Wedding pictures!!!!

I know it has been four months and a couple of days, but i am going to post these so you all can see them!! I also have the ALL of them on my facebook account. (elyse)

It's that time of year again!!!

So I figured this was as good as any place to post the Christmas names for everyone this year. I guess we'll keep the limit at about $20 again like last year. Hope this works for everyone!

Jared & Candy have Tony & Jana
Chad & Melinda have Ben & Jamie
Tony & Jana have Brandon & Elyse
Ben & Jamie have Staci
Brandon & Elyse have Jared & Candy
Staci has Chad & Melinda

Sounds good to me...hope this works for everyone!

our new blog

Elyse has made us a blog. But i am going to warn it, its just her writing it... it was her old blog and now it is our blog, so come of you might recongnize some of the posts.... www.thenewestwilsons.blogspot.com

Another Great Mission Blessing

Wilson 1:1-10
1. "And it came to pass in the first nine months of the ministry of Elder and Sister Wilson in Swaziland, many Mission Blessings were showered upon them. Sister Wilson bought a pineapple from the market place and yea, even the merchant, Nathi, requested baptism after the first lesson and now serves as second councilor in the Branch Presidency.
2. Now behold, this was just the beginning of the blessings poured out upon them. Tembi, Gift, Lwazi, and Reon soon entered the waters of baptism. The powers of heaven continued to be manifest.
3. Yea, this is not all. For twelve other elders were experiencing the same kinds of success.
4. As there must be opposition in all things, the adversary, with his angels, began to manifest themselves. Elder Wilson came down with Tick Fever. Other elders had sicknesses. Fathers began to deny wives and children opportunity to attend Church and be baptized. Elders were involved in car accidents.
5. And thus we see that when great things are happening in the Kingdom, the Dark One is not so happy. He will never run away, but will unleash every opposition available.
6. Now we see that the Lord blesses those who exercise faith, even with cleverness, to overcome the adversary. Now behold, Elder Wilson, knowing the plan of the Evil One is to go against all that is good, saw a way to ensure the victory of his beloved Cougars. It was apparent that whoever he chose, the Evil One would, if unrighteousness was ripe, cause the opposite team to win.
7. Thus we see that Mission Blessings were added with a win by the Cougs, and the Devil, who was laughing, thinking he was still destroying the work, angrily slithered away.
8. Behold, this is not all . . . the worth of many souls was manifest in this victory.
9. Now your father will see you eye to eye and judge ye of his cleverness!
10. And thus it is. Amen."

family togertherness

ok family we really all need to unite our efforts and come together. this is a serious problem in our family and i don't know if we will be able to overcome this trial in our lives. Im sorry that i have to be the one to break the news to everyone, but Dad has been having a serious trial of his faith!!! I might be the only one that noticed, everyone knows that he is a great man and has been Bishop, stake president, Bishop and a CES teacher for years and years. But upon looking deep into his heart last saturday I saw he had no faith "BYU 21 OU 24" yes, i know its hard to believe but he picked the cougars to loose! lets all unite and pray for Dad that he will be able to overcome is faithlessness and that we wont have to say to him ever again, "oh ye of little faith" GO COUGARS!!!

i have some of the pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a beautiful day, and now it the whirl wind of real life, we have some evidence that life is good. We are together, and that is all that matters.

Elyse's shower!

Just a couple of pics to show Dad & Mom! They're a little late but I forgot I had them!:) Poor Elyse!!! Guess she doesn't know Brandon as well as she thought!!!:) Just kidding...we did make the questions EXTREMELY hard, and she did get a couple right!:)
The aftermath! EEEWWWWW GROSS!!!:)

Bridals are here!!

I just thought i would post the pictures i got back from the photographer. These are a couple samples of my bridals with the editing. What do you think??

Funny Summer Pictures

I liked Hyrum's pose

Hailey's a cheeser

Sierra doesn't like pictures

Eating peas from the garden

Trent's Baptism -- July 4, 2009

Addresses

I need everyone's addresses so I can send out the announcements next week. That includes you MOM AND DAD!!

(This is the easiest way to get them since i am just transferring them to a word doc.)


43 more days!

