A Quick Trip Home

After my parents left (see previous post), I worked an extra day and then we headed to Minnesota for just two short days so we could be at the wedding of my neighbor girl from when I was growing up. Along the way to Minnesota, we stopped in Orange City, Iowa, to see some friends of ours from Southern Seminary who had just moved to Orange City that week to begin pastoring an SBC church there. I spent my first two years of college at Northwestern College in OC, so it is always fun to be back in that little Dutch town as it brings back lots of fun memories. As we pulled up to our friends' house and got out of the car, my former chemistry professor just happened to be walking by on the sidewalk. What a coincidence! He recognized me as well and even remembered my name! A couple of friends and I tried to make general chemistry as enjoyable as possible that year, and I guess it paid off as our professor seemed to recall a few of our antics. We had a wonderful time visiting with our friends. The weather was beautiful and so we just stood in their yard and let the kids play together. Hopefully we will have more opportunities to see them as we occasionally travel back and forth to visit family.

We got to Mountain Lake very late that night. The next day we just hung out at my parents' house, picked some produce from the garden, and went to a few shops with my mom. In the evening, we roasted marshmallows over a little fire pit and let Jonah try his first gooey marshmallows. Yum!

Eating mulberries

Eating raspberries - no picking to save for later

Even Sy went crazy over picking raspberries!

Marshmallow Mustache

No marshmallows for this guy - just exploring Grandpa's deck

That Saturday, some dear friends of ours from MSU came over to my parents' house for lunch. They were going to the wedding as well. We hadn't seen the Petit's in nearly a year. It was so good to catch up with them! We hired one of my parents' neighbor girls to watch the boys during the wedding. It was so great to get dressed up for the evening and attend a beautiful wedding without having to worry about the boys. Jonah had a fantastic time with the babysitter and continues to ask if she can come to our house!

The wedding truly was wonderful. The bride was my neighbor growing up. I babysat and played with her and her sister very often. Their family are dear friends to ours. It was so hard to believe that she is now grown and married! She met her groom at a church camp a number of years ago. The wedding was very Christ-centered. It was great to see people from home and to attend a wedding in the same church we got married in as it brought back so many memories of our wedding. 

The beautiful bride and her sister/maid of honor

I miss my long ago coffee/lunch dates with this girl.

We love this couple and enjoyed having a date night with them again!