Miranda's Wedding Trip

My mom came out to help Amanda watch the boys for the weekend and John and I flew to Oregon with Jane for Miranda and Mike's wedding. We got our rental car, then met up with Emily and her family for lunch. It was so great seeing her again.

It was raining and Jane was not a fan of her head getting wet.

We checked into our hotel, which was really nice and so inexpensive compared to places at home. Jane helped John take a little nap.

Then we went over to the venue and prepped for the ceremony and had a lovely rehearsal dinner with the family.

None of our kids have ever slept well in pack and plays. They're too used to comfy mattresses I guess. 

She had a lie in while I went to get ready with the wedding party.

It was fun girl time.

I went and picked John and Jane up before the ceremony. 

Then we got Jane ready for her big flower girl debut.

Getting antsy ready to start the ceremony.

Walking down the aisle, photo from her professional photographer.

 Jane slept through her flower girl duties like a perfect angel. Then she visited with everyone during the cocktail hour.

I gave a speech to the new married couple, which was extremely stressful for me, but very rewarding.

Then the rest of the night we could enjoy ourselves.

Jane was a big hit.

 The four of us have been friends since elementary school and it was fun being back together again to celebrate Miranda.

 She is an amazing friend and I love seeing her so happy. Her wedding was beautiful and a really fun evening.

I stayed to oversee the clean-up and drive home an inebriated groomsman and bring the gifts back in the couple's car. John left after the sparkler exit to get Jane down.

We had a slow morning the next day, then went to breakfast at Mike's family's house. It was a traditional South African meal and John loved trying new dishes.

Miranda and Mike left on their honeymoon and we had a few hours before our flight home, so we took Jane to Multnomah Falls, one of our favorite places.

Better prepared with a hat and coat, she didn't mind the mist.

We hiked up the path a little bit.

The Columbia River Gorge is beautiful any time of year, even after the ravaging fires.

I love waterfalls and I love these guys.

Even though we had the baby with us and it was a busy schedule, the wedding was romantic and the getaway was a helpful recharge that we look forward to every year.

Day at Disney and Arizona Wedding

We have this Disney trip down to a science now. We drove down after school on Thursday.

Perry the big helper taking a suitcase to the van. We loaded up while the others ate breakfast.

We had one day left on our passes, so we had to pick our favorite rides. And the new ones Karen hadn't done yet, like Soarin' Over the World.

Perry kept himself busy while we waited by cleaning with a baby wipe. It's Disney, so everything was thankfully already clean.

Then it was my turn to go on. Scott told me all about the places we'd see while we waited in line.

My favorite part about this trip was the Christmas decorations. Extra magical. Even in Cars Land.

It was less crowded than the other days we came this year, which is the opposite of what I expected at Christmastime.

Jonah picked Guardians, which we did first thing, and Scott picked Cars Racers, which we got fast passes for.

We took Perry on some little rides while we were baby swapping.

And we met Santa Mater.

Then we did Toy Story Mania, which we all love.

California Adventure had kiosks of food from around the world for the holidays. It was amazing and I wish they had it year round. 

The big Christmas tree in Disneyland

Had to document my high score. Probably my best ever.

Small World had Christmas songs and snow. It was the perfect ending to the trip for Karen, who left to get Alan from the airport.

Another wild ride with Scott behind the wheel.

Scott asked why we never buy anything at Disneyland. We talked about it and figured out what he really wanted was a treat. So we bought him a cotton candy and his life dreams were fulfilled.

The rest of us shared a sundae while Jonah had a non-dairy popsicle. It was nice to only share three ways instead of five, so I get where Scott was coming from. 

While the big boys went on Star Tours, Perry and I tried the rockets.

He found a cool BB8 while we waited in the store.

John wanted to walk through the park with all the lights and see New Orleans, his favorite area. Someone put a quarter in to see Woody dance and lost interest, so the boys took over the controls.

The lights were magnificent. If we could guarantee low crowds, I'd love to go back every holiday season. Even though it was a quick day, it was perfect.

Then we drove to Arizona while the boys slept. We made it in time to sleep a few hours before going to Hailey and Andrew's sealing.

Brothers and cousins running ahead, but Scott walked calmly. He's sometimes a little too obedient.

Cute brothers in front of the nativity. Jonah's untucked and grass stained already. Perry looked dipped in mud. That's what we get for half an hour without them.

I asked the grandparents to hop in for a picture together.

The ring ceremony was sweet and absolutely beautiful. 

Then during cocktail hour the boys filled up on chips and dip.

I love going to weddings and remembering why I married John and what I love about him.

I tried to take a picture of Scott with the pretty desert sunset, but Perry squeezed in front.

My phone didn't do a great job with the lighting, but he looks so handsome and grown up.

After so many chips, the boys weren't too interested in dinner, but they did manage to find room for churros.

Unfortunately, before the night had ended Scott was burning up, so we took him back to the hotel. 

He was pretty miserable. Luckily I'd brought medicine, but he didn't feel up to much. John started feeling sick, too, and was really out of it.

Perry and Jonah helped Scott eat breakfast and watch cartoons while John showered and I loaded the car.

Then we started the looooong drive back. This $30 tablet earned its keep when Perry wouldn't stop screaming after it got dark. We think he'll be much happier road tripping once he can face front and has more of an attention span for movies.

Up until sickness hit, we had an amazing weekend. The Disney stop helped us get into the Christmas mood and we loved seeing family and celebrating Hailey.