Gotta start catchin' up sometime....let's start with Nate and Brittany...

Last year around Thanksgiving, Nathan Dean Holiday, the youngest Holiday (of 10) asked Brittany Owen if she would marry him and she said yes!! The wedding day was set for April 2, 2009!! Plans to head to CA began. The family decided we needed to fit in a "holiday reunion" alongside the big Wedding---Newport Beach, Disneyland, and lots of catching up time was put on the schedule! This picture was taken after our family met Brittany for the first time! VERY cute couple, don't you think?



So, before the wedding we did LOTS of fun things like...hang out at the pool and swim:




But the pool wasn't just for swimming. After watching Dad and their uncles, the girls quickly learned that you could order delicious lunch and yummy chocolate shakes poolside!!






We managed to fit in a couple of days at DISNEYLAND and CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE before Nate and Brit's big day. Which was tons of fun---riding the rides with cousins, having breakfast with Minnie and Friends, lunch at Club 33, meeting lots of famous Disney characters, seeing the parades, watching the fireworks, etc. The Happiest Place on Earth is absolutely CRAZY with Happiness!! Where do you begin, and how do you fit it all in? Here are a few pics....







With a 5th Birthday coming up in our family in June...we decided to celebrate a 'little' early. SO....Kenna turned FIVE about 8 weeks early this year at DISNEYLAND! Here are a few pictures of Kenna on her 5th Birthday!






Happy Birthday Kenna!! We are soooo glad that you are part of our family. You make EVERY day a little better, a little louder, a little brighter and a little more exciting! We had so much fun celebrating you "BIRTHDAY" with you! Here are 5 AMAZING things about you: 1. You are SOOO SMART! You are excited for Kindergarden to start in just a few more days. 2. You take very good care of Brooke, and even translated for all of us the first 3 years of Brooke's life. 3. You are strong and capable of so many things---like learning how to ride your 2-wheel bike in May, that NEVER had training wheels on it! 4. You have a desire to do what's right---this past Sunday you wanted to share your testimony of the Savior and your love of your family and the gospel in Sacrament Meeting. You did a great job!! 5. You have a great concern for all of your family and friends and have memorized all of your cousins and grammy and papa's phone numbers and call them just to say hello! Thanks for being you, Kenna! WE LOVE YOU!!


We also had time to play at Newport Beach before Nate and Brittany's big day...I didn't take very many, or very good pictures while at the beach, but here are a few so you get the idea of how much fun all the cousins had playing together in the sand and in the sea.





After playing at the beach it's important to get all that sand off!! The outdoor showers back at the hotel just happened to have 5 shower heads---perfect for our 5 girls!!





We wanted to spend time with our soon to be newest Sister-in-law...so we planned a Sister's Breakfast with Brittany. We each told Brittany our "favorite Nate memories" (all good Nate, don't worry!) and got to hear Brit's story of how she and Nate met, fell in love and became engaged! 9 of the 10 Holiday "Sisters" were able to be there ---(we missed you Gail!) Jill, Gail, Ginger, Maralee, Colleen, Dawn, Jamie, Jillian, and Brittany, as well as Grandma Horst, Janice and Baby Gage! What a great memory!!



The night before Nate and Brittany's wedding, Dad and Janice hosted a Friends and Family Dinner at a quaint little Italian restaurant.

Then...the BIG DAY was finally here!! We gathered at the Newport Beach Temple to witness the marriage and sealing of Nate and Brittany. It was the first time in many years that all 10 Holiday Children and families had been together, which meant that 24 of the 27 Holiday cousins were able to play, laugh and take pictures together!!! (Three grandkids were not able to be at the wedding due to a mission, college and school.)

Kelli and Sydney


These Three Beautiful Girls---Dawna, Erica and Jessica are all 11! They were born within 6 months of each other and had lots of fun being together the week of the wedding...

I think you can tell a little better in this picture:

Our 5 Beautiful Girls at the Newport Beach Temple. (Little Brooke had cried for over 2 hours that morning, refusing to get her hair brushed---so the picture captures her swollen eyes, but sweet little personality who finally decided to pose for a picture. Just today I told her that my neice is going to get married in November and she said, "I'm NOT going to take a picture." Translation: I don't want to have my picture taken at ANY wedding!)


The Holiday Grandkids waiting for Nate and Brittany to come out of the temple...


Our Family! Dad with his Six Girls...


Everyone was ready and excited to greet Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Holiday as they came out of the temple...


Then it was time for lots of photos with Nate and Brit! Here is a family picture with almost everyone (we missed you Robert, Heather, Brandon and Andy!!)


Nate and Brittany with Grandma Ella Horst...


That's all for this post!! Coming up next---the reception photos!!