A Destination Wedding in Nauvoo - Part 2

 The day before Abby and Tyler's wedding, we did a session in the temple as a family.  That's always such a great experience.  We left Diddles and all of the other girl cousins with Bethany and Tyler's sisters and headed to the temple.  I passed my recommend over to the Brother at the recommend desk and he said, "So, coming to the temple all the way from Washington, are you?"  (scans my recommend under the scanner, scowls) "No...you are not."  My recommend had EXPIRED seven days ago!  I had just been to the temple in June, so I didn't even think to check if it had expired!  Talk about one of the worst feelings in the world, having an expired recommend is one of them.  I felt like a total dope.  They called our dear Bishop at 6am, and got everything worked out.  He even said, "Tell her I still like her."  I would HATE me!  :)  I got a temporary recommend for that session and to be able to witness the wedding the next day.  Needless to say it's on the top of my "to do" list for this week, right after baking Bishop some cookies to apologize!

That evening, Josh and Bethany took Abby and Tyler to shoot some pictures so they didn't have to spend so much time following their wedding to ((smile))!  Josh felt so much pressure in being THE wedding photographer, but I thought he did a great job, don't you?  Granted, it's not too hard with such a beautiful couple, and an awesome lens, but Josh definitely has some skills.

 

 

 

The last child to get married!

Their first child to get married!

 Following the wedding, we had a luncheon, where Abby performed a few songs, one with her missionary companion, and a song that she wrote for Tyler while she was in China. 

 The next day we were headed for home!  Megan couldn't abide sitting in that scrunched back seat (I don't blame her), so she and Isaac got to ride in the other car and we got the BRAND-NEW-NEWLYWEDS for the three hour car ride!  Let's just say there was a LOT of love in that car!  Josh tried to keep some conversation going, but it was still just really awkward, and I felt like I was totally intruding on their private time.  We'd been up all night with a sick Diddles, who had come down with a cold, so she was in the back seat fast asleep and snoring with a stuffy nose, then Abby and Tyler snuggling on the other half of the seat whispering and giggling.  Then there's exhausted nine-years-today married Amy and Josh in the front seat, gearing up for a long day of travel, which is my LEAST favorite thing to do in the world, let alone on our anniversary!  Can you picture it?  I started laughing so hard, I almost wet my pants.  The scene was just comical. 

Did I ever tell you that Josh surprised me with our honeymoon location when we got married?  The day after our wedding, he announced that we were going to San Francisco, and that we were DRIVING there.  I burst into tears, and they weren't tears of joy!  He went out and bought us plane tickets, the dear boy.  I guess not everyone could say they traveled through space and time on their anniversary (a plane ride and one hour time difference)!

"No Child Left Behind" when it comes to wedding photos!

When we arrived home, we went and picked up Boo and Yaks, who had had a great time with Cath and her kids.  They then proceeded to misbehave for us the rest of the day!  Stewart ordered pizzas for us all for dinner, and then took the kids out for a drive while we fell asleep on the couch watching the Olympics. Haha. 

Josh kindly gave me a few days off to spend with my parents.  Thank you, sweetheart!  My Dad's living with Parkinson's Disease, and is reaching the stage where he needs constant help and care.  It's a lot for my mom, who is so selfless and patient.  It was wonderful to just work as hard as I could to help make life easier for them.  Talk about a full-circle spectrum of marriage in the span of one week!  Newlywed bliss - married with children - empty nesters - enduring to the end.