Saturday, February 11, 2023

Matt & Taylor's wedding

I think my favorite thing in the world is watching my kids play nicely with each other. I would easily turn down a million dollars if someone told me I would have to give this up. Nothing brings me more joy. 


These two kiddos are just about the same height and people sometimes ask me if they are twins, but they couldn't be more different. David loves going to the dentist and getting his teeth cleaned, Lilah errr... not so much. 


This month we got to visit Oregon for Matt and Taylor's wedding. We had never been before and it was so beautiful. It was like a mix of Chicago, Vancouver, and LA (Lots of homeless people in some parts of town)

The kids were so excited they were going to go on an airplane again. 


Annie was excited too, hehe. 


When I went to check my stroller in, the lady at the counter told me the flight was not full so Annie could have her own seat. It was so nice to be able to spread out during the flight. 


Flights with the kids are so stressful but they love it and will talk about it for weeks once we are back home. 


David loves to travel. If anyone can sit by themselves, it's David. 


Give the boy a movie, headphones, and snacks and he is good to go! I love three-year-old David. 


When we got there, we still had a little time until everyone met up to help decorate at the church, so we went and checked out the famous bridge at Multnomah. 


It was a little chilly and drizzly but we had come prepared and brought thick jackets to keep us warm. 



Lilah wanted a picture with daddy. 


Oregon had beautiful waterfalls that could all be seen just by driving down the highway. Everything was lush and green and filled with moss. It was so beautiful. 




The kids were so excited when we got there. They love their cousins.  Both Taylor and Matt's families were there busy working on putting everything together. There were a lot of kids so we went and hung out in the nursery pretty much the entire time. I was so worried they'd break something. Plus the kids were in heaven playing with new toys and cousins. Matt and Taylor were nice enough to buy pizza for everyone too. It was a fun day with family.  



Another thing my kids love. Hotels. Lilah let me know she had found the book of Mormon in a dresser. 


My kids love the hotel life. 



The day of the wedding, my kids woke up early and went to have breakfast with the rest of the family while I stayed back with Annie who graciously slept in while I got dressed. 



They had a nice temple ceremony. They were surrounded by people who loved them. It was such a great day. Oh, and the rain stopped! Just in time for pictures. It was such a tender mercy. 


Our new sister-in-law. 







Sam and Laura plus Richard, Laurie, and their families were all able to make it too. I'm always in awe of how people will travel to come to be with you on such important days. Family is so important and it was a good reminder that showing up is always worth it. 


Annie, who refuses to go with anyone, was happy as a clam being carried by Laura Stewart. It was so cute. As long as she didn't see me, she was a happy girl! 


And then the newlyweds were off to start their life together. Newlywed life is so fun! 




The next day we raced to leave for the airport only to find that our plane did not leave at 9am but at 9pm. So, after having had checked out of our hotel room, we met up with Karin, Katie, and Bryan for lunch. We had a delicious lunch and then headed back to the hotel were Grandma and Papa were. They were still at church though so we hung out for a bit and then went and met up with them. 
Lilah drew this cute picture of her in the middle of Grandma and Papa. Can you tell she loves her grandparents? 


We hung out with them all afternoon and they even shared some dinner with us which was super kind of them. The kids loved the extra time they got to be with them before they got on the plane back to the Netherlands. 


Another picture Lilah drew of Grandma's hotel room and the Oregon rain. I love her little drawings so much right now. 


The next day was thankfully a Holiday and no one needed to be anywhere. Which was great because we were all so tired. Our plane that was supposed to have left at 9 got delayed to 10, then 11, then midnight. The kids did SO well staying up late. They even made a little friend to play with. We had hotel pizza, played on the escalator, and with their new little friend. 
Even though the plane finally took off at 0030, Lilah still stayed awake a little while longer and played with her new friend who happened to be sitting behind her. The little girl ended up sitting next to Lilah on the plane since we all had an aisle to ourselves. Finally, the girls fell asleep, and everyone slept peacefully the entire flight. 


I am always grateful for the time spent with my family. It is always worth the hassle of taking the kids and the whining to be with them even for only a couple of days. 

Random pics:
Grandma bought the kids books for Christmas and David loves this one which lights up when you use a flashlight behind the book. 


We got a new pumping room at work. I am so excited to be done pumping. Hopefully in the next month or two. 


David making his own hopscotch in our backyard. 






 

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