Wedding!

Just 5 days after the reunion was Jodee and Brian's wedding! Having a wedding in the family this summer was so fun. I think it helped us all to find some cheer in the wake of Dad's death to have something so positive and happy to focus on together. It was a very sacred time in the temple for their sealing... I don't think any of us had a dry eye. My dad's presence was so strong, and for me anyway, hearing those words the sealer said as he pronounced them an eternal family really struck me and made me very emotional. I'm so, so happy for my sweet little sister. Seeing her beautiful face kneeling across the altar brought me so much joy. Brian is a pretty ok guy too. ;)

I actually took Ashlyn to a salon to get her hair braided. Haven't done that since she was 2. I just knew that I wasn't going to have time between the reunion and leaving for the wedding to get her hair into a wedding-looking style that would also last us... because we also started swimming lessons again the day after we got back from the wedding. Hair takes planning, people! I was SO glad I took her. It looked beautiful and took not even two hours out of our day...whereas if I attempted a style like this it would take me like 3 days. :) I had been given the name of a gal who does black hair at a salon in Twin.... and called her up and we went in hoping it would be a good thing! She turned out to be the sweetest girl, actually an adoptee from Haiti who is LDS and went to school in Rexburg. Basically a great influence I'm glad to have in Ashlyn's life, and I had fun chatting with her during hair time too. I didn't give her a ton of direction, just that we needed an updo type thing that would also last us during swim lessons. I loved what she did. And for reals she was amazingly fast. It was awesome.

What I get when I try to get a decent picture

Right after the wedding! It was HOT at the Rexburg temple! Pictures out in the sun were not super fun! And it was right about lunch time... the kids were really done being compliant. ha ha. We kept getting called out into the sun for pictures and the kids were just shuffled around and half the time I just hoped someone was making sure Elan wasn't like jumping off the sidewalk or something, since I couldn't watch him. Andrea was in charge of watching all the grandkids during the ceremony... she did a great job! They were all still alive, decently happy, and even pretty clean when we got done! ha ha. Nice job, Andrea! 

We have like 10 pictures like this, as we tried to get one decent family shot. 

Whoever brought coloring stuff, thumbs up!!

My beautiful sisters and I

Oh my how I love these kids. 

heart eyes!

OK I guess I should actually put a picture of the bride and groom in here! Don't they look just stunning! Jodee was seriously a gorgeous bride. And that Brian is a sweet guy. It was so fun to share their happy day.

Finally leaving... to a luncheon where we got to continue to attempt to corral the kids! ha ha. Suckers for the win!

Hanging at the luncheon. Elan spent most of his time out in the hotel hallways exploring with one of us, he was past the point of being ok with sitting in a high chair. Ashlyn was pretty well behaved though, and even ate some of her fettuccine alfredo!

Aw! A screenshot I stole from my cousin. ha ha! It's a cute picture though!

Here we are, the whole wedding party minus the parents! So wonderful.