Rueb's Farewell

A few weeks ago we went to Utah for Rueben's mission farewell. We asked him to pick us up from the airport and this is what we got (see below)! It was really funny....I noticed that this crazy man was my brother right away but I had to point Rueben out to Dan before he noticed! He was looking at Rueben's car parked nearby and thought I was telling him that Rueben was in the car, so he totally overlooked him! As we walked near Rueben he just keep a totally straight face and kept on looking around like he was trying to find the Crandall party. He did a really good job. So in return, we walked right past him:) He didn't expect that one. When we got to my parents house my dad said he wouldn't be surprised if Rueben had spent more time picking out this outfit than working on his talk for church! We loved it though, it's things like this that make me love my brother. He has the funniest personality. He wanted me to take a picture of him so he could take a copy on his mission and say "This is what I looked like before I turned my life around...". Lol.

All day Saturday and into Sunday we helped my parents get ready for Rueben's farewell. My parents had started a renovation project on their house a few months before and were still working on it the night before his farewell. My parents did a really good job! Their house was pretty and there was plenty of food (that would be the understatement of the year..they probably could have fed twice the amount of people we had! Better safe than sorry though, and we always love leftovers!).

Rueben did really well on his talk too. He spoke on following the promptings of the Spirit. He said a lot of good things that really got me thinking, especially with all that is currently going on in my life. It is always good to be reminded of things like that. He read a quote by Elder Groberg that he had gotten at a youth fireside he had attended. It listed all the things that the Spirit will prompt us to do and all the things that Satan will prompt us to do. It mentioned that the Spirit brings light, hope, good feelings, etc.. and that Satan brings anger, fear, worry, doubt, and the want to be alone among other things. I knew all these things but to hear it in Rueben's talk for some reason really got me thinking. I so easily worry and overstress about things I don't need to. His talk was a nice reminder of who I want to be and who I need to strive to become.

As you can see....Rueben had lots of friends and family that came to listen to him speak and join him afterwards for all the food we prepared. The line for food was all the way out the front door!

The boys enjoying all the food (see above and below)