A Baptism!

While we were in Utah, the morning after the wedding, Adam was baptized!  That was an especially exciting day for our family that we've been looking forward to and preparing for for a long time!

If anyone ever wonders why we call Grandpa Mark a tricker- here is the proof.  He went to the chapel early to fill up the baptismal font and sent me this text.

But once we got there, everything was just fine.  Adam was ready, and so excited!

We were lucky to have relatives visiting for Allison's wedding that stayed to attend Adam's baptism as well.  So we were all surrounded by extra family love! (Something we rarely enjoy in Iowa, sadly.) 

After the baptism we enjoyed a luncheon outside and took the chance to visit with friends and family from Utah, Iowa, Indiana, Idaho, Nevada, Washington, and Colorado.  I didn't take nearly enough pictures, but it was so wonderful to be with so many people that we love!

  Baby cousins are the best!

Baby Juniper is the coolest!

We love these people!  Jason and Nathan served their missions in Bolivia together, then we endured graduate school together in Indiana (Sarah watched Leah and Adam when Emma was born) and now they live in Utah and our husbands are both bishops.  They are the sweetest!

These girls were my first visiting teaching assignment ever back in the good old BYU 85th ward.

After the luncheon we went back inside for a few more pictures.  

 I think Emma was done by this point... 

This was another fantastic event for our family.  We love Adam and are so excited for this big step that he's taken to returning to our Heavenly Father some day.  And it won't be long before he'll be ready to go to the temple!

A Wedding!

We went to Utah for Auntie Allison's wedding in August.  And it was such a beautiful day!  Allison and Spencer were married in the Salt Lake City Temple, the same place as me and Jason.  It was such a wonderful experience to be in the temple with my parents and all ten of their children (five original plus five fabulous in-laws!).

We have a really great family, and I'm so grateful for the blessings that we have received- because of the temple, our family can be together forever.

 When Allison and Spencer came out of the temple, all of the nieces and nephews came running!  They didn't get to go into the temple for the wedding (you have to be an endowed adult to attending a temple wedding ceremony), and they were all so anxious to see her.   

Spencer is the first to get married in his family, and now he's an uncle of 12!

That's cute little Finn melting there- it was hot and nap time by this point. 

 Such pretty little ladies!

Our poor kids can never tell us apart- this day was especially tough.  Those dresses were the best though!

 My sisters!

   After a million pictures, a delicious lunch and a bit of an afternoon rest, it was party time! 

And it was such a fun party!  The kids were all in cousins heaven- the time passed by too quickly, especially for the little bit of time that we got to spend with Cousin Claire (hugging Leah) and Cousin Ella- Emma's new best cousin ever.  She was so delighted to learn that she has such a fun cousin that is just her same age.  They are only 4 days apart, and they are a match made in heaven.  I had to dig Emma out of a rose bush at one point because they were playing Peter Rabbit and having so, so, so much fun together.  We're going to have to find a way to see them again soon! 

 The lovely bride and groom and their parents were stuck in the receiving line for way too long. 

But the rest of us managed to have fun without them.  

There was an amazing piano player and delicious food and lots of cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents to visit with, and I don't think I took a single picture of any of them.  Boo.   But here I am with my life-long friend Shrimp!

 And once the bride and groom finished up with the receiving line it was time for cake- 

which they smashed, to the cousins delight.

And there was dancing!

And there were sparklers!

 And then it was late and magical and the party was over before we wanted it to be... 

but we were all exhausted!  All of those days and weeks and months of planning, and it was all over just like that.

But it was a wonderful day for everyone!

My Hero!

We rode our bikes over to the school for Meet the Teacher night.  It was a beautiful evening, but it started to pour just as we all got on our bikes to head back home.  

Jason snapped Noah up in the bike trailer, and I tried to coax Emma onto her bike, but she refused to ride it.  It was really pouring down and she is just learning how to ride!  So we stuffed her into the bike trailer too and I was left to walk her little bike home in the rain.  

Then my hero swooped in and swapped me bikes!  

Leah offered me her bike and valiantly rode Emma's bike home 

and we laughed and laughed and laughed. 

She's my hero!

Final Day of Summer

Leah made a list for us.  I especially love Number 5 and Number 8 (Noah had started bragging about our secret plan by this point). 

 We didn't do everything on the list, but it was still a very good day.  

 We had a lot of fun offering each other Hurts Donuts!

 At one point in the day, I ralized that the house was nowhere near being ready for a fresh new back-to-school start (that's a bit of grocery/shopping/home from vacation reality right there!)

 It was a beautiful day, and the kids were all so happy to be outside, talking about the important business of 5th grade- 

 or enjoying the last evening of innocence before kindergarten.

Then it was time for dinner and baths and father's blessings and clothes laid out and kids tucked in and the start of a new chapter of life!

Warning!

I don't think I've ever said it quite like this, but I'm glad they're getting the message!