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The Book of Mormon, a Wedding, a birthday, and a Funeral

Ok so there wasn't a funeral but I thought this wedding could be the death of me a few times. This month we challenged the youth in our ward read the whole Book of Mormon in one month. I was nervous about the challenge because I knew I would be so busy. I made it a priority and I didn't miss one day of reading. I knew that if I missed even one day I might not make it. Reading the Book of Mormon that fast really helps it feel more like a story. It was a good experience and I highly recommend it. The Book of Mormon is true.

Kelsey got married Saturday finally! I can't believe it has come and gone. It wasn't without its hitches and small to large miracles to pull it all off. Taking on this wedding is probably the biggest responsibility I have ever taken on (with the exception of motherhood) but that's different. If I didn't do it myself I assigned someone else to do it. I had to arrange for the food, decorations, bouquets, tables, chairs, pictures, ect, ect. ect. It was crazy and I had a lot of help. Trisha did a great job with the wedding video, I LOVED it. She also put up the strings and the Christmas lights. Christy designed the invitations and did the food and it was so amazing. How one person can make that much food is beyond me. Jory made the sign in book and made the cutest photo booth I have ever seen. Anna decorated Kelsey and Justin's car and it was so cute you can't believe it. My dad and Chase rebuilt the back patio. They were already planning on doing it but nothing like a wedding to give you motivation. My mom made her yard even better than ever. I didn't think that was possible but it was. Justin's mom made cute wooden signs and decorated the cupcakes and the smash cake. I have a greater appreciation for my mother in law for all of her efforts in my own wedding. I am also more sympathetic to her planning and execution of her other children's weddings.

We left for Arco on Friday around 12:00. We got to Arco before anyone else so I could get a few jobs done. Most of the jobs had to be done right before the wedding unfortunately so there wasn't too much I could do. We had dinner and then loaded back up and drove to my sister Trisha's house in Rigby. Kelsey and her roommate Lauren spent the night so we had a fun time painting nails and watching a chick flick before the big day.

 On Saturday we got ready and headed to the temple. It was great being in the temple with all of my family. All of my brothers and sisters were there with the exception of Keaton who is on a mission. It is a neat thing to be in the temple with your family. Her sealer was funny, it was a great sealing. I was really anxious to get back to Arco and through all of this stress we forgot to put gas in the car. The drive to Arco is 60 miles of barren dessert. We weren't even halfway and our gas light came on. Seriously! So Scott put the cruise control on 55 and we coasted about 40 miles all the way to Butte City which is only a mile or 2 before Arco. He hitched a ride into town and got some gas and we were back in business. That was stressful and stupid. Doy!

We worked fast and furious for the next 4 hours. The weather was very unpredictable all day. Cloudy, rainy, sunny, windy. It couldn't make up its mind. At 6:15 the wind started blowing so hard the decorations were getting blown apart and blown away. After the wind finally died down a little it started to rain a little. All of this is happening during the reception mind you. I was so depressed! I had worked so hard and the weather was terrible. But luckily all of our prayers were not in vain because it finally calmed down and the last hour the weather was perfect. It was a little on the cool side but that's better than too hot I say. It was fun. We danced and be we I mean me, Scott, Kelsey's roommates, and a few grand kids. Come on! But we had fun anyway. The best part of the night was when we had Kelsey and Justin let off a floating lantern. My parents were hilarious! They were so stressed out that we were going to burn down the valley. After the lantern finally took off we all ran out to the front yard to watch it float away. It was so fun. And like that the night was over and it was time to clean up. I was so happy that the weather made a turn for the better and the lantern actually floated and guests actually came and that the recpetion was actually cute. It was a big relief to be done but it makes me so happy to think about it. I think Kelsey was so happy with everything and that makes me feel so good.

Piper turned 1 on Sunday. More on that later. Scott did get some dang cute photos of that girl! My mom bore her testimony in church even though she didn't want to, she couldn't help herself. She gave a good lecture to the grandkids "grandkids listen to me, get married in the temple." My mom is a classic. After church my dad bore his testimony to us as well. My parents are the best, they are valiant and true and I love them. That is all. This is a long post! I cannot get blogger to post any pictures so check out my facebook page to see the Party. It seriously makes me so happy to look at these pictures!

There is less than a week now. This is good. I think I'm ready to get my normal life back. I think Scott will be ready to have a less distracted wife back as well. This week I made the party favors. Christy has the food totally under control so I've found myself finished with a week left so I thought what else could we do? A photo booth of course. So my sister in law Jory is going to help me with that. I think it will be cute and fun, which is kind of the theme of the reception. I hope everything turns out.

Corbin has been obsessed with these mattresses lately. Funny.

He uses them to built forts and beds and all kinds of things.

For some reason my kids love butter knives. I think Corbin loves them because he's obsessed with all things weapons or weapon like and Gabby is obsessed with anything Corbin is obsessed with. They were dipping their knives in their water to then lick. This is a highly effective way to make messes and not get any water in your mouth.

Gabby being cute and cuddly.

Corbin separating his mixed vegetables. He has always loved to organize and group things.

Another bed/fort/something.

