KC wedding - Stephen and Sarah

Last weekend my youngest living brother got married, in the Kansas City LDS Temple. I was 14 when he was born and I remember the night clearly.  I kept thinking, "Um, who is letting this baby boy get MARRIED?"


I flew out for two days and 3 nights, and while I missed my boys and husband very much, I really enjoyed spending time with my Deardeuff family.  Two of my brothers couldn't go (one is about to have a baby; the other had back surgery), but I see them here in Utah....though I could do so more.

My dad, with Havala, my younger sister Emily's daughter (the last time I was in KC was for Emily's wedding).

Now we are both pregnant at the same time, with our babies due in July pretty close together.

My brothers Michael (flew from Seattle), and James (lives in KC-area). These are #s 4 and 5 in the lineup.

My brother Seth (#7) and his wife Caitlin, and my mom waiting outside the temple.

All five sisters together: Me (#2), Sarah (#12), Emily (#8), Rebekah (#1) and Rachel (#9).  I realized while driving in the dark with 3 of them, that they sound an awful lot alike. Similar mannerisms and voice inflections. Ergo, that's probably how I sound. So, girls, you too could be on the radio.

The newly weds.

Family picture.

Their reception was in Hamilton, Missouri, at one of the buildings owned by the Missouri Star Quilt Company. Stephen and Sarah met there. She was working there, and he got a job there after he came home from his mission. The owners are good friends of my family, and now they and their company are famous.

Small towns and cities in Missouri have brick walls with huge murals on them.  This one is of quilts, and I thought my quilting-talented-Mother-in-Law might really like to see this, as well as all of the shops and sewing centers in town.

The famous Jenny Doan and me at the reception.

I have a lot more pictures of the reception that I sent to my brothers Joe and Peter that couldn't be there.  Here are my mom and me. She sat for most of the time; I think a reception line would have been too hard for her to be standing in.

 My 16-year-old sister Sarah is quite adept at the selfie. She took this one below.

My boys now have three aunt Sarahs - JB's little sister, my little sister, and now "new Sarah" as we dubbed her at sibling sushi night.

Saturday lunch was BBQ, of course, because yum and because Kansas City.  I didn't take any pictures of that food because I felt bad for JB missing it -- wrestling four boys at home alone, with the two younger ones suddenly feverish and sick. After I flew back, I pretty much held Jamesy all day long. That boy is grumpy when he's sick. Andrew becomes stoic and goes to some inner place of peace, and curls up with a blanket.  May he be an example to us all.

I doubt my brother Stephen reads this blog (I wonder if some siblings forgot about it or even know about it. Narcissist that I am, wanting attention as one of 12 children), but congratulations anyway, bro!