My little brother, Jacob, was sealed for time and all eternity to the most wonderful young woman ever. Danika is wonderful ray of sunlight in our family. She is so kind and fun-loving, and we are so thrilled that she and Jacob fell in love. They were married on November 19 in the San Diego LDS temple. They met on their missions in Romania, so now occasionally they will talk in Romanian together and giggle at their own sweet nothings. It's totally ridiculous, but I can't help but think it's pretty cute too. Haha. Now they are honeymooning in Kauai. Their wedding day was beautiful. I had a few key moments that were really special for me. One was when we were all sitting in the sealing room. As I sat by my husband, and Ben sat by his wife, and Jacob sat by his soon wife-to-be, and my parents sat there witnessing it all, I was so overwhelmed with love and gratitude for my family. We all have married such wonderful people who add so much to our family, and we are all worthy to participate in making sacred covenants in God's holy temples. It just felt like a mile-stone moment, and I felt so blessed. The sealer was wonderful and taught some really profound yet simple concepts. He talked a lot about service being a key part of a happy marriage (this reminded me a lot of what President Greene had taught at my own sealing). He explained that the 3 responsibilities of the man of the house are to Preside, Protect, and Provide (both spiritually and temporally). He ended with talking about the Book of Mormon story where the people gather to hear King Benjamin speak. They each set up their own tent for their family to hear their leader, and the sealer explained that today Jacob and Danika were creating their own tent. They were a new union and would be able to establish their own family within their marriage. It was all really neat to learn. Another great moment was when we were outside taking pictures. There was nothing super special about taking pictures, but again I was struck by how much I love my family. Sarah, Vi, and I had taken a fun picture with our bouquets for my wedding a year ago, and we decided to take a similar picture at this wedding. I love my sisters so much, and I am so excited to have gained a new sister this past weekend. Finally, the last moment that really stuck out to me from Jacob and Danika's wedding day was at the reception. I loved the toasts given by the maid of honor (Danika's sister, Chelsea) and the best man (my brother, Ben). They were so heartfelt and helped me get to know both Jacob and Danika at a deeper level. Then seeing the bride and groom take their first dance, I lost it. I was bawling like a baby. I think it was because in that moment I was able to see how much Jacob had grown into an impressive man. Growing up, I'd always see him as my obnoxious ADHD brother. Through the years, we both have matured and changed, but it wasn't until this key moment that I was able to really see how proud I really am of my little brother. He has made some amazing choices in his life and has gone through some really tough trials, but it has all led to this key moment where he made the decision to marry the right girl in the right place. I am so so so happy for both of them.
2 Comments
Dianne (Honey) Holt
11/22/2016 10:01:21 pm
Thankyou for sharing your lovely story of your brother and a beautiful young lady, my niece.We think she is a special young lady and it's great to see her finding love and happiness and seeing this live in the pictures.
Reply
Tania Honey
11/24/2016 09:46:11 am
Thank you so much for Christmas Maichel for this beautiful post. We love your crazy family so very much.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Andrew and MaichaelCheck out our About page to learn buckets about us. Categories
All
Archives
September 2022
|