CHAD AND ERIKA SULLIVAN!!!

We waited for this day for so long! (in so many ways).

and it was a perfect day. 

We decided to take the kids with us to AZ for the wedding and then we didn't tell them we were going to.  We ended up having to tell them that we were going to NYC for the weekend for Ryan's work conference, so when we got up that morning at 4:00 and sat them down on the couch and had them guess at what we were really doing--there was so much screaming and excitement.  It was so. much. fun.

None of them remembered being on an airplane since we have driven everywhere we go for the last few years. I'll sum up all of our flights (totaling 6 hours each way) by saying that the novelty never did wear off of being on a plane, that those around us really enjoyed the kids excitement of "being in the clouds", and it was a really fun part of the vacation. 

Last few minutes till we landed...finally in PHX!

Doxeys, Pratts and us all stayed at the Hatches for the entire trip.  There were 13 kids I think with Aubrie being the oldest by a few years.  All these little blonde people running around.  I loved watching it.  Hatches were so prepared for us all to be there and had lots of little fun things ready and made it so comfortable.  Luckily they have a large home :)

One of their neighbor friends is a fireman and brought his truck over and hosed them all down with 2500 gallons of water.  Highlight! 

Erika and Chad's wedding dinner on Friday night.  It was a perfect setting, perfect weather, full moon, Laura on the harp and Chad and Erika did a GREAT job MC'ing the night.  It was funny, tender, and helped us all to know them together a lot better.  We were really glad to be there. 

Saturday at 11:30, we all met at the Mesa Temple and Mariam and Emmaleigh watched all of our kids while all the adults went in for their sealing.  It was packed.  I love sealings. Every time.  One thing I want to remember that was said was that "a temple sealing moment opens the door to a temple marriage--those are created over a lifetime".   What an important thing to remember. 

Karla, Mariam, Amber, Erika, Emmaleigh, Laura, me and Chad Sully

Wedding reception (Erika and Mariam)

Leah, Doug, Amber, Syd and Paige Doxey 

My favorite picture at their reception.

Karen and Randy look perfect at the photo booth. 

Dave and Karla

Grandma and Karen

The reception was beautiful and the dancing was so much fun.  And thanks to all of the little cousins who initiated the dancing in the first place.   DJ Hooper was great :)

The kids and I stayed for a few days after everyone else left and hung out with the Hatches.  I was so glad we got to do that since we don't see them often and its never one on one.   And Laura and I were so wiped out by that point that we just hung out at home and at the playground and talked and laughed and shared.  (and didn't take pictures)  and it was so enjoyable.  Love you Chad & Laura!

Other favorite things: Girls Night out on Thursday to Zupas and then met at Erika's house to have a "relationship favorite thing" party with all the sisters and friends that had flown in. Lots of laughing!
Shopping with Amber and Karla, all three of us pregnant at the mall (good times).    Bahama Bucks with Doxeys, Hatches and us.  Making wedding favors late one night (Well it felt late to me with the time difference).  Meeting at Erika's after the wedding dinner to all be together for Erika and Chad to get father's blessings. Beckham Hatch's baby blessing on Sunday and luncheon afterward and then right before everyone took off to the airport on Sunday some of us met at Erika's to watch them open all their wedding presents and joke around the whole time.

It was so good to be there with everyone and see Erika and Chad be sealed to each other and see all their months of preparation pay off and be a really fabulous few days.  And we are still paying for all that not sleeping :)

Ryan's musings:

Erika and Chad’s Wedding (October 19, 2013) – Mesa, AZ

The sealing in the Mesa Temple was really special.  The room was packed and the sealer gave some great instruction about each of the covenants and promises made in the temple that all culminate with the sealing ordinance.  He said one thing that really stood out to me personally as well when reminding Chad (and all priesthood brethren in the room) that we had covenanted to obey the Law of the Lord and that our respective wives had covenanted to “hearken to the counsel of their husbands as they hearken to the counsel of the Father”.   If we do not ensure that the advice, counsel, and manner in which we act as fathers and husbands is in accordance with how Heavenly Father wants, our wives have no obligation to listen or to follow.   The comment made me think how often (especially lately) I am disciplining or getting after the kids without considering what Heavenly Father would want me to help them learn from the incident, comment, or action. 

After Chad and Erika were sealed, everyone was able to briefly greet Erika and Chad.  I will always have a snapshot in my head of when Amber Kay hugged Erika just in front of me.  I caught a glimpse of both of them with huge smiles on their faces together.  I hadn’t been emotional at all up to this point on the trip as I was so exhausted from the travels and the constant corralling of kids;  so, the emotions that started to build as I got closer to give Erika a hug in the sealing room really surprised me.  When Erika and I hugged, the tears started to build and then gushed and we hugged for several at least 20-30 seconds.  During that time, I had a flood of memories fly through my head and, in my mind’s eye, I could see Erika and I as kids playing together in the sandbox, riding bikes together, laughing together, staying up late doing homework together in high school, seeing Erika bear her testimony at youth temple trips and knowing as soon as I made eye contact with her that we would both start to cry, remembering our college days together, and finally the time my parents and I spent with her in Argentina at the end of her mission.   In essence, I caught a special reminder glimpse of how special Erika is to me and how close we have always been.  I also couldn’t help but think about Aubrie and Robbie and how I see them developing that same closeness as the two oldest siblings of the family and how I hope that their relationship will continue to grow with each other and with Heavenly Father until the day comes where they could share a similar embrace in the sealing room of the temple. 

