Trip home to St. Louis

Kyle came up with the idea - we'd all go to St. Louis to attend Pat's daughter's wedding. Pat and Kyle were best friends growing up, and Pat's family and our family were the closest of neighbors. So... we made our plans.

Kyle arguably had the best night of all of us, dancing with his S.O., Maureen and getting together with his old friends. But Dad also seemed to be really enjoying the dancing...

Like in this photo with Gina, Kyna's best friend growing up...

 And here with Maureen! Lauren was having fun with the party favors from the princess theme...

 ...while Pat and his daughter shared their traditional dance. Dad, Kyna and Gina appear to be engaged in a really funny story here, but when I asked what they were talking about they told me I'd understand when I was older.

We also took some time to visit old haunts, like Kyle's favorite, Pelican Island. The river here is wide and slow, and made for some nice photos on a sunny, chilly day.

Kyle and Lauren spent some time sand-combing, looking for rocks and bird poop and arrowheads and feathers and stuff, as they are wont to do. Dad, Kyna and I retired to Alton Illinois for lunch and pie.

While it's difficult to find something we all want to do, among this diverse and bizarre group of blood-related people, it's not impossible. We played a rousing game of par three golf on another sunny, gorgeous fall day.

Kyna  proved herself a dead-eye shot on every hole - sometimes long, sometimes short, but never off the mark, and sometimes beating par. Another of her talents... but somehow I never knew she could do this!

Kyle was a very capable caddy. We like making him carry heavy things. Dad's looking onto the green, because he got on every single hole.

And then there's Lauren, natural athlete, even more natural goofball. I'm not entirely sure why she's loping along while Maureen takes her shot, but it reminds me a lot of the day. She was consistently goofy and fun!

I don't have any pictures of myself playing golf, for obvious reasons.