Stephen is already my favorite person, but he won my heart in new ways this past weekend. We flew with two babies for the first time. And we survived.

Amy, Stephen’s youngest sister, was getting married in Indiana, and we were headed for the celebration. Since Silas is two years old, he had his own seat on the plane, and it was wonderful having an entire row for just our family.

Stephen had thought it all out ahead of time, and thanks to him, we had the best flight ever. Stephen loaded kid movies and cartoons for Silas onto his smartphone. He also purchased some kid headphones (aka “spaceman” headphones), a new backpack, an airport sticker book and snacks to keep our little man occupied. It worked! Silas had a great flight, and Cooper basically slept the entire way. To top it all off, Stephen also took Cooper to the lavatory for an in-flight diaper change. What a guy!

Once we arrived in good ol’ Daleville, we were swarmed with hugs and kisses from the Moody gang. Cooper was a bit overwhelmed at first, but he soon warmed up to his host of admiring aunts, uncles and grandparents. He seemed to especially take to his aunties.

We caught up on the family news over dinner, saw the newly built Moody Doodle kennels (rebuilt after the fire last October), and relaxed around a backyard bonfire. Silas rode in Grampy’s wagon behind the mower while Cooper bonded with his Uncle Jason.

Sunday morning we worshipped at Grace in Anderson, and reconnected with a lot of old friends. We were happy to visit with Pastor Crockett and introduce Cooper to him.

Then we drove down to Brown County State Park where we stayed in the cozy woodsy family cabins. Amy had asked Silas to be her ring bearer, so he and I have been talking about it for a long time. We even checked out a book from the library called “The Ringbearer” to help him prepare for it.

The rehearsal was short and sweet, and then we were off to the Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor in nearby Columbus for the rehearsal dinner. That night, we girls had a mini bachelorette shower for Amy, and it was special to hang out telling honeymoon memories and comparing wedding rings.

After the wedding and reception on Monday, we all went swimming in the lodge’s aquatic center. We had a pretty loud game of water volleyball going on. Go, Team Moody! Silas had a blast even though his entire body was shivering from the cool water. Cooper, on the other hand, was terrified of the pool and the spraying water. He spent his time clinging for dear life onto whoever was holding him.

Family times are the best, and we’re so glad we didn’t miss it. Indiana is always a breath of fresh air for Stephen and me. It’s like Indiana gives us a great big hug every time we go back.