Nikole's Seminary Graduation and Love Continues with Derek, May 25, 2016

May 25, 2016

Today we are traveling to Snake River High School, with Nikole, Elizabeth and Carl to show support to my nephew, Caden White, at his high school graduation.  His seminary graduation was last night, but we are still in school, so we didn’t feel like we could travel two hours out and two hours back on two school nights in a row.

After I wrote so recently, we had a wonderful Sunday.  Nikole had her Seminary Graduation that evening.  I had attended my last ward conference, for this year, with my Stake Primary Presidency that morning.  I had to wake up at 5:45 am, so I could meet Lisa Foster by the graineries at 6:45, so we could meet Julie at Broulim’s at 7, so we could get to Victor and pick up Susan Thompson and could make it over the pass and be at the Jackson church by 8!  It was a really good ward conference, even though I miss my own ward and family so much.

One of the tender mercies from the ward conference was the chance to sit in the ward council meeting before the regular ward starts.  It’s always inspiring to get to know the members in each ward.  I still feel like I should be “in the trenches” serving in my ward, like these members are now doing.

President Cooke told about how he felt like he didn’t really fit in when he first got  in the Stake Presidency.  President Palmer and President Kunz had already been in four years with President Price.  Now it’s been 8 more years.  He said it took about 2 years for him to feel like he was part of the “group”.    His point that was he had a strong testimony, and he was bound to serve where he was called.  He was blessed for his diligence, and came to love his calling.

President Kunz talked about how much we need to treat our spouse the very best.  We need to overlook the flaws and negative things we think.  We need to only focus on the posistive, only say the positive, only think the positive about our spouse.  He said it’s up to each of us to save ourselves, but we cannot get into the top of the Celestial Kingdom without our spouse.  I felt prompted to try harder to be kind and good to Blaine.  He is my sweetheart, and my dearest friend.

I was tired from the morning, but I came home and squoze a nap in, which helped so much.

Derek brought sweet Breanna at 5 to eat a special dinner with us before we went to Nikole’s seminary graduation.  Nikole had invited Breanna.  It was so fun to have them in our home.  This was the second time Breanna had been in our home.

I can’t really explain how much I loved having her with us.  She is just so easy to be with.  She is kind and good to each member of our family.  She looks at Derek like she adores him.  He looks at her like he loves her right back.  She is pretty, notices small things, gives genuine compliments.  She comes from a good family.  She told us that her parents told her to tell us thank you for raising such a good son.

We all went to Nikole’s graduation at our church, which is the Stake Center.  I enjoyed the graduation.  Nikole gave the opening prayer.  It was beautiful, she used mature words, appropriate.  It was fun to be with her, to take pictures afterward, to make memories.

It was fun to take pictures of Nikole with us and with many friends afterwards.

I know some Marcums in our valley – Selar, Dale – the older ones, Paul – the young man that works with me at the hospital.  We had told them about Breanna, and had told her about them.  We were able to introduce Breanna and Derek to Dale after Nikole’s graduation. He was thrilled.  Breanna’s great grandpa is Dale and Selar’s  brother.   He was happy to have a relative.

Derek and Breanna had fun talking to many people at the graduation, including David Breckenridge and President Ryan Kunz.  President Kunz told Derek he shouldn’t let Breanna get away from him.  He told Breanna we are a good family.

There was such a good feeling at the church.

Derek and Breanna came home with us.  They “owed us ice cream”, which Breanna had not heard of – for having their first kiss, so we had the ice cream in the freezer, and those two served us.  Carl said he didn’t think it should count, because they didn’t buy the ice cream : )

We then played Scum and Gimme 5.  By then, it was 10 pm, and they needed to head back to Rexburg.

We hugged her when she came and when they left.  She just felt so right.  We know Derek gets to choose his eternal mate, but we felt from the first time we knew he was dating her, that she is “The One” for hm.  She is just wonderful.  They are like two peas in a pod – he’s the male version, she’s the female version.  They are very much the same.  They look like each other.  They are both tall and slender.  They are both happy, friendly, kind, motivated, good leaders, hard workers, smart, talented.  They are a perfect couple.

I cried or even wept, after they left, because the Spirit was so strong, and she is so wonderful.  I am so happy they found each other.  It’s a large, large tender mercy!