Races, Weddings, and Weekends

We have a lot of these 3 things planned for the summer. In fact, we have one of each planned for nearly every month! It should keep us busy and make for a great season!

Our first race (to call what I do "racing" is pushing it...it should really be called an official jog with a large group where nice people happen to tell you the amount of time that has gone by since you left) was actually in April and really did not feel anything like summer, but it was the first of the season, so I will document it. We ran the Recycle Run 5K again this year around Lake Harriet, but we missed our running partners from last year, Nick and Shannon! They are about halfway through their time in Africa where Shannon is doing her dissertation research. Next year we'll have to do it again together. It was held at the end of April, but when we left the house it was in the 30s! Luckily it was sunny so it wasn't SO bad when you weren't in the shade- my 3 layers helped too. It was hard to believe that just a few short months earlier this lake was the last stretch of my 10 mile run. I definitely will need a few months to get back to that distance! I was glad Will and I did this one together because Will is training for better times over shorter distances, so I don't think he'll be running any others with me this year. My new Ipod shuffle will have to keep me company:) It was a fun time together and the money goes to the Minneapolis Parks, which we use all the time. We're happy to help keep them beautiful.

Amelia ran that 10 mile race with me last year, and hers was the first wedding of the summer. Amelia is a friend from my cohort and she and Joel moved out to Washington DC last year for very fun and interesting jobs (I'm sure I will not do them justice if I tried to explain them here, but they are both doing research). We miss having them around here, so we all have been looking forward to the wedding!

The wedding was held in Easton, MD. It was a beautiful seaside town with cute shops, a bustling farmers market complete with live music, and stunning historic homes and buildings. The ceremony was held in a Quaker meeting house that was built in 1684! William Penn had been to the site, and it is the oldest continually used church building in the U.S. We live in a pretty historic area of St. Paul, but it was striking how much earlier this area was settled. We spent our time before the wedding exploring the town, enjoying the 80 degree weather and the bay views, and eating delicious local crab, mussels, and fish. I LOVE seafood. I could eat it for every meal. Too bad it costs an arm and a leg here in the plains. Good thing our friends keep getting married on the coasts- fresh seafood time for me:)

The wedding ceremony was a traditional Quaker meeting. In a Quaker meeting, there is no officiant so Joel and Amelia said vows to one another and all of the guests signed the marriage certificate. Worship began in silence, and those who felt moved to do so spoke to the couple, giving them their blessing and sharing memories (everyone also blessed the rings coming in). There were few dry eyes in the building. I MAY have needed to dab my eyes a few times too. Amelia's dad wrote up a nice description of a Quaker wedding on her blog here: http://joelandameliamakeahome.wordpress.com

This reception was fun too complete with a live band, a funny photo booth, and even dog treats for the guests' dogs. I missed my dance partner, but we will be together for Michelle's wedding next month! It was a great trip to Maryland and the wedding could not have been more beautiful. Joel and Amelia were beaming through the entire weekend, and it was such fun to see them again. We are so happy for you two!

The first long weekend trip of the summer starts Saturday when we head to Grand Marais. In the meantime, above are some pics from Maryland.

Until next time,
Kirsten