Minneapolis, Part 3

Are y'all tired of hearing about our Minneapolis weekend yet? I promise this will be the last post.  :)  On Saturday, my family converged on the Hyatt.  My aunt even flew in from Colorado.  The only ones missing were my sister and her boys, but we found a way to include them, as you will see later.

First item on the agenda was for Miss Diva.  She has been begging to go for fondue at the Melting Pot, and we were all happy to indulge her.  Since it was mid-afternoon, we ordered there "bookends," a cheese fondue and chocolate fondue combo, instead of a full meal.  We were seated at adjoining booths, and I hopped back and forth making sure everyone had a good time.  Cubs only agreed to join us after I told him they would set the chocolate fondue on fire.

The Man Table - Walker, Bro, Cubs, and Squeak

A very excited Miss Diva waits for fondue

The Newlyweds

Chocolate on fire - WOOT!

After the Melting Pot we had to hustle back to the Hyatt to round up the rest of the family.  We also had some surprises to hand out, in the form of glow necklaces, Mardi Gras beads, and flashing pins.  We also picked up Swensons on a Stick, photo heads of the missing family members.  Then we went off to the Hot Seats tent to await the Holidazzle parade.  Because my mom and my aunt have limited mobility, we were permitted to enter the tent early.

Waiting for the parade

Looking for Sugar Daddies

The kids each had one stick person to entertain ~ we put stocking caps on them so they didn't get cold.

The parade was beautiful, as always.  Inside the tent, it's a little hard to hear the choir float but we lucked out - Saturday's choir was a lively group, singling loud and proud.  My sister stood outside the tent to get her photos, as they don't turn out well through the plexi wall of the tent.   It started to drizzle while the parade was going on, a fine, light rain, that just made everything more beautiful with the reflections of the lights.

After the parade we returned to the Hyatt and our fabulous Taj Mahal suite.  We had pre-ordered gourmet pizza from Pizza Luce.  They showed up right on time with fresh salad and the best pizza ever.  My mom brought homemade Christmas cookies and we all sat around noshing on yummy food and visiting and having just a really, really nice gathering.  I was a little sad when the festivities came to an end.  We haven't all been together like that since my dad died seven years ago.  I hope we don't wait so long to do this again.

Peeps, today is a special day for me.  Two years ago today I rang the bell in the cancer center, signalling an end to my treatment.  I was declared officially cancer free.  It was the best Christmas gift I have ever gotten, the best I ever will get.  Merry Christmas to all of you, your families and loved ones.  Thank you for your friendship.  It means so much to me ~