WEDDING AND FAMILY CELEBRATION
Last weekend we were in the Twin Cities to celebrate my niece's wedding. What a wonderful time.  Katusa is a spectacular bride. My brother was bursting with pride. It was the first time in years that my siblings were all together, spread out as we are from Rhode Island to Seattle. Here is Katusa with Gabe and dancing with her dad.  Here are the 5 siblings, lined up left to right, oldest to youngest: David, Jeannine, Ruthie, Jonnie, and Kathy. Below is a 4-generation family picture: my folks gravestone at the little Green Grove cemetery with their daughter, grand son, and great granddaughter.

MOTHER'S DAY

Carlton was out on the road last week and surprised me by coming home today---showed up in Church and then took us out to dinner; he'll be leaving for Baltimore tonight. He's taking the summer off so that he and Kayla can do some traveling, including a trip to NYC. I told him about meeting the mother of Kayla's friend who said they were "dating." He was not amused. I asked him if he'd ever met the boy. He said: no, I've only glared at him from a distance. Needless to say, he's not entirely thrilled with the situation.

Teen "Dating"

Today I was at Carlton Gardens and a customer came in and as I was checking her out we began chatting. Turns out, her son is "dating" my not-yet-14 year old granddaughter. She said it casually, and I responded: DATING!!! I was too stunned to say anything more. Kayla learned from her new boyfriend about the conversation and called me, apologizing for not having told me sooner. She said she was too nervous to do so. I've calmed down by now. So far their dating has meant spending time together at recess, attending a church Bible study together twice, going to a skating party last night (both dropped off by their parents) and her going to his church last Sunday (with Carlton) to listen to him play his guitar in the praise band. His mother is a nice lady---a graduate of Calvin College, music dept., and now teaching music at a charter school. She says she (as well as her son) has know Kayla since kindergarten and thinks highly of her. I know other kids date in 8th grade, and Carlton had "dates" in 8th grade. But she's my little girl. I guess I have to get used to it.