It was great to host Wendy’s younger sister, Suzanna this past week. She spent the week with the four of us and it was a blast having her around. We did some special things like going to the I-Cubs game and to the Art Center. Most of all, Suzanna enjoyed playing Wii (she’s a bowling pro!), going to bed late and sleeping in late, and snitching candy out of the candy dish (just like my sibs and I used to do at my Grandma Golly’s house).

While the weather wasn’t great during the week, it was actually a nice weekend for the big family wedding here in Pella on Friday night (Wendy’s first cousin on her mom’s side got hitched). A nice weekend is something we’ve not had in a long while. Perhaps it was the dear ol’ prayer warriors in Wendy’s Vander Hart clan clearing the clouds away. It wasn’t quite a June wedding on May 30th, but the weather was beautiful and the wedding went without a hitch.

It was fun for me to watch and take pictures (some people thought I was the wedding photographer). It was great to meet family I’d never met and to watch as Wendy connected to family members with whom she rarely gets to visit. It was interesting to watch as the reception spun into dance/party mode, the family huddled in the back of Monarch’s to hang out together (see photo).

Saturday morning the entire crew drug themselves out of bed and with feet weary from dancing and eyes red from celebrating – they shuffled to the breakfast room to hang out together and watch the bride and groom open gifts (even Taylor & Madison drug themselves from bed!). Suzanna headed home with the folks after breakfast as we headed home to a full Saturday to-do list.