Weddings, funerals, family.

This last weekend my seester and her husband (collectively I refer to them as Jeffedith) came into town for the wedding of a good friend! They decided to stay at Chateau Sarrison (aka, sleep in sleeping bags on our family room floor. Brave souls, those two). I got to see with my own two eyes that yes, my sister is expecting a human and that pregnancy looks very chic on her.

Jeff promptly picked up my iPhone and started snapping footage.




We got together with Jeff’s darlingbeauitfulcharmingexquisite sister and brother-in-law, Michelle and Mark, and we made a night of it on Friday with scrumptious Thai food, Pinkberry, and a meander through Stanford Shopping center, stopping only to pay homage to the largest pumpkin we’ve ever beheld.



I had such a great time! I am especially looking forward to the day when family doesn’t have to squish inside our teeny apartment for a good visit.

On the other end of the spectrum, Hal and I recently flew to Las Vegas for a funeral. In the most bittersweet of occurrences, Harry’s grandmother passed away last week. I was privileged to know her for a few short years, and I know she lived a long, full life. She is greatly missed, and for good reason.

In my experience, funerals are a very positive thing. I’ve been surrounded by loved ones and friends at every funeral I’ve attended, and have come away feeling a definite sense of finality and calm. So, I feel strange saying it, but I just don’t dread them. In the LDS Church, we do mourn over losing loved ones, but we like to make a point out of rejoicing over the knowledge that death is not the end. We are so lucky to have had Marco in our lives and are even happier to get to see her again someday.

Here are the brothers-and-cousins-turned-pallbearers. It amazes me how many generations of good people can come from two grandparents.



Added bonus: I got to spend time with this guy. I picked him up and he snuggled right into my shoulder, so I frantically whispered to Harry (terrified that talking at a louder volume would break the magic snuggle spell) “Hey! Take a picture! Quick!” There is nothing quite like being snuggled by a squishy-adorable-easy going baby.



Seeing family is like stealing away vacation time. It's the best. It creates a permanent state of impatience within me and at any given time I'm dreaming about blowing this town and heading to Irvine/Vegas. In the meantime we're biding our time, working, studying, being adventurous in our food choices (we tried a tapas bar last night), and wracking our brains for Halloween costume ideas (we decided that being Jesse James and Sandra Bullock might not be the most "Ward Halloween Party" appropriate idea).

Happy almost Holidays, internet.