Caleb's Blessing Day - G'Baby #26

Yesterday was Caleb Ephraim Stubblefield's Blessing Day. He was very cooperative. Jared and Debbie are the proud parents and Ben & Hannah the proud siblings. The Runyan's came up from Folsom, the Lyon's were there, as well as Caleb's Great Grandparents, Pierce and Isabelle Hawley. Grandpa Hawley was quite pleased to be able to participate. A sister in Jared's ward got all teared up when Bud helped Grandpa up to the front, and Emily overheard her say "how sweet."
Not many babies get to have their almost 90 yr old grandpa stand in the circle. We had a fun potluck at our house afterward. It is always fun to watch the cousins interact and enjoy one another. The Runyan kids are always amazingly sweet to their littler cousins. Check out how tall Sam is!! He's in the back between Aaron and Jared. His voice is changing too.
It was a wonderful day. I'm so grateful for my family and I miss the ones who live so far away.

 

 

Married 69 years and going strong

 

My parents celebrated their 69th Wedding Anniversary on Friday, April 30th. We took them out to dinner at Cool Hand Luke's and they really seemed to enjoy themselves. They sure don't eat much these days, but they love the attention and conversation. We usually try to take them out to lunch monthly, but it was a hectic day and dinner was the best we could do. They are pretty tired by evening time.
Mom and Dad were married in 1941 in the Little Chapel of the Dawn in Santa Monica, CA. Mom's parents were not members if the LDS Church and they were grateful they could witness their only daughter's wedding. The next day mom and dad drove to St. George, Utah, with my dad's mother, Winnie Hawley, and were married in the St. George, Utah LDS Temple. That doesn't happen these days! Couples married in a civil ceremony must wait a year before being sealed in an LDS Temple. Often, couples have a "ring ceremonies," at a location other than the temple, to afford non-member family members the opportunit to take part in the wedding ceremony.
My mother was also able to obtain special permission to not wait the traditional year after baptism to attend the temple. She had been active in the LDS Church, since she was 12 years old, without the benefit of baptism and I guess she had proven her dedication to the gospel. My dad baptized her the previous November of 1940 on her 21st birthday - the age her parents said she could accept baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They supported her attending the LDS Church for 9 years, but would not let her be baptized until she was "of age" and the respectful daughter that she was, she honored their wishes.
So, I guess it was because of that, she was given special permission to not only be married in the temple prior to a full year of membership, but to have a civil ceremony before her temple marriage. After their temple marriage in St. George, they promptly put grandma Hawley on a bus headed for home! She wasn't invited to the honeymoon. Some Church members in St George were kind enough to invite Pierce and Isabelle to a ward dinner after their temple marriage, and surprisingly, they went!!
They've had many good years and many difficult years during their 69 years of marriage, but through it all, they've remained devoted to one another, and devoted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I am grateful to them for their love and example.
Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad.