Fun weekend

Last Saturday morning we drove to Paul and Nancy's in Stewartville. We hadn't seen their Christmas tree and all their cozy, warm decorations for a couple of years. We spent the day with Nancy an Ben, because Paul was off on the Christmas Bird Count around Mayowood in Rochester. After lunch we went to Market Platz west of Rochester--a farmyard turned into a nursery in summer with a red brick house turned into a gift store. Since they would be closing on Monday for the winter, it seemed like a great time to go and find some Christmas bargains.

In the evening we drove to Pine Island for the beautiful 6:00 Christmas wedding of Molly and Ted. The dresses and flowers were red; the church was full of family and friends. Afterward, we all found our way through the dark and snowy roads to the reception in Kasson. It was unusual to have so many guests from my mother's hometown of Beresford, South Dakota, but that happens to be where Ted is from and where the newly-weds will be living.

Leaving the reception we again found our way back to Stewartville for the night. We are not used to driving on unfamiliar roads on a dark winter night. Sunday morning we went to church with Paul and Nancy. It was an especially good day to be there. A full orchestra filled the front of the church, the choir sang and we heard great preaching. After eating out and stopping to see Nancy's mom at the nursing home, we were ready to come home.