Last Saturday, we had a reception for Matt and Megan here in Lovell. Ken was at a scout Jamboree, so I couldn't help Friday night, but I was able to help Saturday afternoon after Ken's soccer camp (another post to come). We set it up in the Stake Center. There is some construction going on right in front of the usual entrances, so we set it up a little differently than most receptions are set up. It turned out beautifully, though! M & M were totally worn out. They arrived back from their honeymoon (a cruise to
Cozumel) and drove all day and night and got to Lovell about 9am. Megan's parents and three younger sisters came up a couple days before to do some camping and see the area. It was fun to get to know them a little; I really enjoyed them! It was fun to be with my family to set everything up. We also had a couple of very talented ladies there to help every thing look so wonderful. Shelly
Reasch did the flowers and she and Traci
Bassett arranged most of the decorating!
The very happy couple!
Mom and Traci
(Traci is my brother Nick's mother-in-law and she's very talented!)
Mom, Jean (Megan's mom), Lauren? (Megan's sister) Craig (Megan's Dad) and Matt
Showing the entrance
As you walked in, this table was set up with a video showing pictures of M&M and their wedding and also had boxes for candy as you left.
This was the candy: yellow M&Ms, lemon drops and banana tarts. My mom commissioned my sister-in-law, Lindi (she did an awesome job!), to do this tile. My mom made up the saying.
This was the guest table. Megan had a great idea to have all the guests sign a quilt square and then she'll put it all together in a quilt.
Center Piece
Even the piano was beautiful!
After we finished setting up, I went home to have dinner and get everyone ready for the reception. I've been watching a show called Man vs. Food lately on Net
Flix. This guy named Adam travels the country trying local cuisine. At the end of the show, he always has a food challenge and it's usually either quantity or spice.
Taysum has seen it a couple times with me and he thinks it's a really funny show. In fact, one day, he asked if he could watch it! That night when I asked him what had made him happy that day, he said, "Watching Dora and Man vs. Food." As I was writing it down, he pointed to the paper and said, "And Man vs. Food." He wanted to be sure I wrote that down! :) I asked him if he liked that show and he said yes. I said, "Adam's pretty silly, isn't he."
Taysum said, "Yeah, and he eats a lot of food!" Well, at dinner that night, we got a great episode of "
Taysum vs. Food!" Sometimes when Adam has a hard time with one of the challenges, he pounds the table.
Taysum would take a bite of his food, close his eyes, shake his head and then pound the table, just like Adam! It was so funny and cute! :)
Before we got ready for the reception, I spent a little time working on my talk for the next day and Ken decided to rearrange our living room. So, as you may have guessed, we were pretty late getting to the reception! :) We had a lot of fun at the reception and it was so great to see so much family! It was a great success! Poor Megan wasn't feeling very well, but she was a trooper!
My Aunt Pam (my mom's sister), came all the way from
Hermiston, OR! She picked up my cousin Alisha and her kids, James, Evelyn and Elise in ID. They spent some time in Yellowstone and then came for the reception. We were only with them for about 3-4 hours and they left early the next day. Aunt Pam said it was completely worth the trip! She thought it was so great to see her grand kids and my mom's grand kids playing together!
The first thing
Taysum found was the chocolate fountain and he kept Ken VERY busy at the refreshment table!
The Anderson family table: Uncle Rick (Casper), Aunt Meg, Grandpa, Aunt Patti (Casper), Ken and
Taysum 
Taking a break
Aunt Pam, Evelyn, Alisha and Elise
M&M with Megan's younger sisters
Parents of the bride
Father and Groom
Parents
All the kids had a blast playing together! James was such a good sport!
Then it was time to clean up! Tyler got really good with the ladder taking down all the paper lanterns. He was the one that put them all up, too!
It only took a couple hours to take everything down, which wasn't too bad, I thought! It was such a fun and successful evening and it was great to be with family and friends and to share in M&M's happiness! I love this shot and thought it was a great "end of the day" shot: my mom's, Megan's and Jean's shoes.
About 2 1/2 weeks ago, we sent my baby brother off to college!! I can hardly believe it! I still remember when I left for college! One time after a visit home, I was leaving and Tyler fastened himself to my leg and wouldn't let go because he didn't want me to leave. Truth be told, I felt like doing the same thing to him! There's a slight difference between a seven year old doing that and a thirty year old! I did threaten to have all the nieces and nephews grab his legs, though! The Sunday before he left, we had a family dinner together.
Bailey started a new game with Grandpa a few weeks ago. He wraps her up in the rug in the front room (he sent it home from Iraq) and she LOVES it! All the other kids wanted a turn as well! 
Uncle Tyler's fan club! Quinn, CJ, Hayden, Celeste, Carissa, Bailey and Taysum. (Tyler and CJ are the same age difference as Tyler and I. So, Tyler was CJ's age when I was Tyler's age and left for school.) 
We'll sure miss Tyler, but we're so excited for the new adventures he has coming up in his life! He is a wonderful young man and a great example to his nieces and nephews who just adore him! We love you, Tyler!! Best of luck...the best is yet to come!
