My little brother MARRIED!!!!

Before Taka and I were to head off for Japan, we went to North Carolina to be at my brother Carl's wedding. I was born in N.C., and then lived in Asheville until I was five. 

It's where Carl and LJ (Laurie Jackson) live now. 

One thing I really noticed about Asheville were all the churches. Churches even selling pumpkins!!!

  We got to have three days of seeing Carl and LJ!

 The first night all of us who were checked into hotels in the area had dinner together- lotsa compliments to friends and family who cooked up all the scrumptious food! Mom and Carl are with Taylor and his fiance Kim~ the best pic I got of the evening.

 Everyone there that night before the big day~ left side Carl's family, right side LJ's

The next morning we got together outside Carl and LJ's home, rather than the park they had originally planned to try to wed at.  Mom and Frank getting flower-ed and you can see Taka way back there in the background. One of my cousins, Carolyn, flowering Frank!

 Carl waiting with the woman who would marry them!

 And Uncle Lynn there... shooting away! Waiting for the bride to be to enter!LJ with her Daddy!!!

And after "all was said and done" below~ me hugging my little bro! Oh so happy for the darling!!!!

Four of us cousins. Missing five others~ 

 Me, LJ and Mom!!! I wore the dress I wore when I wed Taka... what a gorgeous chance here, and I got practically the same color LJ had on!!!

 My Taka honey and me~ by bamboo in North Carolina (Carl's backyard!)

We got to celebrate over lunch afterwards... 

at a "gluten free" restaurant, and "dry" ("alcohol free") at that!!!

 Here's me and my DEAR, dear stepmom Eleanor

 Feeding one another cake. No need to smash cake into your loved one's face!!!

 And on their way away...

 a car decorated in shaving cream... Carl and LJ drove away with cans all noisy to "chase away any conniving spirits" behind them~

 Taka and I stayed at this Best Western.. the rocking chairs weren't even chained down!

 and they had this wonderful hot tub...

  It felt auspicious finding this beautiful praying mantis the night of the wedding at our hotel... and even by the next morning, as I had suspected... it was still there. Maybe cold... the poor little thing! (I wonder if it's still illegal to kill them in Pennsylvania?!)

 The Autumn colors were just beginning to get striking...

and here was where we turned to head back to town to say our farewells to family and newlyweds

And a final sweeeet photo of the two~ sitting in one of their wedding presents from 94 year old Grandmama who couldn't make it!

WE ALL ARE SOOOOOO HAPPY FOR YOU CARL AND LJ!!!!