Sarah and David’s Wedding
My daughter, Sarah, married David Federkeil in the Washington, DC Temple on Friday (Nov 20, 2009).
Sarah was a beautiful bride, and David seems to be a great catch. I’m very proud of her and happy for her. Sarah has always been a wonderful example to all those around her, and a near-perfect daughter. I’ve had some trouble giving her up and getting used to the idea that she belongs to someone else now, but I guess that’s a necessary part of the eternal plan of happiness for her – and me, too.
On Thursday I drove to Rockville, MD with my other three children – Andrew, Michael, and Emily. The ride was mostly pleasant except for heavy rain at times. It didn’t help that my tires are worn and not very safe on wet roads. We spent the night in two adjacent rooms in the Chase hotel. It was really nice to spend the night with my children again. Sarah, Therese, and three other girls were together in a room directly below us. The others were Katherine Bojesen, Beth Storm (formerly Bills), and Sister Ebie, the photographer.
Washington DC Temple
Despite all the rain the previous day, the sky was clear the following morning. The trip to the temple was slow due to heavy traffic, but all arrived on time for the sealing, which was scheduled for 10 AM. Therese and I were the only representatives in the temple from Sarah’s side of the family (although Beth and Katherine were also there). There were more than a dozen from David’s side of the family. Our three younger children waited in the nearby visitor’s center during the ceremony.
Therese and I lead the way for the rest of the party into the sealing room. That was awkward. Of course, I was reminded, with sadness, of our own sealing in the Salt Lake temple 25 years ago. The sealer gave a very nice talk, admonishing Sarah and David to return to the Temple frequently. I served as one of the witnesses as he performed the ordinance. As we hugged and congratulated the couple, I told David to take good care of Sarah. He promised to do that and I felt a sudden rush of emotion with tears coming to my eyes.
David, Sarah, and proud father!
Outside the temple, the other children joined us for photos. See some photos here. The clouds had returned at that point, and it had gotten windy, and was kind of cold, but bearable.
After that, we all went our separate ways. At Michael’s suggestion, I decided to take my children into DC to see some of the sights. We eventually got there with the aid of his Garman GPS device. Finding a parking spot was not easy, but eventually we did. We walked to the Washington Monument, found we needed to tickets to go to the top, and couldn’t go up for an hour or so, so we walked to the Lincoln Monument, passing through the WWII Memorial and along the reflecting pool, which had no water in it. On the way back, we saw the Viet Nam Memorial. The view from the top of the Washington Monument was amazing. I’d never gone up before. It was a good way to get a bird’-eye view of the entire area. We could see the Capitol Building, the White House, and even the Temple in the distance.
Then we headed back toward the car, passing by the front of the White House. We stopped at a restaurant for some lunch, although Andrew didn’t find anything on the menu he wanted. Both he and Emily complained about having to do any sight-seeing, but they had both seen some of it before when we made a trip with Sarah in 2005. Even though they grumbled, I’m sure they will count the trip as something memorable – a bonding opportunity – and the closest thing to a family vacation we’ll ever have.
We left DC at the beginning of the rush hour so travel was very slow at time, but no major problems. We got just a little lost on the way home, but again with the help of the Garman, we found our way, arriving home about 10:30 PM.
The next morning, I made some cookies to take to the reception which was from 5 to 8 PM at the Rootstown Ward building. The reception was very well attended. The Federkeils pretty much ran the show, despite Therese’s intention to be in charge of it. They didn’t intend to do that, but stepped in when it was discovered that Therese was having problems due to money – at least that’s the way I understand it. They took care of all the decorating and food, and we certainly owe them thanks for doing all that. It was necessary because neither Therese or I have money at the moment.
I don’t particularly enjoy events like this, and felt quite awkward throughout much of the evening. This was compounded by the fact that I just haven’t felt good about myself in general, due to my divorce and employment issues. It’s a humbling experience to be so reliant on others at a time in your life when you’re supposed to be in a good position. I was called upon at the last moment to say an opening prayer. Later Sarah and I had the first dance, which was embarrassing, but okay. She chose “Sherry Baby” by Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons. Too bad no mention was made of why. The interesting thing is that I danced with Sarah to that song when she was just 2 or 3 years old!
But despite the uncomfortable situations, I enjoyed most of the evening. I was pleasantly surprised to see Mark (Therese’s brother) and Lisa there. There were also several families from both the Canton and Rootstown Wards. And of course, most everyone in my family was there. Mary couldn’t make it, but was able to attend Sarah’s bridal shower two weeks ago.
Everything seemed top-notch, from my perspective at least. I wished that we had gotten some family photos taken when we had the chance.
Sarah and David left at 8 PM, heading off on their honeymoon at Myrtle Beach.
So the “whirlwind” courtship and marriage of David and Sarah is over. Six months ago, no one had a clue all this would be taking place, and I’m still trying to get used to the idea. Fortunately, I think we’ve got at least 3 years or so before we have to deal with another marriage. I just hope everything goes well for Sarah and David. Their lives are full of promise right now. It’s a wonderful time in their lives and I wish them the very best.
Congratulations and consolations for you. Seen as a whole, very nice and uplifting.