Six Weeks of Greatness: Week Three

Continuing as planned, my "Six Weeks of Greatness" continues with Cherish and Joey's wedding! For me, the weekend was better than planned. I loved every minute of it, with the exception of the fact that Scott was still in Des Moines.

Friday morning I arrived at the airport to find I didn't have to wait in line to get through security. Welcome to Des Moines International Airport! I am used to Salt Lake City, arriving hours before your flight to ensure you make it. I flew through Denver and on to Reno - it was such a wonderful feeling when I caught my first glimpse of the mountains. I wasn't expecting it and happened to glance out the window during the flight. I felt like a weight was lifted from my chest! :) Cherish picked me up since I landed not too long after her mother-in-law Char. The three of us spent a few hours in Carson City getting things for Cherish and Joey's new house in Tahoe (they had closed on the house just the day before!) then headed to Tahoe.

When we arrived at the house I met a few of Joey's friends from Colorado - they were all really great! After an hour or so the rest of the family had arrived so we met with them at Applebee's for dinner. Most of the family flew, although my brother Steve and his family drove so they could continue their trip to the coast.

Saturday I went snowboarding with Dad, Sean, Joey, Char, Dave, Janae and Jade (Dave and Janae are Cherish's good friend from high school - Jade is their adorable daughter). We had a great time! After a day on the slopes I went swimming at the hotel with Steve, Leslie and their kids. After swimming we all went to the house for a dinner hosted by Cherish and Joey for all of the wedding guests. It was nice to meet Joey's family and spend time with my own.

Sunday I went to church with my mom and Steve's family. It was fast Sunday, and testimony meeting was really nice. The day before their were six members who had gone through the temple for the first time. From the testimonies, it sounded to be a really sweet experience for everyone involved. After sacrament I went to primary with Aeris then to nursery with Ollie. Boy do I love those kids! After church we all went out to lunch (a little funny, but tough to not eat out while staying in a hotel for the weekend) then got dressed up for the wedding!

The wedding itself was wonderful. I snuck in early to see Cherish before she walked down the aisle. :) The ceremony was short and sweet with a small guest list to keep everything low-key and personal. I sat next to Sean with Ollie on my lap. Joey's friend Levi was the officiator and he had some really nice thoughts to share. It was really sweet to see Cherish and Joey kiss as husband and wife - thinking about it makes me tear up a little! They truly love each other, and it's not hard to see. :) After the ceremony we took pictures, then headed to the reception for dinner and dancing. The food was delicious, the music was superb, and the dancing was so much fun! It was also neat to be there for the classic wedding events - the couple's first dance, cutting the cake, and snagging the garter. Overall, a great celebration!

Monday was our last day in Tahoe and my last with the family until who knows when, so I opted out of skiing to spend the day with Steve and his family. We went to breakfast with dad and Erin where Ollie showed off his ability to stuff his cheeks full of food. After breakfast we went bowling (first time for the kids!) and to the arcade where the kids got some sweet prizes. Later we met with everyone at the hotel for dinner and went swimming before bed. It was nice to relax a little in the hot tub with everyone.

Tuesday morning, bright and early dad picked me up (I stayed at Harrah's with mom and Alan while the rest of our hotel crew stayed next door at Mont Bleu) to head to the airport. It was a fairly quiet drive since everyone was a little tired. Once we got to the airport we all had breakfast together then went to our separate gates to fly to different destinations. I flew home through Denver and saw some missionaries heading toward a flight to Salt Lake City. I really wanted to follow suit and see home, but I knew Scottie was anxiously awaiting my arrival back in Des Moines.

My plane in Des Moines landed early, just before 7:00 pm. Scott was waiting, flowers in hand! I think we got a pizza from Papa Murphy's (we LOVE their pizza) and spent the evening cuddling and watching our favorite TV shows. As always, I took photos. You can see them here!