wedding in minneapolis and thatcher + kids weekend

it was nice to have us all under one roof again last week (even if only for a few days). i spent the beginning of the week working on fall fest logistics and prepping for my trip! 

i left for minneapolis thursday morning. my flight got in in the afternoon and my mom picked me up from the airport. we went back to her house and my brother came over after work. then we got ready for night #1 of wedding festivities, which was the groom's dinner. it was held at 'the lynhall' at 50th and france in edina. my aunt cindy and uncle corey hosted about 30 family and friends of the bride and groom. it was such a beautiful space for a delicious family style dinner, and we enjoyed getting to meet many members of abby's family for the first time. everyone was so kind and excited for the couple. there were also some heartfelt speeches during the night that made me cry (and laugh!). 

friday we did not have any wedding activities. i helped my mom with some projects around the house and then she and i went out to some shops in the afternoon. after my brother got off work, we went to his house to meet my aunt shari. it was her first time seeing his new place. then the four of us headed to robbinsdale to have dinner at 'marna's'. it's a costa rican restaurant that my mom loves and it was such a great spot. 

then we all headed back to my brother's to play scrabble. :) i came in last. ha! 

saturday was the wedding! my mom and i hung around the house in the morning and then i went to a salon to have one of my childhood besties caylia curl my hair (i have no skills when it comes to doing hair). it was so nice to see her and catch up. 

then my mom and i had lunch at her house. i told my mom recently that i was craving tuna noodle casserole like she used to make when i was a kid, so she made it for us. she's the best :) 

soon it was time to get dressed up for the wedding. i bought my dress months ago, so i was excited to finally get to wear it.

 the wedding was held at 'the minikahda club'. it was established in 1898 and overlooks lake bde maka ska in minneapolis. my brother used to caddy there when he was a teen but my mom and i had never been there and he had never actually been inside. it was such a gorgeous place for a wedding. we participated in a few professional pictures outside when we arrived, but soon everyone moved inside because it was rainy/windy. 

the ceremony was held in an enclosed tent overlooking the lake. it was short and sweet and they did not allow people to take pictures, which is understandable for the actual photographer trying to not have obstructed views.

 then everyone moved inside for the cocktail hour. i tried one of the signature cocktails for the night, which was an apple cinnamon mule. yum. the dinner, speeches, and dance were held in the ballroom. i had the salmon and though there was not a traditional wedding cake, they served individual desserts which were delicious. the rest of the night flew by once we hit the dance floor. i don't get to go to many weddings at this stage of life, so it was such a treat to celebrate with everyone. we are so excited to have abby officially part of our family now. 

sunday i hung out with my mom in the morning and then flew back to seattle in the afternoon. i'm so glad i could make this trip that i had been looking forward to for over a year, but i'm sad it's over now. 

switching gears...thatcher and the kids had a great weekend together. last thursday night they all went to 'curriculum night' at ashford's school. i was bummed to miss it. friday the kids were off school for a teacher in-service day, so thatcher took the day off as well. they all drove up to our property for the day, stopping first at a pumpkin patch. 

then they had lunch at 'blue mountain grill'. 

they also got to meet the 4 alpaca who now live next door to our property. they are so cute!! 

their final stop was bellingham for ice cream. lucky kids! 

finally, on sunday azalea had a soccer game. they won 2-0 and their record is now 4-2 for the season. it was conveniently along the light rail line, so i was able to take that from the airport after i landed and meet them. the game was finished by the time i got there, but we were all so happy to see each other. 

i don't think i'll be able to top this weekend any time soon :)