CONGRATS TO MATTHEW & LINZ!

So yes, Lindsey is "officially" engaged to Matthew as of April 4th! We are so excited to have him join our family and look forward to planning the wedding for the next TEN WEEKS!!! Yes, that's right- only 11 weeks to plan. I always told my daughters they had to give me FIVE WHOLE MONTHS to plan a wedding, preferably six, and not a day less. Some of them tried to squeeze it down a bit, but I stood firm. However, when Matthew called and said "Just how quick can you plan a wedding" I knew we might be in trouble.

We thought August would be great, but Matthew insisted he had to be back to basketball practice by August 1st- I of course insisted on a signed note from Coach Rose saying that was true. So, August was out. Lynn and I thought the VERY end of July might be nice, but the two of them insisted on a week long honeymoon (the nerve!), so July 19th was decided on. Calls were made and the temple, caterer, photographer, band, and so on were all available- great we thought! BUT a week later Matthew asked why couldn't they get married in June instead- Lynn suggested that maybe Matthew should just take a cold shower or two or three- and my ratfink daughter Lindsey (who I hope has a daughter just like her one day, she deserves it) backed him up!! So thinking I was safe that no one would be available this late for June I told them to go ahead and call and see if everyone for the wedding could do it on June 20th- and wouldn't you know it- they were ALL AVAILABLE! So here we are planning a wedding in less than three months- YIKES!

All complaining aside, it has been really sweet to watch Matthew and Lindsey and it has brought back lots of memories for Lynn and I. It's easy to forget when you're older (and I really hate admitting that we're older) how much you long to be finally married and living together- to start sharing every bit of your life together. There is such a sense of anticipation in them- for Lindsey to go through the temple, for having to not say goodnight, to start living their future, to know that they are eternal companions. It always touches me when I look at the promise of a young couple before they are married in the temple- knowing that the covenant that they make is a union between them and their Heavenly Father.

Lindsey shared with me something so sweet about meeting with Matthew's bishop when they had decided to get married. She was saying that he looked at the two of them and said he saw in them the strength they would bring to the church in the future. I have thought about that often and have come to realize that what he said is the most important part about their wedding. It's not about the perfect dress or caterer or flowers- it's about the covenant they are undertaking in the temple with their Heavenly Father and the blessings that will come into their lives because of this choice. And there is nothing greater Lynn and I could ask for!