In The Hartland: A Wedding Weekend in Utah

After I graduated from BYU in 2000, I had several reasons to return to Utah during the six years that I lived in Southern California before moving to Washington in 2007. At that point, I only returned back to Utah one time for the wedding of a family friend two years later and then I never had another reason to go back. All of my friends from Utah had gotten married and I since I do not have close family living there, I simply stopped travelling to Utah on a regular basis. Fast forward several years and it had suddenly been eleven years since I have visited this state that I grew to know and love as a college student. Although my best friend from high school, Sarah, moved back there ten years ago and bought an amazing house up in the mountains a stone's throw away from the Sundance Ski Resort, I had never visited her there and seen her home. So, I was thrilled to finally have an excuse to go back when my nephew got engaged to be married in April 2020. But thanks to the pandemic and almost everything being shut down in March 2020, Spencer's wedding went from a giant celebration with every single member of our family attending to a tiny, 10-person wedding on the grounds of Salt Lake City capitol building. It was such a disappointment and just one more thing to add to the long list of plans that were cancelled during the spring of 2020.

Fast forward 1.5 years, Spencer and Hannah finally were able to get sealed in the Oquirrh Mountain temple just Southwest of Salt Lake City. After waiting many months, they finally were allowed to have a temple marriage and reception big enough to invite everyone who wanted to attend. After hearing the good news in July, Ron and I decided that it would be best for just me to fly down to Utah since he and the kids would have only started school two weeks earlier. As sad as it was to leave them all behind, I was secretly excited to have another girls' weekend with Sarah and to get a 48-hour break from all of the chaos and demands in my life that come with being a mother of four children.

I flew out on Friday morning and arrived in Salt Lake City 2.5 hours later than planned (after being stuck on my plane on the tarmac at SeaTac) at 4 in the afternoon. After finding Sarah outside the airport, we drove back to her house to spend the evening there. I was able to see her husband, David, who I grew up with and meet her three boys who I haven't seen in years. I was so blown away by her amazing home and its incredible location that I immediately started making plans to return with my kids for Spring Break. It is seriously like staying in a fancy and huge VRBO home in the mountains for free! After eating a delicious dinner of Sarah's homemade, chicken curry, I stayed up late talking to her and David. After sleeping in on Saturday, Sarah and David treated me to breakfast at the fabulous, Foundry Grill at the Sundance Resort. I then borrowed their car and drove North to spend the rest of the day! I visited an old BYU roommate who I haven't seen in over 20 years and who lives less than five minutes from the Oquirrh Mountain temple. I then rushed off to the temple to attend Spencer's and Hannah's sealing at 2:30. It was so wonderful to be able to see this sweet couple sealed and to hear the wonderful words of the sealer who is a dear friend of my parents. After their sealing and some pictures outside the temple in the crazy wind, I raced off to meet my good friend, Emily, who I have known since my HB days for dinner at an Indian restaurant less than five minutes from the reception. After talking and laughing nonstop with her for two hours, I drove back to the church where the wedding reception was held and enjoyed talking to one of my cousins and his wife who I haven't seen in years in addition to spending some more time with my family. After a very long day, I drove up the dark and winding Provo and Sundance canyons and arrived back at Sarah's house at 10:30 that night.

After sleeping in again on Sunday morning and eating Sarah's delicious, buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, I decided to cancel on my last "engagement" that I had arranged with a friend in Spanish Fork and just spent a wonderful and relaxing morning up in Sundance with Sarah. She took me on a beautiful drive of the Alpine Loop above their home and then treated me to lunch before I packed up and headed out at 3 pm. to catch my 5:45 flight. It was such a wonderful and fun weekend and I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of Spencer's long-awaited and special day and to spend more time with Sarah in her beautiful home in Sundance. I can't wait to return with my gaggle of kids in tow this spring!

The beautiful, rustic house I pulled up to with Sarah on Friday afternoon.

Sarah and I waiting outside the restaurant at Sundance on Saturday morning.

Enjoying a delicious breakfast with Sarah and David.

Standing on the bridge next to the ski lifts at Sundance after breakfast.

Spencer and Hannah triumphantly walking out of the temple after their sealing on Saturday afternoon!

Hannah, Spencer, and the beautiful Oquirrh Mountain temple.

My brother, Brent, and his darling family.

My mom and me with Brent's family.

Sitting next to the flowers while the wedding couple finished taking pictures.

Enjoying Indian food with Emily after the wedding.

Posing with the bridal couple at their outdoor reception that evening.

Posing at the top of Sarah's street on Sunday morning! This incredible view is literally up the road from her house and is of the backside of Mount Timpanogos.