Family --

(Linkup to Pink Saturday)

I love my family.  We hardly ever get together, but when we do, we have a wonderful time.  Two years ago, my brother, sister and I met in Phoenix for my cousin's 50th wedding anniversary (way to go, Marianne and Jack); my brother's girlfriend (now wife) came, but no other spouses or kids.  Before that, I took my son and daughter to Minnesota to stay with my sister, but my brother and my Loved One weren't there.  This time. my only niece was getting married, and we decided to get all siblings, spouses, and my kids together (of course we saw niece and nephew).  So only my brother's kids weren't there.

I was so excited to be at my niece's wedding.  She's a lovely person -- a pistol, actually -- full of fun and kind and smart and all of the things you'd like a kid to be.  Her new husband is a wonderful man, sort of quiet until you get to know him, but so kind and patient and hard-working.  I sent them the picture above, printed on canvas, as a wedding present, and it came out very nicely. which made me so happy. 

The wedding was lovely,   The color scheme -- white, red and black -- was terrific, and Aubree's dress was gorgeous -- white with dark red embroidery around the train, bodice, and veil.  It was so pretty.  And the wedding had nice personal touches, readings and especially the music, which was non-traditional, lots of old love songs from the 60's and 70's.  The best moment came when they were pronounced man and wife, and from the speakers came "Ooga shaka, ooga, ooga, ooga shaka, ooga, ooga" -- B.J. Thomas singing "Hooked on a feeling."  Suddenly any solemnity was gone, and Aubree gave a whoop and they danced down the aisle to applause from everyone.  The reception was great -- good food, good times -- all in all, a wonderful day.

The next day, we all -- bride and groom, sister and her husband, brother and his wife, and me and my Loved One with our two kids -- headed north to Mille Lacs Lake, a big beautiful lake in northern Minnesota for the next three days.  The house we had rented was gorgeous, with a private dock and beach, and we settled in for a good time (the newlyweds stayed a short distance away, in a place of their own).  We played a game where you throw beanbags into a hole cut in wood (I can't tell you the name of it), had a real tournament, which my brother and my daughter won.  One night we sat outside until midnight, laughing and laughing (I never laugh so much as with my brother and sister).  We went to a casino for prime rib, and a local restaurant for walleye pike. 

(Linkup to Fabulous Friday)

Of course, we took lots of pictures.  The sunsets were terrific -- I hadn't brought a telephoto lens, just my 50mm, so I knew the sunset was going to look pretty teeny, far away across the lake.  I liked this one I took of my son, taking his own picture.

I like this one too -- so many beautiful clouds.  We really had a wonderful time, no squabbles or disagreements, just lots of laughter and silliness and fun.  We're all really glad we went.