Landon's wedding

MY REMARKS:   

So happy to be at this wedding today.  So happy that we can be at this point where can celebrate this union.  I know God loves all of his children, and I believe Landon and Alex are two of his favorites.  I know that there is room for all at God’s table.  I feel so blessed that Landon has found a partner  to love and support him without conditions  and to raise a family with.  They are committed to sharing both joys and sorrows for the rest of their lives. They are great at living and sharing Christ like principles in their home.  It’s really a beautiful match.

Landon has been a bright light in our family since the day he was born.    He insisted on wearing his blanket tied onto him like a dress and even went through a nun stage where his blanket was on his head all of the time and he prayed with steeple hands. 

In every family video Landon is the one running right up to the camera and speaking in his high soprano…look at me, look at me….He used to say the cutest, funniest things….

"You know those fat things on girls that we call boobs? Well… Jesus calls them breasts."

Once when he was screaming  as I was carrying him out of sacrament meeting he yelled back into the room, “I know I’m just sick about myself.”

In his 3 year old prayers he said, “and please bless the whole world, even the top and the bottom and all the way around.”

Landon has many gifts.  I would like to address just three.  His spirituality, his ability to talk/argue and to love. Landon has always been very spiritual.  He was a willing family scripture reader, a general conference note taker and always felt angels around him.   He had an angel face and was the very best for his primary and church leaders.  He would be his normal crazy, can’t sit still self, all week long, but for the two hours of primary he was the model child.  He knew every answer, sang every song and his teachers bragged about how good he was to us.  We would always say, “Landon?  Are you sure?”   Landon loves his Savior.

Landon can argue with the best of them…he would make a great lawyer or be your fiercest advocate. You want him on your side.  He is a natural born talker…taking after Grandpa Welch and Grandma Sheri. When he was in school he would get in trouble for talking too much.  Landon couldn’t say his “r”s so he would call him self a taco.  He would say,  “I can’t help it mom, I was bone to talk… I’m a talk-o.”  There’s a video out there on the internet  of a little  boy trying to get his way with his mother, saying, “Linda, but Linda, just listen Linda”…. Over and over….this was Landon.   I loved being at Bountiful High School as Landon’s debate teacher.  He has a natural ability to take what ever side and see the arguable points.   He also had a natural ability as a teenager  to debate Wayne and me til he was blue in the face. Ay yay yay. He can be very headstrong, but this gift  also helps him to see both sides of every situation and to be compassionate and empathetic and stand up for the underdog.

Landon has a large capacity to love.  He accepts all into his circle.   He has a big heart  Landon was a great asset as a nurse and caregiver to my mom as she was going through her last weeks on earth.  His expertise and skill with shots and hooking up insulin and medicine bags  etc… was a lifesaver for us.   He always had a special bond with his Grandma Sheri. She is now one of his angels.  Landon has taught me about unconditional love.  That means to love without conditions….I don’t care if he’s  tall, short, rich, poor, straight or gay… I love him and will continue to honor and support him.

When Landon came out at 18…. It was a difficult time for all of us.  Only because it felt like one plan or  dream died, and  we were in a bit of limbo until another dream rose to take it’s place.   Landon always promised me  he would get married and have a family one day.  This was always so important to him.   I couldn’t see it happening.  Well I was wrong.  His dream and ours has come true.

We are happy to officially welcome Alex as  our Son…and his beautiful children, Sophia and Andrew as our grandchildren.

 I am 100% sure that after I die, no one is going to condemn me for loving too much. It't easy to hate people. It is courageous to love. That is what Jesus wants us to remember.  Love is what we are celebrating today and I wouldn’t miss this day for the world.