When we got news of Cody's engagement to Sarah, we were so excited for them. We were lucky enough to get to know Sarah a little bit during their courtship. She worked in Phoenix and Cody would fly out as often as he could to come see her. They made the trek down to Tucson a few times to visit and it was a really special time for us to be with Cody and get to know this lovely lady. The first time I met Sarah, Ben was less than 2 weeks old and it was immediately obvious to me that she LOVES babies! Her and Ben, I mean Cody, definitely hit it off. Dave and I had a good feeling about this one - and I guess they did too. ;0) Thus, we were thrilled to have an awesome excuse to go visit Utah as a family and be a part of their big day. This was our first vacation on an airplane with all 3 kids. I was excited for the family adventure.
We flew out of Phoenix to avoid having a layover if we left from Tucson. We prefer the idea of our kids being buckled in the carseat vs. wrestling with them on an airplane - so it was worth the 2 hour drive to Phx to keep the trip to just 1 direct flight. We don't pack lightly (atleast I haven't figured that out yet). It took me a long time to pack us all - thinking through the clothes for each day, planning ahead for accidents, and unpredictable diaper blowouts. We also had to bring all 3 carseats with us. We had 4 flyers (Ben was free) and utilized all 8 of our checked luggage options. Plus, we all had a carry-on. Yes - that's a lot of crap. Oh and a double stroller. and the kids.
We only almost lost the kids a couple times. Not bad. An attendant gave the kids little airplane erasers when I had to rush back and check one more bag that we didn't notice was on the end of the stroller. In all, it was just a bit hectic getting us all on and off the shuttles, walking through the terminal, getting to our flight, etc.. But we managed and lived to tell about it. I feel like everyone we encountered at the airport was super kind and willing to help us out. As we got off the airplane, the pilot offered to let the kids take a peek around the cockpit which was really fun - especially for Charlie - he loves airplanes.
We arrived at SLC, rented a big mini van and then headed straight to Provo for a J Dawg (or 2). That's right, we have our priorities in order. We also stopped by Jon and Danielle's apt at Wymount and enjoyed visiting there for a bit. We headed up to Park City after that to unload and settle in to our little condo that Dave's parents graciously provided for us for the week. It was the perfect condo for our family. We all slept well, which was wonderful. The next day, we took the kids to ride the alpine slide - but it was closed. So we enjoyed just walking around Park City, playing in a bit of snow, and snapping pictures. After that it was on to Salt Lake to meet up with the rest of the crew for lunch and shopping at the new City Creek Mall. (which was beautiful!) Aunt Danielle and Grandpa hung with us most of the day. Grandpa always opts to sit with the kids in the back of the van (no matter how much I try to sit back there!) The kids LOVE that. Aunt Danielle and Ben enjoyed a little bonding time too.
I noticed when we got the pictures off of the camera that I had a ton of these super cute shots of Jill with Dave. He is such a fun Dad - and the kids cling to him when we go places together. He's just way more fun - and I love that. Dave and Jill have a special father/daughter bond that warms my heart.
The day ended with a lovely rehearsal dinner that was prepared by a Chef-friend of Sarah's family. It was delicious! Cody always wanted an ice cream cake for his wedding cake so they surprised him with one that night. They also got our kids these cute kid ice cream cake cones which was very thoughtful. Their eyes just LIT UP as they brought them over. Jill, as you can see below, licked her plate clean! I just don't know where she gets her sweet tooth from. The whole evening was wonderful, but the highlight was listening to all of the meaningful toasts from each family member. Fun stories and memories were shared of Cody and Sarah. It just was really neat to be a part of that and watch these 2 neat people start a new life together.
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