Twenty-One

Sunday, October 25, the day we celebrate D's entrance into this world. This year it was all about that magic number: 21! 

This capsule of treasures has been hiding in our storage room for, well, 21 years. It was marked with the date 10-25-2015 as the crack the seal day. D cracked the can! 

Inside was two years worth of time marking treasures--cassette tapes announcing to STL's morning radio listeners D's birth (her uncle is a DJ). Since D made an early entry we hadn't yet agreed upon a name, so she was announced not by name but by her birth weight. Also in the capsule was a newspaper from October 25, 1994, magazines from historical moments, mouse ears from Disney, trinkets commemorating the 96' Olympics....  And letters. 

After we slipped back into the past, it was time to party in the present. We headed to Hermann, MO for the October Fest and the wineries.

Our first stop was at the Stone Hill Winery. D made her way to the tasting room where she sampled a mix of six dry wines. We allowed her to make our purchase of three bottles of wine (two to drink and one to take home), while Princess A purchased a bottle of champagne to toast her baby sister. We enjoyed a picnic of traditional wine foods--sausage, cheese, crackers, chocolate.

We sang Happy Birthday while D tried to beat the wind from blowing out her candle and spoiling her wish. 

Then it was on to the next winery: Adam Puchta. We collectively agree this is our favorite winery in Hermann. It's not for the view, that's basic, it's their wine. Their wine tasting is paired with a snack food that compliments the eight wine samplings. We shared (another) nice bottle of red, and bought two for home. 

D's roommate's mom happened to know the entertainment. D talked Dennis into letting her sing Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide." She did a good job for a girl dipped in wine. We all sang right along with her. 

Next it was on to the Hermannshof Winery for our last tasting. We drank more red wine and bought more to take home. D did not sing here, but like at every winery we visited she was sung Happy Birthday. 

At every winery D took to the dance floor. She danced with her roommate at one winery and with Princess A at another. 

At 5:30pm the oompah band closed its cases and the wine stopped pouring. We put a close on the birthday celebration. 

It was a great day of family, friends and fun. 

As King Ralph, our designated driver, hit the highway, Mother Nature put her finishing touch on a great day!