The Wedding and Reception

We met with Joyce and other family in the hotel dining room for breakfast.  We had a couple of hours to relax before meeting Susan (Joyce's sister) & Bruce in the lobby.  They were nice enough to give us a lift to the Fort Snelling Chapel.

A very picturesque chapel

Tye, the nervous father of the bride

Sam escorting Joyce in

Handsome groom and groomsmen all in dress whites

bridesmaids

Hard to get a good picture with them walking down the aisle

no pictures allowed after this until the end

Marianne and Sam Diedrick

Marianne and Sam came out through the arch of swords.  very cool

Ring bearer - cutie.  He screamed bloody murder when it was the time for him to bring the rings down.  Luckily they had a back-up plan.

After the wedding we had several hours before the reception.  We relaxed a bit and then Marianne needed some help bustling her dress so I helped Joyce with that. We were near the bar area.  After fixing the dress the people in the lounge offered us all free drinks.  That was nice. The reception started at 4 pm with appetizers and iced tea or lemonade or a no host bar.  The dinner started at 5 pm.  

Joyce and Susan at the reception

the minister

The cake

delicious dinner of chicken, stuffing, vegetables and potatoes

Sam & Marianne cut the cake with his dress sword.  They did not announce that they were doing it so I did not get a picture.

first dance

Father - daughter dance.  

Once the dancing got underway, George and I left.  It was a very beautiful wedding and nice reception.  I am glad that we could be here.

Minneapolis

We are headed off to Minneapolis to go to Marianne and Sam's wedding.  Joyce and I have been friends for so long, Marianne feels almost like family. 

We had a very leisurely morning. Our flight was not until noon so we did not have to leave the house until 10 am.  I had time to fit in a walk.  I picked a bunch of our blueberries.  I froze some of them so that I will have some when I get home, otherwise I would miss most of the season.

Just before leaving I call the Eye clinic to find out if my new glasses were in.  They just had arrived so we stopped there on our way to the airport.  So I have my new glasses now that correct for the cataract surgery.  Great.

There were almost no lines at the airport so we zipped right through. George had TSA precheck so he took the bag that had my computer and liquids.  So I did not have to do anything but take my shoes off.

I have never flown Sun Country

 Once we arrived in Minneapolis we got the shuttle to the hotel.  We did not have to wait long.

Drove past a military cemetery.  It was huge

Joyce and Tye met us at the hotel. We got checked in - dumped our stuff in the room and then met them for dinner at the hotel restaurant.  It was nice to connect.  Joyce and Tye were gracious enough to miss the other family stuff to have a quiet evening with us.  I appreciated that.  

Joyce and Tye

pretty flowers

The DoubleTree Hotel

Not really a good walking neighborhood but the hotel is nice. 

home again

We had to say good-by to Rebecca this morning

After George got home from taking Rebecca to her conference we went to Lake Louisa State Park.  The weather was perfect.

The water looked red.  I guess it is the tannic acid in the water from the swamp.

Once we got home we had to pack up the car and head off to the airport.  Nathan stayed at the condo for a few more hours. 

The flight home was uneventful.   We got home about 7:30 pm.  

rain, rain, rain

It is a good thing that we decided to do the airboat ride yesterday.  Today would not have been a good day to be out.  We walked over to the activity center because we heard they were giving out mimosas from 9 to 10 am.  Nathan and I each had one.  They were not free but at least they were big glasses for $3.  Also I think that they were just mostly orange juice.  Oh well.  We sat over there for a little while.  George and I read while Nathan continued to work on his paper.  It is supposed to be a 10 page paper and he said he was on page 45.  Do you think the professor will notice? He is trying to change things so that it will be fewer pages.

cute little ducklings

We order pizza delivery for lunch

a very hearty all vegetarian stuffed pizza pie.  It will make good leftovers. 

a very quiet day, We took brief breaks to walk or play a game.  George went to get Rebecca.  She has a lot of reorganizing to do to head back to India.  We brought her a lot of stuff.  Some of which will return with us.  She will be here until Monday morning.  After the conference she will go stay with a friend in Orlando.  We head home tomorrow.  Nathan heads off to Spokane for a 10 field trip through Idaho.  It is part of a school class.  Then he will go to Peru for the summer. 

Temperature-wise today was the best day.  It was cool and not muggy.  Too bad it was raining all day.  Nathan has until midnight tonight to get his paper done.  I think it is now down to 28 pages.   

Tuesday, May 3rd

yesterday

same view, today after last night's rain

bird sunning itself - drying its wings on the floating golf green

never seen a bird sit still so long with it wings out.  We had plenty of time to take pictures.

All of our towels, which we had put out on the porch to dry, are dripping wet.

That was quite a storm!

After George got back from taking Rebecca to her conference we went to the Boggy Creek for an airboat ride through the everglades.  

2 year old alligator.  We got to touch it.  Its skin is much softer than I thought it would be

Airboat

Very pretty day

some blue flower

can you see the baby gator?

the cows like to go in the water to cool off.  They are not afraid of the gators

another baby gator

Cypress tree with pink snail eggs around the base.

airboat going by

Cypress trees with Spanish moss

Grandpappy Gator.  He is about 30 years old and 11 feet long

Sandhill Crane

It was a 45 minute tour.  Very enjoyable.  When we were done we had a picnic lunch and then drove home.  Had to get Nathan home to work on his paper some more.  He has been working very hard on these papers.

I went out back to take a few more pictures

We left about 5 pm to go pick up Rebecca from her conference and then we went directly to Disney Springs to meet the daughter of my cousin, for dinner.  Disney Springs is an outdoor mall which has opened up outside of Disney World.  A lot of restaurants and activities.  

An Irish restaurant

My first cousin once removed, Mary.

brief clogging show

delicious meal.  I got a asparagus, cheese tart and a Scottish Egg.  

pretty sunset.

street performers

storm troopers meet Mickey Mouse

Fun evening