A Wedding in the Windy City

(Owen, wearing Chris' shoes and talking on my cell phone, in our hotel room)

We spent the weekend in Casper for my sister's wedding. It turned out beautiful and as always it was so fun to reconnect with family. I have to admit though, that I was the biggest slacker and only took one picture all weekend and it wasn't even at the wedding.... It was of Owen in the hotel room. It seemed like I spent the whole weekend on the run, helping where I could, and chasing kids in between. But, there were two photographers on the loose up there, so I am expecting to see some pictures soon.
My sister was married on Casper Mountain at a cross country ski lodge. The ceremony was held outside on one of the trails...in the snow! I was a little worried at first because the snow was deep and I thought we'd all be sinking in to our knees, but the trails were groomed and the snow was so packed you could walk without worrying about the snow caving. The weather was beautiful on the mountain...no wind, but still cold enough that the snow wasn't melting and making a muddy mess.

We came back only as far as Worland Saturday night because it was stake conference and my dad was speaking. He shared a story I had never heard about when he was a little boy and he really disliked school. He was shy and was always thinking of ways to avoid going to school. He wished for snow days, and when it would snow, he would go out early in the morning and pile up the snow in the middle of the road in hopes that the bus would get stuck. He tried this on several occasions improving his methods a little each time by mixing rocks in with the snow and making four seperate piles to stop each tire, but every time, the bus's big tires would drive right through his little barricades. The bus doors would open to a smiling bus driver who would park strategically so they would have to climb right over the piles of snow in order to board the bus. My dad said this made him quite unpopular with his older sisters. He went on to say that serving in the church can be difficult for some of us who may be shy or insecure, but emphasized the importance of going out of our comfort zone and doing the best we can. He also mentioned that sometimes the meek can make a greater impression. That was a very poor summary, but I wanted to remember what he spoke about...I really should have been taking notes.
I am so thankful for my dad's example. Many of you know that he is not my biological father; he adopted me when I was five. My biological father was an alcoholic and drug addict and died when I was in high school at the ripe old age of 36. He was in and out of my life and, at times, caused much turmoil and pain. Mike never spoke ill of him (my biological father) and always loved me even when I was less than lovable to him. He has the most patience of anyone I know and I can honestly say that I have NEVER heard him swear, or even yell. It's only now that I realize just how hard it must have been for him to step in and love me like his own. I am thankful for his testimony and unwavering example. He truly is one of the most Christlike people I know and I feel so privileged to be able to call him my dad.