Most of our readers know (since we saw about 3/4 of you) that we took 3 weeks to drive to Minnesota and back, visiting friends and family along the way (and eating all their food). The trip proved to me yet again that I am a sucky picture taker, but I also have an equally sucky memory, so I'm trying to train myself to capture moments on film (or pixels?) that we want to remember.
So part I, Westward Bound! (warning: this is a very long post)
We made this trip at this time because my baby cousin Katie, aka Aunt Tatie, was graduating from college in Steubenville, Ohio. I had been to both her 8th grade and high school graduations, so of COURSE we had to be there! Not going would have been like not being at the birth of one of my children. Just not possible. We stayed with Aunt Terri & Uncle Jim -- I always feel like their home is headquarters, since it was home-away-from-home for me while I was in college.
Katie is also getting married later this summer (and Miriam's in the wedding!), so her friends threw a bridal shower tea for her. We began our trip Thursday afternoon so the girls & I could attend the shower on Friday. It was delightful and fun and classy, just like Katie!
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| with her maid of honor, Lenore |
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As part of the shower, Lenore asked for stories about Katie. That was a lot of fun. I told the engagement story from our perspective, since
we were hosting Katie & Stefan the weekend they got engaged. There were several women there who had known Katie since she was born, so many of them shared about when she was really little. I still remember how much she loved dressing up like a princess when she was 3. :)
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| Edy and Miriam were joyfully reunited! |
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| in fact, there was a whole table full of girls to giggle with! |
Aren't those centerpieces cute? Don't you think they're the cutest bridal shower centerpieces ever? (Why yes, Miriam & I did help Aunt Terri arrange them, how did you know?)
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| they had a whole present-delivery system worked out. |
It's so fun seeing what the bride has picked out for her new home! (and the groom too I suppose -- since he's the one usually wielding The Registry Gun)
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| MoG and MoB |
It was so neat spending this time with 3 generations of women!
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| Daniel was there too. He wasn't sure he liked all the extra estrogen floating around. |
Eventually Stefan came with flowers for his bride. Awwwwwww.
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| isn't she just radiant? we can't wait to see her on her wedding day! |
That evening was the Baccalaureate Mass. I mention it because I think it made Steubenville history -- there was not a guitar to be heard! It was all schola and Gregorian chant and motets -- it was all so... weird. Lovely, but just... weird. We're guessing it's because the celebrant was a big mucky-muck cardinal from Rome, so to honor him they brushed up on their Latin and hid all the guitars. It was odd, actually missing the praise music. We missed being able to sing along.
The following day was Commencement. Stefan graduated earlier in the morning with his Master's in Theology (yay!), and then his parents knocked a couple decades off their time in purgatory by sitting through another graduation the same day, as we watched Katie walk. She managed to score an extra ticket so I could attend! (Greg, who also earned a "get out of Purgatory free" card, entertained and fed all the kiddos in the student lounge nearby, even Daniel.) And Aunt Terri scored us some awesome seats!
There she is! See her? Shaking hands with Fr. Terry? Okay, fine, here's another shot...
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| yes. it's blurry. i was shooting from a distance in low-ish lighting with no tripod. |
Katie's commencement speaker was Fr. Cantalamessa, THE preacher to THE papal household. Yes indeed! He is Franciscan, after all. :) He was absolutely delightful. He was quoting philosophers and theologians right and left, and had an impish sense of humor. What a privilege to be able to hear him speak! He promised to bring back to the Holy Father Franciscan Univeristy's warmest greetings. That got a huge cheer from the audience. :)
And remember Lenore? Katie's maid of honor? She has the most beautiful voice. She sang both the National Anthem and the Alma Mater!
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| see! there she is! |
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She did a beautiful job. I wish everyone else would have stopped singing so we could listen just to her. :)
Fr. Mike Scanlon is also finally retiring, so he was honored, and then he gave the final blessing. I felt privileged to be there to receive Fr. Mike's final final blessing. :)
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| go forth!! |
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| hooray for the graduates! |
Katie graduated with degrees in both Math and Political Science, as well as completing the honors program, which we believe made Franciscan history (her senior thesis was a very clever combination, about _______________), AND she graduated with honors.
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| we are so very proud of her! |
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| even Jo-jo, whom even sleep cannot protect from getting chubbed |
There was an open house party afterwards, which Katie said was everything she'd hoped it to be. Everyone just hung around, eating pizza, getting to meet friends-and-relations, enjoying the day.
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| Katie with Miss Lenore, whom I first knew as "Nory" when she was about 2 :) |
The kids had a great time running around together.
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| Edy is a brave girl |
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| a very brave girl! |
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| Rapunzel, class of 2027 |
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| just needs a couple more years to grow into it... |
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| Edy looks like the genuine article! |
Sunday morning Aunt Terri hosted her traditional Brunch of Fabulousness so we could gather once more before we took off again.
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| I like wearing my food! |
Katie had to move out of her campus apartment that afternoon, so it was strongly recommended to us that we vacate the area before the moving-out chaos began. :) So after spending a delightful time with the family we packed up (it's amazing how quickly your stuff spreads out when you stay somewhere...) and continued our westbound travels.
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| some of us are better car travelers than others... |
