Two nephews got married this summer. The weddings were one week apart, and out-of-state, so for excursions #3 & #4 for the year we enjoyed some beautiful summer scenery, as well as the beautiful wedding ceremonies.
Nephew Tim Govier married Megan in a Catholic Church in Dewitt, Iowa.
It was a great day for my brother Galen and his wife Karen.
After the wedding came family time, with all the Govier relatives who showed up, including nephew Brad and his daughter Nora.
Also niece Amanda with her husband Stephen, daughter Brooke and son Aidan.
After the first round of chatting was over, we headed off to the reception.
We bumped into Brad and Sarah again, on the way, at McDonalds.
We were tempted to make another quick stop back at the Antique Archaeology shop in LeClaire, where we had stopped on the way down. But we didn’t.
Instead, on to the reception and more family fun with David and Katie, and their kids Mady and Charlie.
And Aidan and Brooke…
Brother Keith had the whole family together.
We left Tim doing what he enjoys most, leaning in a car.
The other wedding was in a forest in Ohio, as nephew Jon Stommel and his bride Jessica officially joined their futures in holy matrimony.
The official Stommel family portrait.
Anne and her brother Bob.
Memorable Best Man’s toast from Clifton Stommel.
Not sure what was under the table but the kids enjoyed it.
With the proper preparation, the celebration continued.
The celebration continued.
The cake was cut.
The celebration continued on after we left.
We stayed the night at Victoria’s Bed & Breakfast in Xenia, Ohio.
The Victorian theme was on view throughout the house, with chandeliers in every room.
Xenia calls itself the bicycle capital of Ohio.
So I sampled one of Xenia’s five bike paths on an early morning ride. Unlike Madison, traffic in Xenia does not stop for bicyclists.
A few miles south the bike trail goes through Spring Valley.
A Sunday morning sermon on a wall in Spring Valley.
Some bike trail signage was confusing and contradictory.
Alongside the trail, an Ohio buckeye tree.
Trailside flowers were resplendent in the early morning sunshine.
As we headed back to Madison, one final stop: a reunion with former WISM radio colleague Dick Mitchell. That’s former newswoman Anne Stommel on the right.
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