a good reception

Roz, Jamie, Neil and Maggie helping out with the reception



Brian showing Michael and Brody how to do dangerous things



Sarah, Michael and I at the reception, during the reception pictures (different to the wedding pictures - see tomorrow)



First draft of a kilt photo



Michael and Brody in their kilts (they were both wearing underwear - before you ask!)



part of the reception line up



me with elder wright - er hat mir oft gesagt, dass ich der schwarzeste Mitarbeiter war, mitdem er gedient hatte!


I'd been hoping for Stacey (Bear) or Roz for the Bridal Bouqet, but unfortunately Roz was busy hiding in the cupboard, and Stacey wasn't showing the most enthusiasm


after staying at the holmbergs (in Sandy, Utah), we drove about an hour and a bit south to Salem Utah, where we managed to miss the big joint family breakfast thing, in part because a bit fell off the underside of our car on the Interstate (motorway), and we were a little concerned about this.

Salem is a nice place, and it was good to get to the Wells house. Everything was a bit of a whirlwind with the preparations for the reception (it was on the evening before the wedding - don't ask!). Everyone was pitching in to help out with the Wedding Reception, and we went down to the hall in Salem to help with the decorations. Michael learned how to crawl up and down two steps which was very exciting (and potentially dangerous).

We then got changed for the actual wedding reception, and michael got to don his kilt. The Wells even had a spare baby bow-tie, so he got to wear that. There are 8 Wells kids, most of which have children of their own, so there were lots of people (along with Sarah's siblings and family) to help entertain Michael. Sarah's brother Alan had brought along a spare kilt for the next-youngest baby (Brody), and he was quite keen to be in the kilt.

The Reception itself was very different to the receptions that we were used to over here. The Utah receptions seem to be a lot less full on than their Scots equivalents. There was a line-up, and I think the idea was to greet everyone as they came in, but there were about 30 people in the line-up, and Michael broke ranks pretty quickly into the proceedings. David had insisted that there was a bit of Ceilidh dancing, which seemed to go down very well. It was great to bump into some people that we knew from back home who were in the states (lots of people from Aberdeen and someone with a broad Idaho accent masquarading as Donnie Jack!). My old companion from Switzerland was there too helping out (he was in the same ward as Deborah - the bride). It was great to see him and introduce Michael to him.

Michael didn't last too long before he started to get quite tired, and the fact that we got hideously lost on the way home from the reception didn't help too much (my fault - I thought I knew a shortcut).

It was amazing to see how well organised the reception was, and to think that David and Deb along with some help from the Wells had organised it. Michael seemed to enjoy meeting lots of new people, and hiding under the tables from time to time. He also really enjoyed playing with Brody.