Brooke's Bridal Shower & Beautiful Day with Family!

What a crazy day prepping for this beautiful shower! And Brooke was so grateful for everything-- what I'd done to put in on and all the generosity and kindness of those who came, supported her and brought such amazing gifts! She got some really cute things! Megan made this strawberry cream cake that was to DIE for-- it was SO GOOD!!! It was the hit of the party! The very first guest to arrive was Norma Wilson who is my very good friend who used to visit teach and then minister to me with Faye Ewing. These ladies were always so loving and kind to me and showed me the wisdom of their years and showed me love in small and simple, yet powerful ways! Norma hasn't changed at all and even drove herself to the shower! (She's my mom's age!!!) Donise Price also came and it was fun to have them both there! I received so much help from Kristen Maskovich, who showed me how to do the Evite invitations and who came with 4 dozen fresh, homemade rolls for the shower! She offered to bring them and they were such a yummy addition to all of the food. Allysen Andersen was another angel who helped me pull off the shower. She gave me lots of ideas, showed up with a cute tablecloth to use with the strawberry theme (under the food buffet) and called to check in on me to see what she could do to help-- she showed up at just the right time right before the shower when so many things needed to be done! She's a generous person with her time and talents! I have such wonderful and amazing friends who show me so much love!!! Camille Hart also asked how she could help and showed up early before the shower to help get all the food prepped and displayed-- she's another one whom I admire and look up to as well. Brooke and I were talking after the shower and realizing how GOOD people are! In a world of so much sadness and turmoil there is EVEN MORE GOODNESS!!! People enjoyed talking and visiting and eating and then Ben came so that we could all listen to the story of how they met! We used a bell to stop one from telling the story so the other one could pick up and they could correct or add information, but they couldn't talk or interrupt the other one when they were talking... it was a cute thing to do and I got the whole thing on video. People lingered for long after the shower was over and Tiffany Johnson stayed to help clean up. (She'd asked me beforehand if she could do that!) Like I said before-- people are just GOOD!! It was so nice to have extra hands cleaning up afterward! We had such a nice afternoon and evening just being together with Ben's mom and sister and as a family! Brooke and I enjoyed looking at all of her gifts and then carefully packing them up to load in the car! I enjoyed that one on one time with her-- and yesterday too, out shopping! It was way too fast of a weekend, but it has been so fun to have all my girls here! (Katelyn came in yesterday and did ALL the flowers for me even though she had a stomach issue the entire weekend... she said that it was fun for her to do, but it would've taken me so much time to do it myself so I REALLY appreciated her beautiful arranging skills! That BYU floral arranging class is really paying off BIG!! AGAIN-- so much goodness!) We topped off the day by going over to Megan and Todd's house to watch the BYU v. Colorado game which we won! On the way home, we got the sad news via a church announcement (on Ben's phone) that President Nelson had passed away! 101 years of goodness! I felt incredible sadness at the news, but then remembered the children he has lost and his first wife who passed many years ago and realized what a beautiful reunion they must all be having! What a great man... I will miss hearing his voice!