Before we provide an account of Kevin's cousin's wedding, we diverge momentarily to include this memorable visit to the Buchert family who recently moved from Logan to Murray. We miss them terribly, but fortunately they are not too far away for occasional visits. We regret, dear readers, that we are unable to include the sound of the house alarm which Ian managed to set off. It filled the neighborhood with loud clanging and wailing for 10-15 minutes before the adults were finally able to disconnect it. In the end the only recourse was to shut off the breaker, since the Bucherts did not have the code for disabling it and the toll free help line was of no help.
Another memorable moment was when Martin was trying to explain the Fibonacci sequence to the children and Ian started to walk out while voicing his boredom with the topic. Martin told Ian that he had a right to remain ignorant, to which Ian replied "Yeah, whatever that means!" We apologize again for our boisterous visit, but it was great to see you guys and catch up a bit.
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Dagny's and Christian's Wedding Celebrations
March 28-29, 2008
Friday night
Here family members and close friends were treated to a choice of Spinach-Cheese Ravioli, Chicken Alfredo, or Colossal Meatball and Spaghetti. With 5 of us in our group, we were able to sample all of the above dishes. They were served along with a salad, bread sticks, and strawberry lemonade. Dessert was a scoop of chocolate gelato. After the dinner we watched a clever slide show presentation (courtesy of Brad and Emmy) and heard remarks from the parents and the happy couple. Charlie waxed eloquent about how Dagny has always surpassed expectations, how they have ended up in many unexpected places thanks to Dagny, and how he was rooting for Christian from the start.
Seated at the long table pictured below are the groom's parents, the happy couple, and the bride's parents. Don't be fooled by the sweet, innocent smiles shown by Carrie, Tanya, and Ashley (a cousin trio), who were plotting the car decorating for the following night.
The Marriage, Salt Lake Temple
Saturday morning
Need we say more? Just look at their beaming faces! What a beautiful bride and handsome groom! The sealing was beautiful, and we heard good counsel from the temple sealer. Although the day was sunny and bright, there was also a bitter cold wind blowing outside. Pictures were taken quickly and then we gathered for a family luncheon at Nancy's house.
Ring Ceremony and Reception, Holladay City Hall
Saturday evening
Since not all family members were able to attend the temple ceremony, a nice ring ceremony was held prior to the reception. A former Bishop gave some remarks, then they exchanged rings. Following that was another photo session in the reception area.
The growing Gold family (L-R): Carrie, Charlie, Clytee, Dagny, Christian, Emmy, Brad, and grandchild Gabe
Dagny may have had eyes only for Christian, but in our opinion, the man of the night was Gabe! Dressed in his adorable little tux, Dagny's nephew stole the show strutting proudly around while smiling at everyone, dancing on the floor, and frequently visiting his dad at the keyboard (Brad's band provided the music). Here he is with his photogenic parents (not visible are his awesome Cars socks).
In contrast to Gabe's endearing antics, here is our genetic contribution to the world goofing around with the elegantly draped chairs. A few people suggested we tie the bow tighter and keep him restrained for the evening. Fortunately he did not set off any alarms.
This reception had the best refreshments ever in our (somewhat limited) experience of wedding receptions: Italian sodas and Gelati! Grandpa kept Erin entertained for most of the evening by frequently returning to the Gelato stand to try out more flavors. It brought back memories of our Gelatissimo experience in Australia last November.
After cutting the cake, Dagny danced with her father who then passed her along to her new husband. Carrie sang for both dances, accompanied by the band.
Later...in a parking lot across the street where it was presumed hidden, a particular car received some decorating from the bridesmaids, the groomsmen, and Ian. Chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and Cheezwhiz were used to accent the toilet paper and saran wrap. As Kevin was witness to the event (as camera man), he would like to publicly absolve Carrie from any responsibility for taking things too far--she was frequently shaking her finger and telling people "NO!"
Since this can't be complete without one of our entertaining video compilations, here is the footage:
Dried Fruit Monster
General Conference was last weekend. After the fiasco with trying to get in last October so that Ian could see the prophet in person (we won't go into details), we tried again and requested tickets early. Kevin, Megan, and Ian drove downtown early Saturday morning, but not early enough--by the time they got to the Conference Center the lines were out to the sidewalk. After waiting 40 minutes in the line for their designated door (#6), Kevin could see there was no way they would make it in. An usher said he heard there was no waiting at door 15, so away they ran (literally). The line at door 15 was short and they were about to walk through the metal detectors when they were stopped and told, "sorry, we are out of seats." They explained that more tickets are issued 
than there are seats since not everyone with a ticket actually comes. They just waited, not certain what to do, when a couple minutes later, a man said they had seats for 5 more people! They ended up sitting on different rows, but were close to the front and had a nice time. The children had great views of the General Authorities and speakers.
