A Wedding in Panama

Emily and Eric, stayed at temple housing the night before the sealing ceremony.  My sister Heather and her husband Marty stayed too, so Heather could dazzle up Emily.  Which kudos to my sister Heather for being the hair stylist, makeup artist, and photographer for the wedding.  My dad also took some amazing pictures too.

My sister Emily and her husband Eric were sealed for time and all eternity in the Panama Temple.  This means their marriage is good in life and after they die too they are still married.  The Panama Temple is beautiful.

 I was hoping to get to the temple housing early enough to watch her finish getting ready.  But our family of 5 didn't make it out the door as early as I had hoped.  But it didn't end up mattering because when we got to temple housing we found out that if you didn't spend the night there you weren't allowed upstairs where they were getting ready.  So poor Marty was the runner, getting everything she needed to get ready.    While the kids waited they just chilled around the temple for a while until they got too hot.

The temple ceremony was beautiful.  I couldn't understand any of it because it was in Spanish, but the Spirit was definitely there, and we could definitely feel the love everyone had for each other. 

I love the example Emily set for my daughters.  They will remember this and they talk about getting married in the temple themselves. 

Afterwards when Emily got dressed and Eric was found (that groom disappeared so many times on their wedding day, but it was always after they were married) we took pictures.

After pictures were done, we drove in a 4 car gringo caravan to the restaurant at the beach for their wedding dinner.  Following is very difficult in Panama, but we did it.  We may have annoyed a few people in the process.  When we would get separated Emily would hold her bouquet of flowers out the window so we could see them.

The dinner was just family and it was super nice.  We got to visit and eat delicious food.  Miriam missed the first part though, she was tired.

  Then Emily and Eric went and took pictures by the beach, because they could.

 The kids joined in at some point.

Then there was cake cutting.  Emily had to explain it to Eric, but he figured it out.  She still got the giggles though.

 The cake was a big hit all around.

Then we took the kids to the water to play.  This beach didn't have as soft of sand, but the waves were small enough the kids could mostly play by themselves.  Miriam did need some help though.

  And after everyone went left Emily and Eric came out and visited with us for a few minutes, because it was early and they could.  (I am loving their small no stress wedding celebrations).  Then they were off to honeymoon in Columbia and Peru.