Fairy Princess

We look forward to Halloween with Gwen each year. Brent and I take turns between walking along to trick-or-treat and hand out the candy. Woohoo! It was my year to walk along.

Kera had just finished the little princess' makeup and she was quite something...a very excited little something. She was bouncing off the walls, and of course, making that final potty stop prior to heading out just about sent her over the edge. We were finally ready to go, and posed for one last outdoor pic.

Gwen was a little shy starting out. She didn't want to go to the houses alone and she certainly didn't want to say "trick or treat." Kera lost patience fast, but "sucker" Grandma was more than happy to ease her into it. Along the way we met one of Gwen's schoolmates, Lindsay. Gwen was then more than happy to take off with her buddy. I think we hit more houses than we ever did before.

Oh yeah, the big payoff! I love to watch Gwen sort out her take. Checking everything out and deciding what to eat first. Sometimes I miss being a kid!

A Much Anticipated Fall Wedding

Deb and Loren, our neighbors, have been engaged ever since I've known them. Granted, that's not all that long, but from what I've heard, they've been together a long time. How long, you ask? Well, rumor has it they've been dating for 15 years. Now that's a long, long time!

These two planned so many little special touches to their wedding. I think they were pretty stressed at the end, trying to make everything come together.

Loren asked Brent to be an usher, and he looked very handsome in his tux and yarmulka.

This was the first Jewish wedding we have attended. One of those special touches included in the program a description of what they were doing during the ceremony and what it symbolized. It was beautiful and they looked so joyous as they came out of the synogogue.

The reception was held at the Antique Car Museum in Hershey. What a great place! As we walked in the front door, one of the first "attractions" was Loren's Harley. I don't know if you've ever been to the museum, but each attraction has a full description of the item and the owner. What a hoot. We grabbed some wine and some appetizers and began to browse the exhibits. Along the way we found a drive-in with a slide show of Deb and Loren (yes, Simon and Miss Emmy were included). I don't think anyone was making out in the back of any of those antique cars though. Very entertaining!

Downstairs, where the reception was held, displayed Loren's prized VW...yes, you read that correctly....VW. We dined among the buses and a really cool old diner. Loren made the table numbers with LCD's and model cars sitting on top, and our favors were Hot Wheels cars. Very clever.

All that planning and work, and I'm not sure they had time to really enjoy their wedding. I think most people would say that's true of their weddings. But, the good thing is they had the wedding they dreamed of and they're very happy. Isn't that what life is about.

Great American Wine Tour

Yes, the Brooks clan gathered again to tour the wineries along Keuka lake. Oh my. Who knew there were other fantastic wineries besides Dr. Frank? I think we topped our all time high expenditures this year.

Although we numbered only 12 this year, we were thrilled that my cousin Paula and her husband Bill, GAWT virgins, were able to join us for the first time. I believe Paula had a marvelous time and I think Bill, a beer connoisseur, was surprised by how much fun was to be had on a GAWT tour.

It was a beautiful fall day along the lake, but a tad chilly. We ended up eating our lunch in the bus - just too cold and windy to brave an outdoor picnic. My Aunt Caroly and cousin Jaqui pose with their purchases outside Dr. Frank, our very first stop of the day.

Rick, Dad, Mom, Marta, and Maureen debate what wines to taste next. Jaqui's got an armful and Brent just can't decide...to buy, or not to buy.....BUY, of course!

Maureen, the Dog Whisperer. Brent and my Dad, the big spenders, and proud of it.

Thus ends another GAWT chapter in history.

How Time Flies!

Holy moly, there's just nothing to ...oh, I don't know....3 months or so. Time just flew by. I didn't realize quite how much time until Chris emailed me today with a sarcastic, "Nice blog," comment. Smarta$$! And that was after mine Brither who wubbers me nagged me not once, but twice. I'll be posting some stuff on our annual Great American Wine Tour, our neighbor's wedding, Halloween, our trip to CT and NYC, Mom's birthday, Kera's race, Christmas, and just some miscellaneous pics. Phew! More happened in 3 months than I thought.