Kristen's wedding & family time

Here is my beautiful cousin, Kristen and her brand-new husband, Stefan. Stefan is Sweedish and the girls were enamored with the sing-song sound of his language. Kristen and Stefan met while working in Cambodia and are back there now already. She works at a shelter house for former prostitutes and he works on de-mining issues . . . very heavy stuff. But the day was light and wonderful - the lovely & simple wedding outdoors near a lake next to my unlce David's house. Katrina didn't think it could possibly have been a wedding since it didn't last all night!
My Uncle David & Aunt Lorma's family after the wedding. Here they are with their three kids - David, Eric & Kristen - and their families. It was quite a big family gathering with my Mom's side of the family well-represented. Many of us crashed at their house the next day - including the bride and groom. We had a wonderful time together and of course we ate curry and rice!
We dressed in Indian saris or something similar since my Mom's side of the family grew up in India. Because we were held up by road construction for over an hour on the way, we barely made it on time. When we finally arrived, I ran into the house where my aunt Esther was staying and she wrapped me up in a sari in record time. I felt like a toilet-paper roll getting put back together (it's 5 meters of cloth)! It was quite hot during the wedding since we were in the sun, but I decided that's what you are supposed to do in a sari - sweat!
Here are my sisters-in-law, Helen, Nancy & Laurie . . . and Katrina's dress blowing in the background.

We were so delighted that my brother Daniel and Helen with kids Emily, David and Timothy came down to the wedding from Winnipeg. My nephew Andrew was sadly unable to come. By this time Brad was back in A. and so Nancy and kids came down too. Add that to Ron's troop and ours and this is what you get!

It was really fun to watch the girls interact with their boy cousins who sling them through the water, chase them savagely, carry them on their shoulders and inspire games that do not involve princesses! The girls are not used to this because all their cousins in Morocco are girls as are almost all of our neighbors.
After the wedding several of us families went to the amazing Omaha Zoo. You have to go if you are anywhere in the area! This chimp was trying very hard - painfully hard - to get some of the water we had!
Daniel, Mom & Ron

My cousin, Shiela, caught the wedding bouquet, so I explained to Katrina that she would be the next to get married. An hour later we went to a park where a wedding was being held. "Oh!" exclaimed Katrina, "There's Shiela's wedding!"