After coming out of the temple and while we were waiting for Erika and Chad to come out, I pulled Aubrie aside and shared the above experience with her.  I told her how much I hoped that she and Robbie (and their other siblings) would be able to someday have that same hug in the temple when they are older and getting married.  She seemed to really understand how special it was and seemed to feel grateful that I shared a personal spiritual experience that I had had inside the temple just moments before.  It seemed to make the temple’s sacredness and focus on family even more real to Aubrie – at least, I hope it did because it definitely helped remind me of that.

If the fact that Robbie chose to go rake/blow leaves after finishing his homework for the second time in a week isn't a testament to the fact that Ryan has made working fun for Robbie...

I don't know what is.

 

Since I was 21 years old--so 14 years, she's been a staple of our life.

Syd, Carl and I bought and shared my dad's immaccutely-kept Saturn together--for a good 3 months until we totaled it in an accident.  Which was NOT our fault, and luckily most of us had our seatbelts on (ahem...Carl).  He being the one that DIDN't have his on and was the only one that was able to actually get out of the car on his own afterward.  He's a superhero.  Uncle Harold bought this Mazda Protege for us with our insurance money from the Saturn at a car auction in SLC.  And when Syd got married and when Carl left on his mission I paid them to keep it (at least I hope I paid them--I have a bad memory).

So, this was the car that I drove to Independent Study late for work most mornings holding my bowl of cereal.  It was the car that I "washed and vacummed" out on the most random date with a guy that I worked with at the MTC (weird).  It was the car that I went to the hospital to see my new and only (at the time) nephew Tyler when he was born, it was the car that I drove to Orem to do my laundry with Carl at Grandma's.  And on and on.

And then, it was the car that I drove when Ryan and I started dating (not met, that was freshman year).  Our first kiss was NOT in that car.  It was on a cement wall.  But that is a different story.  However there were many kisses in that car too.  We went on dates in that car, we took road trips with roommates in that car, and then when Ryan and I finally decided to get married we decided to sell his Taurus (possibly our 7th best decision as a couple) and keep my car.

So that car is what we drove racing from our basement apartment at grandma&grandpa Haynie's in Orem running late, pretty much every day, to the Tanner building where Ryan would drop my off and pick me up every day during my 2 year stint in the MBA program.  He worked at the CVB.  And then when we had Aubrie, it was the car that s-l-o-w-l-y pulled out of the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center into traffic to bring that cute little bundle home in her brand new carseat.  We were nervous and we will never forget that drive home.

She brought home 2 other kids from the UVRMC and lots of trips to visit family and traveling to surrounding states, visiting of family and friends, outings with the kids to museums, parks, 7-Peaks, etc trips to the doctor,  and on and on.  It got our family where we needed to be.

When we bought our van when Robbie was a baby, the Protege became "Ryan's car" or the "fast car" as our kids call it (ironically).  It never broke down, it rarely needing anything more than maintenance and it got 35-40 mpg the entire time we had it.

It traveled with us to Georgia for 2 years and then up to New Hampshire where multiple times Ryan's colleagues asked him  "Aren't you the EXECUTIVE director, don't they pay you enough?"  as he drove in with the Protege whose mirrors are glued on, paint is slightly peeling, roof interior is ripped, the passenger car door doesn't open on its own, no A/C, and radio and tape only.

We sold her a few weeks ago for $500 to a single mom with a mechanic friend that was SO excited to have it.

She was good to us.

just a fewwwwww more.

and done.

Soccer season

Only because we spend a significant amount of our week at soccer practice or at soccer games, or getting everything ready for said events, or washing soccer unis, etc, etc.   I thought it deserved a little post.

Personally, I love it.  I love soccer so much.  I love to watch the kids play.  I love that Aubrie is playing "real" soccer now with set positions, refs, etc.  I can't sit still watching because it is so much fun.  I love that the kids get such great exercise since they are literally running for at least an hour during games/practices.   I love that they are starting to like something that I spent a lot of time in my life doing.  Just the smell of the soccer field and helping put on shinguards makes me miss it so much.

I help coach Hallie's team--the Orange Cheetahs--and although they still play bunch ball--it's still fun to see them trying to learn skills.

Aubries 4/5 grade team of girls

The cheering section

Hallie waiting with grandpa for her game to start

Warm up before the game