Well Played, Landen, Well Played

So while we were all so busy planning Elinor and Hunter's wedding and welcoming little Charlie into the world, Faith went and fell in love.

I know!  It's shocking to all of us.  

I first introduced you to Landen (on the Memorial Day 2025 blog post) as "Faith's special friend".  By  the July 3rd Parade post he was labeled "Faith's boyfriend". 

And now, on October 10th, I am happy to introduce him to you as Faith's FIANCE!!!!!  

About a week after Elinor and Hunter's wedding, and about a week before Landen proposed, he took Abe and I to dinner and asked for our blessing -- which we happily gave.  Then he treated the four of us to a play (Something Rotten) at The Ruth.  It was a very lovely evening, and well played on Landen's part to take us to a play!  It's only our most favorite kind of outing!  

They are planning to get married in April.  I appreciate the slightly longer engagement so we have a little more time to pull ourselves together for a third wedding in as many years:)

They are a LOT of fun to be around and we think they will do wonderful things together. 

Here's a fun little story about this picture.  It was taken at the start of the summer and I believe it was only the first or second time we had met Landen.  Bethany and Ben had just had Charlie and it was little Charlie's first visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house.  

Bethany and I were sitting in lawn chairs watching these four play spike ball.  They were laughing and flopping all over the grass.  At the time, Elinor and Hunter were not officially engaged yet and we'd just met Landen.  And I had the thought, "Hmm... I wonder if those are my three sons-in-law?"  They're having a great time together.  They are good guys and very good to my girls.  What if I am looking at our future family  What if that is the combination of sons-in-law?"  

It seemed just a passing thought at the time--- who knew I was such a prophetess!

Rise and Shout, the Cougars Are Out

Abe likes to get tickets to at least one BYU football game each fall.  This year he bought two nose-bleed seats for he and Cannon to go to the BYU/ Stanford game.  

And then the day before the game, our good friends, the Snows, offered us two more tickets-- only these were actually very good seats!  We really enjoy BYU football, but the Snows are die-hard serious fans, so its fun to go to games with them.

So the four of us went to the game and the weather was absolute perfection!  

I'm always stunned with how beautiful the stadium is with the mountains in the background.

This is where Abe and I met, so its always fun to be back.  Well, technically we met in the library, but you know what I mean.

We met fall of 1996-- 29 years ago

Peter and the view from the cheap seats.

We went down early so we could be a part of the Cougar Walk, which happens a couple of hours before the game.  The team, coaches, cheerleaders, and band walk through a corridor with everyone cheering.  I had never gone to it before, and I must say, it was so fun!  Totally worth going down early for.

Hee hee hee-- Abe took my picture as the trombones past by.  Did you know I played trombone in the BYU marching band?  True fact.

This is me high-fiving the head coach, Kalani Sitake

This is Peter high-fiving our starting QB-- Bear Bachmeier.  Cool stuff 

Peter's eyes are so expressive.  The waters run deep with this one.

Cannon is a senior in this year-- college is just around the corner for him--- crazy!

The view from the good seats:)

We Miss Daniel

I'll do a post about the wedding day once we get the photos back.  But a few days post wedding we went over to visit Hunter, Elinor and Daniel in their new place.  They are living in a basement apartment of Hunter's parents in South Jordan.  They were upstairs when we arrived and Daniel was so happy to see "Gampa" and "Mama"-- his version of Grandpa and Grandma.  Don't worry, he doesn't think we are his parents.  Elinor and Hunter are Mom and Dada.  There are no words for how much I love this picture!!!!  We were so happy to seem him and he wanted us both to sit on barstools next to him and he put his arms around us and held us there.  Gah!  My heart couldn't take it!

Hunter is the best!

For quite some time, Daniel has LOVED all things related to the Disney movie, Cars.  So when I found this Lightening McQueen car bed at DI a little while back, I knew I had to get it for him.  It's a twin size bed, so it look ginormous compared to him, but I suppose he'll grow into.  I assume at some point in his growing up he will feel like he has outgrown having a car bed.  Or not, George is 15 and he says he happily sleep in a car bed:)

Daniel lived with us since he was five months old, so we got used to having the little guy around.  We miss him!  The kids were so happy when we got to babysit him for a couple hours last week. 

Wearing his "Wicked Smaaaht" t-shirt we brought him from Boston.

Headed into the Taylorsville Temple on the wedding day.  Elinor is wearing the dress that my mom wore for her engagement photos.

Daniel and his "Gampa"  Next to his mom, Abe might be his favorite person on the planet.

Elinor and Hunter's Bridal Photos

 

Photo credit to the amazing Jake Swoyer, and thanks to Andrea for use of Plumfield for the location.  Elinor and Hunter were thrilled with how the photos turned out, as were Abe and I.  

Elinor and Hunter's Engagement Photos

 

The photographer is Jake Swoyer and Hunter and Elinor LOVED working with him.  As of writing this the bridals and the wedding day have come and gone.  And I concur with with them, he was really fantastic to work with, and I will say, I have NEVER seen a photographer work harder than this man.  He was everywhere capturing everything. I HIGHLY recommend him.