It was the last week of school! Monday Beth and Ben went to school like normal and they got their yearbooks. Fun! Ben also got some awards.

That night Kevin hosted the YSA ward at our house and made them all hamburgers. It rained but the young adults still all hung out outside and talked and played gaga ball and yard games. I did invite them inside but apparently, they are hardy souls. They seemed to have a lot of fun.

Tuesday, Beth went to school, but by last period, there were only 2 kids in her class so she had Sarah come pick her up! That same day, Benjamin went to Lagoon! He went on all the big rides and hurt his taily bone. Ouch! He had fun with his friends.

Wednesday was graduation so the high school only had classes for half a day, but Beth knew no one would be there so she stayed home. She did go back to the school at noon to catch the choir bus because graduation was at 2 and she needed to attend to sing! Luckily, it wasn't as boring as she had feared and she had a fun time being with her choir friends. Ben didn't go to school Wednesday because he was wiped out from Lagoon. He did get started on his summer project though -- renovating our kitchen!

Thursday was the for-real last day of school! My kids didn't go. They got started on their new sleeping-in schedule instead. That evening we had a neighborhood party that was really fun and afterwards, Beth and Ben hung out with Claire, Annaliese and Kyler until very very late!

Friday I drove to Salt Lake City to pick up our tent because it had been at the tent-repair hospital getting all fixed up. I also stopped at IKEA and got some new countertops for our summer project. That night Megan, Ammon, Sarah, and Savannah took Beth and Ben out for pizza to celebrate the end of school! Afterwards, Beth and Ben both went to friend's houses to keep celebrating. Fun times!

On Saturday morning Beth and Ben had karate. They have their black belt pretest coming up next Saturday and it is very rigorous. So, for Beth, they split it in half. She did the 5 mile run/walk and sit-ups and push-ups and kicks. Crazy hard! Ben went to get his forms memorized. They both worked hard! That evening to reward their hard work at school, Kevin took us out to dinner and to Barnes and Noble! Savannah recommended Cupbop which is "Korean noodles in a cup." It was fun to try something new. Ben ran for water after every bite because he couldn't stand the spiciness! Savannah had them both try ice cream fish for desert. They liked that better! Plus it made us think of Chey and Cali and what they might be eating in Taiwan! It was fun.

 Mariah got married this week!!!

So, we spent the week getting ready. We had done a lot already. All that was left was really for Mariah to pack up her things and move them to her new apartment. Savannah, Beth, Ben, Kevin, and I went with Mariah on Tuesday evening to see her new place and help her carry in the last of her things. 

Thursday was a busier day as Megan and Sarah gave Mariah a bridal shower in the afternoon, and her friend, Karlee, gave her a bachelorette party in the evening! The bridal shower was super cute with bee-themed decorations, yummy food, and a "how well do you know Mariah?" game. (I won.) That evening, Ben, Kevin, and I helped get tables and chairs set up for the next day but we hear the bachelorette party was great fun--talking, painting tote bags, and taking Mariah to the store for some lingerie shopping.

Friday was the BIG DAY! First thing in the morning, I took Mariah to get her hair and makeup done. Bethany did her nails the night before and they looked super cute! Then we were off to the temple in Manti!

My mom and I got ready, too!

So many friends and family came to the temple! It wass such a beautiful experience and it was lovely to have the support of so many! I really felt heaven so close and the promise of eternity. I think everyone did. Kolby and Mariah were glowing with happiness! We cheered as they came out together!

We left Mariah and Kolby at the temple with their photographer and the rest of us went back to decorate for the parties! First we had a dinner for the family and wedding party which was brisket and potatoes and salad and little strawberry shortcakes. So yummy! While eating, we had toasts to the bride and groom and then Mariah got the microphone to tell us all their courtship story which we all loved! 

While we switched from dinner to reception, we took wedding party pictures and before we knew it, guests were arriving for the reception. We had such a great turnout! So many people came to congratulate the happy couple! McKay had music and did some live performances which was great! For food we had snow cones, doughnuts, sushi, and cotton candy. We ended the line and had cake cutting, bouquet toss, and dancing. Mariah and Kevin cried all through the daddy-daughter dance! Everything was just special and wonderful.

We felt the support of Cali and Chey all the way from Taiwan!

McKay organized the men for a line dance!

Finally it was time for the send-off! We all got in place and Mariah changed. Then we blew bubbles and waved ribbons and cheered as they got in their decorated car! It was great fun.

They flew to Hawaii the next day for their honeymoon. The rest of us collapsed in an exhausted heap. Ha ha! We did have a good time the next day talking and visiting with family that had come from out of town while we rested up. So grateful for everyone who came and for all the amazing working-together that makes a wedding happen. It was a banner day!

 It's been a busy week! On Thursday, Benjamin had his district finals track meet! He ran the mile, the 400, the 800, and the 4x400. He did great, earning points for his team in the 400 and the 800 and especially the 4x400 where his team took first! It was a cold rainy day but he had a great time. He has really enjoyed this track season!

Bethany had a choir concert on Wednesday and a dance performance on Friday. It's so fun to see her on stage! She smiles through the whole thing and seems to have such a great time. The music was beautiful for the choir concert and the dances were fun at the dance performance. She performed foxtrot, swing, and country. On top of all that, she got her learner's permit on Thursday! She's asked me if she can drive everyday since!

Also this week, Mariah came up to UVU in Orem (about 20 minutes north of us) to run in the Conference Championships for track. She came up on Tuesday and we got to see her race on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. She ran the 1500, the 800, and the 5K. She PR'ed in the 5K and was super happy about that! We think she is pretty dang cool. I was super happy that she got to come home Saturday night! It's been fun to have her back in the house again!

Savannah had a fun time coming to Beth's choir concert with us this week. She said being in the high school brought back a lot of memories! She had a good work week with some late starts but was always there. She also weeded my front flower bed and planted some veggies for me for Mother's Day. That was super sweet!

Kevin made a great mother's day for me. He did a lot of yard work yesterday and bought me some hanging flowers for the balcony. Today he made dinner and had the family over including his mom and Jim and we all shared a favorite memory with our moms. It was really fun. 

I also got an extra talk with Cali (in the morning) and Chey (in the evening) today and that was super special. I love those missionary gals and miss them so much!