3 kids, 2 states, 1 family

When Roger and Kristy Saunders prepare for this summer, they will remember "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." And surely they won't forget the frequent flyer card.

Within 16 days, Roger and Kristy Saunders will see three of their four children get married, two in San Diego, Calif., and one in Houston, Texas. Throw in three receptions back in Alaska, and you have the makings of not only a busy summer, but an emotional rollercoaster for Mom.

"I'm trying not to look at it as losing three of my children, but rather as doubling my family," Kristy Saunders said. "I'm one of those moms that would love to have her children right here with me all the time. Now I'm getting three more kids in two weeks' time."

Here's the official rundown -- Tisha Saunders, the youngest daughter getting married, will wed Brent Traut on July 25 in San Diego. The next day, Ryan Saunders, the only son of the family, will marry Tisha Harman, not to be confused with the other Tisha, Ryan's sister. And then on Aug. 9, the oldest daughter, Jenina Saunders, will marry Jeffery Williams in Houston, Texas. Between the weddings, there will be one reception in the Valley. Then, after all three weddings, there will be two more receptions here. Easy enough, right?

"You should see my notebooks and folders I have to keep things organized with three weddings going on at the same time," Kristy Saunders joked. "I have several calendars and different sections in notebooks for each one of the kids. It takes a while to sort it out."

The trio of engagements and weddings weren't planned to take place at the same time. Things just worked out that way.

"My oldest daughter Jenina was engaged first. She met her fianc/ at BYU Idaho, and she was engaged by last April after he came up and visited the family," Kristy Saunders explained last week.

"My son was dating Tisha just before his mission (to Spanish-speaking Arizona) two years ago, and while he was there, they wrote back and forth and things worked out great for them and they got engaged," Kristy Saunders said.

"Our Tisha was good friends with Brent (Traut). He is best friends with our son, and Tisha and him were like best friends growing up. He went to Argentina for his church mission, and when he got back last October, and it worked into a relationship," Kristy Saunders explained.

While all of the dating was going on, the Saunders family didn't expect to marry off three of their children so fast.

"We got three conversations within a week of each other. 'Mom and Dad, we really need to talk to you. Mom and Dad, we really need to talk to you. Mom and Dad, we really need to talk to you,'" Kristy Saunders said. "It just kind of accidentally happened around the same time."

Ryan Saunders' and Tisha Saunders' future spouses are both from Palmer, so they originally were going to married in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple in Anchorage. But the temple is under renovation and was not able to be used, so they moved the wedding to the San Diego, Calif., temple.

"Getting married in the temple is important to them," Kristy Saunders said.

Tisha Saunders' wedding was originally planned for September, but because of the switch, she moved her date up so she, too, could be married in the temple. Jenina Saunders is getting married in Houston, Texas, her fianc/'s hometown.

After Aug. 9, the family can take a break for a while. The last sibling, Chelsea, is only a sophomore at Palmer High School.

"I've still got a lot of years with her," Kristy Saunders said.

This is the second time three Valley siblings all have been married in a short time.

In 2001, the Chud boys -- Bryan, Nathan and Aaron -- all got married in different states. While the Chuds have an extra state on the Saunders, the Saunders clan has them beat in that they are doing it in 16 days -- the Chuds took six months to complete the marriage trifecta.