'Twas the Night Before a Wedding...

I don't have a lot of pictures from this day, but I do have some from the pool at the hotel!  I really should have gotten a couple in Beaver when getting cheese... because it really is such a tradition now!  Oh well, can't get it all, right?

So... the day before Nick got married... also straight from my journal entry!

 

Friday, July 20th:  We got up fairly early and had a nice breakfast with Gma & Gpa Autrey, Donna's daughter, Angela; Caroline, Gma Linda, Gpa Mike, and us!  Then the kids were playing and playing!  They conned me into being the banker for the game of Life {and I hate playing this with Braeden because he can't seem to grasp that what he wants to do in this life is not what he GETS to do in the GAME of Life,} which they didn't finish, because Ella and Caroline had already cooked up an idea to go for a walk... just the kids... and they didn't have enough time to do both if they were to finish the game, so... off they went!  When they got home, we left and headed to Walmart to finish getting the rest of our replacement supplies, and then headed out for Salt Lake {well, actually South Jordan, but... same thing, really!}

We stopped in Beaver and got "squeaky cheese," which is a tradition for my kids!  Lexi and Braeden love fresh curd from the Cache Valley outlet there!  It is fun to have those little things that they look forward to!  And then we stopped at Mel's Drive-In for lunch, where Ella had more than a moment.  Her eating habits are just HORRIBLE.  Let's just leave it at that.

And right about this time, we got a text from Sam that they had welcomed their new bundle of joy into the world!  Yay!  Sam and Amberie are officially parents now, to a healthy baby boy, who was breech and wouldn't turn around during a version, which then landed Amberie in an emergency c-section.  Boo.  But, they are all okay and we are so excited to meet the little guy!  They named him William Russell and he was a little 6 lbs. 11 oz. 18 inches long!  Lexi was more upset than anyone about not being able to be there!  We hope we get to see him on our way home to California later this week, or early next!  :o)

After the lunch drama {meaning Ella's drama because she didn't want to eat what she wanted to order,} we drove straight to the hotel and started getting unpacked.  As I was ironing EVERYTHING that we needed for the next day's events, Damain's parents called and said that dinner would be ready and served in their room shortly!  Yep... we stayed at a Marriott Residence Inn, and each room was equipped with a kitchenette!  Momma Linda had made spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, etc. for us, Gma Liebhardt, and Gail's family!  It was mayhem, as you can imagine, but so fun to spend time with family!

After dinner, we made our way down to the pool for some extra fun... like we didn't have to get up super early the next morning!  ;o)  And after that... dessert back in Gma & Gpa Linda's room, which I skipped out on so I could soak my aching bum in a hot shower and shave my legs for the next day!  The kids got to see Uncle Nick before they came back and got ready for bed.

This is what I found in the living room.  Good thing Damian and I didn't sleep here.  It went TOTALLY flat, and Gma Linda helped Braeden get up on the couch, since his head was laying flat on the plastic hole thing where you blow the mattress up!  It went in the trash a while later.  Easier than finding the hole!

Sleeping in... on the couch!  Braeden

And even Ella was still asleep on her little bed in the "girls room!"

Dinner in Gma's room!  Gail, Jonathan, and then the backs of Braeden, Ella, and Gma Linda.

??  Hmmm... not sure what's happening here...  Caroline and Lexi

Gpa Mike trying to figure out how to use his phone camera.  ;o)  {Just kidding... I think he already knew how, but his face is so perplexed when doing it that I couldn't resist.  Sorry, Dad!}

The dinner spread!  Yum.

Gma Linda being a waitress for my children.

Yay!!!  She's finally eating.  BUT... what's she eating??  NOODLES, of course!!!

Gma Linda, Gma Liebhardt, Seth, and Jonathan.  {I realize that no one calls him Jonathan anymore, and that he doesn't like it, so... I'll try to type J or Jonny from now on.}

Eeeeeek!  It is very chilly in the pool!  Notice behind Lexi is the only picture I got that even has Jonathan and Seth in it.  They quickly fled to the hot tub and that is where they stayed until they went back to their room.  ;o)

Brrrrr...  Lexi and Damian, trying to get used to the cold water.

Braeden, on the other hand... has no problem with the temperature.  He's busy jumping in and splashing those that aren't yet completely wet.

My newest little fish without her floaties!  {I still have yet to blog about all of that!}  Yella.

Braeden's next victim.  Notice Gpa isn't even all the way down the stairs of the pool yet.

WAIT, wait!  There are Seth and Jonathan!!  They did get back in the pool!  {Just an FYI... I never did get in the pool.  I did get in the hot tub to let my aching bum soak, but that's it!}  So from L to R we have:  Caroline, Braeden, Mike, Seth, Jonathan, Damian, and Ella

Gma Linda is still trying to decide whether the cold pool is really worth getting in or not.

Maybe I shouldn't share this, but... I will anyway.  Damian is laughing, and so are his parents, because after Linda got in and was still cold, not yet numb, Damian went over and said that he would stand next to her and help her get a little warmer.  Figure the rest out for yourself.

Yet another Braeden splash!  Straight onto Damian, Gma Linda, and Gpa.

Such a simple thing as helping Ella get her goggles on receives a...

...big HUG!!

Damian at his finest... throwing children.  {I won't let him throw them around anywhere else, so I guess this is where he gets his frustration out!  Haha!  J/K}

Gma & Gpa are making hoops for Lexi to jump through... or be thrown through!

Braeden's turn.

I love this AND the next picture!  Look at Gpa's face! 

Being thrown around in the pool is actually something Ella doesn't particularly like.  She would rather just use her new-ish swimming skills to catch a little pull-string swimming fish!

The goggles crack me up!  {Not because I think it's ridiculous to wear goggles, but because they hame her look like an alien in this picture... the reflection, I guess...}

Gma Linda, Caroline, and Ella

Gpa and Braeden are trying another way to flip.  {And, BTW, I'm filing this in my EVIDENCE folder.  Look at Damian's face!  ;o)}

It's not as high, but it is still a flip!  Haha!

Ella and Caroline

EVIDENCE.

Damian may be grumpy sometimes, but he is REALLY GREAT with our kids in the pool!  And the ocean, too!  He's always up for some fun with them in the water!  Maybe that's genetic, too!  :o)