Laura's wedding/Utah trip

Millie and I got to have a little trip to Utah last week! Laura and Tom's wedding was on August 14th so we drove up with my parents and Sarah and stayed there for 5 days.

Millie was a champ on the drive up. I was really nervous, since the last time I've taken a drive longer than 3 hours with her was when she was 4 months old! But she did wonderfully. As long as she had her "beebies," (binky) she was happy. This threw off our normal routine of only having the binky for nap and bedtime, but we were in survival mode.

I bought her a mini Magnadoodle for the drive and she loved it

The backseat crew

 We slept in Wichita Falls the first night, and made it to Grandpa's house in Spring City the next night. We were all exhausted! But Millie was up bright and early, anxious to play with Grandpa's awesome toys.

Meeting Belle, which was very confusing for this "Beauty and the Beast" fan

Grandpa is so cute with his dog

 We went to Sacrament Meeting at a ward in Spring City and then went up to the Orem/Provo area for a bit. We visited Grandma and had waffles with the Andelins before heading up to Uncle Boyd's house in Draper.

We wanted to spend every minute outside in the beautiful Utah weather and soft grass!!

Then the Westons arrived. Let the party begin!

The kids looooved Uncle Boyd's backyard

"Sharing" an otter pop

That night Jeff, Kerri, Jane, Laura, and Tom also joined us. Poor Kerri was initiated with the quarter "game."

After a yummy breakfast and hectic morning getting everyone packed up and out of Uncle Boyd's house, we went down to Orem again. The men watched the babies while we girls went to Brick Oven for Laura's bridal shower. I'd forgotten to put Brick Oven on my mental list of places to eat while in Utah, but I was SO glad we went. Yum.

After reuniting with the men and kids we went to the mall to find last-minute wedding stuff.

They were clearly ecstatic to be shopping with so many girls.

That afternoon we checked into the house Mom and Dad rented in Draper! It was so great to have a place where we could all be together and not be bombarding anyone else. The Webbs arrived and the party grew.

Millie's first trampoline experience... her smile says it all

Late that night (Monday) the Bakers finally arrived, and our family was complete! Except for Tyler and Tim of course. We missed them terribly.

Tuesday morning the girls went to get pedicures! We grabbed the boys and kids and went to Zupas for lunch (check!) which was delicious, obviously. Some families did some more shopping that afternoon while the rest of us lounged and played. That evening we went to Lake Point for Laura and Tom's wedding dinner! It was a fun evening, except for Millie having diarrhea and pooping on my skirt and her dress.

Wednesday: Wedding day!! Laura was smart and didn't have an early-morning sealing. We had a semi-relaxing morning. I helped Laura with her hair and lent her my makeup and she wore my wedding dress, so we had a fun beauty morning together! 

Mom entertained the grandkids with a bubble gun while we got ready

Look at her bridal beauty!!

 We (Webbs, Westons, Andersens, and Millie and I) stopped at Cafe Rio for lunch (another check!) on the way to the Salt Lake Temple. The sealing was beautiful, and beautifully brief- we left a total 15 kids with poor Sarah and Lauren!

The happy couple!

The nieces and Ty insisted on carrying her train

We told the kids that if they behaved we would get ice cream after the pictures were over. Whether or not they were good, I don't remember. But we adults wanted ice cream too! So off to Arctic Circle we went (check again)!

We went home for probably 30 minutes before packing up to go to the reception. Didn't get many pictures on my phone because it was dying, but the reception was beautiful and so fun! I loved seeing so many cousins.

The corsages we realized halfway through we were supposed to be wearing. Ooops

 Thursday morning we packed up and cleaned the rental house in Draper. The Webbs, Westons, and Millie and I went to BYU for a bit while Mom and Dad went to an Andersen sibling luncheon. We got lunch at the new Chik-Fila in the Wilk, wandered around the MOA, almost got kicked out of the MOA because we were so loud and touchy (to the art), and wandered around the bookstore.

Trying to get a picture of 8 squirmy kids

Best attempt

Millie loved Ty and Eva so much!

 I said goodbye to that crew to pick up Mom and Dad and Sarah so we could head back to Texas. Sigh. We were sad to leave Utah but really ready to get home to see Tyler! The first night we stayed in Albuquerque and got back to Lufkin the next night. This drive was much more traumatic for Millie- I think she remembered that we had just done it or something. Even so, she was really well behaved as long as she had her binky and could watch videos of herself on my phone (Millie movies, we call them). There was one time where she was really losing it and wasn't super-coherent. My poor dad was exhausted and my mom was driving so he could sleep a bit, and Millie was just screaming! I offered everything I could think of, even to get her out of the carseat, all to which she said no. Finally I offered a Millie movie and she immediately stopped and said "Okay!" Problem solved. My phone had Priority 1 at the phone charger the rest of the way home.

Passing the hotel where Tyler and I spent our first Christmas

She snuggled a "bankie" for most of the way

Consequence of having nachos on your lap while buckling a resistant child in her carseat

After wiping off that nacho cheese above, we ate and went on our way. Later I was leaning over and showing Millie some movies on my phone, and I smelled something awful. I sniffed around, wondering if it was someone's feet. Finally I remembered the nacho cheese incident and had to cover my legs with a blanket the rest of the way to keep the smell away! Gross.

It was a great trip!! We loved every minute. The only downer was that Tyler couldn't come with us- we missed him terribly! But it was so great to be with family and celebrate Laura and Tom. We are so happy for them!