A day at the temple and a sky full of balloons

July 5, 2008

Happy birthday, Paul. Second year in a row we’ve missed it because of some zany trip. Sorry man. We did try to call and sing you Happy Birthday. We spoke with Janel and then tried you on cell phone; we could hear you, but I don’t think you could hear us.

One of the reasons we chose to stay in Bienne when we did is that it’s close to the Mormon temple in Switzerland. So this morning we drove over to the temple, and we able to be a part of the religious ceremony that really concluded Fabio and Elodie’s wedding. That was really cool and a very spiritual experience. The last time I had been to the Swiss Temple was nine years ago for Noemi and Ivan’s wedding, and Becky and I had been there together eleven years ago when we had come to Europe before kids. Even my mom and dad used to go to the Swiss Temple when my dad was in the army and stationed in Germany. It’s an awesome place.

After the temple, there was yet another reception put on by Emily and the local church members for friends and family who live around here in Switzerland. It lasted a few hours and went very well. I was able to visit with people I had not seen in years, including a girl named Esther who had been traveling with Noemi when she came to visit us in California years ago. At the end of the reception, Emily had everyone lined up outside of the church. She (with the help of many other including the local missionaries) had blown up hundreds of balloons in the wedding colors. As Fabio and Elodie left, Louis Armstrong’s It’s a Wonderful World was playing, and then we all let our balloons go. It was really an impressive sight. It’s been a real privilege (although I have to admit a little tiring as well) to have been a part of this whole wedding celebration.

We are now spending the night at Franco and Emily’s house because Elodie’s family is staying with Maria and Memo. So the kids will all be together, but our lovely children will probably be a bad influence since they (especially Alex) have too much energy and have not gone to bed before eleven on this whole trip. We’re still having fun though, right?