A wedding and a baptism

If you don't know my brother James, you should! He is easily one of the funniest, most useful guys you could ever meet. Wasn't I just shooting hoops with him in the driveway or teaching him to swim? Now he's married, to the equally charming and lovely Catherine! 

This is the first time ever that I have gone on a trip by myself. In my life! I cried a little in the plane, for my boys. But after the first night staying up half the night laughing with James and Kim, I knew that I could enjoy time with my "growing-up family," and my wonderful brother- and sister-in-law! One hiccup: the marriage license managed to vaporize on the morning of the ceremony, and we all developed blood pressure problems during the hunt for it. It was a Saturday, so all public offices were closed! Eventually my brother located a home phone number for the county clerk, who graciously provided a hand-written license for them! I told them when they find the original I'll frame it for them. I got to sit beside my mom during the ceremony. The moment made me grateful for all the beautiful women in my life.

What a pleasure it was to be with many of them--my mom and sisters, 

 plus my grandmother, aunts, and cousins!

This was the first time that all the siblings have been together in over three years.

Hearing the Tabernacle Choir, eating at Grandma's house, holding my new little niece Hailey and being in all the familiar, sunny places in Salt Lake buoyed my spirits. My sister Michelle caught the bouquet--maybe I'll be traveling to another wedding soon! :)

Hailey! You've got to see sweet Hailey, the luckiest little angel to be born to my sister- and brother-in-law, Stephanie and Lindsey!

The other happy event happened right here in Madison, where our sweet Zachary was baptized.

The Alldredges and my dad travelled here to participate, and many friends came to support Zachary. How blessed we are!

Zachary received a journal for his baptism, in which he recorded this:

"Baptism

I got baptized today. The water was cold. When the refreshments came they were yummy! We had an awe-so-me time. We invited Ethan my friend and my cousins (the Alldredges). After that Ethan and some others came then we went skating. We had crazy night that night. I got leather scriptures. 

The Sunday after Baptism

When we got out of our fortresses, we played Legos. I made a machine with a watch tower. When we got to church the Bishop told me to stand. After church Grandpa had to leave. Nana said if we read the scriptures every day until we finish them she will give us [a prize]."

He's brought his scriptures to school to study every day since his baptism and has been trying to be good. Oh, how I love his earnest, gentle heart.