Engagement pictures

Chapter 3. January 18 2009

This is going to be my first time back at the ward since i have been back from Maryland for Christmas break. I Got back a while ago but I have been going to different wards for different things. But now i am going be late. Dang it.
I waited for my roommate to get ready and we headed into the institute building. Sacrament meeting was over, so we headed over to Sunday school and it is packed! "Amy" I said," Lets go into the living area and we can read over the ensign." So we are walking towards the living area when suddenly.... There he is. Brandon Wilson. The elders quorum president who is too busy to notice cute girls. I smiled as we walked by thinking i wasnt even going to get a glance and he says" Hey! You get to sunday school!" Wow...... forceful, but i think he is joking., somewhat. " Well you see", I say confidently, "Sunday school is pretty packed so we are just going to go talk about really spiritual things in the living room." I turn around quick and Amy gives me the eye. She knows who he is, and she remembers my little flame for him.
We sit down on the amazingly comfortable couches they have set up and We talk about Brandon for a second. I am pretty nonshalant about it becuase I dont know why he is affecting me so much. Boys don't affect me. I affect them. End of story. So i pull out the ensign because i was serious about spiritual conversations when all of the sudden mr. too good (but sooo cute) comes around the corner with his roommate darrin. They sit down next to us and he acknowledges that i was right, and sunday school is packed.
After that just like in the car, the easy conversation starts up again. Except for this time I am So nervous. WHY AM I NERVOUS!! people don't make me nervous. especially boys! I start blabbing off about how the feelings of the spirit could be comparable to eating hot muffins and having them slide down your throat. (WHAT AM I SAYING... nervous word vomit) But he laughs anyways... after a curious look. The conversation keeps going and its time for our next set of classes. So we left brandon with a challange. Have good news minute in elders quorum that day. ( and i dont think he is going to do it so i hire a boy to ask to have it)
We get out of relief society and are walking out to our car when i see him. "Hey, did you have good news minute today?" He replies" I knew you put them up to that!" As we are talking a couple of friends of mine pass by and ask if i am hosting games tonight like i always do on sundays. I told them yes and they were walking out and then the thought came.... Elyse just ask him. If he doesnt then he's not interested. So i say "hey you know you should come to game night tonight. It is really fun I think you'd like it. " He asks me what time and I don;t really know becuase it varies. I say 7ish or 8 ish when amy cuts in and says,"Hey elyse why don't you get brandons number so you can text him and let him know what time we are having it?" (THANKYOU AMY) so he agrees and after he gives me his number Amy and him keep chatting. I get to the part in my phone where i have to insert the name and i decided that i am going to be clever and cute and put him in there as the elders quorum president. What was it that amy called hers? oh yeah EC.... I cut into their conversation and say, " So i am putting you in my phone as EC.. i smile, a cute and very innocent smile and all i get back is silence and an extremely curious look from him. What is going on? Amy is busting up laughing and so is he so i retrace my thoughts.. Elders quorum isnt EC its EQ! "NIce Amy, Elders quorum starts with a Q not a C.." And she retorts "YEAH and EC is Eternal Companion!"
Oh my gosh, i am going to die..... I just called my sorta crush who i barely know, who wont even pay attention to me my EC!!!! OH MY GOSH!!! and he knows what it means!!!! OH MY GOSH! "Well Elyse", he says, " The nex temple trip is on the 14th so we could just go get married while everyone else is doing baptisms." Did he really just say that... He totally just made the most awkward situation of my life not awkward.....wow, I think i am in love.

Chapter 3 Brandon's POV

Chapter 3

I am going to be late for sunday school because i helped take down the sacrament. Oh well i guess its ok to be late every once in a while. So as im walking to sunday school i see Elyse and some other girl, wow she really does go to church every once in a while!!! wait she just went right past the sunday school classrooms. So i really don't want to go to sunday school by myself and i really want to have her come sit by me so i do the whole " sunday school is back that way" and she says "its full we are going to have our own, in the hall" so i look in the classroom and sure enough it is full. So i tell darrin my roommate that we should go with the girls so we go into the hall where they are and i see Elyse sitting down and her eyes kinda got big and so i asked if we could sit in on the lesson also. So Elyse kindly said yes and let me sit by her. She teaches a lesson on how the holy ghost feels like a "hot muffin" I look up at the clock and see that im late for Elders meeting and im the president so i tell them i have to go and we part ways. after elders is done i go out into the hall and look who is there, it Elyse i just go right back to talking to her because i loved the sunday school lesson so much. So we talk for a little bit then she invited me to game night i tell her that would be really fun. So then she gets my phone number and.....

