17 Aug 2024, Saturday

 17 Aug 2024, Saturday

Prioritized Daily Task 

9:45 - 10:45 am - Wedding party photos 200 Avenida La Pata

10:45 - 11:45 am - Wedding ceremony 200 Avenida La Pata

12:30 - 2:00 pm - Luncheon 200 Avenida La Pata, San Clemente

3:00 pm - Temple marriage and sealing Newport Beach Temple

4:00 pm - Pictures at the temple

6:00 pm - Reception - 2390 Redlands Dr., Newport Beach (Kettley Residence)

Debbie and I had prayer, showered, shaved, and got ready for a big day.  We ate a light breakfast and drove up to the Golf Club in San Clemente at about 10:00 am.  We stood in the sun waiting for some time.  We finally got to walk down the trail to the area where the wedding ceremony took place.  Alexandra had a large group of flower girls and bride's maids.  Ben Schilaty, a friend of Alex's, performed the ceremony.  Afterward, we went in the clubhouse for lunch.  Michael, Autumn, Lori (Autumn's mother), Patt (Michael's mother), and Steve Haight (Carter's father) toasted the couple.  Baylen Johnson, Bart and Robin's son opened his mission call to serve in Mexico at the luncheon.  Alex asked him to because his mother would be back from her job in Texas and everyone wants to hear where he will be serving.  All that were invited left and went to the Newport Beach Temple where Carter and Alex were married and sealed.  Afterward, we took pictures and at about 6 pm we went over to 2390 Redlands Dr., Newport Beach (Kettley Residence).  It was a decorated backyard with lighting, pool, dance floor around the pool and elsewhere.  Tables, chairs, food, and drinks.  There was no alcohol but the party started to get a little out of hand later on.  One of the small young girls, about 15 years old, jumped or got pushed in the pool and others larger than her jumped in and came down the water slide.  She was pushed under and jumped on her pushing her face in the concrete at the bottom of the pool.  Her nose was fractured in 4 places and at the emergency room, she got several stitches.   Carter and Alex drove away in Michael's antique BMW with cans tied on the back bumper.  Debbie and I drove back down to San Marcos and visited with Matthew and Melodie before going to bed.  We had prayer with Matthew and Melodie before going up to the Cacita, having prayer together, and going to bed.

                                                                                     

                                           Blake, Gracie, Michael, Alex, Carter, Autumn, Gavin

                                                      Alex and Carter at the beach Pacific Ocean

                                                          

                                                              

                   
                                                         

  

                          Baylen, Bart, Robyn, Wyatt, Katie Johnson                             

                                                Carter and Alex                                                     

                             Wedding party at Newport Beach Temple

                                       Carter and Alexandra Haite
                                                        

                                                          

                           Gavin, Autumn, and Beth getting out of pool
                                                               

                                    Reception and pool party
                                                           

                                                          

                                                                          

                          Carter and Alex leaving for their honeymoon

Note: Lori Davis' toast to Alex and Carter - Lori is Alex's grandmother and Autumn's mother

One of my favorite things is to see happily married couples, so I wanted to share these two stories with the happily married Alex and Carter.

1. This is a story of an experience I had several years ago when I was working as a social worker in a city called Laguna Woods. Laguna Woods is an incorporated city, not to far from San Clemente, made up of 95% senior citizens. I had picked up some groceries for a client. It was a hot day so when I got back into my car I rolled down my windows and as I turned to put my seat belt on I noticed a little old man get out of the car that had pulled up next to me and decided to wait for him to get where he was going before I backed out. I watched him walk behind his car then slowly shuffle up the passenger side where I was quietly sitting. He opened the door on the passenger side of his car, reached in, and took the hand of a very elderly woman. When the woman took his hand she turned her body, put her feet on the ground then before standing she smiled up at him, took his hand holding it tightly in both of hers she gave it three tender kisses. He helped her out of the car and as he turned to walk toward the store he was startled seeing me sitting there watching this exchange. He got a big proud smile on his face and in a very thick New York accent said, “And we’ve been married 71 years.”

2. This story starts back over 30 years ago. Every summer I drove my children to California to spend a couple weeks visiting my mother/family and to spend time at the beach. On Sunday, when I would attend her ward there was a man that always was up on the stand. At first, he was in the Bishopric, then he was the Bishop, and then he was in the Stake Presidency. After time a new building was built and he was no longer in my mom’s ward so I didn’t see him. Eventually, I moved to California and was attending my mother’s ward. One day I had gotten to Sacrament meeting early. I was sitting in the back watching the members greeting each other, looking for seats, when I noticed the presiding priesthood leaders enter the chapel through a door down at the front and saw this man from all those years ago come in with them. As the brethren were making their way up the steps I observed this man excuse himself, unobtrusively walk up the aisle in the chapel, and when he got about 3/4 of the way to the back of the chapel he stopped in front of a white-haired lady, looked down at her winked, smiled, took her hand and gave it a kiss, then turned and made his way back to the stand. I don’t know if anyone else noticed this exchange, but I remember thinking this man has probably spent many years going to early morning meetings, weeknight meetings, a lot of church meetings. I do not know what he does for a profession, but I think his wife has probably spent many nights putting children to bed alone, getting children ready for church alone and now she is sitting in church alone, but one thing I do know is he lets her know that she is the most important person in the world to him.

I told these two stories because they represent enduring love and that is the kind of potential I see in the love Alex and Carter have for each other. A lot of meaning can be found in simple expressions of love and never underestimate the power and value in a kiss on the hand!

(A little side note about the man in the second story. I asked the sealer who sealed Alex and Carter at the temple if he knows this man and the sealer told me they are very good friends and the man in the story always treats his wife like she is the most important person in the world)

I sent Lori and email and thanked her for sending me these stories.