Ahhh ...I can now blog....the adicts joy!!!!

For some reason my internet provider has been on the blink adding some update to our e-mail system, and I am no longer able to read my blogs at work as the hospital has put a ban on "social blogging", so I have felt like an addict, unable to get to my blog sites and see all my family. It has only been a week, but I have been sweating it.

Well Wednesday 17th I saw Sariah off to BYU with her cases, violin and debit card, all set to get a job and begin classes. She called after arriving in Utah where Lilon met her, and though she was "scared for a moment or two" a couple of times at changing flights or at arrival, she reported that she did really well. She was interviewing for a "environmental science" (cleaning) job and thought she had it pretty much in the bag, and her classes had begun, and she was all full of shopping for all the things she needed for her appartment and that Lilon had taken her shopping for them. (That debit card will get good use!!!)

As for me....I am having a quiet home, the first time in my life that there is noone in my home and I can have any channel I want and sleep in any room, on any bed, and talk on the phone all night if I want. I have been helping another sister sew her temple dress so I have not been without something to do.

I also have a possible job offer in Florida. I have been keeping mum about it as I would not like to begin something that does not come to pass, but it looks like this is going to happen or at least I will get a free trip out of it. They are flying me down to Florida (St. Petersburg) at the end of July and I will of course get the opportunity to visit with Donna and Steve and all the wains there, and even if I do not get the job, it will be wonderful to see the family.

I was not planning on getting another job, but the Lord seems to have other plans for me and kept putting this one in my way and so far they seem to want me to come work for them. It is the same job as I do here - manage a cancer registry, (that means collect data on cancer patients and analyse it for trends in cancer diagnosis and treatment, which really does lead to changes in how we approach this disease), which sounds fancier than it really is, but this job would be for a larger registry, a much better paid position AND no snow or ice in the winter!!!!!!

I will keep you all posted as the time comes nearer. Other than that I am saving, saving, saving (as I am totally broke after a wedding and graduation). I am saving for that trip to Ireland in 2009....SO all you original Smylies save your pennies too and lets have a reunion there.................what do you say????? ..............Love ya all...........di

Be careful what you wish for!

Friday, the day of the temple wedding was wonderful. We had sun, so much so that we wished we could have a little less so that we were not squinting in all the photos. Well, be careful what you wish for....

Saturday it blew, it stomed, it rained in sheets, it drowned Nancy and Greg Graf's garden that we were having the reception in, it drowned the road that Ben was trying to reach us on and made it impossible for him to get through that way, it blocked the sun and raged on and on all day so that at 2:00 in the afternoon we panicked and thought to move the reception to the nearest "big chapel" about an hour away, but logistically that would have been impossible. So we moved it to our local "little chapel" With over 70 to 80 guests, it was standing room only and very little room to put your plate down or visit with others, but our friends did not seem to mind, they came one and all. We were calling all over the place, telling them of the move and the brothers and sisters in our little branch came through and helped set up last minute ideas for decorations and tables in the hall and prepare food endlessly and generally step in and take over the whole thing and make it be a real "love fest". Derick was so funny and said no matter what, meaning because we started late, he was leaving at 8:00 because they were going to Mertyl Beach, an east coast beach area, for their honeymoon and he was leaving dead on 8:00, and by golly he did, whooping and hollering all the way out of the parking lot.

Thank goodness for my sisters, both in the branch and my own. I was so thankful to have Sharon there, she truely came through and kept me sane. Her humor and ability to pitch right in was just what I cherish about having a sister. We did not have a lot of time together when Sharon was growing up and I keep hoping to have more time with her to sit or do things with each other, and one of these days we will just do that without weddings or graduations or kids birthdays or whatever, and we will just pick up where we left off and talk and talk and talk. She counselled the kids - Sariah, going off to Brigham Young and Ariana, going off on her honeymoon and she did it with humor and that good old Aussie wink. I did not wish for rain, but how else would we have gotten all those lovely nonmember friends into our chapel...it worked out great! AND I could not have wished for a better sister. Thank you so much Sharon. I love you dearly............di

Presenting Mr. and Mrs Graf

The day could not have been more beautiful. The sun was shining. The grass was green and the couple were so happy as you can see from the smiles. They could not stop smiling the whole time. The princess and her prince in the woods on the Columbus Temple grounds.

This is the japanese sword that Sariah made in welding class. She was teasing Ariana and said she had made it to cut the wedding cake with. She was displaying it here at her graduation party.

We just had an open house after church on Sunday with all the food under a net awning and we all sat around under the trees and had a lovely time just visiting. The Queens came from north of Lima, about 2 hours away. Brad is 18 and he and Sariah were in nursery together when we lived in Celina and attended the Lima ward. and now he is waiting for his mission call. It was great to see them. Some of the people attending were the Justine Yantis family and Julie and Caitlin Yantis came, Jenny Sullivan, Sharon and Charlie and Marilyn, the Lloyds with Molly and Josh, Michael, Ben and Julie, the Daily family and her Dad. Rachel could not make it as Lizzy came down with a high fever that morning and a sore throat.