Cute things and other weekend news

First, I have to talk about this picture. That's me with my niece and, while I'm clearly going to always say she's the cutest thing on the planet, I think this picture is all the proof I ever need. Maybe I should start carrying it around in my wallet and becoming one of those people who always says, "Oh, look at this picture. Isn't my (insert one: daughter/son/niece/nephew/granddaughter/grandson) the cutest thing you've ever seen!"

But I won't. Why would I need to do that now? You've already witnessed the cuteness. (Again, see above.)

Right now I'm in the Omaha airport on my way home from marrying my cousin (not in that way). I'm ordained online, and I used my credentials to give my cousin's wedding the special touch.

This trip was the first time I've seen my parents and brother and sister-in-law (the ones responsible for the cuteness above) since last Christmas. It had been longer — six years or more — since I'd seen any extended family beyond that. So, the reunion portion of the wedding was long overdue.

The wedding took place at a Nebraska State Park, just a few miles outside of Shubert, Nebraska, one of the tiniest places on Earth. The only real business in town is a bar that sits just above center field at the softball field. The bar is appropriately named Centerfield. And it's a surprisingly fun place to find yourself playing shuffleboard with complete strangers. (Side note: It's strange to have complete strangers in a town that has roughly 100 residents or so, a heaping handful of those being your relatives in one way or another.)

There also were a lot of other adventures from the weekend, including some things a little too gross to discuss and a couple of things so delicious not to forget. So, here are five more things you may find interesting — OK, probably not — about my trip:

1. Mutt & Jeff in Falls City, Neb., still is open. And they sell the most delicious cheese bars on the planet. Not sure what a cheese bar is about? Well, think corndog, only replace the hot dog with oozing, warm cheddar cheese. I accidentally ate three of them.

2. My Uncle Randy makes a killer carrot cake. I had no idea he could bake. And I'm telling you, if you're ever in the area (maybe getting a cheese bar at Mutt & Jeff), knock on his door and ask him to bake one up for you. But, if you go too soon, take some cinnamon with you. He's out right now.

3. When you are standing in a park with someone wearing a wedding dress and veil, people still will ask, "Are you getting married?" I find that odd, so please just assume the obvious if you find yourself in a park wondering the very same thing.

4. Cooked turnips are delicious, especially when the come straight from the ground in your grandpa's garden. I definitely need to figure out how I can grow my own garden ... in an apartment complex.

5. When I'm around my family, eating seems to be the common theme. Did you notice that three of the four previously mentioned items are about food. This is not OK, and I will be running extra miles this week to try and rid my body of extra, cheesy fat. But at least there are veggies in that cake, right?