Wedding Bells

Okay.  It is waaay past time to update this blog.  We had such a fun summer!  The highlight was Adam and Stephanie's wedding in Idaho Falls on July 26th.  And the fact that our WHOLE family was together in one place -- awesome! 
We started the festivities the day before with a wedding dinner at the Shilo Hotel (where we also stayed).  They had set beautiful tables and it was quite lovely.   And we had the exact same menu that we had for Michael and Laura's wedding luncheon 10 years ago at the same hotel.  Super yummy buffet.  (Both of our daughters-in-law are from Idaho Falls.  What are the odds?  But obviously a great place!)  
For the entertainment, we had a cute slideshow of Adam and Stephanie and then we did a surprise song - "I Say a Little Prayer For You" - ala My Best Friend's Wedding luncheon scene.  I think a few people got it. (Ha!)  It was also the first time that we got to meet Stephanie's family.

 Stephanie with her new nephew

 All of our grandchildren.  Cutest grandkids ever.

 Here comes the bride.  And groom.

 Can I just say how wonderful it was to be in the temple and sealing room with ALL of our children?  When I looked around and saw all of them it made me start to tear up.  What a blessing. David's dad performed the sealing.

 The new and improved Hales family

 Sadie and Kate

 Michelle and Sadie

 Adam and Steph with Gary & Michelle's family.  They are ROCK STARS for coming.

Spencer, Cheri, Emma, Tyler, Tanner, Sadie

 At the reception

 Goodies

 Bride and Groom and proud parents.  (Both Adam & Steph are the youngest in each family.  Last wedding for both sides.)

 I have the best-looking kids there ever were.  Seriously.

 Tyler

Emma, Andrew, Gary, Michael, Laura & Danny, Michelle

 (By this time, we were in flats, flip-flops, or barefoot.)

 Michael, Laura, Jessica, Chandler, Benjamin, Danny

 Michael, Carly, Matthew, Kate

 Sadie

 Again, cutest grandkids in the world.

 Danny

 Michael & Danny; Spencer & Sadie

 They were civilized about it.  I hate when I see newlyweds smash the cake in each others faces.  I mean, how stupid can you be?  (yeah, I have strong feelings about this)

Proud parents

 Chandler, Tanner, Benjamin, Matthew

 

 Matthew and Sadie  

(There's a little stream on the other side of that wall.  That's what all the facination is about.)

And then the next week, we had an open house/reception at the Hilton Garden Inn here in Redondo.  Again, the food was amazing and a lot of our friends came.  Some from quite far away, so it was a really nice night.

And at the end?  We loaded up the gifts and walked away.  Walked away!  Seriously, why did I wait to do that until the last child?  Heed my words people . . . do it this way and enjoy yourself without all the work.

Anyway, the wedding and all the parties were so fun and wonderful.  We have a fabulous new daughter-in-law and life is grand.  We are so blessed.