Way Back When, In August, My Baby Sister Got Married

So..... Hi, Blogland. It's been nearly two weeks since I last posted. Oopsie! I truly do love to blog, and often have posts written in my head throughout the days... but somehow, this season has been kicking my trash! I simply do not have enough hours in the day to do all that I need/want to do, and blogging is suffering. Makes me sad. There's a lot spinning in my head of late, the kind of stuff I'd love to blather on about here to sort it out... but until Halloween costumes are finished, and client orders are packaged and ready to mail, and laundry is folded (seriously, it's been like 3 weeks since we last folded laundry. It's bad right now)... I fear that the meandering blog journaling will have to wait. Of course, after Halloween, there's Noah's birthday party to get busy with, then Christmas gifts to make, holidays and such.,... and on and on...

I'll never catch up.

Is anyone out there ever caught up?

Anyway... in the spirit of being behind in my life, what better thing to blog about than my baby sister's wedding, back at the start of August?

It was...... in a word..... EPIC.

Mostly completely unrelated to my actual sister and her actual wedding...

It's just that... I was embarking on a full-blown cross-country trip as a SINGLE PARENT, two kids... one VERY colicky... and also playing the role of wedding photographer. I was sleep deprived to begin with, rusty at photo skillz, and barely able to keep a clear train of thought from just managing my small 2-kid-universe all day every day.

As I look through the photos, I am honestly shocked at the things I missed at the time, the details I didn't remember, the photographs I didn't take... All because I was truly just trying to survive the trip. But I guess I can also celebrate the fact that I remembered to dress my kiddos cutely, I managed all of the most important wedding photos a couple needs on their day, and I got to hug all my beloved relatives who came that day... even if I didn't get photos of all of them or have nearly the length of conversation with them that I wanted to.

It's a weekend I am glad I participated in... but also one that if I got a "do over", I would take in a heartbeat--- mostly because I wish I could have been more sharp, more focused, more energetic, and more ZEN... And had way more time with friends and family.

Anyway... on to the good stuff... the photos.

Post-ceremony temple time--- Noah bonded fast with his cousin Kason, Lucy managed to sleep in the stroller the whole ceremony (hallelujah!), and after a bit of screaming, settled down for photos...  and the rest of us enjoyed each other's company while we waited for the happy couple to emerge.

Presenting Kirsten and Ryan:

   

The requisite family shot... (We were just missing my sister Beckie, my hubby Joe, and Steve's wife Tamara for these... Pretty good for a wedding across the country!) 

And two photos of this frazzled mama and her little ones. (My mom made the dress. Amazing, right? I made the flowers in my hair, Lucy's headband, and Kirsti's cage veil). Noah liked his suit. It made him feel like Tony Stark, the alter ego of Iron Man. I LOVED that he made that connection:
And a few more of the couple, including this lovely one of my baby sis:  

The reception---Even amid all the frenzy and madness of this day, and managing two kiddos,  I managed to get a photo of my one remaining grandparent, who has taken a turn for the worse in the last year. It was the most important shot for me during this gathering.

I have several other shots of the party--- the cake, the couple, some sibling photos... etc.... But this set gets to the heart of the party for me--- brief moments with family I love, my babies mixed in... etc.   Memories, in list form:

1. Lucy blew out her diaper in grand form, moments after the above photo was snapped. It was beyond description. It was NOT a great addition to my day. (she did it again the next day when I was hanging out with Mel.)
2. Noah and Kason were INSTA-BFFs. My sweet cousin Karlie, age 11(?) took over watching them and they had a grand time going up and down the elevator in the WILK.
3. My amazing Aunt Darla and Uncle Jeff and their kiddos--- I love them like a second family. I got NO photos worth mentioning. But Ii loved being with them as much as I could.
4. Julina and Steven did an amazing job wrangling my two kids from American Fork to BYU campus for the reception because I was doing Photographer Duties. I could not have survived the day without my siblings.
5. Kirsten and Ryan had a crepe bar for the food. Um, YUM??! And I live for wedding cake at any reception.
6. At the very end of the night, when we finally went to our cars, Noah and Kason were devastated to say good bye in the elevator. Best friends forever. Until they got to the crosswalk button. Then an all-out sleep-deprived war ensued over who got to push the button. BFFs no more. We all died laughing, silently, from the ridiculousness of it all.

And then.... It was done. Suddenly, the party was over, the couple gone, and we all got home late for me to put exhausted, crying kids to bed. Noah had driven out to Utah with my parents, and was driving back with them early the next morning... So It was just me and Lucy the day after the wedding.

She and I had flown out by ourselves the day before the wedding, and were able to spend one too-short, MARVELOUS day with my best friend Katie Benson.  It was so good to spend time with her... and of course, I took NO photos. Not a one. (Another regret). Noah came over to play with her Beck, and Lucy tried to nap in my sling. We ate Wingers (yum!) and talked and talked.... And all too soon, we said goodbye until another year...

And then, because I made sure of it, I got one more day AFTER the wedding, this day to be spent with my other dear amazing friend, Melanie. Mel has a son born the same month as Noah--- they've been buddies (forced by us) since nearly their birth. *six months old*/*18 months old*. And then... if that wasn't enough... Mel and I had our second babies within a week of each other. Again. Destined to be best friends, like us.

We didn't have much time this time, but we tore up the time we had. Literally:

(recreating their torn paper photo from 2009)

We binged on cupcakes (my idea of HEAVEN.):

 

And we managed to get the girls together for their first (and definitely not last) photo shoot together. Lucy was........ less than thrilled. Holland was tolerant, if a bit confused.  Another regret: Noah wasn't with me for this part of the visit, so we didn't do Noah/Nolan shots this time. They DID get a playdate earlier in the week, before I arrived in UT, but not nearly enough time. Mel and I agree- they'd be SUCH good friends if we lived closer.

Ah.... My tiny trip to Utah.... It was so good to get there--- to be with Katie on Thursday, to celebrate my sister's wedding and see my amazing extended family on Friday, and to play with Melanie and Co. on Saturday.... 

Despite the exhaustion and stress, it is a trip I am so glad I got to take. And I just have to remind myself-- there will be other years I can get back there... Time to see more of my beloved people, time to get more of the photos I missed. There will be more. This time, what I DID manage to get was enough. 

It was good.