Stay tuned for the next chapter :)

Chapter 2 the short chapter

So should we just have Elyse tell her side of the story or do you guys want to keep hearing my side also? she does a lot better job telling it than i do.

Chapter 2 (october temple trip -january17)

I wonder if i will ever see that Elyse girl? i really want to say "Please" just like Rihanna does becuause she thought that was way funny and it made her laugh so hard. I bet she is dating somebody right now and she is like the best looking girl in the ward so even if she isn't she probably has dates every night anyway oh well i guess i'll stick to racketball and refing basketball for the rest of my life. She is inactive anyway i never see her at church.

Chapter Two: The day after (elyse's POV)

That temple trip was so much fun! I met an awesome guy, who seemed really interested, but then declined my movie... so who knows if he is or not. Today is Sunday. I will for sure see him at church so I better look my best. I am pretty sure it took me a lot longer to get ready today than it ever has in my entire life. But i look hot, so it is worth it!
I walk into church (kind of strutting) and there he is. I don't know what i should do. Should I say hi? That might be too forward... what am i thinking?? Hi being too forward? Oh well, I'll just let him see me first, because the ball is in his court. I basically asked him out last night! I didn't even want to watch a movie, i only said that to hang out with him longer and he said no! Nice one Elyse!! Oh goodness here he comes! Needless to say he walked right past me. He didn't say hi, He didn't even notice me. Well dangit.... I had fun yesterday, didn't he? He seemed like he did...Well Elyse, you are a strong woman who looks so good today and I am sure there are more guys out there who are willing to man up and ask you out. Who needs Brandon Wilson anyways. He wasn't interested anyways.

Brandon's POV

So we are at the parking lot of the church getting ready to go to the tempel. I see the really cute girl whos last name was Gordon. I didn't know her first name but i remembered she was the cute one that i wanted to home teach so i put her on my list of people to home teach but she moved and i got stuck without the cutest girl in the ward, and very disapointed because of it. Anyway i let the other 2 passengers get into the back seat because i for sure want to sit up front with Elyse. We talked the whole way down to the temple, i remember thinking i'm only talking to her i better say something to the 2 in the back seat or they will start feeling left out. Elyse has an amazing voice i thought in my head, and she isn't afraid to use it. wait a secound she has Rhianna and Juanez, and a lot of the stuff that i really like. I found out that she speaks German and has lived in a lot of different places. She loves hamburgers and would rather go to In and out Burger than chuck o rama i thought that was awesome and she also talked about speeding to get to in and out burger before so we could get burgers and i really thought she was going to do it. haha. and now that i know her better im surprised she didn't. hahah. We got done with the temple and we decided that we were going to have a eat off to see who could eat more food, but she went and sat by her girlfriends and left me with Ben Peterson my counslor in the elders, looking for any girls to come sit by us. well we drove home and she said that they were going to watch movies and invited me to go. I declined because i knew i really liked her and i didn't want her to think that i really did and because they were going to watch a movie and i would have fallen asleep and i wouldn't be able to talk to her if that was it. Well my lead into chapter 2 is, i should have gone just to get her number because little did i know i wouldn't see her until january...

Chapter One- The Temple Trip down (elyse's POV)

