Culture No. 10, Part 2

(You can read the first part of this post here.)

I was reviewing my list of “Future Blog Posts” last night (Oh yes, I keep a list. That is how much I love you guys.), when I realized I never finished posting about our trip to Minneapolis or our fabulous dinnertime cruise around Mystic Harbor. I’m sorry – totally dropped the ball on that one. So since I’m currently waiting for my latest project to dry - ten year-old spray paint is not kind - here’s the long-overdue update!

C.’s wedding was scheduled for eleven on Saturday morning, but we mosied over around ten to help set up. (We were in charge of organizing the table cards. I have never alphabetized so many Johnsons and Carlsons in my life. Got to love Minnesota... :) Our rental car with Colorado plates proved no disguise – as soon as we hopped out, a beautiful bride came running across the courtyard, shouting our names with wild abandon.

I was so impressed. The best I could manage in my dress was a fast walk, and even that was perilous. Way to go, woman!

The wedding was held in Northwestern College’s beautiful Nazareth Chapel, which I unfortunately have no pictures of because I’m terrible taking photos of large, indoor spaces! The reception was held in an adjoining room and can I just say (at the risk of sounding shallow): it is so nice to EAT at a wedding! Bert and I had a great chat with a woman at our table who was an interior designer and I got to meet C.'s mom, dad, and brother, which was really great after hearing about them for so long. (We found out the next morning that her brother even stayed in the same hotel as us!) C. and D. both flew out to Connecticut not-that-long-ago for our wedding and we had a fantastic time flying out to Minnesota to do the same for them. Congratulations you guys! You are a beautiful couple and we can't wait to see what God has in store for both of you! :)

There’s some photos on the college’s website that really do the chapel justice. You don’t want to see my blurry, dark ones.

The reception ended in the early afternoon, but Bert and I weren’t flying out until the next morning. (Can you believe it was cheaper – even with the hotel and meals – to stay an extra night than to fly out on Saturday?) Our plan to explore the city was threatened by some pretty heavy rain, but things cleared up just in time for us to take a stroll around Lake Calhoun. By the end of that trek, we were absolutely famished (We were still on EST. Dinner at 4:30 was totally called for.), so we went downtown to Nicollet Mall and got some munchies there.

Our flight on Sunday morning was direct and we got back to Hartford on time and without any issues other than me yelling at the “Sign Up for a Delta Credit Card and Get Free Flights” man that I never wanted to fly Delta ever, ever again. (Sometimes I embarrass my husband in public. Poor guy, but I won't lie: it’s kind of fun.) Sister V. picked us up at the airport, we swung back to the homestead for a quick bite to eat, and then we hit the road once again for my cousins' graduation party down in Mystic.

My cousins - let's call them Big E. and Little E. - just graduated from college and high school (respectively), so in lieu of separate celebrations, we had one big party on the schooner Argia. The weather had been similarly dicey in Connecticut, but it cleared up by mid-afternoon and we had gorgeous night for a sail. The view was spectacular, the food was delish, and the company? Fantastic, as always. I love spending time with the fam. I am absolutely spoiled.

As evidenced by this photo, the company is also good-looking and considering a career in modeling.

The cruise left from a dock right outside of Mystic Seaport and continued out to the harbor through two drawbridges. (One was the normal up-and-down type, one spun around like a top. Bert was amazed.) We sailed for several hours before returning to dock, accompanied by some (unplanned) fireworks. We got home pretty late that night and I think Bert fell asleep even before his head hit the pillow. A long weekend, but totally worth it!

We're sailing! We're sailing! We're sailing!

Congratulations, E. and E.! We love you both and we know you're headed on to exciting things!