It was set to be quite a weekend. We remember the last wedding in Baltimore that involved the same people and many previous celebrations of Ben's birthday including

2003
and 2001 birthday and 2001 party
and 2000 with the sad observation that in 2002 my camera was broken and there was a shortage of new digital cameras.

But, it was clearly time for a celebration or 2, so we got ready to roll. So we packed the trunk Suzanne and Sarah did their ritual handshake and after Suzanne got in the car, it was wheels up only 54 minutes late. We hit traffic and so decided to take a short cut through Haddonfield where this person on the street was celebrating Jane's history teacher as we followed the traffic past the gas station and back onto the highway. When we approached the Delaware Memorial Bridge I was unhappy as was Suzanne because the line was long and we had forgotten our new E-Z Pass so we didn't feel a little better as the toll taker went incognito. We drove on until a pit stop at which we left Sarah in the car to prevent theft as Jane acknowledged the culinary choices and the dress code before we paid homage to Maryland's finest. Once inside, Jane picked the food and we paid so that Ben would feel nourished as we drove on to the line at the next toll booth and finally got Baltimore and the hotel in our sites where this fine man (grandson of P"53) gave us one of our rooms with a less than ideal view of the parking lot. As the girls got ready to go upstairs, Suzanne called to see if our other room would ever be ready. The views from Dansyl's room of the harbor and the tall ship were excellent even as Benjamin got his monopoly game and assembled it as a way to fight boredom.

Next it was time to get dressed. I failed not once but twice to capture myself, so I tried the mirror trick before deciding that Benjamin could take a better picture of me before turning to his toes over which he was watching Georgia Tech take an early lead over OKState in the game that mattered. Jane appeared and posed with Ben and then with Suzanne before Ben ducked out of the picture and headed for the window where he posed and then went further and further into the curtains until he was totally obscured though he did emerge and use his game as a decoy as Sarah appeared and showed her hair before posing with Suzanne and taking my picture as we gathered for an almost whole family portrait and then a few of the children with Ben looking bored then dorky then sleepy then bashful which made us wish that we could remember all seven of the dwarfs.

Downstairs, we ran into Larry and a reluctant Janet who eventually got with the plan as Suzanne, Jane and Ben sat as DanSyl and Fran arrived. Sylvia had one group then a larger group then an even larger group and then a substitution gather for photos as Isabel and Peter joined Larry and Penny joined Fran. Meanwhile, Sarah and Janet and Jane and Suzanne were watching the conversation before we went into the ceremony and saw Michelle and Jason and got their attention before the ceremony began.

After the ceremony, Jane, Fran and Michelle did the sister thing while Ben watched until Suzanne joined for a pair of pictures as I went off to meet Lynn and Yitz and chat with Bob while trying to get the perfect picture of the most interesting guest, but more on that later.

It was family time with Betsy and Matt DanSyl and Dick and Larry posing before we grew the nuclear family, one by one as Jane and Eric and then Barbara too watched as Ben and Sarah led us past Andy, our host, to our table where the other brothers and wives were waiting to see if we would join them for the perfect picture for which, you gentle viewer, can be the judge. Adam and Bonnie appeared and DanSyl made Fran and Dick stir as Rachel and Suzanne posed for their collection of pictures to the amusement of Janet and Larry and Dick and Fran as I showed that my skill at self portraits had slipped away so that Jane had to join me and then pose alone so that Fran would do the same even as the rest of the table conversed and Rachel explained something to Suzanne. It was time for more pictures at our table with Fran and Dick and a few tries to get Larry's expression right and then Penny and Peter as Sarah and Ben saw if the three children could produce a good group picture. At this point, DanSyl happened by and chatted with Fran before posing for pictures with Fran and Dick then Janet and Larry and finally Larry and Suzanne into which PhotoShop may be able to paint this finer face with more hair. A dark salad was served as the table engaged in conversation and Ben decided to see if Larry could amuse him before the sorbet came and Ben did variations on his sleeping on the table

