Utah Trip: Part 2

Listen, I've got a confession to make.  I am totally hung up on the desire and wish to become someone's bridesmaid.  And not just ANY bridesmaid, mind you.  The maid of honor!!!  I think I've been for years and years.  The importance of this to me is silly really.  I even have it written down as one of my "bucket list" check offs.  I think it's the idea that anyone would consider me one of the MOST important people in their lives.  They spoil me with a new dress, and then teh whole world gets to see..... "look, Bre must really mean something to so-and so."  The lead up to Zach and Lacey's weddings that week was a bit sad to me because I felt disposable.  This is all sounding crazy right?  For pete's sake, their weddings aren't about me.  But listen, this is MY blog, my craziness that I want to document so there!  Zach's wedding was revelatory to me.  It truly was!  

As I sat in the sealing room that day with the spirit thicker than molasses, the love that was surrounding me was tangible.  I felt the sealing power not only in Zach and Jocelyn's new union but in my own family.  The sealing between my parents and I with my siblings, the sealing between Eric and I with our kids.  I am not disposable at all.   It didn't matter that I didn't have a fancy matching dress with a place on the bride's side all day.  What mattered was the ordinances that were going on in the temple that day between Jocelyn and Zach.  The love that was shared in the room that day.  Heaven would not be heaven without a loved one.  And I know that my family feels that about me.  

It was such a special day!  Talking to Jocelyn's family after the sealing was like getting reaquaintted with some old friends.  There was a kinship between our families that was so special!   

 Blurry I know but I loved this moment!  These two were like two peas in a pod in my eyes, all growing up.

 Sadie thinks she's such a big girl!

 One of "those moments" again.

Welcome to the family Jocelyn!  We love you like crazy!

Utah: Part 1

So we just got back from Utah a couple weeks ago!  We had such a great time!!!  I knew I had to write down our memories before they became fuzzy in my mind.   Such a beautiful raninbow!  This sight greeted us upon our arrival to lovely Cache Valley.  By the way.... it's now been 7ish weeks since I've returned from Utah and now just finishing the draft for the blog.......... finally!!!

I love the chaos and fun that ensues when all of the siblings are together!  The kids are running amuck, usually fighting over some toy, the adults are lazily sitting around chatting and Whitney usually.... haha, is playing mediator.  She is always the first one to jump up and create peace it seems like.

And Kyle's leg is usually hanging out for the world to see.  Haha, love you Kyle.  But seriously, you're blinding me.

Grandma Doug!  Love her.  Bless her heart, it is getting more and more difficult to get up and about these days.  She's pretty dependent on that wheelchair of hers so stairs are quite the challenge.  It must be sooo hard getting older and being frustrated when our bodies start to fail us.  I guess I've got a couple more years to NOT worry about that though huh?

We made good use of Ga-ga's sandbox while we were there.

The tuesday after we arrived was Zach's wedding!  Such a beautiful, special day!  We started the morning out with a luncheon up in Millville.  Oh wait, maybe it was Providence.  See what I mean about me forgetting stuff already.  I just had to take a couple maternity pics of Whitney while we were setting up for the breakfast.  I mean, LOOK AT HER!  Is she just the cutest pregnant gal that ever lived.  I know she may not feel like it but she's adorable.  I just look like an elephant when I'm pregnant... but ya know.  I'm ok with it.  I've come to terms with it.  At least my elephant status is only a 9 month kind of thing.

The breakfast was amazing!  It was pancakes galore and all sorts of syrup.  Bacon, hashbrowns, you name it.

Of course, true to form, we all stayed among our own kind.  By that I mean, Jocelyn's family sat together and our family sat on tables together.  I think it's just a comfort zone type of thing.  But listen here, Jocelyn's family are some of the neatest, sweetest, most genuine people you've ever met.  I'm so happy that Zach married into that family.  Not only is Jocelyn incredible, he is now soooo lucky to have a wing-dinger second family!

We watched this hilarious video that Jocelyn's siblings made.  It was cracking me up!!

Then a few people got to go up and tell memories of Jocelyn or Zach.  Levi and Christian went up from our family.  Levi told the story of Zach playing "Rhapsody in Blue" on the wall in his sleep and Christian told the infamous, "Grape story."

I love love love the whole family getting together!  My very most favorite part about being a photographer is: I seem to find and pay attention to more of the "aha moments."  The moments when you're just laughing and enjoying yourself, that moment when you look at your kids with love in your eyes, that moment when a hug tells a story.  I just love it!