridesmaids’ bouquets. They looked beautiful! She arranged for them to be delivered to the visitor’s center at 10:45. 

Family and friends started arriving at the temple. We were grateful that we were able to meet Jason’s immediate family yesterday. Today we were able to meet more of his extended family. Jaiden had six bridesmaids. Three were friends that she has had for years, and three were former missionary companions. So we were able to meet the missionary companions in the waiting room too. (Jaiden and Jason both went to Mongolia on their missions, which is where they met!)

All of our extended family lives in Northern Utah, and the only ones who were able to come were my brother Chris, and his wife, Kim, and Rick’s sister Julie, and her husband, Scott. I was grateful that they could come. I loved that all of our children could be there in the temple with us (except for our missionary, Josh, and Jenna, who isn’t old enough). We also had invited our good friends, the Williams, to come. Emily Williams has been Jaiden’s best friend since first grade and was her maid of honor. 

When everyone arrived they brought us to the sealing room. They had reserved the biggest one to accommodate everyone. As I looked around the beautiful sealing room I had to smile when I noticed that the colors of the sealing room were light blue and light yellow – Jaiden’s wedding colors! There was such a special spirit there in the sealing room. 

We waited for the bride and groom and then we all stood up as they entered. We had asked President Jim Ence to seal them. He is our Stake Patriarch and also a temple sealer. He and his wife are in our ward and we have known them for many years. Their grandchildren are good friends with our children. President Ence and his wife were mission presidents in Nebraska, which is where Janika also served. When Janika’s mission president and his wife finished their service, the Ences were the ones who took their place.  

He kept it short and sweet. He said that he wasn’t going to give marriage advice, but he did talk about the ordinance. Then he began and soon they were sealed as husband and wife!! Such a beautiful moment! I am crying just thinking about it! They did a brief exchange of rings and then he had everyone go up row by row to give Jaiden and Jason a hug and then sit back down. After the sealing Jaiden, Julie, and I went back to the bridal room so that Julie could touch up her hair. Then Julie and I went around to where Jaiden and Jason would be making their entrance to waiting family and friends. 

Around 11:00 they walked out of the temple amongst cheers from the group. Then we took a big group picture with everyone on the temple stairs. It was forecast to get up to 96 degrees that day and it was already very hot. So we were all sweating and trying not to squint during that first group picture. But then we went to the temple grounds where there was a big tree and lots of shade. So it was quite comfortable there in the shade for the rest of the pictures. I wish I had thought to snap some pictures of each of the kids and their families while we were waiting our turn for pictures. 

The bride and groom were the last ones to leave the temple grounds since they were still getting their pictures taken. They had taken some of their bridals at the temple, but we still wanted a few more. Rick and I had stayed with them also since I had Jaiden’s recommend and we had left some of our things in the bridal room. Then she headed to the luncheon with Jason, and Rick and I headed over to meet everyone! (The pictures at the temple and reception were done by my friend, Julie Freeman. She did an amazing job!)

And a few pics from our phones...

Janelle and Bryton Wedding!!

Today Janelle and Bryton were sealed for time and all eternity in the St. George temple! We are grateful that all of our children (so far) have been married in the temple, and we were especially excited that we finally had a sealing in our very own St. George temple! Janika and Brandon were married in the Bountiful Temple, Jase and Ellen in the Draper Temple, Jared and Hallie in the Timpanogos Temple, and Janelle and Bryton in the St. George Temple!  

The sealing took place at 10:30 in the morning, and it was beautiful! Rick had everyone stand up as Janelle and Bryton walked into the sealing room. Our friend, President Steve Caplin, is a member of the temple presidency and we had asked him a couple of months before if he would perform the sealing. He said that he would be honored to. President Caplin spoke for several minutes about the sealing ordinance and then performed the sealing. The sealing ordinance is so beautiful and powerful! He then had everyone go up and hug Janelle and Bryton before leaving the room. 

I went with Janelle to the bride's room so that Julie could touch up her hair and then Janelle and Bryton made their grand exit from the temple and Bryton dipped Janelle and kissed her as we all cheered. Janelle looked so beautiful!! The temperature was perfect outside. Kimball Cottam was the photographer and he took a bunch of group pictures and then family pictures outside the temple and then took a bunch of Janelle and Bryton. 

We were missing so many family members. Jaiden and Josh were both on their missions, and Jase and Ellen were nervous about traveling since she was pregnant with Elsie and didn't know if the baby would come early, like Evan and Eli. As it turns out, Ellen carried Elsie full term, which was a blessing, but of course they didn't know that at the time. Grandma and Grandpa Westra couldn't come because she was still recovering from her knee replacement. Shane and Alicia's family came and Chris and Kim came. Julie Yearsley came and brought Grandma Jensen.  

I love Janelle's face when she is being thrown in the air, haha!! 

Janelle had sisters and sisters-in-law for bridesmaids and Bryton had brothers and brothers-in-law for groomsmen.

Janelle's friends...

After all of the pictures we met everyone over at the Blonquist's house, where the luncheon was being held (the same place the reception was last night). The weather was perfect for both the temple and the luncheon!