Chris and Mark Sealed in the Brigham City Temple

My good friend Chris Janes Williams got sealed to her husband Mark in the Brigham City Temple. They had gotten married on her birthday and then got sealed on his birthday. Great way to spend their birthdays, that's for sure.

 It was a beautiful ceremony inside the temple and a beautiful day outside the temple.

Group photos. Mark's side of the family.

Chris's side of the family.

And a couple photos of me.

Turns out my Aunt Carol (my dad's sister) and Uncle Lyle are good friends with Mark's sister Deanna and her husband. He did coaching with Lyle at West High and was bishop when Grandma Ward lived in the house across the street from Carol and Lyle.

She knows my dad and all my aunts and uncles. He was telling me things about Uncle Joe and Uncle Earl. It was lots of fun chatting with them about all my Ward relatives.

This connection makes me feel like Chris and I are now somehow related to each other through marriage.

She has always felt like a sister to me and now it seems like it's really true...almost...

It's a ... ?

Sarah and Jeff are expecting baby #3.

As always, the much-anticipated gender reveal party proved to be a smashing success.

Sarah really outdoes herself with the boy/girl themed decorations.

Rebecca even stepped up to the decorating plate with her pink/blue frosted cake squares.

All the guests took turns standing in front of the photo booth to make their boy/girl predictions. Since I was there by myself, Eli hopped in the picture so I wouldn't be lonely. Looks like we were both convinced the baby is a boy.

 Eli joined the Golden family who didn't agree at all on whether the baby is a boy or a girl.

Cousins photo on the Thomas side of the family.

Time to eat all the yummy food. It was good weather so the children had a picnic outside on the deck.

Glen surprised Sarah when he actually showed up for the party. He had been scheduled to fly in from Minnesota right about the time they would be doing the reveal part of the party, but he ended up changing his flight to earlier in the day. It was fun to have him there.

 I had to go back to the photo booth and have my picture retaken with my husband. Looks like we were both thinking the same thing.

Time for the reveal activity... Sarah passed out pink and blue balloons. Everyone chose whichever color balloon corresponded with their guess and then started to blow up the balloon. The balloon corresponding with the correct gender of the baby would stay blown up. The other color balloon had little tiny holes in it that wouldn't let the balloon hold air.

Looks like the blues have it.

Sarah's friend Ashlee Richins Christopher had her own little announcement to make. She is expecting baby #3 as well. Sarah pretty much told Ashlee she hopes she has a third boy, too. Surely K.J. and Channen want a baby brother.

Off to the photo booth went the Excell family to document the results:

IT'S A BOY!!!!

Quotes of the Week

Take a deep breath, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again." 

 -- Frank Sinatra

"Immature people always want to win an argument, even at the cost of a relationship. Mature people understand that it's always better to lose an argument and win a relationship."  

-- Author Unknown 

"In the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths." 

 -- Drew Barrymore 

"Flowers only bloom when they are ready. People are the same way. You cannot rush or force them open just because you think it's time. Be patient."  

-- Timber Hawkeye

General Conference Weekend

Twice a year we make General Conference a real party weekend. Sarah's family turns it into a sleepover event.

Rebecca's family joins in for as much of the festivities (mostly the food) as they can.

Ben leaves the Provo city boundaries to join with the family for a couple of days.

Carson and Eli were my little ebelskiver-making helpers.

Glen was in charge of the potatoes for Sunday dinner. Good thing he had just bought a bag of them from a boy in the neighborhood who was selling them for a fund raiser.

Dallas thought Madison looked like one of the women general authorities in her cute little three-piece suit complete with a flower on the jacket.

Brooke and Caroline liked to color and put together puzzles.

Eli doesn't look very happy about something (or someone) during cards.

The little ones gathered round for a cousins photo.

It was a wonderful weekend listening to inspirational talks and enjoying being with the family. We missed Jacob's and Abe's families, but knew they were also listening to conference in their areas just as we were doing.