Wait, there's still more of May!

So my blog is getting very out of order because I can't seem to quite catch up with things. I don't have such a huge amount to say about things in the past except when they are as significant as traveling to Seattle for my dad's wedding, I think they warrant some attention. Unfortunately I do not have any photos from the wedding because I decided I would have a better time enjoying the festivities than acting as photographer (I hope to see the professional shots sometime soon--the setting of the reception photos was gorgeous prime Lake Washington property). So, ironically, on a weekend that centered around my dad and his bride Gretchen, I currently have no photos of my dad or of Gretchen to share. But since the occasion did bring my siblings and I all together in our hometown, I did get some shots from family time later in the weekend. So I'll share those.

Dad's wedding was on Saturday afternoon. On Friday evening Dad and Gretchen hosted a casual gathering at their house, which was the first chance I had to meet and talk at any length with Gretchen's children (my new step-siblings!) and their spouses and kids. It was a really fun evening and all our new acquaintances were eager to meet our kids, whom we had left home with Nana to recuperate from the afternoon of travel and time change. The wedding the next afternoon was very small and intimate, taking place in the chapel of St. Thomas Episcopal church, where I attended as a kid and my dad has attended faithfully for pretty much as long as I've known him. The ceremony was lovely and the reception afterward, hosted by some close friends, was picturesque. Unfortunately the overall celebratory feel of the event was starkly overshadowed by the fact that Gretchen became ill on the day of the wedding and was feeling sick throughout the affair. She made it through the wedding and about an hour and a half of the reception--long enough to take some pictures--before she headed to the hospital to rule out anything serious and then headed home to sleep it off. Thankfully she was feeling back to her normal self within a couple days, but I think it goes without saying that the wedding and related events would have been a lot more enjoyable had the bride been able to fully participate.

Since the King family kids and spouses and significant others were all in town we took advantage of Sunday afternoon to spend some time together as a family. We went to Gasworks Park in Seattle and mostly watched the kids play, then had dinner that evening. I had a great time connecting with my brothers and was only bummed we didn't have more time to spend. But I'm grateful for the weekend, even if it felt short, and I'm glad we got some great pictures to capture the memories.