Meetup with Cryslyn & Andy!

We did it!  Cryslyn and I finally met!  A year ago I read a post about how she had travelled into Iowa for a Wissmann concert, so I emailed her mentioning that I'd like to meet up some time.  We exchanged phone numbers and chatted once, but didn't find any other concerts that would work for both of us to travel to.

Yours truly with Andy, Cryslyn, and her brother Noah.

Then Cryslyn's blog became suspiciously quiet for months.  (Fortunately for me, I could stalk her on Facebook!)  She had met her (now) husband, Andy, at a Civil War ball; they had a beautiful resort wedding in Florida, and then...she announced they would be hosting a reception in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin!  And, she invited me!

Yip-ee!  Was I happy!  Who could pass up an invitation to meet a favorite blogger at her wedding reception--and enjoy a view of the beautiful Mississippi in what just happens to be the town with my family's favorite hamburger stand in the entire world?  Certainly not I! 

The meal would be a potluck, so the evening before I made my favorite recipe for brownies.  I succeeded in talking my whole family into coming, and we left early to visit a few interesting spots along the way.  

At around 2 p.m. we crossed the Mississippi into Wisconsin, and drove to the park shelter.  I spotted Cryslyn, and we met her and Andy, her mom and dad, and brother Noah.  The food wasn't quite ready, so I chatted with Cryslyn about blogging, talked with other guests, and watched the many boats on the river.

For dinner I enjoyed cheesy potatoes, barbecued chicken, salad, and plenty of dessert while visiting with Andy's aunt and uncle and a couple girls, Faith and Grace.

Then Cryslyn, with occasional helpful remarks from Andy--who was playing catch with a younger relative--gave us the juicy details on how they met and the most epic moments of their engagement.  Her blog is exciting--and an accurate two-dimensional representation of her life (that part she wrote in a Liebster award, "What are some things that scare you? Spiders, spiders . . . and, um, spiders . . ." is true!)--but the 3D version of Cryslyn beats it all!

We had a great time trying to keep a volleyball alive, and then we switched to a variation of a game called Spud.  After a delightful afternoon, my family and I headed to our favorite hamburger stand, and then we crossed the river again, back into beautiful Iowa.

Be sure to check out Cryslyn's Blog and her husband Andy's brand new blog, Dare to be a David!