First, Washington DC was amazing! The weather was perfect and I was able to see so many things that I really feel as though I had the best first-time visit to DC anyone could ever have. My favorite sight? Arlington Cemetery. The hardest sight? Holocaust Museum. The funniest story? I visited the National Art Gallery twice without even realizing it til partway through the second visit...it's that big! ;)
Then I went to Alaska. Another amazing trip, but for different reasons. I figured I would be busy all week helping my cousin and the family prepare for the wedding, but we were able to do a bit of sightseeing. A glacier cruise and walking on trails were part of my week. It was also lots of fun to get to know my aunt Joy a lot better and spend some valuable girl time with her! However, my cousin Annie's wedding was the highlight of the week. She was a beautiful bride and the entire wedding went smoothly.
On August 10 I had another cousin get married. Yes, my grandparents have had a very busy summer! :) She, too, was a beautiful bride and the entire evening was a great time.
Jason & I then did an overnight trip to South Manitou Island. We have had our boat tickets for a year (we had to postpone last year's trip), so I didn't want to let them go to waste. The weather was perfect and I learned two things about my future husband: he gets seasick (like me!) and he doesn't like sand in his sleeping bag... ;)
Then, the culmination of summer fun was the best Labor Day celebration ever: a party at Douglas Walker Park with all of our family & friends--with a minister thrown in! ;) Jason & I were pronounced husband & wife by my uncle (from Alaska!) and officially became Mr. & Mrs. Jason & Rachel VanDenBrink. It was definitely a great party to end a great summer!
