Temple Photo Shoot!

Derek and Raycelan's temple marriage ceremony was beautiful.  The Spirit is so powerful when covenants are being made, and especially when the Sealing Power of the Priesthood is used for this ultimate covenant that encompasses all other covenants!  Like I've said before, I wouldn't miss it for anything-- seeing my brother be sealed to his wife, in company with my other brothers and sisters and their spouses and my parents and grandparents... I get choked up just thinking about it.  It is literally heaven on earth. Worth every sacrifice to be there- for us- and every sacrifice of Derek and Raycelan's to be worthy to kneel at that altar.  It is why we're here!!  So cool. 

So we all come out of the temple spiritually renewed, and of course the new couple was radiant and overcome with joy!!

 The kids shyly greeted their beautiful new aunt, and got big hugs from uncle Derek. :)

 Owen and Caleb were adorable, even though they kept running off to climb things!

 Then we had them take a picture with all the nieces and nephews, and it was hilarious!  

 Derek and Raycelan with their future 12 children??  LOL.

The kids were all ADORABLE, the girls in their frilly pink with flowers in their hair, and the boys looking sharp in their bow ties!  

 There are so many of us!!  It's a little crazy and chaotic when we're all together, but I love it!!

 Maris was a champ. About everything.

 I love this!

 And this!  "How did we get here?!?" "I brought you here sir, for I am Spartacus."  Haha, gotta love That Thing You Do.  But really, how did we get here?  Just the other year I had a bunch of little brothers and sisters, and now we are all adults and they are all SO COOL and I love being FRIENDS with them.

 The photographer told us to laugh, so Derek told us a joke...

 and it worked!  Donny guessed the punchline, it was perfect.

 aww, we love our brother!

 and now there's two sister-in-laws!

 I really wanted to take a cute picture with Eric to re-enact our wedding pictures from 11 1/2 years ago.  These photo credits go to Melissa, she is awesome! ( the family ones were Karl!)

I'm like "come on Eric, it won't be so bad"

 and you can see form his look and stance that he has something in mind...

 Suddenly he grabbed me, and I was laughing obviously!

 oh brother, hahaha!  Okay I kind of like him. :)

 Then he was silly for another minute. 

 Before giving me a couple of nice, normal ones. :)

 Jonathan is hilarious, letting himself get totally mauled by his nieces and nephews!

 Cute Kate, she loves this bright sweater I got her.

 Cute sisters, with Great-Grandma and Grandpa in the background.

 Owen kept getting dangerously close to the water haha.

And then suddenly it was time to hurry to Madera and get ready for the wedding dinner!

Wedding Day- the prelude

Breakfast was so fun.  The hotel we stayed at had all the rooms facing this inner courtyard thing and we loved to be able to see everyone coming and going!  There was an air of anticipation and excitement and everyone was smiling and laughing and talking.  The food was great too.

 Good morning groom!

 Funny story.  Derek was like "guys I can only find one sock, does anyone have tan socks I can borrow?" for my wedding, you know, kind of important... Eric saved the day with an extra pair of socks, so we felt cool and helpful. :)  The extra funny part is, at the Utah reception a week later, Derek told us when he went to get ready that time he could only find one of Eric's socks.  So he wore his one sock and Eric's one sock to the Utah reception haha.

 Eric and Owen up on the balcony by our room, overlooking the breakfast area.

 Whitney and Natalie after their sleepover with Aunt Melissa and Aunt Jenae!

 I loved that Whitney got to spend a little quality time with my parents and Grandma at breakfast!

Then before Derek left for the temple, we got to do the coolest thing ever-- our traditional last family sing with the soon-to-be-married.  I guess it's our way of sending them off to join with another family, and reminding them one last time of their roots, and celebrating our happiness for them!  We all gathered in my parents' hotel room, it was crowded in a good way!

 We sang I Love to See the Temple, for the kids to be able to join in, and Derek picked his favorite How Firm a Foundation.  It was so cool to all be together, plus my Hansen grandparents and Melissa's Karl and Derek's best friend from High School, Justin.  The spirit was strong and sweet and many happy tears were shed during the songs, family prayer by my Dad, and hugs all around.  Besides the actual temple ceremony, it was the best part of the whole day.

 Then we finished getting ready to go to the temple!  The girls were showing us this funny trick that apparently Melissa had shown them the night before, so of course Eric had to try it...

and Owen haha! Then we took a cute picture of them all cuted up and ready, and left!

We walked around the temple grounds a little beforehand, and Eric saw his mom's name on a Brooklyn passenger list lol.  We do have actual ancestors who were on it!

And the kids got to see the Golden Gate Bridge from afar.

 Also we attempted a family picture!

and a couple re-inactment picture from our wedding 11 1/2 years ago!

and owen looked adorable in his bowtie.

Then it was time for the wedding!

Oakland or Bust Day 1 and 2

Okay so I love the "Oakland or Bust" thing that Katrina came up with and we have all stolen.  She was describing the fact that she was going to Derek's wedding no matter what- new baby, no money, it doesn't matter.  She wanted to be there.  Our journey was super easy and non-stressful by comparison!  But a journey nonetheless.  Let's just say I'm with Phillip when he asked for "no more destination weddings" haha.

So our day one was the drive from Salem to Winnemucca.  It was super fun to go the north way and not see the same scenery we've seen one million times the southern way.  I literally know every tree and bush and hill and fence post of that drive.  I could fall asleep for an unknown amount of time on that drive, wake up and look out the window and tell you exactly where we are. :)

Anyway the highlight was probably driving through Elko, where my grandma went to high school and where she and my grandpa met and fell in love when he got his first teaching job there.

Day Two was the drive from Winnemucca to Oakland.  It was cool to go over Donner Pass, it is so beautiful up there!  Then we came down to Palo Alto and hung out with Elizabeth and Kjarom and Jayda for a few hours.  It was so fun to see where they live and walk around Stanford.  A beautiful place!  Too bad I didn't get a picture with them!!

 Owen found some unique fire hydrants on Stanford campus!

 So glad Maris has Jayda so close in age. :)

After dinner with the Pedersens we drove over the bay (cool!) to our hotel in Oakland.  It was so fun to greet everyone as they discovered we were there, and have a big party in the lobby when my mom and Melissa and Derek arrived!  Evelyn was the cutest, when she saw us she ran up to my kids and wasliterally jumping up and down with excitement to see them. :)  I guess Owen made a good impression when we saw them last!  She is so funny and bouncy and cute. 

So we were finally all there, ready for the big event!