wild wedding weekend

We are back from a whirlwind weekend trip to Auntie Kaye's wedding in Portland, OR. For those of you who don't know, Auntie Kaye is Michelle's (Reganne's Mommy) sister. We were so glad we could be a part of Kaye's special day.

We left Friday morning on Northwest, changing planes in Minneapolis. Both our flights arrived early - a first for us, I think! We arrived in Portland about 1:00 p.m., and between the airport and the car rental place, we had several friendly Oregonians apologize for the rainy weather. We kind of expected that - it is Oregon after all. It did start hailing a little bit when we picked up the car. We checked into our hotel in Lake Oswego, and thanks to Patrick's Platinum Priority Club status, they bumped us up to the club level, which is the "quiet zone." Note the sign posted near the elevator. We did our usual pillow check to see if they contained feathers, to which Patrick is allergic, and they did. The housekeeping ladies had a hard time understanding why we didn't want those pillows, but we have encountered this situation before, and Patrick knows how to ask for foam pillows in Spanish.

We rested a while and then went to the church. We played with Reganne while she wasn't practicing her flower girl duties, and then we took her to Sweet Tomatoes while the grown ups went to the rehearsal dinner. She munched happily on vegetables from the salad bar, and then I brought her some macaroni and cheese. The little beanpole downed two bowls before the lady came around with warm COOKIES! I wish we had a Sweet Tomatoes here - it's a great healthy, family-friendly restaurant.

After dinner, we took Reganne back to her grandparents' house for a bath and got her ready for bed. She loves taking a bath, which is good since she was wearing a substantial amount of macaroni and cheese.

The next morning, we had probably one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. Upon the recommendation of one of our fellow choir members, we went to the Original Pancake House. Since I can't eat pancakes, I had thick-sliced bacon and sourdough toast with preserves. OH MY GOSH. That bacon was on a whole other level. Patrick had Swedish Pancakes (like crepes) with lingonberries. The restaurant is in an actual house, and the servers are all female and wear old-fashioned pink waitress outfits. No lattes here, people. It's a classic example of if it's not broke, don't fix it. If you are ever in Portland, do not miss the Original Pancake House. (Be advised - they are only open Wednesday-Sunday).

Next, we went shopping because Oregon does not have sales tax. Since we are used to 9.25%, this was a lot of fun. We bought a heated mattress pad, some gifts, and a few other odds and ends. While at the mall, we ran into Mom and Dad, who arrived late Friday night. We shopped with them and took them to Sushi Hana, a rotating sushi bar. (Props to Michelle for emailing us about the $1/plate special!) Mom and Dad ate sushi for the first time!

We went back to the hotel to rest and get ready for the wedding. Reganne did beautifully, coming down aisle with a big smile on her face and holding the hands of the other two flower girls. As far as she was concerned, it was all about her. Reganne got a little sqirmy during the ceremony, so John took her to the nursery. Kaye was a radiant bride, and the wedding was lovely. Congratulations to Greg and Kaye!

The reception was at a nearby hotel. They served a great dinner which included chicken, beef, and of course, salmon. Despite not having a nap, Reganne had a blast. She danced and danced, and was a little put out when she had to leave the floor for the bride and groom to have their first dance.

We made the trek back home on Sunday. We got to see snow in Minneapolis, but other than that, it was uneventful. We are working on another excuse to go back to the Northwest!

Click here for pictures!
(pictures open in a new window)