Tyler's Wedding and Turkey Day Fun

Where oh where to start...
Last week we headed out to Mesa for the big weekend. I admit that Rus did a lot of the final loading/packing work because I was completely distracted by THIS and the immediate stir it caused in my Etsy shop. (Thank you Ashley!).
We drove seven hours and found ourselves at Rus's cousin Tom's new house in Gilbert. The kids were disappointed that the pool was too cold to take a dip in, but the swing set made up for that. We unloaded, hung out, visited with each consecutive Hartman that showed up, (I LOVE the Hartmans! I've adopted them), and then had to head over to my uncle's house to witness his big annual neighborhood pit-roasting event. Seriously it is a neighborhood affair - at last count there were over 70 turkeys patiently waiting for the flames to die down so they could be reduced to succulent goodness. The neighbors brought hot chocolate and donuts and I quickly lost the battle between dinner and dessert with my kids. Instead I turned my attention to my family: James and his wife Carrie were already there along with my parents and Tyler and Gina. Amy and Mike showed up a little later. Throw in aunts, uncles, cousins, and my cousin's kids and we had a regular party going on!
Unfortunately we couldn't stay too late because I needed to get to bed so I'd be ready for my Mi Amigo Turkey Trot 10K the next morning. Tyler and I did it together and had a great time...even if I wound up running with my phone because I didn't have anyone to give it to, so I put it in my sports bra and by the end of the race it was fritzing out...whoops...and I was also carrying the keys to Tom's beautiful truck that he let me drive (eek!), and my parents didn't even see me run past them (nor I them), and Rus was late, so basically no one actually witnessed me running (I made it up, really)....but my time was 54:36 and I was pretty happy with that. Tyler made it in 46:?? so he was faster than a turkey.
Thanksgiving dinner was delicious, as always - hooray for rolls and gravy and stuffing and Matt's sweet potatoes!

Afterwards we hung out, crafted, napped, and saw Harry Potter while my uncle Jerry watched our kids (or so he claimed ;).
Friday dawned early and happy...Beau came into our room, crawled in bed with us, and proved to Rus that he is the best back scratcher in the family. Rus says it's because he did it with a little anger. We spent the morning giving haircuts and getting spiffy and were plenty early to the temple - apparently I don't listen when Rus tells me things sometimes and the wedding really was at 11:15 and not 11:00. In the meantime we hung out in the visitor center.

The wedding was wonderful, really really wonderfully incredible. You could just tell when Tyler and Gina walked in and in the way they looked at each other (keep looking, keep looking!), that they were filled with contentment and peace and joy. Oh and love. It was a really special experience....plus the sealer who married them was the same one who married Rus and I, so that was cool. I'd like to thank my mom again for handing me her questionable, wadded up tissue when I needed one badly. I love this picture:Dad, Keri, James, Amy, Tyler, Gina, Jared, Amanda, Mom

I *heart* Lindsey!

There's the beautiful bride!
Afterward we headed out to take family pictures on the temple grounds. Some of my favorite memories were from then. Coolest part: when Jacob peed on a tree. I didn't see it but someone else was kind enough to point it out to Rus. Second coolest part: James telling Jacob, "Okay, you run and I'm going to see if I can hit you with this grapefruit." And Jacob ran. And James couldn't hit the broad side of a barn because he's left handed but because one of his digits got caught (cut) up in a table saw (just the tip) he had to throw right-handed. Third coolest part: When my nephew Hayden walked around collecting grapefruits, saying he wanted to make lemonade with them. (Did you know that the Mesa temple grounds have grapefruit trees?) Here are all of us in age order: James, Amanda, Jared, Amy, Tyler & Gina, Keri, And my parents. I look really tall. It was the heels...but my sisters were wearing heels, too...Check out these Sassy Girls!! Lindsey I LOVE this picture!

(Beau wanted no one but his grandpa the whole weekend. Literally. He shrieked at everyone, but watched football, ate, played with, and was carried around by Grandpa.)

After playing around for far too long I left the temple grounds, barefoot, happy, with my family so we could go to the luncheon. More visiting, talking, eating, laughing, and then Carrie (my oldest brother James' wife), bribed me to leave and take her with us. Not really bribed, more like suggested, and I didn't need convincing...comfy clothes and a soft couch sounded pretty good to me. That night was relaxing and fun. Rus went to hang out with Tom, I got nail polish with Lindsey so we could paint our toes plaid, and Beau and Jacob did a fine job of nearly ruining the puzzle James and Carrie and been working on for two days.
Saturday morning Lindsey came over to Tom's house and we all enjoyed the worlds best waffles and buttermilk syrup together. Tom might have proclaimed his love...for my cooking. Later we cleaned up, packed up, thanked Tom for letting us stay there, apologized for Jacob puking on his carpet in the middle of the night and for Bekah breaking a bowl, and headed out to Tucson for the reception. Well at least we drove approximately .85 mile until Tom called and we returned for the box for Rus's new gun that he bought a month ago, unbeknownst to me. (Thanks Tom for your underhanded deeds.) At that moment I lost all remorse for the pair of shoes I bought the day before with Lindsey without telling Rus.
When we got to Tucson we decided to visit the Sonoran Desert Museum just so our kids could whine and complain and Rus could take some awesome pictures. I'd love to go back. When my kids are either mute or older or happier.
The reception was actually in Vail, just south of Tucson. It involved cheese and chocolate fondues, brownies, my homemade marshmallows, pound cake, veggies, bread, and a wonderful face-painter-friend of my mom named Carrie (also), who painted all the children's faces. It was really fun to see old friends, eat good food, and make new friends.
Phew. Takes a weight off me just to get all of that down on paper...er...computer. If you made it this far, kudos!