Wedding Weekend!

Nothing says family togetherness like a wedding! We immensely enjoyed our weekend in Las Vegas celebrating the marriage of Ryan's sister Sarah and new husband Javier. Congrats to the beautiful couple!

Sarah has a huge heart and was the calmest, happiest bride. I was honored to be with her for her last two days before becoming a married woman! On her wedding day, she curled her own hair, did her own makeup, and says she would have been completely happy with Costco pizza at the reception. She is so down-to-earth and just wanted everyone to have a great time. Even in the bride's room at the temple she was thanking all of us for being with her and checking to see how we were doing. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?!

The whole Nielsen family, including Grandpa Nielsen, down from Alberta, who married us as well as Sarah & Javi. The boys, especially Chase, who bears Grandpa's name as his middle name, adored him. Chase continually gave him spontaneous hugs and called both him and Greg, "Pa." And Trenton could not get enough of those dinosaur eggs (peppermint drops) that his great grandpa kept pulling out of his ears!

We have Kyle to thank for picking us up and dropping us off at the airport, as well as letting us steal his car for a few days while he rode a bike to medical school! And cute Launa watched the boys during the temple session—Thank you both!

I love that girl! Javier is a lucky man!


Other trip highlights...

The airport. Oh my. We told the boys on Sunday that we would be flying on Wednesday. Chase thought we were flying right then, and his heart was broken when he learned otherwise. Then the afternoon of the flight it took everything I had to stall until it was time to leave for the airport. I don't know if any child has ever said "Flane!" (plane) more times in a row. The boys were just so excited! 


A diaper mishap led to a outfit change in the terminal. Sadly, that was not the only time on that trip that I ended up with Chase's bodily functions on me. :) Good times. 

We relaxed for a day and a half in St. George. I love that place and am sad that this beautiful house will likely be sold in the near future! But that's okay; it's the people that make it the most enjoyable. We watched the movie The Help, and one by one, Julia rocked my boys to sleep. Fantastic all around! No wonder I love St. George so much!

We can't forget that trampoline! 

I seriously hesitate to post a picture of us looking like big fluffy marshmallows, but it was one of the very best parts of the trip, so I cannot exclude it. Ryan, the boys, Julia, Launa, Sarah and I spent the night before the wedding in adjoining rooms on the 44th floor of the Trump Hotel. Sarah had the fantastic idea that the girls should relax at the spa that night. I will be honest and say that I did not think I would like it all that much. I was SO. WRONG. It was the perfect pre-wedding de-stresser, and it was just so much fun to bond with the girls. (Missed you, though, Launa!) 

The happy bride (right) and fellow bridesmaid (left) getting ready the morning of! 

It was also wonderful to catch up with Ryan's million cousins and aunts & uncles at the cozy reception.

For the first couple of days, the boys were on their best behavior, and I started to think maybe we were turning a corner and that they were growing capable of getting off on their sleep routines and still behaving like real live humans. They proved me wrong on the wedding day. Theatrics abounded, particularly from our eldest sweetheart. Oh well! A huge thanks to everyone who helped us distract and redirect our little monsters!

Another valuable lesson: Do not put two- and three-year-old boys in white shirts on a wedding day that will involve barbecue ribs, candy for bribes, and wedding cake! ("Why hello, little orphan boys, who is your mother?") Oh well again! I suppose we just had physical evidence that, in the end, they had a great time too. :)