Extending the Family

Before you get too excited, no...this is not a pregnancy announcement!! Steven & I flew to St. Louis this weekend for my father and Ann's wedding ceremony. It was held at the gorgeous Hyatt Regency hotel at Union Station in St. Louis. It was so strange travelling and going somewhere without our precious baby boy. I never worried about him though because I knew he was happy and having a blast with Joy, Zach & Ava.

Friday night we celebrated my Dad's birthday at the hotel with catered Mexican food and a mingling of all the families. We were delighted to see all of our relatives and friends that were there and also to meet Ann's family members. What wonderful people they are!

Saturday after breakfast my dad took us on a "walking tour" of some of the highlights of St. Louis. Really, it was a way for us to kill some time, keep the groom & ourselves busy, and enjoy a sampling of what St. Louis has to offer. Enjoying the tour were Steven & I, Dad, Mr. & Mrs. Brawley, and Mike & Barb. We hopped on the Metro train and took it down to the arch and the hub of downtown. It was really quite an impressive site. We then rode back up the train to see the stadium where the Cardinals play. Those St. Louisians (or whatever they're called!) are head-over-heels in love with that team; it's a complete obsession. I've never seen so many stores strictly dedicated to the sales of one professional baseball team's merchandise. It was like Starbucks on every corner! By then it was getting hot and we were all a bit fussy so we headed back to the hotel. Bryan & Sarah had arrived by then so we all grabbed a bite to eat together.

The wedding began at 5:00 and was a beautiful affair. Ann looked absolutely radiant and my father was beaming, and they both were very happy. After vows were exchanged cocktails were served followed by a delicious dinner where all 58 guests were served at one, huge table in a spectacular hallway. Then it was on to another room where the dancing commenced and yummy wedding cake and chocolates were served. It was quite a party, and I really, truly enjoyed getting to meet all of Ann's family. Our family keeps getting bigger! It's a wonderful thing.

We flew home yesterday and were very anxious to see Matthew. He was thankfully just as happy to see us and the reunion was so sweet. The Reners gave us a good report on his behavior so that was a relief! I can't thank them enough for taking care of him and loving him. This week we'll just be catching up and doing all the normal things we usually do. Here we come HEB!