It's saturday morning and I am wondering whether or not I should stay in bed a bit longer. I haven't slept very well and even though it is 10 o'clock a couple of hours more would be sooo nice. I role over to face the wall so the sun isn't shinning straight in my eyes when i remember that today is ward temple day. I haven't been able to go on any of the ward temple trips becuase my old job had me working every saturday, but last sunday I stood up in relief society and told the girls that there was going to be a temple trip and I was going to be going.
The relief society president gave them a pretty strong lecture on how you should always go to the ward temple trips because you were blessed for it and even if you were unworthy you should go to the visitors center. She is pretty intense when she speaks and I could tell that some of the not so comfortable with going to the temple girls were feeling guilty that they probably couldn't go. I thought that they might feel imbarrased to just go to the visitors center when everyone else was doing baptisms because to them it probably shouted "Hey, I'm unworthy". So I stood up and told them I would go to the visitors center so no one would be alone.
I pulled up to the church where we were meeting as a ward and there are tons of people. Bambi's speech must have worked on the girls! There are a couple girls I notice who said they were coming to the visitors center with me, one is going to ride with me, the other is going to follow me down. I decided I wanted to drive becuase a trip to the St george temple means potential shopping later! They call out for drivers and I raise my hand. Everyone piles into cars and drives away.
Emily and I are a couple of the last people to leave when two guys start coming over to my car. One i know, I am the property manager where he lives, and the other I am pretty sure is the elders quorm president. Brandon Wilson. I know his name becuase I have a couple girls in the ward who i KNOW have major crushes on him. He's cute, and he's the EQP so they should. He lets Aldo and Emily into the backseat and he sits upfront with me. He is really cute.
There are 4 of us driving to St. Geezy (which i have just found out really cute people, especially Brandon, call St. George) Brandon is so easy to talk to. I am acting like the biggest nerd, I can just feel it and he is probably thinking i am crazy. Oh well, I am having so much fun. We are just talking about music (he is going through my IPOD) family, school, life...wow this is so natural. The rest of the drive just seems like a blur of fun, singing, (he is kinda tone deaf ha ha) and Rhianna. He likes some pretty girly music, but i really love that he's not to into himself to let me know that. I only have two thoughts in my head the whole time.... this is so easy, and he is so cute!


(to be continued.......)

Anyone Want to Join Me in a Request?

Here I am relaxing on a swing wondering if it might be about time to request Brandon and Elyse to tell the whole family "Their Story from the Beginning." Anyone who wants to put the pressure on, vote here under comments. How 'bout it . . . we'd all enjoy knowing just how everything came about. STO-RY! STO-RY! STO-RY!

Update

I just got off the phone with Grandma Potter and she is very weak and in a lot of pain. She told me that on bad days she can't even walk and when she is able to get around she has to use a cane or her walker. She also wanted me to tell you all that she loves you very much and that she is sorry she can't write on birthdays anymore. She can only just barely sign her name to pay her bills. The stroke has taken a great toll on her, and she feels like she isn't really herself anymore. She has nothing to do during the day anymore, because she is so weak and cannot use her hands like she used to. She can only read a very little at a time, and she gets very nervous and anxious at night time. Aunt Toni is unable to be with her, as she works 9-5. But Toni is taking on most of the load of caring for Grandma.
Though this isn't the best news, grandma did tell me something that I wanted to share. She told me that she has had many priesthood blessings in which she was promised she would return to health, and that she still had work to do. I was hopeful of her recovery after this, and so was she. She told me her main problem is waiting for it to happen! Our grandmother is a remarkable lady, and I think she comforted me more than i did her when I called. I know everyone is busy and has much to do, but any form of contact for her right now would help her spirits tremendously, as well as our prayers. I love you all tons.

Flowers

Hello everyone! Just as a note, I sent flowers to Grandmama today and said they were from all of us, so if she asks you about them just nod your head and say, yes! And if anybody wants to help with the bill (you don't have to though) it was 30 $ but I'm completely fine with me paying it. It's only if you'd like to. Hope all of you are having loverly days! (Tony can make fun of me all he wants so there!)

Grandma Potter

Hey everybody, I just got off the phone with Grandma and she's not doing too well. If any of you could call her sometime this month she would probably love to hear from you. She will be alone most of the time starting next week and she's afraid to be by herself. She can't read very well, so calls would work better than letters right now. She really needs our prayers and we need to let her know we love her, because she might not be around much longer. So if you can, try to contact her. Love you all.

Good news!

A few months ago I wrote about my Friend Michelle who has cancer. At that point, things weren't looking real great for her. She was about to try a very invasive treatment that had no guarantee for success. The other day she got some wonderful news- it is working!!!! Her tumors are getting smaller and things are looking up for her. Thanks again to those of you who fasted, prayed, or even just thought of her, It means the world to me.