Kathryn’s family has a great Priesthood meeting tradition that is very much anticipated.  All the boys in the family get together and attend Priesthood meeting together, then we all head to the Kyoto Japanese restaurant in SLC for an after meeting dinner.  This was my 5th time attending the semi-annual dinner.  When someone new comes for the first time, they go through a sort of coming-of-age bet that comes with a hefty prize if you succeed and shame and ridicule if you fail.  My first time attending 2 years ago now I was faced with the daunting challenge of eating an entire pot of rice after we had already finished our heavy meal that leaves you feeling overly stuffed even if you are trying to eat lightly.  The prize was a crisp 100 dollar bill and becoming a man and being accepted into the family.  The penalty was that I would be ridiculed and possibly not even allowed to marry Kathryn.  You see, we weren’t even engaged yet, though I had purchased the ring and was waiting for it to be finished so I could propose to her.  The stakes where extremely high, and downing the rice was my only option.  Did it hurt?  Of course.  Where there after-the-fact repercussions?  Yes.  Was it worth it?  Absolutely!  I succeeded and entered the ranks of men at the table.

While the men are at Priesthood meeting and at dinner afterwards, the women also get together and go out to dinner and often go shopping.  Last year Kathryn, Emily, Marta, and Suzanne went shopping together and Ben, James, Tim, and I made bets on who we thought would spend the most money.  It was a race between Marta and Suzanne, but you know who won?  Kathryn with her awesome purse.  Apparently I’m not a very good shopping companion and she needs some good girl advice to thrive.  This year, she and Suzanne went shopping and all they got was stuff for the house.  Lamps, a mirror, and a great rug for upstairs, as seen in the picture below.  It’s apparent we’re home owners I guess when that’s all Kathryn wants to buy when she’s out on a shopping night with her mom.