Congratulations Karen and Jake!

This weekend we headed up to Big Rapids for Karen and Jake’s wedding gala event. It was nice to arrive early and have time to catch the bride getting ready amidst all the whirlwind (meanwhile Alexander and Papa played outside in the big play yard.) It was a lovely wedding, and cousin Karen just looked beautiful in her gown, sparkle trimmed veil and our grandmother’s pearls. Alexander and Papa watched the service from the baby room where Alex could play and toddle about as he was super wiggly and well rested from the long morning drive. It was a big family affair, of course- with all the Schaper clan there (sans Alison who is gallivanting around Britain- lucky duck). At the reception, Alexander humored us by sitting in the stroller for a good 40 minutes before demanding to be free to run around with the ‘big kids’ and flirt with all the ladies in the room. He found one especially charming little 5-year-old (named Alison ironically) who he loved to hug and hug. We took turns kid watching and eating, chatting, clinking glasses, and munching on cake, but unfortunately didn’t get too many pictures while managing happy wiggly baby all day. Happy that is, until the family portrait, where at 8:30 in the evening he decided that he had given out the last of his smiles for the day. It will be interesting to see a family picture of smiles and one of screaming Alex. Even buddy Alison couldn’t fix this one. We departed early for baby’s sake and to get home by midnight for David to work the next day, but from the stories we heard- it was a grand evening and celebration for a very fine couple. Congratulations Karen and Jake!