January 25, 2015

I made it the entire week without taking any pictures.  I have been so exhausted with this pregnancy I just don't have the energy to do much of anything but the basics.  The girls are excited about the baby.  They are so much older than they were when Tommy was born.  I was feeling nostalgic and I pulled up some pictures from the first few days after the hospital.  Look how tiny they all are!

And now look how big everyone is......

Where is the time going? 

After the Wedding.....

The day after the wedding was Sunday.  We went to church but the kids were all so tired and sick that we left after Sacrament meeting.  We needed a low key day....or two.  Monday morning we went to the mountains to spend some time in Leavenworth.  It was unusually cold up there.  And we spent the first night freezing and constantly feeding the fire because we had left a cabin window open without knowing it.  Jeremy didn't get much sleep at the cabin the two night we were there.  He was always checking the fire and checking the kids to be sure everyone was warm.

See Tommy crying on the sled?  He pretty much fussed, grumped, and cried all day in Leavenworth.  He didn't want to play in the snow.  He didn't want to ride the sled.  He just wanted to be grouchy.

After sledding for a while the girls got really cold.  We bought hot chocolate and Papa gave everyone a hand warmer packet.  Once we warmed up a bit, everyone was happier.  We decided to visit the nutcracker museum.  It was warm and the kids loved it.  There are hundreds of nutcrackers on display.  Tommy was captivated by some of them.  He would fixate on certain ones and be perfectly content to look at them for a long time.  Once the chill was off our bones, we were ready to venture outside again.  We did a little more sledding  and then had a great dinner in town.

It felt good to get back to the cabin that night, enjoy the fire, and eat leftover wedding cake.  Papa made some Jiffy Pop popcorn for the kids.  It was the first time they had ever seen it.  I love the surprised look on their faces!

The next day was much warmer.  We slept in - the girls ventured down to the Puna and Papa's camper to snuggle for a while.  We played on the property and rode snowmobiles.  Then it was time to pack up and go home.

We spent New Year's Eve in Washington.  Brady and Madison came back after a few days in Seattle and offered to watch the kids for us while we went to see Unbroken.  Lily got to try on Madison's veil and the kids had a blast in the tub together.  Brady and Madison had quite a night with the kids.  I think they won't be having any children for a long time.

We spent New Year's Day driving back home.  We had great roads, but the kids had some episodes of carsickness.  Nothing too bad.  We made it back in good time.  It felt good to be back in our own beds.  This was a long but wonderful trip.

Wedding Day!

Madison asked me to be her escort on the night she was endowed and for the wedding-sealing day.  It was special for me to share that with her and be there early in the temple with her as she prepared and learned for both events.  She had so many questions and so much enthusiasm.  It was sweet to go through and share our feelings in the same place I first experienced the blessings of the temple 15 years ago.

Madison's family was extremely supportive and happy for her.  We were so glad they could come and share this day with our family.

 

We never got a good shot with the kids.  Tommy had just woken up and the girls were freezing in the wind.  Hopefully the photographers got a better one than this.

After taking pictures at the temple, we went home to rest and have lunch.  We only had a couple of hours until the reception was supposed to start.  But it was enough down time to feel much more refreshed before the long party.  The girls were so excited to wear their long white dresses.  We signed the guest book and I had the kids trace their hands so we'll always remember just how small they were when Brady and Madison got married.

The room was amazing.  I couldn't believe how much better it looked once the staff covered all the chairs and added the wall of lights at the far end.  My mom did all the floral arrangements and table centerpieces.  Dad built the birch arbor that went behind the cake.  Everything was just wonderful.

 

Tommy saw the dance floor and started dancing immediately.  He was tired before the party even started.

Annie said she felt like a princess.  She loved having a long dress and all the beautiful decorations.

This is Brady with his childhood friend and best man Jeremy Call (center) and a friend from college who traveled to Washington just for the wedding.

 

It was a fantastic party.  Lots of friends and family were there.  The food was amazing and the cake tasted so good.  Everyone loved the cake.

The highlight for the kids was the dancing.  Each girl got a chance to dance with Brady, Papa, and Daddy.  They were on cloud nine.

By the end of the night, Annie was tired.  She curled up in a chair with her blanket.  Lily got tired too and found a quiet spot by the fire place with her cousin to play dolls.

Finally it was time to say goodbye to the Bride and Groom.  They were not happy that the car had been decorated.  Hopefully they will laugh about it years from now.

Congratulations Brady and Madison!