An Unforgettable Wedding

 When Maren and Cara got engaged, I knew it was going to be a wedding for the books.  And it was an unforgettable night!  It was also the first weekend of October.  So it was pretty insane getting ready for it.  The hardest part was getting Ben the right suit.  Poor guy was in tears at the first suit fitting when he tried it on and it was so big they said they couldn't make it work.  Anyway, many trips to different Men's Warehouses later, and we had it working.

A "REAL" haircut! 

Will we get a suit that works? 

Not this one....

Dave also came to town for the wedding.  It was really fun to have him here! 

He got to experience swim & dive! 

We got to meet his girlfriend Maika--who I really liked. She helped me work on my home improvement project (bathroom remodel started the Tuesday after the wedding, and carpet selection--again.) 

Going straight from Hoco assembly to wedding. 

One thing I loved (they really thought of everything) was the photo guest book.  Super fun idea. 

The siblings

The I DO Converse.  Super fun detail. 

Libby and Sarah sang with Cara's BFFs kids.  They sang a song called "Crowded Table."  Can't imagine a more Maren song. 

Derek and Clark made an over under bet on the length of the ceremony.  It was very close, but I think Derek won with under 25 minutes.  It was really sweet and look how despite the crazy rain earlier--the sun shone on the ceremony. 

Flower girl Margo

So pretty Sarah! 

Me & my girls!

A quick peek of the brides while they were getting their pics done. 

Derek and Clark nailed their toast.  

Killing it on the dance floor.  I definitely don't have the stamina to dance all night, but I did get some good dancing in! 

It was so fun.  I guess in the next few years we'll be entering into wedding era again as our kids and their friends get married.  Documenting all the ideas :). (Also encouraging elopement--based on all the blood, sweat, tears and money that went into this one, haha.) 

HOCO 2024

 We had two big crazy fun events that crashed into each other the first weekend of October (well actually 3 if you count General Conference!). We had Maren & Cara's Wedding and Homecoming in the same weekend.  I was out of town for Hoco last year, so I was excited to be here this year.  I went to the assembly (so long, but so fun--2.5 hours!). I helped Sarah and friends with nails and hair and photography.  I tried to also get there for Libby's friends photos, but I just missed them.  Luckily they got some great photos.  (Also, they got ready at our house too--so it was a full house.  I LOVE that.) 

Libby and Izzy and a couple of other girls that I don't know who ended up in their group of 8. 

Libby with Logan, a guy she's been seeing a bit lately.  

Sarah's dress was so amazing on her!  She looked so grown up! 

The twins on either end are in our AP World Study Group.  Love them so much. 

The Senior Section at the HOCO assembly.  Their class color was pink (I don't get why they don't use school colors, but oh well.) 

Lots of Hoco prep--nails for Libby. 

The Dress...

And the absolutely adorable ask poster.  (He's really into cars, so it was a perfect fit.) 

Swim & Dive

 Libby and Sarah added dive to their fall lineup.  It's been super fun to watch them improve and try something that seems so hard (and scary!) to me.

They love the dive coach.  Sarah continues to enjoy and go to swim.  It's been tougher for Libby to stay motivated through two practices every day.  She has often skipped swim, especially since there are also evening wrestling practices she can go to.  But Libby keeps swimming in the meets, and keeps improving.  

Sarah has missed both of the meets that I've been able to go to, as they were on the first two Tuesdays of choir.  She went to both of the Thursday meets which I missed.  Ugh.  Darn teaching.

But I have been to two of their dive "meets" which just take place at their dive practice, since the two pools where they have had meets so far don't allow diving.  This next week I'll get to see them both swim and dive.  I'm so happy that my students have instrumental on Tuesday afternoons (2:45 - end of the day).  I leave and go to swim meets and then come back and finish my work.  

I need to upload some of the dives to youtube and add a video of each girls best dives.  Maybe at the end of the season...

Our Dawg Pack

It's been a good Husky season so far.  You never know with a new coach and a cobbled together team.  They've got things to work on (hello penalties).  But this crowd of fans has had a blast at the first 3 games.  Highlight is that for Husky games we (obviously not me, I'm too busy doing home improvement projects) can now walk to the light rail and take it down from our house right to the stadium.  Bravo public transportation!  Finally that HUGE car tab fee we pay is paying off. 

 

Seminary Starts tomorrow!

 I was so excited for seminary last year, and....it was humbling.  It turns out it's really hard to compete with a warm bed.  But I did love teaching seminary and all the awesome learning I did about the Savior and the gospel.  We've got a new crowd this year.  Hopeful for more on time arrivals and a fresh start in our new space (downstairs) where there's a dedicated TV (so we don't have to grab one from the library every time we need it.)

Also, I picked up a second calling.  Nursery!  Pretty excited about my 2nd hour of church :)