The kids have been fun and cute this week and by kids I mean Corbin and Gabby. Piper has been pretty horrendous. I hope she is teething or something. She screams all the time. She has been very difficult lately. If we are out at the store or in the stroller she is pretty happy but I can't be doing stuff like that all day long. She isn't happy and content for very long in the house. Corbin and Gabby on the other hand have been playing really well together and a lot. I have really cut back on the TV at our house and at first it was really hard but now everyone has adjusted and it has been really good. I still let my kids watch a lot but compared to before it's like night and day. After the wedding my big focus will be on teaching Corbin. I really want to work with him in the afternoon while the girls are sleeping. If I'm not up to doing something everyday that's okay because preschool is only a couple days a week anyway. We are almost finished reading Charlotte's Web together. This is the first big book we have taken on together. The first of many I hope.

Kelsey's wedding is in less than 2 weeks. I am definitely more nervous for her wedding than I was for my own. I worked on decorations a lot this week. I am basically done. I need to make a few more pom poms and that's it. I kind of think I will be doing stuff up until the day. I'm sure I'll find something else that we just have to have. Of course I am totally out of money by this point so we will see. I put my sister in law Christy in charge of the food so I want to help her our any way I can. She is a wizard with food and has thrown many a party. So I'm pretty excited to eat already. I think I'm going to be pretty anxious for the next 2 weeks.

 I made tin foil dinners on Friday night because it doesn't feel like summer can be over until I have one. We decided to just eat them in the back yard. It was tons of fun. I set out a blanket and the kids LOVED the dinners. I love doing fun, simple, easy, free things with my kids. I definitely feel strongly that you don't have to spend money and do elaborate things to create good memories for your kids. Of course spending money and doing elaborate things certainly has it place at times. While we were eating dinner Corbin said to me, "This dinner is delicious babe." So funny. Scott and I call each other babe all the time and sometimes Corbin does too. He doesn't quite get that they are special pet names we have for each other. Hilarious! Today in church Corbin also said, "protect me from my sisters!" Super funny. Kids really do say the darnest things.

My little corn munchers

Gabby painting it up.

Piper got next to Corbin and kept kicking her one leg up and down. So cute.

Tin foil dinners, they are delicious babe.

These funny kids.

Piper's army crawl has adapted. She is a funny baby. She growls all the time it's hilarious I have got to capture it on camera sometime.

Camping!

As much as I'd like it to change I think camping at Redfish lake is a Beal family tradition that is going to stick. I mean we have been doing it for at least the last 15 years straight. Before that our family would camp where there was no water or bathrooms. Oh man! My dad hates camping in the "city" i.e. "Redfish" i.e. running water. However he conceded so many years ago and nobody wanted to go back. They still go camping up in no man's land as well I think. I do have great memories of camping as a kid and I hope that my kids have the same memories. So I commit to 1 night of camping and get the heck home.

Really I'm glad we went but camping with 3 small children is not fun. I think I had to hold Piper practically the whole time. We did have some fun playing in the lake and Corbin had fun playing with his cousins. Gabby LOVED playing in the dirt and Piper loved being held. I loved being around the campfire talking to the family. Scott was a trooper and went to bed with the kids and I stayed up and had a great time around the fire with my family. Luckily we borrowed my visiting teachers tent, our tent is ridiculously small. I had my bed all set up in the back of my dad's truck but decided to go tough it out with the family. I didn't sleep for most of the night. Luckily Scott has his iPod so I could at least listen to music. Piper woke up at 3:00 a.m. and she had to sleep cuddled next to me the rest of the night. Really I'm kind of glad for an excuse to do that since I never do. It was kind of cute. Piper, Corbin, Scott and I were all piled onto the air mattress. Gabby was a little trooper and slept all night by herself, even though it was freezing. Go Gabby! Alright well as my brother Chase would say to me "stop whining" so I guess I will. I survived yet another camping trip. Go me.

Other than that pretty much same old same old around here. Piper is crabby as the dickens lately and she has the most blood curdling scream you have ever heard. Wow, parenting is hard. But sometimes your kids do the cutest things in the whole world and that is the best. In fact they do adorable things all the time. Thank goodness! Ha.  Sometimes I wish I could remember or quickly video tape the conversations that Corbin and Gabby have with each other. Priceless. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Corbin pushed me around on the floaty forever. It was awesome.

Just wait for it.

My needy girls!

One of my favorite times was when Scott took Corbin and Piper for a walk to play with swords and I got to french braid some of my nieces hair. It was fun. I am not very good, but I sure liked having some practice.

I love my face here. I think my face explains my feelings about camping and my daughter playing in the dirt.

Gabby running fitly, barefoot, in the middle of the road. Oh ya. Told you ya to wait for it! I really did try in the beginning to keep them somewhat clean. I would wipe them off and 2 seconds later they were filthy again. Clearly I gave up.

Just lovely!

On the way home Piper kept screaming off and on so I gave her some black licorice to suck on. She looked like a filthy animal when we got home, kind of like my other kids.

My nieces and nephews built this fort. It was cool.

I had to steal this picture from my mom's blog. My sister in law Christy with her 2 year old. Hilarious.

Scott took all three kids to the store yesterday. It was lovely. I actually used that quiet time to prepare my Young Women's lesson even though I really wanted to make some wedding crafts and watch Psych. Go me.