I had the joyous opportunity last week to go to California to see my brother, meet his beautiful wife, and to watch them go through the temple for the very first time. It was absolutely amazing! I flew into Orange County on Tuesday night, then we got up early the next morning to head to the Newport Beach Temple. Everyone looked incredible. Both Eric and Nicki were very nervous but they were awesome. I was thrilled because they asked me to hold Savannah while she was sealed to them. That was so special to me and I will always remember that.

After the ceremonies were over, we took several pictures then went to lunch with several of their friends from Church. They are so blessed to have such genuine friends.

I fell in love with Nicki from the moment I met her. She is so kind and loving, a wonderful mom and fantastic wife to my brother. I am so glad they found each other, and so glad to have her as part of my family. Jacob and Savannah were wonderful too! Jacob was my best friend from the start. He is such a sweetheart. I loved all the hugs I got from him because it helped me not miss my kiddos back home as much. I am so disappointed because I did not get any pictures of the boys. The next time we see them I will make up for it. Timothy has grown so tall. And as always, he was fantastic. I love him so much! I will probably not even recognize Savannah the next time I see her. Babies change way too fast!

On Friday, Sam was able to fly in and join us for the weekend. It was so nice when he did because I REALLY missed him. We are not normally apart from each other for more than a typical work day. 3 days is a long time! We had a great date night that night. We were able to go out with several couples and just be adults!

On Saturday, after the schedule had calmed down a bit, we were able to go through the San Diego Temple. I loved every minute of it. Sam and I were able to have some great conversations with Eric and Nicki on the way, unlike the ones we have when our 7 kids are in the mix. It was great! Eric and Nicki were able to relax and enjoy their experiences now that they knew what to expect.

Sam was the only one who had been inside the Temple before, since he served his mission there, but Nicki, Eric, and I were all rookies. I have to say it was kind of comical because all the matrons knew when we were lost. It was a huge surprise to see how big the Temple really was inside. It was breath-taking! I was so happy to be there with my family. It was so special!

Sunday was me and Sam's last day in California. It was still crammed full of events though. It is amazing how much you can pack into a very short trip. In the morning, we had Church. It was Savannah's blessing day. Eric was so nervous that he would forget the beginning words to her prayer he printed them out and laid them on her dress to read during the blessing. He did a great job and even I didn't know his secret until he told me. Since it was also Father's Day, the big boys got pretty spoiled. Eric's ward gave all the dads popcorn, root beer, and a universal remote. At priesthood, they even had a light luncheon. I thought it was a great way to make the dads feel important and loved. They really enjoyed it.

When we came home from Church, Sam and I took Timothy and Jacob to the park behind their house while Savannah napped and Nicki and Eric made Lunch/Dinner. We had a fantastic time. Jacob wanted me to play "Batman" with him by collecting sticks and leaves as money and buying characters with what we earned. He is so funny. He wanted me to be "Poison Ivy." I told him I couldn't because I was allergic to it, but I would be "Cat Woman." He said that was fine. Timothy and Sam played football for a long time, then tried to knock fallen branches out of the trees. It is amazing how long you can stay outside and enjoy it when the temperature is only 70 degrees!

Eric and Nicki grilled some incredible shish-kabobs, then we had to sprint out the door to the airport. Sam and I were so grateful to be with Nicki, Eric and the kids. We had such a wonderful time and hope to be able to see them more often!