Wedding and Pumpkins

Yesterday was my cousin Danielle's wedding. She and her new husband David were married at a beautiful cathedral, St. Mark's, in downtown Minneapolis. Afterward, the wedding party was held at a classy restaurant along the Mississippi River. I was so happy to make it back and see my whole family at this event.
Dani and I are close in age and played together often at our grandparents' house in Minneapolis, as well as on trips up to the cabin on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Among my favorite memories (I am not sure if this is interesting to anyone else, but I think Dani will enjoy it): Playing store with grandma (and we had no idea that at the time she was teaching us how to count money); heated games of Memory; talent shows (Dani always had dance routines... mine involved a trumpet as I grew older); our "house" under the big pine tree and collecting sap for "dinner"; dressing in old bridesmaid dresses and cheerleading uniforms; making seaweed stew; campfires down on the rocks by the big lake; transforming grandma's closets into "apartments; chips and french onion dip and kiddie cocktails; the yellow and blue stools in grandma's kitchen...
Sigh.

Congratulations Danielle and David!

Natalie, our niece. She was a "junior bridesmaid" in the wedding. She made the ceremony even more memorable as she passed out as Dani and David were about to be pronounced husband and wife. Fortunately, after sitting out for a few moments, she was back in the game.

The following morning I headed to a nearby pumpkin patch with the Holmes family. We searched long and hard for some of the biggest pumpkins on the farm...
Alexander, 3- Casey, 7- Natalie, 10

Under Alex's feet: a 48 pound pumpkin, which he took home.