which brought Barbara over to try and massage his back to energize him or at least Larry and Penny who led to the dance floor. Bob and Isabel dined as Bonnie and Rachel posed as did Ben, Suzanne and Jane and Fran, Dick and Janet while Dick brought Eric to the table of the next generation so that they could talk man talk with Matt while I went back to my delicious vegetarian dinner and walked to the wedding cake with Sarah who seems to need to show me her body parts feet then hands as we gathered her and Ellen together to see if they were twins when their glasses were off. Ellen and Brian posed and then we went outside where I captured the others but missed severely on an attempted profile shot before getting closer so that I felt comfortable about having these groups photos which Eric took before he took the pictures of my next generation and I got Dick's family assembled for a collection of group photos

which made me feel like the day was done.

The next morning, our bed showed the effects of sleep but Janet and Larry looked like they needed more though Suzanne seemed awake as Fran and Sylvia hugged goodbye. We ventured out to the street and crossed to the fountain so we could take pictures as we walked through which amused Larry but made us realize that it was going to be a cold day.

As others checked out of the hotel we drove past the Bromo Seltzer clock inspiring Sarah to do an artistic portfolio even as the road distracted but she was soon back

with another break before more orchids a traffic scene or more and more orchids

with closeups of traffic and even of the seat sticker then back to orchids

before we mercifully parked the car on the neighbor's grass and headed into the house where Eric and Barbara greeted Larry and Janet as Betsy ate while Ben played and Suzanne and Fran ate though Dick and Jane (remember reading about them) posed without baby Sally. Not to be outdone, Fran posed with Sarah though they don't seem to have ever had their own basal reader. The food, coffee, groom's cake, cookies and other desserts amused the crowd as Bob and then Sarah and Jane posed for picture triples before Sarah and Emily decided to do the twins with glasses pictures.

Meanwhile, our attempt to get a picture of him was interrupted by the cocktail hot dogs as Barbara conversed and Larry approached him for the group picture that Dick joined so that we could have a family portrait. At this point, Larry and Janet were feeling lonely, so Sarah and Dick agreed to pose as their children so that their whole family could be represented at the wedding. After saying our good byes to Rachel and Toba we followed this car whose tags may never have existed as I drove into the frame and except for a few required orchid pictures and a pass of the Gilman School where we noted that our water was paid up we got to Betsy's house where we entered group by group to see a crying baby and a sleeping baby and after some discussion Suzanne and Jack

did a major bonding ritual with a break to record the play area and then more bonding

as Sarah and Emma

had a bonding ritual of their own though Betsy interrupted one picture as Suzanne and Jack did nothing to amuse Ben though Pat seemed happy to see Emma with Sarah as Suzanne bounced Jack and Sarah held Emma so that the twins could bond with each other as Dick tried to capture the image and Jane and Pat watched into the darkness. There followed a potpourri of pictures

some of which were recorded against a backdrop of amusements. This is what they saw unless they were shooting in this direction or waiting for Jack to get in his seat as the girls watched and Emma got in her seat for fun so that we could all watch and Betsy and Matt opened the gifts Suzanne had brought (not for them).

Next, the candles were lit on the birthday cake and Ben stepped up to the challenge and blew them out so that we could celebrate and he could open his gifts

before an attempt to get a family picture from afar and close up as Fran took one that looked like this and the food was served as Ben did magic toothpick tricks and I got a good self portrait before the basketball men appeared encouraging me to take some self profile pictures that are among my best. After noting that the creme filled Krispy Kremes were left, we hit the road, following this Gilman car to the toll booth where they charged an exorbitant rate and then the cheaper toll booth though Jane slept through the journey until we got to Market Fair and I toasted Ben's birthday with pizza washed down by Diet Snapple while he had birthday hot dogs so that we could see the family movie he had picked.

Back at home, Ben turned to the first of the accumulated gifts while I posed in my raincoat

from all sides and Ben continued the process by opening the next gift and the one after that

and yet another

and a final gift

before declaring it a very active and very enjoyable weekend.

Good life together, Emily and Jim.
Happy birthday Ben