One birthday down, one to go

This past Saturday was Lauren's 26th birthday. To celebrate we headed to the Crowne Valley Winery in Ste. Genevieve, MO. We were joined by a great group which included Lauren's brother Brandon, my sister, Kelly, Jessica Jeff and Lisa, and Pat. Lauren said that the day couldn't have gone much better since the weather was really nice (considering it is August), there was live music, great scenery and of course good wine. After the day was done we all headed back to the hotel and enjoyed the adjoined bar, Spoke's. The night was enjoyed by all (some more than others) by most importantly Lauren had a great time and laughed harder than she has in a long time (she said that her stomach muscles hurt on Sunday from all of the laughter, most of which can be attributed to Pat and his one-liners concerning Cheez-its and various other topics).
On Sunday, a nice family dinner was hosted at Lauren's parents' house and my parents came as well. Dinner was really good and Lauren was pretty slap-happy (and it showed). The topic that came up repeatedly on Saturday and Sunday was that she would have still another birthday before we get married but I will only have one. That fact didn't seem to sit too well with her but I think she'll find a way to get over it.