Idaho Trip - Montana and Katie's Wedding Feb 2016

We left on Thursday, Feb 4 to head to Idaho for the wedding of Montana and Katie. We stayed in Price at Hugh's house with Mom and Hugh that first night, then drove on to Rexburg on Friday. We headed to the church to help set up the dinner. Katie had a plan and put us all to work, hanging streamers, backdrops, lights and setting tables and such. It was pretty much a trial run for the actual reception that would be held in Post Falls next week.
After everything was as set up as could be, the guys moved into the empty part of the gym for a friendly game of basketball. Montana had set it up, thinking it was a great way for the two families to mix and get to know each other.
Most of the other women left but I stayed around with the kids and watched…babies and basketball.

Clockwise from left-Montana, Katie's brother Logan, Ford, Jordan, Katie's brother McKay, and Curtis

Allie came with us and helped me entertain the little guys
Here she's drawing on the chalkboard with James

Emerson and Soren playing video games

Charlie…looks like he's doing a weird dance...

when he's really just kicking a basketball in a strange way.

not much to occupy the kids...

Allie finally got in and played with the guys. I was proud of her!

Emerson likes to take selfies :)

I have no idea who won, but they played for probably an hour...

Katie's dad, Scott is in the green shirt

good save, Montana!

After the basketball game we drove back to Idaho Falls to our hotel. For some reason it's about 1/2 the cost to stay in IF, so we usually get a hotel there when we go visit. This time we were at the Hampton Inn by the mall. We are becoming quite familiar with that area, since this is our third time staying there!

We had two rooms, one for all the girls and one for C and I and the boys. We found out upon arriving that one of the rooms was a handicap room and was huge. The girls had gone there first, but we made them switch with us since we had one more person than they did. And it was perfect because the little couch made out into a bed, so everyone had a spot and slept comfortably. So nice!!

James made himself right at home, comfy in the bed, watching a bit of TV

We love the breakfast options that hotels offer these days. So many choices of yummy stuff!
Juice is always a hit too, since we rarely have it at home.

Our large room!

On Saturday, we got ourselves ready and headed back to Rexburg. We didn't have to be at the temple until 1ish so it was nice not to have to rush. We went to Jordan and Lindsey's and I gave Emerson a haircut. He looks so much older now! Funny how that works. 

We headed to the temple and there we were able to be a part of a wonderful ceremony where Montana and Katie made sacred covenants and were sealed as a family for time and all eternity. I didn't take any pictures at the temple. It was cold and windy and we all just wanted to get to the church and warm up. (I will post some when I can get some from Katie.) 

There were many friends, family and loved ones who came to share this day with Montana and Katie. We are blessed to have large families who love and support each other. 

From our family, the following attended: Mom and Hugh, Kyle, Nicole and Allyson, Nate, Lori and Holly, Michele, Haley and Justin, Mom and Dad Welch. I hope that Montana and Katie felt loved!

We had a nice family dinner/reception following the temple sealing. It was quite casual and relaxing. Which was good. I was worried about Katie the night before. She seemed really tired. I hope it went ok for her and she was happy with it. She is a very creative girl and had put together a very awesome vintage theme. We had a taco bar and it was yummy, as was the cake Katie's mom had made. It had real frosting, not nasty fondant!

Mr and Mrs Welch cutting their wedding cake!

Sadie and her buddy, Emerson. He really latched on to her.

some of the eligible girls waiting for the bouquet...

We went to Jordan and Lindsey's to say goodbye to them and found this cute sight. What sweet little faces!

Cute cousins in the tub!

 Then we drove to a U-Haul place to pick up a trailer because for some reason it just wouldn't be a trip to Idaho without some car trouble. :/ Thankfully, this time it wasn't us, but Nate. His car broke down on Saturday and he and Curtis had spent a lot of time between the sealing and the dinner arranging for a trailer, then finding that it was a belt and getting it changed and taking the trailer back…but as we cleaned up the dinner, we got a call saying it had broken down again and they were leaving it in Blackfoot and going home with Kyle and Nicole. So we had to get the trailer again and pick it up on Sunday morning on our way home. When we got to the gas station off the freeway in Blackfoot where it was we found that it was locked. Nate had left the fob under the seat and it had locked itself. So we had to call a locksmith to come open it up for us. That was a 1/2 hour wait. While we waited we wandered around, used the bathrooms in the gas station and skated on the ice in the parking lot. I think by now poor Allie was wondering why she had come with us. Such adventures.

enjoying the sunshine

Strike a pose

The craziness of traveling with the Welches

I do have some beautiful daughters….

We finally were able to load the car up and head down the freeway. But we could not go any faster than 50 miles an hour or the trailer would start to fishtail. So it was a very loooooooonnnnnngggg day, taking us 7-8 hours to get from Idaho Falls to Lindon where we dropped it off at the Mercedes dealership so he could have it repaired the next day. By this time we were all a bit stir-crazy and the thought of 4 more hours in the car was just too much, so we got another motel room for the night and stayed in Provo. Oh, good. Another hotel breakfast with waffles and plenty of bacon!

my baby boys…

After a stop at Sam's Club to reload on cheese and butter, we headed home. Oh how happy we were to see the Abajo Mountains come into view! Such a welcome sight.

(this car trouble thing is becoming a disturbing pattern. Perhaps we shouldn't go to Idaho anymore ;) )

Our first glimpse of the "Blues" (Abajo Mts)